Will Tua Tagovailoa, Lamar Jackson Play In Wild-Card Games? Injury Updates For 2023 NFL Playoffs
The chances of the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens winning their wild-card games could hinge on the status of their starting quarterbacks. Neither Tua Tagovailoa nor Lamar Jackson has played in the weeks leading up to the 2023 NFL playoffs.
Will Tagovailoa or Jackson play on Wild-Card Weekend? The latest injury updates indicate that both players are more likely than not to remain sidelined, though nothing it set in stone ahead of Sunday's games.
Tagovailoa has been viewed as a long shot to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. The quarterback suffered at least his second concussion of the season on Christmas Day. On Tuesday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa hadn't yet been cleared for football activities and that his timeline for a return remained unclear.
That doesn't necessarily mean Tagovailoa won't clear concussion protocol this week. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Tagovailoa has a shot to play in Miami's wild-card matchup in Buffalo.
If Tagovailoa can't go, Teddy Bridgewater might return to the starting lineup. Third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson made his second start of the season in Week 18 because of Bridgewater's dislocated pinky finger.
A Miami victory on Wild-Card Weekend would set up a divisional playoff matchup between the Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs. The Dolphins are the biggest underdogs in the AFC.
When Jackson suffered a sprained PCL on Dec. 4, it was largely assumed that the quarterback would be ready for the playoffs. Five weeks later, Jackson still hasn't even practiced.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Tuesday that Jackson's chances of playing against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night aren't looking good. The quarterback reportedly faces an uphill battle in trying to get back on the field for the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Jackson attempted only four passes before exiting Baltimore's Week 13 matchup with the Denver Broncos. Including that game, the Ravens have gone 3-3 in Jackson's absence,
Tyler Huntley is Baltimore's most likely starting quarterback in Cincinnati. Huntley has a 3-5 record as the Ravens' starter in the last two seasons.
The Bengals beat the Ravens 27-16 in the regular-season finale. Third-string quarterback Anthony Brown started for Baltimore.
The Ravens held out Huntley in Week 18 to make sure that he would be healthy to potentially start in Baltimore's first playoff game.
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