Marcel Louis-Jacques, ESPN
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins gamers had been ecstatic to see quarterback Tua Tagovailoa return to the follow subject Wednesday, maybe no yet one more than vast receiver Tyreek Hill.
Tagovailoa practiced for the primary time since sustaining a concussion Sept. 12. He was positioned on injured reserve the next week and missed the Dolphins’ subsequent 4 video games.
The NFL’s main passer final season is eligible to come back off IR this week, and Hill stated Tagovailoa’s return introduced a well-recognized feeling again to the follow subject.
“He seemed nice. Felt like previous instances,” Hill stated. “Me and him linked on just a few deep photographs at this time, and that form of obtained me feeling good at this time. I missed that and I missed him. I advised him I’ve obtained to take him and his spouse to dinner as a result of I missed him a lot. S— was so stunning, that s— nearly made me cry at this time like simply having him within the lineup, having him name the performs, having him direct the offense, like simply listening to his voice.
“I do know that sounds loopy, however he is a giant a part of this group.”
Miami is 1-3 within the 4 video games Tagovailoa has missed. Throughout that stretch, the Dolphins offense ranks final in scoring, thirty first in offensive anticipated factors added and twenty ninth in yards per recreation.
Hill’s manufacturing has tapered with out Tagovailoa. He is on tempo for 833 receiving yards, which might be his lowest whole since his rookie season.
After connecting together with his quarterback on a number of deep passes throughout Wednesday’s follow, Hill’s pleasure carried into the locker room. Broad receiver Jaylen Waddle stated Tagovailoa accomplished nearly each go he threw to Hill, and that once they’re on the identical web page, “it usually results in huge performs.”
“It was stunning. It was so stunning,” Hill stated. “I guess for those who go ask each man on this locker room, simply say, ‘Hey, did Tua join with Tyreek at this time?’ And if they are saying, ‘Yeah,’ the subsequent query needs to be, ‘What was his response proper after that?’ I simply had a giant cheese on my face as a result of it simply felt so good. Like y’all do not know what it does to me.”
Tagovailoa was injured after initiating contact to finish a scramble in opposition to the Buffalo Payments in Week 2. Each Tagovailoa and coach Mike McDaniel agreed that the quarterback has a accountability to guard himself on the sector transferring ahead.
Hill joked that he and his teammates inform Tagovailoa “on a regular basis” to slip, and that Dolphins followers ought to cheer for him when he does. Working again Raheem Mostert echoed Hill’s sentiment, including that Tagovailoa is in the end the one in charge of his actions on the sector.
“Oh yeah, we have been speaking to him ever since his damage,” Mostert stated. “I have been telling him, ‘Hey, it’s essential to work on sliding.’ And all of us joke round and giggle, however on a severe observe, he is aware of that he has to guard himself a bit bit higher and transferring ahead, solely he can management these issues. We will say these issues to him till we’re blue within the face, however one factor that I’d say that is at all times my saying is, ‘Hey, you may convey a horse to water, however you may’t make him drink, proper?’
“We will convey Tua to that water, however we won’t make him drink. He has an understanding of that, and transferring ahead, he will do his finest.”
Tagovailoa was a restricted participant in Wednesday’s follow. To play Sunday, he’ll have to be a full follow participant both Thursday or Friday. As soon as he practices in full, he can meet with an impartial neurological marketing consultant assigned to the group and obtain remaining clearance to play.
The No. 5 choose within the 2020 NFL draft stated he has been symptom free for the reason that day after he sustained the concussion, the third identified one in all his NFL profession.
