McDaniel Not Second-Guessing Tua Decision or Making Predictions

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is eligible to come off injured reserve next week.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa stands on the sidelines during the second half against the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium. / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

There will be no other major update involving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this week.

With the Miami Dolphins two days away from taking on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in their first game after their 2024 bye, head coach Mike McDaniel punted on whether Tagovailoa will practice next week when he becomes eligible to return from injured reserve (IR).

"Everything's the same," McDaniel said before practice Friday. "There's been no negative. Everything's been positive each and every day. And then, yeah, you'd be right in that I am focused on the Indianapolis Colts, who we play in 48 hours."

McDaniel made his most definitive statement regarding Tua earlier this week when he anticipated his quarterback returning to play in the 2024 season following his third diagnosed concussion in the Week 2 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Combined with McDaniel providing nothing but positive updates since Tagovailoa was injured and the quarterback joining his teammates on road trips to Seattle and New England, it's been easy to connect the dots and suggest that Tagovailoa's return would come immediately when he's eligible to come off IR.

NO REGRETS ON IR DECISION

McDaniel made clear Friday that he wasn't about to second-guess the decision to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve, sidelining him for a minimum of four games.

"So when you have a timeline that you do you have, like on that week you have to make a decision, you wait all the time you can, and then that decision's driven by medical experts and then, within conjunction of the communication of the whole team and obviously Tua, yeah, when medical experts in a timeline that's not ideal for anyone, say, the best thing would be with the information they had at the moment to do, I'm happy with X [result]," McDaniel said. "Because the idea is that people, especially in the business of having expertise, I don't ask the doctors for play-calling advice, and so I'm not going to supersede a middle class where...like that wouldn't be very smart.

"So once that's determined, when you make that decision that is based upon the information and supported, driven by medical experts, it's easy to; there's no really second-guessing or even evaluation of should we have, should or shouldn't we have. We should have, because of medical expertise. And so, then you take the time to utilize the time, and I think Tua has done a great job of getting something out of a situation that is obviously not ideal. I think you don't get to choose what you go through, but you get to choose how you handle things."

I think Tua has done a great job of getting something out of a situation that is obviously not ideal. I think you don't get to choose what you go through, but you get to choose how you handle things.

- Miami Dolphins Head Coach Mike McDaniel

McDaniel said of Tua, "And he's been unbelievably diligent. He's been a leader while doing it, and the right thing for the Dolphins with regard to medical things regarding players is based upon the medical expertise, for sure."