Why is Tua Tagovailoa not playing tonight? Status of the Miami Dolphins QB explored

Tua Tagovailoa will not be playing tonight against the Buffalo Bills due to not being cleared by the concussion protocol. Tagovailoa suffered his second (possibly third) concussion of the season in a matchup between the the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers.

Tagovailoa was rocked hard in that game against the Packers, but remained in action for the night. He had a solid passing game before the concussion, but he threw a staggering three picks afterwards.

That tells you all you need to know and for his own safety, he has not played since. Tests were run after the game confirming the quarterback had suffered a concussion. On Wednesday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said that Tagovailoa was yet to be cleared for football activities and won't play in Sunday's Wild Card game.

Tua Tagovailoa's loss would be monumental for the Dolphins, as they no doubt play better with him under center. In the meantime, they will have to get used to catching passes from rookie QB Skylar Thompson. Teddy Bridgewater would have been next in line, but he too is battling injury.

Tua Tagovailoa's 2022 season

Tua Tagovailoa had a career season in the early and middle weeks of the 2022 campaign. The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout was finally living up to his undeniable potential, in part thanks to the elite wide receivers he had on offense.

Only a few QBs in the NFL today get the chance to throw to two speedsters like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa leveraged this to lead the league across some statistical categories when he was fully healthy. The problem, though, was that he was hardly ever fully healthy. Tagovailoa suffered at least two concussions during the season, and his playtime diminished accordingly.

Concussions and injury worries aside, there haven't been much better QBs than Tagovailoa all season. The young QB has shown his long throw ability, play calling nous, and understanding of the Miami playbook. However, much can be improved, starting with his health as the Dolphins ponder the next line of action.

Tagovailoa had a decent season, statistically speaking. The Alabama Crimson Tide alum put up a stat line of 3,548 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 13 games.