Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa is "very unlikely" to play in the Miami Dolphins' regular-season finale due to the hip injury that also kept him out last week against the Cleveland Browns.

Head coach Mike McDaniel updated Tagovailoa's status on Friday, noting Snoop Huntley is set to get the start against the New York Jets.

Tagovailoa, in his fifth season in the NFL, has dealt with several injuries in 2024 after playing all 17 games a season ago. He had a promising start to the year, throwing for 338 passing yards and a touchdown in Week 1, but suffered a scary concussion against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.

The concussion landed Tagovailoa on the injured reserve and he didn't return until Oct. 27, missing four games.

Tagovailoa managed to stay healthy for most of the season but suffered a hip injury against the Houston Texans in Week 15. While he was able to battle through the injury the following week against the San Francisco 49ers, he missed the Dolphins' penultimate game against the Cleveland Browns.

Luckily for the Dolphins, Miami survived without its starting quarterback to stay alive in the playoff race. Miami needs to beat New York in Week 18, along with a Denver Broncos loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, who will be resting Patrick Mahomes.

Tagovailoa has thrown for 2,867 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had a decent season considering he had to miss a bit of time, but it was far from the year he hoped to have after amassing 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago.

Tua Tagovailoa's injury-plagued 2024 season could be over.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Wednesday that Tagovailoa will be limited in Wednesday's practice and they are operating with the assumption that Tyler Huntley will start in Week 18 against the New York Jets, but Tagovailoa could start if his hip gets better.

Tagovailoa, 26, missed four games earlier in the 2024 season due to a concussion, his third diagnosed concussion in the past two years. The Dolphins placed him on injured reserve and went just 1-3 without him during that stretch.

And in Week 17, facing a crucial matchup against the Cleveland Browns with Miami's slim playoff hopes hanging in the balance, he was made inactive with a hip injury.

It was somewhat of a surprise, given that he suffered the injury two weeks prior against the Houston Texans and not only finished that game, but also played in a Week 16 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

"I mean, it's good. It's just like anyone else on the team and anyone else around the league," Tagovailoa told reporters regarding his hip in the week leading up to the Browns game. "You get banged up little bit towards the ending of the year, so just got to take care of that."

It apparently wasn't good enough to give it a go against Cleveland, however, ultimately a 20-3 win that kept Miami's playoff hopes alive. The Dolphins need a win over the Jets and a loss by the Denver Broncos against the Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs.

Tagovailoa's struggles staying on the field aren't just a short-term concern—the Dolphins made a huge commitment to him ahead of the 2024 season, signing him to a four-year, $212.4 million deal. For better or worse, the Dolphins and Tagovailoa are joined at the hip for at least the next several years.

When healthy, that's looked like a good thing. Just how frequently those good times will be interrupted due to injury, however, has become the biggest question of Tagovailoa's career.

The Miami Dolphins will have the chance to earn a playoff spot in Week 18, but it's unclear if they will have their starting quarterback under center.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns that he has "no idea" if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will return from his hip injury in next week's game against the New York Jets. McDaniel added that while surgery is not needed at this time, playing could leave Tagovailoa susceptible to a major injury.

McDaniel also noted that Tagovailoa's injury is "not at all" related to the hip injury he suffered in 2019 while he was still at Alabama. He said Tagovailoa was willing to play through the injury, but he would've risked the possibility of aggravating it further.

Tagovailoa was forced to sit out against the Browns as the Dolphins earned a 20-3 win with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley leading the way. Huntley threw for 225 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-26 passing and added a team-high 52 rushing yards and another score on seven carries.

Tagovailoa, who also missed time earlier this year with a concussion, has played in 11 games and thrown for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing a career-best 72.9 percent of his passes. His return would surely give Miami its best chance to be successful, but the team should also feel comfortable with Huntley if he needs to start again in Week 18.

After improving to 8-8, the Dolphins need some help to get into the postseason. In addition to needing to win their game against the Jets, they need the Denver Broncos to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs. Miami would own the tiebreaker over Denver based on conference winning percentage.

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell confirmed that he'll be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in order for his team to clinch a postseason berth.

"For the first time in my life, I'm going to be a big Chiefs fan -- a HUGE Chiefs fan," Campbell said following Miami's 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, per Adam Beasley of Pro Football Network.

