Tua Tagovailoa is already out for week 7, when the Miami Dolphins face the Indianapolis Colts. It’s the fourth game since he was placed on injured reserve because of a concussion he suffered in week 3 versus the Buffalo Bills. However, his return is getting closer.

According to Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, Tua is expected to play football again this season, even though the precise timeline is not clear at this point.

“They’ve continued to be positive,” McDaniel said about the updates the Dolphins have received. “There’s still information that (Tua) is seeking this week. As far as timelines go, I know he’s not playing this week and I do expect to see him playing football in 2024. But where there is exactly, we’ll let the process continue, since we still have time before we could even entertain anything.”

It’s the third documented concussion for Tua Tagovailoa in the NFL, so the team is being extra careful. The Dolphins will take advantage of the extra week, because with the injury being on a Thursday night plus the bye in week 6, the four-game span on injured reserve will actually be 45 days between the Bills game and the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on October 27, when Tagovailoa will be eligible to play.

“We will make sure that he is diligent this week,” McDaniel added, “and assess after that.”

The Dolphins have dramatically failed to generate competent offense without Tua. This season, the team is 32nd in EPA/play and 31st in success rate.

Skylar Thompson started against the Seattle Seahawks in week 3, and Tyler Huntley has started since. These two are the only quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and veteran Tim Boyle is on the practice squad.