Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was activated from injured reserve Saturday ahead of Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Tagovailoa will start. 

The 23-year-old had previously fractured his ribs in Miami's loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. He was placed on injured reserve and missed three games. 

In two games this season, Tagovailoa has thrown for 215 passing yards and a touchdown and an interception. He registered 202 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Dolphins' Week 1 win over the New England Patriots.

The Alabama product's rib injury was expected to take three weeks to heal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by Miami in the 2020 draft, despite suffering a severe hip injury during his junior season with the Crimson Tide in 2019. He began the 2020 NFL season as the backup quarterback to Ryan Fitzpatrick before taking over as the starter midway through the year.

In 10 games as a rookie, he threw for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for three touchdowns.

Without Tagovailoa, Miami has relied on Jacoby Brissett. In three games, The 28-year-old has thrown for 858 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions. The Dolphins are 0-3 with the veteran quarterback as the starter.

Tua Tagovailoa has been sidelined since Week 2 after fracturing his ribs, but all signs are pointing toward the Miami Dolphins quarterback making his highly anticipated return to the field for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"I don't think it's 100 percent pretty, but I'm 100 percent ready to get back on the field," Tagovailoa said in his Friday press conference, according to David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Tagovailoa has missed Miami's last three games while on injured reserve. He began throwing last week and practiced Wednesday and Thursday before the team left for London on Thursday night. 

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores told reporters Friday, including ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, that he doesn't want Tagovailoa "forcing the issue" despite Miami's 1-4 record. 

"Take the plays that are there. If there's an opportunity for a big play, try to make it -- don't try to force anything," Flores said. "It's not a one-man team. ... My message to him is take it one play at a time, go through your progressions one play at a time and try to execute."

Tagovailoa returns to the Dolphins with a lot at stake. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett went 0-3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tagovailoa's absence. He completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 689 yards, four touchdowns and an interception in those games in addition to running for 44 yards and a score. 

If the Dolphins lose any of their next few games, Miami will have a difficult hole to climb out of. The Buffalo Bills lead the AFC East with a 4-1 record, while the New England Patriots sit second at 2-3. 

Before fracturing his ribs, Tagovailoa had completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 215 yards and one touchdown against one interception. He also ran for one yard and a score. 

Miami will need the 23-year-old to be far better against the Jaguars this weekend, though the Dolphins don't necessarily have much to worry about as Jacksonville is tied for the worst record in the NFL at 0-5.   

The Miami Dolphins and quarterback Deshaun Watson reportedly have mutual interest, but it's unlikely a trade from the Houston Texans materializes during the 2021 season.

Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Watson "would like" to play in Miami, and the Dolphins have expressed an interest in trading for the disgruntled quarterback. 

Watson has not played a down for the Texans this season. He requested a trade early in the offseason before 22 women filed civil lawsuits against him alleging sexual assault and misconduct. Houston police and the NFL have also been investigating the allegations against Watson. 

No teams have traded for Watson, likely in large part because of his off-field issues. If Watson is charged with a crime, it is possible he could face a jail sentence; it's also possible the NFL punishes him under its personal conduct policy regardless of any charges or the results of the civil cases.

The uncertainty has made it understandably impossible for the Texans to receive trade offers commensurate with Watson's on-field value. Watson is a 26-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL in passing last season and rushed for 444 yards to boot. If it weren't for the potential legal trouble, the Texans would be looking at a franchise-changing haul in exchange for Watson.

There's a natural fit here, and it may only be a matter of time until a deal gets done. It's a matter of a waiting game on the serious allegations Watson is facing at the moment. 

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is trending toward a return, potentially as soon as Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said Friday that Tua will start Sunday in London against the Jags as long as "all goes well in practice."

Tagovailoa has missed the Dolphins' past three games after suffering fractured ribs in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Jacoby Brissett started in place of the injured Tagovailoa the past three weeks, going 0-3 in the process. For the season, Miami is 1-4 and tied with the New York Jets for last place in the AFC East.

Miami's only win of the season came in Week 1 against the New England Patriots when Tua played the full game, completing 59.3 percent of his passes for 202 yards with one touchdown and one interception, as well as a rushing score.