The Dolphins must defeat the New York Jets in Week 18 and also need the Chiefs to win against the Denver Broncos to secure the final playoff spot in the AFC.

It'll likely be more difficult for Kansas City to win compared to a traditional matchup between the AFC West foes, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Chiefs plan to rest their starters against Denver after locking up the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The Broncos are also fighting for their playoff lives, as they'd clinch the last postseason spot with a win over the Chiefs.

Campbell acknowledged the possibility when speaking to reporters on Sunday.

"I don't know what Andy Reid is going to do with his players and all that," Campbell said. "But I know that in football, it's nice to have a shot."

"It might not happen, that's part of it," he added. "But we have to go out there and do our part. If it does happen, look out."

The 38-year-old may not be at the same individual level compared to his stretch of six Pro Bowl appearances in seven years from 2014 through 2020, but he's remained an important piece of Miami's defense in 2024.

In 15 starts entering Sunday's contest, Campbell racked up 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 19 pressures, five passes defensed and four sacks.

Playoffs appeared to be out of the question once the season commenced, as Miami sat at 2-6 through eight games. The Dolphins have rallied since, winning six of their next eight contests.

Campbell and Miami's defense have played a large role in the turnaround, limiting opponents to just 18.1 points per game over the team's past eight appearances.

The Dolphins will need to secure another win in Week 18 to make the playoffs, and they'll also require Kansas City to emerge victorious against Denver.

The Miami Dolphins' playoff hopes stayed alive on Sunday.

With a 20-3 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins avoided elimination to stay in the AFC postseason picture.

Tua Tagovailoa was inactive due to a hip injury, leading to backup Tyler Huntley starting against the Browns. Huntley finished 22-of-26 for 225 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a team-high 52 yards to go along with a second score.

Tyreek Hill was Huntley's top target, hauling in nine receptions for 105 yards.

Fans praised Hill for his performance after he was initially listed as questionable with a wrist injury.

Miami's defense also stepped up, keeping the Browns out of the end zone and limiting them to an average of just 3.6 yards per play. The Dolphins also forced two turnovers.

Fans were impressed with the overall team effort by Miami, as a loss would have put an end to its postseason chances.

For the Browns, Dorian Thompson-Robinson started at quarterback and struggled with his efficiency. Thompson-Robinson finished 24-of-47 for 170 yards and an interception.

After staying alive on Sunday, the Dolphins will need some help to clinch a playoff berth. Miami must defeat the New York Jets to close out the regular season while also requiring the Kansas City Chiefs to take down the Denver Broncos.

After sitting at 2-6 through their first eight games, the Dolphins still have a shot to make a postseason appearance in Week 18.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has reportedly been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns with a hip injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Schefter noted Tagovailoa "still is pushing to play," but would be replaced by Tyler Huntley if he cannot take part in the game.

Tagovailoa missed four games earlier this season due to a concussion suffered during a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. He cleared the concussion protocol ahead of Week 8.

The previous injury marked the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career, including two suffered during the 2022 season. Tagovailoa was also diagnosed with a concussion while playing for Alabama.

Tagovailoa told reporters ahead of Week 8 that he had been free of concussion symptoms since the day after the loss to the Bills.

He also said he would make the "personal choice" not wear a Guardian Cap, the soft-shell helmet covering that the NFL has reported is associated with decreased concussion risk. ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques noted that Tagovailoa wears a specially-designed quarterback helmet with a higher safety grade than a regular helmet covered by the Guardian Cap.

After earning his first Pro Bowl nomination by leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards in 2023, Tagovailoa started out the 2024 campaign by completing fewer than 65 percent of his passes for 483 yards, two touchdowns and three picks prior to his Week 2 concussion.

Huntley and Skylar Thompson earned starts during his IR stint but were unable to spark the Dolphins' offense in Tagovailoa's offense.

In four games without Tagovailoa, the Dolphins scored 40 total points and recorded a 1-3 record. Through Week 7 the Dolphins were averaging 11.7 points per game, the fewest in the NFL and a significant drop from last season's average of 27.9 points.

The Dolphins' scoring rates recovered quickly following Tagovailoa's return. He has upped his pass completion rate to over 72 percent while throwing for 2,867 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 starts this season.

