MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa indeed cleared concussion protocol, as expected this week and announced by coach Mike McDaniel Friday.
And he should have star wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in his return. The injuries that have limited Hill and Waddle are not expected to keep them off the field for Sunday’s home game against the Arizona Cardinals, although Hill missed practice Friday and is officially listed as questionable.
“I feel very optimistic and feel good about where they’re at,” McDaniel said of Hill (foot) and Waddle (quadriceps), with Waddle fully cleared to play.
But despite all the good injury news for the Miami offense, now to the bad news: Standout defensive tackle Zach Sieler has been ruled out for Sunday.
Sieler was struck in the eye at Thursday’s practice, which caused him to be added to the injury report.
McDaniel said Friday Sieler won’t be available against the Cardinals, and the injury will require a week-to-week recovery. According to NFL Network, it’s an orbital bone fracture for Sieler.
“It probably looks worse than what it really is, but he’ll be OK,” fellow defensive tackle Calais Campbell said, with Sieler not seen while media was on the practice field or in the locker room.
“It’s a good opportunity for some other guys to step up, but it sucks, because he’s probably been one of our more dominant players, more consistent players, and a guy that really makes everybody else, residually, better around him. It’s a tough loss.”
Dolphins players were not revealing a culprit Friday.
“Do you know who did it?” Miami right guard Liam Eichenberg asked a small group of reporters in the team’s locker room.
“Some would say maybe I did it,” Eichenberg continued, with a hint of mystery as to where he was going. “But I didn’t. … I didn’t really see it. I just know he was screaming covering his eye.
“I mess around with Zach a lot. I told him — you know what? — he can finally be a pirate for Halloween, you know, with the eye patch.”
Hill popped up on the Thursday injury report as being limited with a foot ailment that was not previously hindering him. Hill was not seen during a media viewing portion of Friday drills and was posting on social media during drills.
Waddle has gone through limited practices this week with an ailing quadriceps muscle, but he went through a full day’s work Friday and enters Sunday without a game status designation, good to go.
Tagovailoa is set to play in a game for the first time since the Sept. 12 Thursday night outing against the Buffalo Bills.