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Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle injury update: Miami Dolphins QB, WR game status revealed vs. Browns

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•12/29/24•

NickGeddesNews

Tua Tagovailoa
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

If the Miami Dolphins (7-8) are going to keep their slim playoff hopes alive on Sunday, they’re going to have to do it without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Both Tagovailoa (hip) and Waddle (knee) are OUT for the Week 17 road contest against the Cleveland Browns (3-12), the team officially announced ahead of the 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Dolphins initially ruled Waddle questionable to play, while Tagovailoa was doubtful to suit up. Tyler Huntley will get the start under center, his fourth start of the season in place of Tagovailoa. Huntley filled in for Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion in Week 2, from Weeks 4-7. Miami went 1-2 under Huntley, who threw for 377 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 59.1% passing.

“I mean, it’s good. It’s just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league,” Tagovailoa said Thursday of his hip, via Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN. “You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year, so just got to take care of that.”

Tagovailoa has played in 11 games this season, throwing for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 72.9% passing. Should the Dolphins lose to the Browns, it’s a possibility that could be a wrap for Tagovailoa’s 2024 campaign.

Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle with playoff hopes on the line

Miami not only needs to beat Cleveland on Sunday and the New York Jets (4-11) in Week 18, but they need a Denver Broncos (9-7) loss against the Kansas City Chiefs (15-1), and the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) to drop a game to either the New York Giants (2-13) or Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) to earn a playoff berth.

“Part of the reason why the team put itself in position to win today is because there’s a lot in football that may be correlation, not causation,” head coach Mike McDaniel said earlier this week. “So, all the things that you haven’t done, if you really look at it with a fine-tooth comb, yes, naturally you have to win in all atmospheres and against all different opponents.

“But the bigger thing is, when you’re trying to play football so that in the inevitable situation that you face every season, an elimination game, whether it’s to get in the playoffs or it’s in the playoffs, you want to be tooled with a team that can succeed or execute in those types of situations. I think the list is long when you’re talking about all the things that this team has to do that it has yet to do, but the formula is the same.”