The Miami Dolphins will face the Cleveland Browns in a must win showdown – and they will be doing it without their starting quarterback.
Questionable turned to doubtful turned to inactive over the last two days. Miami Dolphins starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not be available for the team’s Week 17 contest against the Cleveland Browns as he headlines the team’s list of inactive players. Tagovailoa sustained a hip injury that seems to have flared up late in the week, with the team changing his game-day questionable designation on Friday’s injury report to doubtful on Saturday. Now, he will miss his fifth game of the year, having sat out four games earlier in the season with a concussion.
Miami is in must-win mode, hoping to keep their playoff chances alive with a Week 17 victory, then needing another in Week 18. There is no indication on how long Tagovailoa, who was trying to power through the issue but will watch today’s game from the sidelines, could miss. Tyler Huntley is expected to start in Tagovailoa’s place.’
Huntley will also be without wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who is inactive as he continues to deal with a knee injury.
Also inactive for Sunday is linebacker Anthony Walker, Jr., cornerback Nik Needham, linebacker Mohamed Kamara, offensive lineman Andrew Meyer, and wide receiver Erik Ezukanma. Interestingly, the Dolphins elevated Needham from the practice squad and signed Ezukanma to the active roster for this game, then listed both as inactive.
The Browns listed quarterback Jameis Winston, wide receiver Cedric Tillman, cornerback Chigozie Anusiem, defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo, and tight end David Njoku as inactive. Winston was designated as the team’s emergency quarterback.
The Dolphins and Browns kickoff from Cleveland at 4:05 p.m. Eastern.