Brian Flores provides status update on Tua Tagovailoa following rib injury

Just days after the Miami Dolphins activated quarterback Tua Tagovailoa off the injured reserve, the Alabama product appears primed to make his return this weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Brian Flores in Friday’s media availability said that Tagovailoa will start on Sunday, provided that everything goes as planned.

“I let those guys know that assuming everything goes well in practice today, Tua’s gonna start the game,” Flores said.

Tagovailoa in Week 2 suffered fractured ribs in a loss against the Buffalo Bills. Initially, the hope was he’d be back in time for Week 6 — Tuesday’s news is the first step toward that happening. He was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 25.

The Dolphins are just 1-4 this season, and surely, much of that can be chalked up to Tagovailoa’s injury. Jacoby Brissett has started at quarterback in Tagovailoa’s absence, and in three starts he’s completed 65 percent of his passes for 858 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s been sacked 12 times, too, with the 12 stops tallying 86 lost yards.

Tagovailoa’s return will be a welcome surprise for a struggling Dolphins offense. The 2021 season has not gone as planned for the Alabama product, even before the injury — in Week 1, Tagovailoa completed 16 of 27 pass attempts for 202 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception. Last year, his rookie season, Tagovailoa finished the 2020 campaign with a 64 completion percentage, 1,814 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns and five interceptions, while starting just nine games.

Coach Flores has been confident in Tagovailoa’s status since Tuesday, but he never gave an outright indication of the quarterback’s status until Friday.

“We’re moving enough in the right direction that he’ll be out there. He’ll have an opportunity to practice and, hopefully, play in the game,” Flores said on Tuesday. “”If you ask him, he’s 100 percent. He’s fine.”

Tagovailoa’s Alabama roots

Tagovailoa made a name for himself at Alabama in just over two seasons as the starting quarterback. He first came in after an injury to then-starting quarterback Jalen Hurts — with Jones one step behind Tagovailoa on the depth chart — and led a come-from behind victory in the 2017 national championship game. Coming on at the half, he threw a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, and the Crimson Tide beat the Gerogia Bulldogs 26-23.

Tagovailoa would later finish his Alabama career with almost 7,500 passing yards, 87 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. In Week 1 of the 2021 season he faced his successor at Alabama, Mac Jones, now with the Patriots.

After Tagovailoa’s standout career with the Crimson Tide, he was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, taken off the board with the fifth-overall pick.