Tua Tagovailoa injury update: Dolphins quarterback sustains ankle injury

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared uncomfortable and out of rhythm through the team’s Week 13 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Entering the week as the top-rated passer in the NFL, Tagovailoa finished the game 18-for-33 for 295 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 79.7 passer rating. Tagovailoa just never looked right during the game.

As the game was coming to an end, the Dolphins announced Tagovailoa sustained an ankle injury. He finished the game on the sideline, with Skylar Thompson entering the contest for Miami’s final possession - or play as Thompson threw an interception on the only play.

When Tagovailoa suffered the injury is not clear, but he was limping some during the first half and gave a thumbs-up to the sideline signaling he was okay. Maybe the ankle was a game-long injury and led to some of the issues the quarterback and the offense were having.

Maybe it was just an off-day for Miami’s franchise quarterback. It felt like he was pressing throughout the game, trying to do a little too much and missing open receivers on relatively easy passes. The game was billed as a litmus test for both teams, and the hype surrounding the return of head coach Mike McDaniel and several Dolphins players to San Francisco could have led to Tagovailoa trying to prove Miami was as explosive as they had seemed over the last several weeks.

Whatever the case, Tagovailoa’s ankle will be something to watch this week. Miami is stating in California this week ahead of their Sunday Night Football contest next week at the Los Angeles Chargers.