Tua Tagovailoa's return to field a huge success, despite Dolphins interception | Schad

HOUSTON — Tua Tagovailoa gave Mike McDaniel a low-five, chatted with quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, played catch with a team staffer, shook the hand of a child who was helping to hold the large on-field American flag, began to play catch with River Cracraft, fist-pumped a staffer and swapped his helmet for a cap.

Tua was ready to play.

After 237 days since he last played a professional game, after all the weights lifted and all the jiu-jitsu sessions, after all the processing of a decision to continue his career, Tua was back on a football field.

"Butterflies," Tagovailoa said after Saturday's 28-3 preseason win at Houston.

Minutes later, on his first Dolphins pass, on his first Dolphins play, he was intercepted.

Ugh. Let down.

"Just a bad play," Tua said.

It was intended for tight end Tyler Kroft underneath, after he had rolled left, but former 'Canes linebacker Denzel Perryman read the play and made the interception.

Tua was credited with the tackle. Perhaps his coaches and his teammates and his jiu-jitsu trainers and his family may have preferred Tua stay to the side and not turn back toward a live play.

"On top of throwing the interception what's even worse than that is the guy scoring when he intercepts the ball," Tua said. "So I think for me, I'm going to do the best that I can to make a play."

After all, this game at the Texans on a Saturday afternoon in August doesn't count.

That doesn't mean it didn't mean anything to Tua.

It meant everything. And it was so beneficial for Tua's confidence.

The result of this game was so inconsequential. But the scoring drive Tua led before tapping out was not.

Connor Williams, the Dolphins' center who wants a new contract, had a high snap to start that drive.

Ugh. Bummer.

All of the sudden Miami had lost five yards and was 98 yards away from Houston's end zone.

Before the end of that first quarter, Miami and Tua would have that touchdown.

Mission accomplished.

The Dolphins played this game without Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead, left guard Liam Eichenberg (perhaps losing his grip on a starting job), Houstonite Jaylen Waddle (side injury), Jeff Wilson and more.

But Tua came alive.

Tua connected with Durham Smythe, Erik Ezukanma, Tyreek Hill, Salvon Ahmed and Braxton Berrios, leading his first touchdown drive in eight months.

That drive was capped by a short touchdown run by Raheem Mostert.

But what was even more important than that was this: Tua took his first quarterback hit of 2023.

It was Sheldon Rankins, the big Texans' free agent, all of 6-foot-3, 305 pounds, shoving him backwards and to the turf after an incompletion.

Tua fell backwards, and safely landed on his backside.

A successful fall.

"It's football, you know, there's hits that you're going to see that, you know, you can fall and then there's others where you're not going to be able to see and it's how you react to it," Tua said.

Nothing is more important than Tua falling successfully this season.

The last time we saw Tua on a football field, on Christmas, he seemed fine. He finished the game, despite having hit his head when he was tackled in the second quarter.

He never played again last season, of course, with Skylar Thompson starting a playoff loss at Buffalo. It was determined Tua had suffered at least his second concussion of the year.

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Tua has bulked up, having strengthened the muscles in and around his neck.

Tua is taking every precaution, including experimenting with the latest helmet technology.

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But as important as all of that is this: Tua experiencing live-speed football action again and feeling confident about how it went.

Yes, Tua threw an interception on his first passing play since December.

And yes, it's much better that happened in the preseason.

At one point on Saturday, Tua could be seen dancing. There is a sense of joy that Tua exudes when he's playing football, backup Skylar Thompson pointed out after the game.

Tua was frustrated he didn't see action in the first preseason game.

Returning to field meant everything for Tua, and McDaniel could sense it, too.

"He's finding himself as a man," McDaniel said. "And he's doing it alongside teammates. When you've been doing something for that long, you're just enjoying the process, day in and day out. He's so comfortable in his skin. His zest for life is so strong now — as a father and a husband and a quarterback."

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tua Tagovailoa returns from concussions of 2022 for Miami Dolphins