The Miami Dolphins officially designated QB Tua Tagovailoa to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, per the NFL transaction wire.
This is the first step in Tagovailoa clearing the concussion protocol. He’s missed the last four games and five weeks, including Miami’s bye.
The expectation is for Tagovailoa to start this week against the Cardinals, assuming there are no setbacks in practice.
Tagovailoa, 26, was selected with the No. 5 overall pick out of Alabama in 2020 by the Dolphins. He signed a four-year, $30,275,438 rookie contract with a $19,578,501 signing bonus. He earned a base salary of $1,010,000 in the final year of his deal.
The Dolphins picked up Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option worth $23,171,000 for the 2024 season.
From there, the team re-signed him to a four-year deal worth up to $212 million this offseason that included $167 million guaranteed.
In 2024, Tagovailoa has appeared in two games for the Dolphins and completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 483 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.
