The Miami Dolphins had already ruled quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out of Sunday’s Week 3 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, but now it seems like he’s going to miss even more time. On Saturday, the Dolphins placed Tagovailoa on injured reserve after suffering broken ribs in last week’s game against Buffalo. That means he’ll miss at least three games. The hope, per Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, is that Tagovailoa will be ready to play once that three-week IR window opens up.
Tagovailoa suffered the injury during Miami’s second offensive drive of the day in Week 2. He was hit by Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa and was eventually carted off the field. Originally, Tagovailoa was labeled as “day to day” by head coach Brian Flores, but further testing revealed that he had fractured ribs, which then led to the team ruling him out for Week 3 and the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, veteran Jacoby Brissett will start for the Dolphins. The 28-year-old came in under duress against Buffalo and completed 60% of his passes for 169 yards and an interception. Brissett has started 32 games in his career (12-20 record), so the Dolphins will be getting someone with experience to replace Tagovailoa, but the ceiling for this offense certainly comes down.
Over these next three weeks, Miami will face the Raiders in Las Vegas on Sunday, host the Colts in Week 4 and then square off against the Buccaneers in Tampa in Week 5. If all goes well for Tagovailoa, he could be looking at a return in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game that will be taking place at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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