MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has two injuries he’s managing in a week where his team is preparing to battle the Baltimore Ravens for a chance to take over the No. 1 spot in the AFC playoff picture.
Tagovailoa was revealed Wednesday evening to have sustained injuries to his quadriceps and the thumb on his left, throwing hand, according to an injury report released by the team.
The Dolphins quarterback was previously not known to be dealing with either ailment, which apparently occurred during last Sunday’s 22-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Tagovailoa went through limited participation in Wednesday drills, according to the injury report.
It doesn’t appear, at his point, the injuries would be enough to keep him from playing against the Ravens on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. Tagovailoa held his usual Wednesday news conference after practice, but he he seemed fine and was not asked about his health as the injury report had not yet been released.
Tagovailoa, who has battled an array of injuries in his first three NFL seasons, has been largely healthy in his fourth year quarterbacking the Dolphins. He has played all 15 games leading up to the Week 17 showdown in Baltimore and has only been on the injury report once, in the week leading up to the Dec. 3 game against the Washington Commanders — for a right arm laceration, a gash on his non-throwing arm from the team’s trip to MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets.
Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passing yards. At 4,214 yards, he has already established a career high with two games remaining. He is completing 70.5 percent of passes for 8.5 yards per attempt, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
This week, in a game with significant playoff implications, he goes against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Pompano Beach native who leads the NFL in MVP odds and is coming off a strong victory against the San Francisco 49ers. Tagovailoa has much to gain in that race in the final two weeks as he is third in those odds, with 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey second.
“I couldn’t care less about that,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday about MVP talks.
“I got a lot of respect for Lamar. The things that he’s done throughout his career. … I’ve been hearing talks about what people say about him and whatnot and how he handles himself and how he goes about his business. Very respectable. Very commendable. He’s a baller. That’s just flat out what he is, and that’s what he does. He’s a game-changer with what he can do in the pocket, throwing the ball deep, on the run and then he can make you miss with his legs as well. I got a lot of respect for him.”
Tagovailoa recalled a moment during Jackson’s MVP season of 2019 when he reached out to him over Instagram.
“I can vividly remember when I was in college — I think he was in the NFL — and he reached out to me,” Tagovailoa said. “He told me I was balling, and I thought that was the one of the coolest things. I think that was the year he won the MVP.”
The Dolphins quarterback has since won two career meetings against Baltimore, last season’s historic comeback from three touchdowns down in the fourth quarter to win, 42-38, and a 2021 home victory where he entered in the second half.
While Tagovailoa had a career game with 469 passing yards and six touchdowns in the thriller, he downplayed how much that plays into Sunday’s meeting.
“It was a hard-fought game. Our team last year, we were able to not let the win or let the score dictate how we wanted to finish and how we wanted to continue to play that game,” the Miami quarterback said. “Obviously, the result was a win, but it’s a new year. They’ve made some changes to their defense. Same scheme, but personnel-wise, they’ve moved some guys around and they’ve also acquired some new guys.”
Baltimore’s defense is sixth against the pass and sixth in total defense. The Ravens also have the league’s No. 1 scoring defense and lead the league in sacks.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel revealed one core memory of Tagovailoa’s epic performance last season in Baltimore was how hard he was on himself over a second-quarter interception throwing to Jaylen Waddle.
“It was just out of character,” McDaniel said. “So, we had a moment on the sidelines. ‘Dude, you’re trying to win the game on every play. That’s not your job.’ And then I think I can be quoted as saying, ‘That interception, don’t do that.’ That’s what I said. And then he didn’t, and it was phenomenal.
“But that’s the journey of a NFL quarterback because you have those moments and then another week comes by and you don’t. Every game is its own.”
As Tagovailoa works through his two injuries, he could be without Waddle, who is recovering from a high ankle sprain sustained against the Cowboys.
“It does make it tough when one of your star wideouts is down,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s next man up. That’s the mentality we have. Whoever is in, I have trust that they are going to do what they need to do, and they have trust that I’m going to put the ball where it should be and make the right reads.”
Tagovailoa had two separate stints in concussion protocol cost him 5 1/2 games in 2022, including the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills. In 2021, he missed three games from an injury to his ribs and another due to a middle finger ailment on his throwing hand. In 2020, a thumb injury cost Tagovailoa a game as a rookie.
