Miami Dolphins Expect Quarterback Tagovailoa to Play in Week 14

The Miami Dolphins apparently dodged a bullet with their star passer. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to practice in a limited capacity this week and play in the team's Week 14 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers despite exiting Week 13's 33-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers with an ankle injury.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be limited in practice early in the week due to his ankle injury, which shouldn’t prevent him from playing in Week 14, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 7, 2022

Tagovailoa left Sunday's game after losing a fumble on a Nick Bosa sack that was returned for a touchdown. Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson replaced him on the ensuing drive and promptly threw a game-sealing interception. It was difficult to tell at the time if Tagovailoa had been pulled due to injury or because the game was out of reach.

Tagovailoa's relative health is good news for the Dolphins as they prepare for their Sunday Night Football showdown with the Chargers. Tagovailoa and Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert are eternally linked; Tagovailoa was drafted one spot ahead of Herbert in the 2020 NFL Draft. Before this season, the Chargers had seemed to get the better of the deal. But Tagovailoa has been sensational since the Dolphins added wide receiver Tyreek Hill earlier this year. This season, Tagovailoa is outpacing Herbert in passing yards per game (285.9 to 278.3), passer rating (112.0 to 92.3), and net yards per passing attempt (8.27 to 5.97).

Tagovailoa's season this year is so exceptional that it has even erased the gap in their performances over their three-year careers. Tagovailoa sports a far superior 21-10 record to Herbert's middling 21-23, and his 96.2 passer rating could exceed Herbert's 96.3 mark any day now. It's funny how quickly things can change.