Report: Tua Tagovailoa has bruised rib, status unclear for Week 3

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a bruised rib in the team’s 35-0 Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa did not return to action in the contest, leaving Jacoby Brissett to complete the game.

According to Ian Rapoport, further testing on Tagovailoa’s rib did not reveal additional cartilage damage. His status for Miami’s Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders remains unclear, but this is likely to keep the quarterback off the long-term injury report.

Fantasy football implications

If Tagovailoa goes, the Dolphins are likely to fare better offensively in a relatively easy matchup. The Raiders have shown they can get pressure on the quarterback though, so Miami may play it safe and keep its franchise quarterback off the field.

Expect a heavy tilt towards the run game regardless of who is under center. If Brissett ultimately does get the nod, Miami’s receivers take a significant hit. Jaylen Waddle has been the biggest beneficiary so far of Tagovailoa’s presence, so he’d suffer the most if his former Alabama teammate wasn’t out there in Week 3.