Buffalo knocked Tagovailoa out early in Week 2 after he went 1-of-4 for 13 yards with no touchdowns or picks. The Bills went on to win that game 35-0.

Tagovailoa is in his second season after Miami selected him No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft out of Alabama.

He began his rookie season as the backup to veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he eventually took over and started nine games. Tagovailoa went 6-3 as a starter and completed 64.1 percent of his attempts for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.

He has yet to prove he can be a franchise quarterback and has been somewhat hesitant in taking shots downfield, but he likely gives Miami a better chance to win than Brissett.

Sunday's game is a huge one for the Dolphins, as a loss would drop them to 1-5 and put their playoff hopes on life support.

Miami does have a winnable game on tap in Week 6 since the Jaguars are one of only two winless teams in the NFL this season with an 0-5 record.

A win over Jacksonville would give the Dolphins some much-needed momentum heading into another winnable game against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, followed by a tough road matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 and a much softer home date with the Houston Texans in Week 9.

The Miami Dolphins aren't off to the start they were hoping for in 2021.

After loading up in the draft and free agency this offseason, Miami has limped to a 1-4 start and is on its way to missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. That's especially disappointing since the Dolphins went 10-6 last year and were in playoff contention until Week 17.

One of Miami's biggest regrets may be building around Tua Tagovailoa. The quarterback slipped to No. 5 in the 2020 NFL draft, in part because of a serious hip injury, and he didn't make it through two full games this season before landing on injured reserve with fractured ribs.

In Tagovailoa's one full game this season—a narrow win over the New England Patriots in Week 1—he didn't show marked improvement over his self-professed "below-average" rookie year. He finished 16-of-27 for 202 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and he scored another touchdown on the ground.

On Tuesday, the Dolphins designated Tagovailoa eligible to return from IR this week. Even if he does play, he isn't likely to be much of an upgrade over backup Jacoby Brissett, who has completed a higher percentage of his passes (65.2 vs. 54.8) and has a better touchdown-to-interception ratio (2:1 vs. 1:1).

Regardless of who is lining up under center, he'll have his work cut out for him trying to stay upright behind Miami's porous offensive line. Only three teams have given up more sacks than the Dolphins' 16 this year.

Even after shuffling the deck early on by moving rookie Liam Eichenberg into the starting lineup and Solomon Kindley to the bench, Miami has still struggled to offer adequate protection. Not a single offensive line starter has a Pro Football Focus grade over 60.0 this year.

For context, PFF categorizes players with grades between 0-59 as "replaceable." In other words, the Dolphins need to consider wholesale changes along their line as soon as possible.

Even Austin Jackson, whom Miami drafted at No. 18 overall in 2020, hasn't lived up to his billing. He lost his job on the outside this past weekend, shifting inside so Eichenberg could take a crack at blindside protection. The move didn't do much good, as Miami still allowed 14 pressures on 47 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF's Bryant Horn.

Jackson isn't the only 2020 first-rounder disappointing in Miami. Cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, the No. 30 overall pick last year, hasn't even been able to get on the field.

Igbinoghene has been a healthy scratch in all but one contest this year, and he logged only 15 special teams snaps in that one active game. Given his awful 37.1 PFF grade last year, it's hard to fault the Dolphins' coaching staff for keeping him sidelined.

Miami's receiving corps hasn't provided much assistance to Tagovailoa and Brissett, either. DeVante Parker leads the unit with only 242 receiving yards, while No. 6 overall pick Jaylen Waddle—who was reportedly No. 2 on the Dolphins' big board, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport—has slowed down after a hot start.

Waddle leads the team with 27 receptions, but he has only 231 receiving yards. He had his best game in Week 1 with collegiate teammate Tagovailoa under center, catching four balls for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Waddle has yet to top the 60-yard mark or score a touchdown since. He hit a low point in Week 3 when he caught 12 of his 13 targets but gained only 58 yards.

William Fuller V, whom the Dolphins signed to a one-year, $10.6 million contract this offseason, also has yet to pan out. He missed Miami's Week 1 victory over New England to finish serving out his six-game suspension, and he sat out Week 2's loss against the Buffalo Bills because of a "personal issue."

