The Miami Dolphins play their last chance to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs when they take on Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets on Saturday. Unfortunately for Mike McDaniel’s team, star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be out for the second straight game.
Tagovailoa’s absence is due to a hip injury, another of the multiple problems the 26-year-old player faced in the current campaign, in which he sat out six of the first nine weeks due to a concussion that nearly ended his career.
The Dolphins will be without their main player when they have to look for a win at MetLife Stadium against the Jets, who are already thinking about next season and are interviewing different head coaches to fill the position left by Robert Saleh at the beginning of the season. In this context, the question in Miami is when and under what conditions Tagovailoa will return.
Tagovailoa confirmed when he will return to play for the Dolphins
Quarterback Tagovailoa made an accurate statement in the Miami Herald where he moved up his return date to the field after his hip injury. “I will play if we make it to the postseason. I will be available next week, there’s no ifs, ands, or buts. I’ll be playing,” confirmed Tagovailoa.
Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback for the Miami Dolphins
What has to happen for the Dolphins to qualify for the playoffs?
Tagovailoa’s conditional return is tied to the possibility that the Dolphins can qualify for the postseason. For that to happen, Miami must beat the Jets and hope that the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be without Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and most of their starting players, who will be resting until the divisional round.
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If Miami loses, it will be eliminated from the postseason and in that case Tagovailoa would only be available to return in the 2025 NFL season, with his last appearance being a Week 16 win over the San Francisco 49ers. The same scenario will occur if the Broncos win.
