National Football League

Tua Tagovailoa ruled out for Dolphins-Bills playoff game

Updated Jan. 11, 2023 3:42 p.m. ET

The Miami Dolphins will be without their starting quarterback again on Sunday.

Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the wild-card round game against the Buffalo Bills as he remains in concussion protocol, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel announced Wednesday. The team is preparing to start rookie Skylar Thompson Sunday, McDaniel added.

This will mark the third straight game Tagovailoa will miss and the fifth game this season he has missed due to a concussion. Tagovailoa was placed in the league's concussion protocol the day after Miami's Christmas Day loss to the Green Bay Packers, a game the QB played fully.

Will Tua Tagovailoa return this season?

Colin Cowherd wonders if Tua Tagovailoa will return to action this season after suffering another concussion.

Tagovailoa briefly left the Week 3 matchup between the Dolphins and Bills after his head appeared to hit the turf on a tackle, but he returned to that game, which the Dolphins eventually won. Four days later, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that sent him to the hospital in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was discharged that same night and missed two games following that concussion.

Despite some second-half struggles, Tagovailoa was statistically one of the best quarterbacks in the league during the regular season. He was fifth in passing yards per game (276.1) and first in passer rating (105.5) to go along with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 games.

Tagovailoa helped the Dolphins split the two regular-season matchups against the Bills this season. He completed 30 of 48 passes for 420 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, good for a 111.5 passer rating, over the two games.

Thompson, who started in the Dolphins' regular-season finale win over the New York Jets to help them reach the playoffs, completed 57.1% of his passes for 534 yards with a touchdown and interception over seven games and two starts.

Veteran QB Teddy Bridgewater could be available to play on Sunday, McDaniel added. Bridgewater suffered a broken finger on his throwing hand in the Dolphins' Week 17 loss to the New England Patriots. Bridgewater is preparing to play but only if he has no setbacks, McDaniel added.

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