Fuller made his Dolphins debut in Week 3, but he hauled in only three catches for 20 yards on six targets. The following week, he caught one pass for six yards before suffering a broken finger and landing on IR.

There isn't much help on the way to South Beach, either.

If the season ended right now, the Dolphins would have the No. 5 overall pick. However, they owe that pick to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the package they sent to acquire the No. 6 selection in March.

The San Francisco 49ers owe the Dolphins their 2022 first-rounder, but that will likely fall in the middle-to-latter portion of the first round. The Dolphins also have San Francisco's third-round pick, but they traded their own third-rounder to the Giants for the pick that became Eichenberg.

If the Dolphins finish with their fourth losing season in five years, or even lose on their trip to London in Week 6 to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, seismic changes will be due. Whether that's replacing head coach Brian Flores, bringing in new coordinators or swinging blockbuster trades, the organization will be in dire need of a shake-up.

Oddsmakers have reduced Miami's projected win total from an initial 9.5 down to 7.5, a number that feels a bit generous given this abysmal five-game stretch. The Dolphins would need to go 7-5 during the rest of the campaign to hit the over, but even a 6-6 finish might be too optimistic.

Miami does have the potential to finish around .500 if Tagovailoa and Fuller can stay healthy once they come off IR. The offensive line still needs to show significant improvement, but getting a few games to gel in its current form—especially after being in a constant state of flux in recent weeks—could help.

Running back Myles Gaskin, who just reached a franchise milestone by becoming Miami's first back to record 10 or more catches and score at least twice in a game, could be the answer to the organization's long-standing backfield woes. The third-year veteran's usage must become more consistent—he saw just two touches in Week 4 before exploding in Week 5—but the potential is there.

Some of the Dolphins' toughest games are already behind them. They have a winnable stretch coming up after their London trip, with only three of their next nine matchups coming against above-.500 foes.

In addition to the Jags, Miami is slated to face the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, New York Giants and New York Jets (twice) over that span.

The Dolphins may be on a downward trajectory, but the team has a chance to right the ship if key players can stay healthy and a few more lineup adjustments are made. If not? Another reset may be in order.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to practice Wednesday after spending the past three weeks on injured reserve, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, potentially setting up a return to action Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Head coach Brian Flores said Wednesday he hopes both Tagovailoa and Jacoby Brissett, who suffered a hamstring injury last game, will be ready to play.

"My expectation is that both guys will be available," Flores said.

Tagovailoa has been out since fracturing his ribs in the Sept. 19 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

"We're excited to get him back. I know he's excited to be out there," Flores said. "We'll take it one day at a time, still. We're moving enough in the right direction that he'll be out there. He'll have the opportunity to practice and hopefully play in the game."

The Dolphins could use an offensive upgrade after the 1-4 start to the season. The team ranks 31st in the league in points scored and total yards, and 30th in passing yards. Brissett has only averaged 5.4 yards per pass attempt while struggling to move the chains.

Tagovailoa has only played one full game this season—a 17-16 win over the New England Patriots in Week 1.

The 2020 No. 5 overall draft pick has failed to live up to expectations early in his pro career. Tagovailoa worked his way back from a hip injury suffered in college to play 10 games last season, finishing with 1,814 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. However, with a 7-4 record as a starter, he has managed to win.

Miami will be eager to get its first-string signal-caller back under center as he tries to turn things around after a slow start.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who landed on injured reserve after suffering bruised ribs during a Sept. 19 game against the Buffalo Bills, has been designated to return to practice.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the news on Tagovailoa, who is in his second year in Miami after the Dolphins selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

With the move, Tagovailoa is also eligible to return Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, per ESPN's Field Yates.

Prior to the injury, Tagovailoa had completed 17-of-31 passes (54.8 percent completion rate), for 215 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception.

He led the Dolphins to a 17-16 win over the New England Patriots in Week 1 before exiting his team's 35-0 loss to the Bills in the first quarter after getting sacked by Buffalo's A.J. Epenesa.

Six-year NFL veteran Jacoby Brissett has called signals in Tagovailoa's place since the injury.