Miami's struggles without Tagovailoa made it clear that this team's faint hopes of a playoff bid hinge on their starter's availability. Given his injury history, the Dolphins will also need to consider Tagovailoa's long-term health when managing his return to the field.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is a Cincinnati Bengals fan for the moment as he publicly hopes for them to defeat the visiting Denver Broncos and keep the Fins' playoff hopes alive.

Entering Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos occupy the final two AFC Wild Card spots at 9-6.

The Dolphins, Bengals and Indianapolis Colts are all alive for the playoffs at 7-8, but they will all be eliminated Saturday if the Bolts and Broncos take care of business against the New England Patriots and Cincinnati, respectively.

In theory, Hill could be a Patriots fan as well. Miami would jump Los Angeles in the standings with two wins and two Charger losses.

On paper, though, it looks a lot harder for L.A. to lose to the 3-12 Pats than it is for Denver to lose to a Bengals team that's won three straight and sports an explosive offense.

But Hill has focused his hopes on the Broncos losing to the Bengals, for now. That is plausible.

If Miami takes care of business at the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, and Denver loses, then Hill is going to become a fan of his old team, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos host the Chiefs on Sunday, Jan. 5 to end the regular season.

There's only one small problem, though. The 15-1 Chiefs have locked up the AFC's No. 1 seed and have nothing to play for, so they'll rest a ton of starters. The Broncos, meanwhile, would be going all out to make the playoffs.

Ultimately, the Dolphins need a lot just to make the postseason right now. Saturday started with Miami needing at least one of L.A. or Denver to remain alive. If that happens, the Dolphins fight to live one more week provided they beat the host 3-12 Browns on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will not be tuning into Saturdays Denver Broncos-Cincinnati Bengals matchup.

While Miami won't play until Sunday, the Saturday matchup between Denver and Cincinnati will impact the Dolphins playoff chances. Despite this, McDaniel revealed that he does not plan to watch the game.

The Broncos would clinch a postseason berth with a victory, while a Denver win plus a Los Angeles Chargers win would eliminate Miami from postseason contention.

The Miami Dolphins are currently 7-8 and still need some help to reach the postseason. That starts with the Bengals-Broncos games and the Chargers-New England Patriots games on Saturday and some luck for the Dolphins would give them a shot going into the final week of the season.

The Dolphins reached the playoffs in 2023 and fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round. The team has reached the playoffs in two consecutive seasons but hasn't won a playoff game since 2000.

The Dolphins have won five of their last seven and will face the Cleveland Browns in Week 17 and the New York Jets in Week 16. Neither of those teams are headed to the postseason, so Miami has a legitimate shot to finish 9-8 and see if the rest of the league helps them out.

The Miami Dolphins plan to waive former Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaq Barrett on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

He will be eligible to play for another team this season only if he clears waivers on Friday, Schefter added.

Barrett last played in the 2023 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March, then retired in July before applying for reinstatement in November.

Barrett's agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter that the edge rusher "is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately" for another team.

Rosenhaus also thanked the Dolphins for giving Barrett an "opportunity to continue his career in the NFL," according to Schefter.

The Dolphins chose not to activate Barrett from the reserve/retired list following his request to return, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in November.

Rapoport wrote as of Nov. 28 that the Dolphins did "not intend to release him and allow him to play for another team in the midst of a playoff push."

The Dolphins still have a narrow path to the playoffs, but need a Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns to stay in the picture. Even a victory won't be enough if both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos also win this weekend (h/t NFL Playoff Scenarios.)

Should Barrett clear waivers and sign with another team in free agency, he could return for Week 18 and the postseason.

One potential playoff team that might be interested in Barrett could be the Buccaneers, who originally parted ways with Barrett as part of a cost-cutting move. The Bucs have yet to secure a postseason berth but could boost their playoff odds with a Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers, and Barrett previously said he would only be willing to come out of retirement to rejoin his former team.

Barrett, who won two Super Bowls with the Buccaneers and Denver Broncos, led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019.

Following the tragic death of his two-year-old daughter in April 2023, Barrett returned for a final campaign with the Buccaneers. He finished the 2023 season with 4.5 sacks and 52 combined tackles.

He now looks to enter free agency with 59.0 career sacks and 400 combined tackles in 131 career regular-season appearances.