Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not practice on Wednesday due to an illness coach Brian Flores stressed is not related to COVID-19.
Tagovailoa has a fever, and the hope is he can return to practice later this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Tua will be out [Wednesday]. He’ll be on the injury report with an illness. This is not COVID-19 related,” Flores said to end Wednesday’s video conference call.
“This is not a false positive. We’ve been through the protocols. We test every day. We’re confident saying it’s not COVID-related.”
Flores also added, as a result of testing, Tagovailoa would not be placed on the Dolphins’ reserve/COVID-19 list.
Flores did not take any further questions on Tagovailoa’s health after sharing the news with local media.
But Flores’ adamant nature on sharing Tagovailoa’s status does ease some tension building around the NFL, with regards to the coronavirus pandemic.
At least nine members of the Tennessee Titans organization tested positive for COVID-19 this week, following their game against the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday. Both teams have since shut down their facilities.
The NFL announced Wednesday that Tennessee’s home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday has been postponed to Monday or Tuesday to allow for more testing and safety for all parties involved.
“It’s a reminder that we can’t let our guard down,” Flores said. “We can’t get complacent. I know [Titans coach] Mike [Vrabel] well. I’m sure they’re not. We know how quickly the virus can spread. We’ve got to be vigilant in enforcing the mask [rules] and diligent in following the protocols. That’s what we talked about as a team.
“When you have three, four, five, six weeks where it’s going good, human nature takes over and you let your guard down a little bit. You can’t do that. It’s a reminder that you’ve got to continue to be diligent.”
Due to the missed practice with the illness, Tagovailoa will show up on the Dolphins’ injury report this week.
His availability to back up quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick against the Seahawks may be in question.
If Tagovailoa is unable to suit up, the Dolphins may call up undrafted rookie quarterback Reid Sinnett, who played at San Diego, from the practice squad.
Before Wednesday, Tagovailoa had not missed a Dolphins practice since joining the team for training camp in late July.
Other practice news
Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones, the team’s highest-paid player, did not practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury he suffered in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 20.
Jones did not play in Miami’s 31-13 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Thursday due to the injury, and he could be unavailable in Sunday’s game against Seattle.
Jones, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with Miami this offseason, has missed just two of his past 53 games due to injury dating back to his five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (knee), safety Clayton Fejedelem (pectoral) and safety Kavon Frazier (shoulder) were limited, while rookie safety Brandon Jones (back) was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Howard’s limitations were likely to lessen his practice workload. After playing in 47 percent of the snaps in the season opener, Howard has played all but one defensive snap in the past two games.
Fejedelem has not played this season due to his injury, while Frazier’s injury likely occurred during the Jaguars game last Thursday.
