Tua Tagovailoa could return Sunday for Dolphins after medical experts clear him to play

Tua Tagovailoa does not want to be the face of traumatic brain injuries in the NFL, but he knows that's the reality confronting him after his latest concussion.

Tua Tagovailoa does not want to be the face of traumatic brain injuries in the NFL, but he knows that's the reality confronting him after his latest concussion.

Speaking with reporters Monday for the first time since being diagnosed with the third concussion of his NFL career, the Dolphins quarterback said he was frustrated by having to sit on the sideline for the past four games, and he was just as aggravated about having to answer questions about his health for the second time in two years.

“Do I want to be known for this? No, I don’t,” Tagovailoa said. “But that’s the cards I’ve been dealt with given the history of it. So it is what it is.”

Tagovailoa said he would not wear a Guardian cap, which is a protective soft-shell helmet cover that some players have started wearing during games. His teammate, De’Von Achane, wore one on Sunday after being concussed in Week 5.

Tagovailoa has been cleared by medical experts to play football again after he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin in Week 2 when he ran for a first down and then initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.

He still technically needs to be cleared from the NFL's concussion protocol before he returns, which could come after he practices on Wednesday. If everything goes well, coach Mike McDaniel said, the plan is for Tagovailoa to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

“Following the directive and opinion of medical experts, the reason why he’s coming back now is because the medical experts have deemed it safe for him to return," McDaniel said. "I don’t mess with timelines or try to overcook the forecast. You lean on experts for matters of the career, and that’s what we’re doing here.”