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Dolphins expect Tua Tagovailoa to start against Jets after finger injury

Barring any unexpected setbacks this week, Tua Tagovailoa will start for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday when they take on the New York Jets, coach Brian Flores said on Monday.

Tagovailoa returned to the field to replace an injured Jacoby Brissett in their 22-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday after missing two games with a fractured finger.

“My expectation with Tua is that he’ll start this weekend,” Flores said, via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “Obviously, he’s going to have some discomfort with the finger, banged it the other day, which we were trying to avoid that, but it happened. He’s had some time to rest it and will practice.”

Tua Tagovailoa returned vs. Ravens after finger injury

Tagovailoa missed two games for the Dolphins with a fractured finger, and was ruled out of Thursday’s game with Baltimore hours before kickoff.

So, Miami went with Brissett instead. But when Brissett was sacked by Justin Houston in the third quarter and his leg twisted awkwardly in the turf, he had to come out.

The next drive, Brissett looked like he was ready to go back into the game — yet Flores suddenly tabbed Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa finished the game, and went 8-of-13 for 158 yards and ran in a touchdown in the fourth quarter to lead the Dolphins to their second straight win.

Moving forward, Tagovailoa seems like he’s back, while Brissett is limited in practice this week.

“It was kind of a scary situation, but thankfully it wasn’t anything serious,” Flores said of Brissett’s injury, via ESPN. “Let’s call [Brissett] day-to-day.”

Tagovailoa, who went No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft, has thrown for 1,198 yards and seven touchdowns in six games this season.

Though the Dolphins (3-7) still have a long way to go to salvage the season, having Tagovailoa back running their offense sounds like it’s a solid first step.

“He’s cool, calm, collected,” Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki said Monday, via the Sun-Sentinel. “Gets in the huddle, does his job and does it at an effective rate. Everybody is excited to play with him. Love having him back there.”

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa returned against the Ravens after Jacoby Brissett injured his knee following a two-game absence. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) (Michael Reaves via Getty Images)