Even though Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is now dealing with a hand injury, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores expects the rookie to start Sunday’s road game against the New York Jets.
Tagovailoa suffered the injury during practice earlier this week after jamming his left thumb on a teammate’s helmet. Flores assessed the situation prior to the Dolphins’ Thanksgiving Day practice and expressed confidence that Tagovailoa will be ready to go on Sunday.
“He got banged up a little bit,” Flores said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s going to do everything he can from a treatment standpoint. We’ll see. I don’t think this is something we’re too worried about.
“He’s better [Thursday]. We’ll see how it goes.”
While the next few days will ultimately determine whether or not Tagovailoa can make the start, Flores indicated that he’ll have a better read on the situation following Thursday’s practice.
“I don’t think we’re at that point yet,” Flores said. “He’s getting treatment and rehab. We’ll see how this goes. It’s sore. He’s a tough kid. He’s played through some things before. But we’ll take it one day at a time.
“If he can go, he’ll go. We’ll see how he feels today, see how he practices [Thursday]. And we’ll have a better feel this afternoon. You guys will be eating turkey and asking me about it [Friday].”
Tagovailoa was replaced by veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick in last Sunday’s loss to the Denver Broncos after struggling to get the offense going, but he had won his previous three starts.
Fitzpatrick’s years of experience are why Flores has stayed calm about Tagovailoa’s injury, knowing that the veteran would be able to handle the job of stepping in for the rookie.
Getting past the winless Jets would help get the Dolphins back on track in their bid for a playoff spot.
At 6-4, the Dolphins are one game behind the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills and are also in the mix when it comes to the wild card spots.