The former New England Patriot and Indianapolis Colt quarterback has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for four touchdowns, two interceptions and 5.4 yards per attempt in Tagovailoa's absence.

The Dolphins haven't officially announced who is starting against the Jaguars from London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores offered encouraging news to reporters when he said that Tagovailoa was throwing and doing well, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Week 5 matchup with the winless Jags, who have lost 20 straight games dating back to Week 1 of the 2020 season, is a pivotal one for the Dolphins regardless of who starts at quarterback.

Miami has lost four straight to drop to 1-4, and losing a matchup to the winless Jags may extinguish any realistic hope of the Dolphins turning this season around and making a playoff run.

As it stands, the team has scored the third-fewest points in football and allowed the second-most points, so nothing is going right for a team that went 10-6 last year and was in contention for a playoff spot until the final game of the season before falling one game short.

Kickoff for the Dolphins-Jags game is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver William Fuller V has been placed on injured reserve with a broken finger and will miss at least the team's next three games, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.

The 27-year-old injured his hand in Miami's Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The team initially ruled him as questionable to return in that game before downgrading him to out.

The Notre Dame product is in his first season with the Dolphins after signing a one-year, $10.6 million contract during the offseason. He missed the first game of the year due to a suspension and sat out the second game for personal reasons before making his debut in Week 3.

Through two games, Fuller has made four receptions for 26 yards with no touchdowns.

The Houston Texans selected Fuller with the 21st overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was the second receiver chosen in that draft behind only Baylor's Corey Coleman, whom the Cleveland Browns took at No. 15.

Houston relied on Fuller's big-play ability during his five-year tenure there. He averaged more than 15 yards per reception in three of his five seasons with the Texans.

He put together the best year of his career in 2020, recording career highs of 53 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns in only 11 games. He received a six-game suspension on November 30 for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, causing him to miss the last five games of the season and the first in 2021.

Without Fuller in the lineup, Miami still has a solid group of receivers with DeVante Parker, rookie Jaylen Waddle and tight end Mike Gesicki. 

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Will Fuller V reportedly has been diagnosed with a broken finger and will be week-to-week with the injury, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Fuller left Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts and did not return.

Fuller was a productive member of the Houston Texans' aerial attack for five years after the franchise selected him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He recorded 156 receptions for 2,231 yards and 16 touchdowns in 42 appearances across his first four seasons.

He was putting together a breakout season in 2020 with 53 catches for 879 yards and eight scores in 11 contests before his season ended prematurely because of a six-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.

Fuller tallied just three catches for 20 yards in his lone game for the Dolphins coming into Sunday after signing one-year, $10.7 million contract in March.

Injuries have held him back throughout his pro career. The 27-year-old Notre Dame product has yet to play a full 16-game season.

The Dolphins have good depth at receiver, so the extra targets will likely be spread among several players, led by DeVante Parker and rookie Jaylen Waddle. It should also create some additional playing time for Albert Wilson.

Fuller has flashed the potential to become a No. 1 receiver thanks to his big-play ability, but staying healthy for an extended period will be necessary to truly achieve that status. Any long-term absence would be a setback for the team's offensive upside.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is reportedly expected to return for his team's Week 6 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 17, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The London game will be the first chance he is eligible to play after going on injured reserve.

Tagovailoa's season got off to a rough start when he was injured in the first quarter of Miami's Week 2 35-0 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Alabama alum was removed from the game with a rib injury, but it wasn't initially believed to be serious after his X-rays came back negative. 

The Dolphins later announced prior to Week 3 that Tagovailoa had been placed on injured reserve after being diagnosed with fractured ribs.

However, Schefter reported Sunday that "the three weeks are expected to be enough to enable Tagovailoa to heal and throw effectively again."

Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, helped the Dolphins start this season with a 17-16 win over the New England Patriots, throwing for 202 yards and accounting for two touchdowns.

He previously split time as Miami's starting quarterback as a rookie with Ryan Fitzpatrick, where he posted solid numbers with 1,814 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 64.1 completion percentage in 10 appearances.

Looking ahead, veteran Jacoby Brissett will serve as Miami's starting quarterback until Tagovailoa is able to return.