When Tua Tagovailoa returned to the field from a concussion that briefly hospitalized him in 2022, he scrambled in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers and initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into the defender.

Coach Mike McDaniel later said Tagovailoa came to him on the sideline and said he “needed that” contact after missing time with his head injury.

But as Tagovailoa prepares to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game back from another concussion, McDaniel’s message is much different.

“My answer would be: ‘You don’t need that one’ this time around,” he said, speaking on Tagovailoa’s need to “be smart” in how he protects himself on the field.

Medical experts deemed it safe for Tagovailoa to play football again after he suffered a concussion in Week 2.

Tagovailoa’s scrambling has been a topic of discussion between the quarterback and his teammates since his latest concussion, which came when he initiated contact with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on a scramble instead of sliding.

“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better.”

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa on return from IR: ‘Willing to play the odds’

The Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray, whose scrambling is a big part of his game because of his elusiveness and speed. He’s third among NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards and had a 44-yard rushing touchdown in Arizona’s Week 7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

“We certainly have to account for that,” Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said. “He is so special from a speed standpoint. You could be perfect, and you think you have an angle, and he’s going to outrun you. … He’s looks like Tyreek [Hill] playing quarterback.”

As much as the Dolphins will try to limit one of the things Murray does best, they are hoping to lean on Tagovailoa’s strengths to jumpstart their waning offense.

“He’s going to be accurate; [the] ball is going to be catchable, real good, soft in your hands, on time, all of that,” Hill said. “It’s going to be sharp, so it’s expected.”

Murray said it’s sometimes tough to make split-second decisions on when to stay in the pocket and throw versus taking off to run, admitting he missed on open Marvin Harrison Jr. on a play in which he decided to scramble.

He said defenses do feel a strain with his ability to make plays with his feet, though.

“I don’t think that defenses like playing a mobile quarterback, no,” Murray said. “I’d rather play a guy that can’t move.”

Can Tua’s return rescue the Dolphins’ season?

The Cardinals’ defense suffered another blow this week after learning that LB Dennis Gardeck is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Gardeck was leading the Cardinals with three sacks and has been an important piece on special teams.

It’s a common theme for the defense, which has also lost LB BJ Ojulari (knee), DL Justin Jones (triceps) and DL Bilal Nichols (stinger) for the season. On Monday, the Cardinals still managed to cobble together a good performance, giving up 395 total yards but no touchdowns.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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