Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Plans to Play Thursday vs. Bengals Despite Back Injury

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa says he plans to play in Thursday night's game against the Cincinnati Bengals despite a back injury.

"Doing everything I can to get out there and play," Tagovailoa told reporters Tuesday.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa would be listed as questionable if this were a normal week ahead of a game. The Dolphins are running a limited practice schedule, largely comprised of walkthroughs, before traveling to Cincinnati.

“If he doesn’t play, it was not possible… We are fortunate to have Teddy Bridgewater," McDaniel said.

Tagovailoa went down with a back injury late in the first half of Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills. Many feared a concussion when Tagovailoa's head violently smacked off the turf and he collapsed to the ground as he moved toward the huddle, but the Dolphins said he passed concussion testing and returned to the game.

The NFLPA called on a review of the process that led Tagovailoa to return. McDaniel said Tagovailoa is not in concussion protocol, so Dolphins doctors not only cleared him Sunday but have remained convinced he did not suffer a head injury.

While it's apparent the team is going to exercise every option to keep the Alabama product in the lineup, it's far from a sure thing he suits up. Tagovailoa acknowledged the back injury impacts every part of his game and said it was "very difficult" for him to put his full force into throws. For a player that already has questions about his arm strength, it's fair to wonder if Tagovailoa will be extremely limited if he is in the lineup.