Tua Tagovailoa activated, will start for Dolphins in Week 6 after fracturing ribs against Bills

Fractured ribs aren't going to keep Tua Tagovailoa out of the starting lineup for long. Tagovailoa was activated by the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, and will start when the team takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 6, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Tagovailoa was able to practice throughout the week, fueling optimism he would return in Week 6. Head coach Brian Flores told reporters Friday that Tagovailoa would start as long as he didn't experience any setbacks during practice.

The team activated Tagovailoa off Injured Reserve on Saturday, a sign things went well for the quarterback during Friday's practice.

Tagovailoa missed three games due to fractured ribs. He sustained the injury during the team's Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins started Jacoby Brissett with Tagovailoa sidelined. Brissett threw four touchdowns and two interceptions in relief of Tagovailoa.

Though Tagovailoa is ready to get back on the field against Jacksonville (3-point underdogs at BetMGM), he admitted he has not fully recovered from the injury.

In two games, Tagovailoa has thrown one touchdown against one interception.

Tua Tagovailoa looking to lead Dolphins to playoffs

After winning 10 games last season, the Dolphins came into 2021 with a lot of hype. The team hasn't lived up to those expectations yet. The Dolphins sit at 1-4 through five games, and are tied with the New York Jets at the bottom of the AFC East.

Tagovailoa could be the key to the turnaround. After a solid rookie year, big things were expected from Tagovailoa in Year 2. If Tagovailoa took a significant step forward in the offseason, there's still hope for the Dolphins to turn things around and make a playoff push.