Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been designated to return from injured reserve and is expected to start in Sunday's (October 27) game against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday (October 21) via USA TODAY.

"Our plan is to start him practicing on Wednesday, and the clearing doesn't come until after some of the activity," McDaniel said. "But we're obviously doing so in the hope of everything going well so he can play Sunday, but that will be to be determined."

Tagovailoa,26, suffered his third documented concussion in three seasons during the Dolphins' Thursday Night Football blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. The former Alabama standout reportedly has no plans to retire and already consulted specialists on the next steps to take after suffering his third documented concussion in two years, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed Rapoport on September 15.

Tagovailoa, 26, suffered his third documented concussion in three seasons during the Dolphins' Thursday Night Football blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. The former Alabama standout reportedly has no plans to retire and already consulted specialists on the next steps to take after suffering his third documented concussion in two years, sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed NFL Network's Ian Rapoport on September 15.

Several former NFL players, including Prime Video Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tagovailoa's Dolphins teammate during his rookie season in 2020, called on Tagovailoa to consider retirement amid his latest concussion. The former first-round pick suffered his third diagnosed concussion in three years during the third quarter of the Dolphins' blowout Thursday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills after attempting to go head-first into safety Damar Hamlin.

Tagovailoa previously said he considered retirement after suffering multiple concussions during the 2022 season before returning for a 2023 campaign in which he recorded career-best passing numbers.

“Yeah, I think I considered it, you know, for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations,” Tagavaolia said at the time via the New York Post. “It would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am and with my son. It’s my health. My body. I feel like this is what’s best for me.

“I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to the point where my son knew what he’s watching.”

Scott Sloan