As the drama surrounding Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins’ handling of his recent concussion concerns continues, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will have to help the team weather the storm.
Bridgewater, who has started for multiple teams during his NFL career, will start in at least one Dolphins game this year.
Tagovailoa has already been ruled out for his team’s upcoming contest versus the New York Jets. Bridgewater will slide in and try to get his team to 4-1 on the season.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who has definitely been under the microscope since Tagovailoa’s concussion controversy began, took some time on Wednesday to praise Bridgewater.
McDaniel: "Teddy's already made all of his teammates better [this coming Sunday] … by how he's conducted himself, how he's owned the offense. There's a relief [that the Dolphins have him]."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 5, 2022
McDaniel added that Bridgewater has been a fantastic asset for the Dolphins the entire season, citing his contributions to the quarterbacks room.
More McDaniel on Teddy: "To have not only his past history, but everything he's done in the building, it's a huge, humongous deal. … The whole [QB] room is better because they have Teddy."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 5, 2022
While it’s always great to have a veteran on the depth chart, the Dolphins would surely prefer Tagovailoa to be starting if he were healthy. Before he suffered his scary head injury versus the Cincinnati Bengals, he was off to an incredibly hot start to the season.
The hope is that he’ll be able to pick up where he left off once he comes back. Until then, it will be Bridgewater’s team.
In the loss to the Bengals last week, the University of Louisville product finished with 14 pass completions for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Bridgewater expressed confidence in himself ahead of the team’s Week 5 game against the Jets.
Teddy Bridgewater says being in this position gives him confidence entering this week’s prep for the Jets: “Experience is life’s best philosopher”
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 5, 2022
Bridgewater said the best way for a backup to put his teammates at ease is to be themselves:
“I can’t be Tua. It’s something I learned when I was in New Orleans — I couldn’t be Drew Brees”
Said that if players notice you aren’t trying to be something you’re not, they’ll respond
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 5, 2022
For his career, he’s completed 66.4 percent of his passes to go along with 72 passing touchdowns and 14,630 passing yards. He was a full-time starter for the Denver Broncos last season and Carolina Panthers in the season before.
While there is no timetable for Tagovailoa’s return, it is quite possible that the University of Alabama product is out several weeks until team doctors and independent medical professionals deem him ready to return.
So, Bridgewater will look to steer the ship for now.
He’s got a tough matchup against a surprisingly solid Jets team before the Dolphins take on the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7.
