Mike McDaniel has a lot of injuries to worry about as the Miami Dolphins wrap up the regular season. Tua Tagovailoa’s shoulder injury is not among his top concerns.
The star quarterback hurt his left throwing shoulder during Sunday’s 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. However, McDaniel told reporters Monday that he doesn’t fear the issue costing Tagovailoa any time.
“It’s not a huge blip on my radar right now,” McDaniel said, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
McDaniel said he’s not worried about Tua Tagovailoa’s shoulder injury:
“It’s not a huge blip on my radar right now.”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) January 1, 2024
Even if Tagovailoa is fine, Sunday’s loss was costly on many levels.
Star pass-rusher Bradley Chubb suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the Week 17 game. He leads the team with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles.
Xavien Howard also left the game with a foot injury. McDaniel doesn’t expect the All-Pro cornerback to play Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills.
The Dolphins had an opportunity to clinch the AFC East and remain in contention for the No. 1 seed. They’re instead preparing for a Week 18 game that will determine the division champion and No. 2 seed.
Critical injuries on defense could put more pressure on Tagovailoa to lead a Miami victory.
Although he’s likely fallen out of the MVP race, Tagovailoa has cemented his place as a franchise quarterback with a career-high 28 passing touchdowns. The fourth-year pro leads the NFL with 4,451 passing yards while only trailing Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott in quarterback rating.
Yet Sunday marked another marquee shortcoming for Miami, which is now 1-4 against teams who currently have a winning record. That trend started with a 48-20 loss at Buffalo in Week 4.
The Dolphins and Bills will play for the AFC East crown on Sunday Night Football, starting at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.