When will Tua Tagovailoa return from injury? Analyzing the impact of Dolphins QB's absence

The Miami Dolphins had a stressful Sunday. Not only did the team take a beat from division rival Buffalo Bills 35-0 at home, but they also saw quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leave the game with a rib injury.

The Dolphins have a major offensive problem as of now. Tagovailoa is injured again and the offensive line remains as bad as last year. Even worse, there's no Ryan Fitzpatrick this time to make the magic happen and save the team's offense when things go wrong. For a team with playoff aspirations, Week 2 couldn't have gone any worse.

How serious is Tagovailoa's injury?

Tagovailoa has a rib injury and his status is day-to-day.

There was a lot of concern about his long-term status as he was carted to the locker room during Sunday's loss against the Buffalo Bills, but his X-rays were negative and his MRI didn't reveal any major issues.

Buffalo Bills v Miami Dolphins

The question becomes pain tolerance, as he's obviously hurt from the hit he took on the ribs. The Miami Dolphins will face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and Tua's status for the game will become clearer in the next few days.

Can the Dolphins remain contenders if Tua misses game time?

Miami has one of the best backups in the league with Jacoby Brissett. Despite the offense sputtering against the Bills, he's more than capable of leading the Dolphins to at least one or two wins during the season if he's called to play.

Depending on how Tua's rehabilitation plays out, there would be no need for the Dolphins to force Tagovailoa back into the field. Brissett can keep the offense going for a while.

The offensive problem is not even in the quarterback position. It's the offensive line, who is not good enough. If the quarterback is not protected, he will not produce, whether that's Tagovailoa, Brissett or Patrick Mahomes.

Is Tagovailoa's injury history a cause for concern?

At this point in Tua's career, Miami has to take care of his health. He suffered a serious hip injury while at Alabama. His shoulder injury limited him for most of 2020 and now he's got a rib injury resulting from awful pass protection.

If the Dolphins want to fix this issue, it's less about the quarterback and more about protecting him the right way. The offensive line has been a mess for quite some time and this will hinder Tagovailoa's development if it stays this way. Miami has to hope that he'll be lucky and avoid major injuries