After suffering another concussion this year against the Bills in Week 2, many believed Tua Tagovailoa would be out for a long time. However, the Dolphins star has surprised the NFL world, as recent reports indicate that Tua will make his return against the Cardinals in Week 8.
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Senior Athletic reporter Dianna Russin broke the news that Tua is returning to the field this month. “Tua Tagovailoa is back. The Miami quarterback is set to practice this week, and the hope is he will start in week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals,” she wrote on X.
While most netizens are on the fence about this update, some have flocked to social media to offer the quarterback a protective gear suggestion: the Guardian Cap.
Wear guardian cap
— FirstSportz NFL (@FirstSportz_NFL) October 19, 2024
Will he at least wear a guardian cap??
— Psychedelic Raider (@Epona_117) October 19, 2024
Please tell me he is at least going to wear a guardian cap.
— Celtsfan207 (@celtsfan207) October 19, 2024
Dolphins fans, meanwhile, were excited about their talisman’s return.
Can’t wait for Tua’s first drive back pic.twitter.com/olZpy7jei6
— Intrinsic (@intrinsicvalyou) October 19, 2024
When Tua’s concussion was confirmed, many analysts and fans, in unison, urged the QB to call it a career — at least for the sake of his health. But being the fighter Tua is, the quarterback has chosen to continue pursuing his passion until he can no longer be medically cleared.
So, will the guardian cap help? As per reports, this soft shell helmet cover reduces the severity of impact by 10%, so this is undoubtedly a great suggestion from fans.
While the debate over whether Tua is fit to take the field will rage on, he is still very likely to play this month. Objectively, this is great news for Miami, as Tyler Huntley hasn’t been performing well as a replacement.
Tua Tagovailoa’s return can help Miami aim for playoffs again
One of the common criticisms around Tagovailoa throughout his career has been that he is a system player. Critics argue that the Dolphins’ system is tailor-made for him, which plays to his strengths.
While it’s difficult to understand why fans and pundits criticize a team for utilizing its resources to the fullest, the Dolphins offense hasn’t been the same in Tua’s absence.
Tyler Huntley has looked clueless driving Miami’s offense. In the two games that the backup started, he threw for 290 yards with 0 TDs and 1 INT. The once-playoff-bound team now stands at 2-3.
Luckily for Dolphins fans, this experiment will have to be endured for a week more, thanks to Tua’s return.
The best thing for Dolphins fans is that there is still some hope left for the playoffs, provided they win against the Colts this weekend. On paper, this is a winnable outing that takes the team to a doable record of 3-3.
The fixture against the Cardinals with Tua’s addition also seems winnable and if stars align, Mike McDaniel’s men will be 4-3 with more than half the season left. Their prospects from there on are hard to predict, but with Tua back, they have enough firepower to give them a fighting chance.
