NFL

Friday's NFL: Tua Tagovailoa to miss Pro Bowl, still in protocol

Associated Press

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and will not participate in the 2023 Pro Bowl, a person with knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the decision has not been announced officially.

Tagovailoa was diagnosed with his second concussion of the 2022 season more than a month ago, after a Dec. 25 loss to Green Bay. He missed Miami’s final three games, including a playoff loss to Buffalo.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Dec. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out for Sunday's game at New England after suffering a concussion in Miami's Christmas Day loss to Green Bay.

Tagovailoa had been selected as a Pro Bowl first alternate and would have replaced either Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes, one of whom will play in Super Bowl LVII after Sunday’s AFC Championship game.

The Pro Bowl will be held on Sunday Feb. 5, one week before the Super Bowl.

The Dolphins have repeated that they remain committed to Tagovailoa as their starter for the 2023 season.

“That’s something that’s driven by the doctors,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said after the season ended. “They’re the experts in those fields, and when they tell us that he’s ready to play and as we expect, when they tell us that he’s ready to play coming in the spring or whatever, then we’ll press forward in that direction.”

Miami’s general manager Chris Grier said that after conversations with doctors provided through the NFL’s players union, they do not believe that Tagovailoa is more susceptible to concussions than any other player.

Tagovailoa was concussed Sept. 29 at Cincinnati after a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious. He was stretchered off the field and returned in Week 7.

Tagovailoa took another hard hit four days before the Cincinnati game in a win over Buffalo. He appeared to show concussion symptoms but stayed in the game, and the team immediately after the game said that he had a back injury.

The NFL later changed its concussion protocol to mandate that any player who shows possible concussion symptoms — including a lack of balance or stability — sit out the remainder of a game.

Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns in his third season. He led the NFL in passer rating.

Chiefs' Mahomes ready for AFC title game against Bengals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes finished a full week of practice on his ailing right ankle Friday, and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid pronounced his All-Pro quarterback ready to go for the AFC championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mahomes sustained a high ankle sprain in the first quarter of last week's divisional-round win over Jacksonville, returning after halftime to polish off the victory. That sent the Chiefs to their fifth consecutive AFC championship game, where they will face the AFC North champions on Sunday night in a rematch of last year's overtime loss to the Bengals.

“He looks good,” Reid said. “I mean, he’s moving around good. He’s going to go out and play.”

Mahomes has had perhaps his best season, throwing for a career-high 5,250 yards with a league-leading 41 touchdown passes, and garnered 49 of 50 first-place votes in All-Pro voting. He is also among five finalists for league MVP.

“I feel like I can still do a lot of things,” he said this week. “We’ll see as we get closer and closer, and we’ll see during the game. You can’t fully do exactly what you’re going to be doing in those moments in the game (in practice), but all I can do is prepare myself the best way possible and then when we get in the game, you hope adrenaline kind of takes over.”

Mahomes vowed to play from the moment the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last Saturday night, striding to the podium just outside the Kansas City locker room and proclaiming his ankle felt better than expected. Mahomes began treatment that night, and a precautionary MRI exam taken the following day showed no structural damage.

His right ankle wasn't taped any more than the left when Mahomes headed onto the indoor practice field Wednesday and Thursday. He was bouncing around as if nothing was amiss Friday for a final outdoor workout.

“We're preparing for Patrick Mahomes like he's 100 percent,” Bengals pass rusher Sam Hubbard said, “because I'm sure he's going to be playing 100 percent. That's all you can do.”

The Chiefs have been coy about their game plan for Cincinnati, which has beaten them three times in the last 13 months, including that fateful AFC title game last January. But there's a good chance Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy tweaked it to protect Mahomes, who is uncanny when it comes to extending plays with his scrambling ability.

Mahomes has dealt with plenty of injuries in recent years, and this isn't the first to happen on the playoff stage.

Two years ago, Mahomes was placed in the concussion protocol during a divisional win over the Browns, though he came back the following week to lead Kansas City to an AFC title win over Buffalo. Mahomes also was dealing with turf toe, which he said this week was the most painful injury that he's played through during his time in the NFL.

Mahomes wound up having surgery for it after the Chiefs lost to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl.

I have a lot of good people around me everywhere," said Mahomes, who praised the Chiefs training staff along with his personal trainer, Bobby Stroupe. “We’ve done a lot of ankle and knee and foot stuff, especially after the last few injuries I’ve had. I think that’s prepared me to bounce back quickly here and be able to be in a good spot.”

McVay, Rams hiring former Jets OC Mike LaFleur

Los Angeles — The Los Angeles Rams are hiring former New York Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Rams haven't formally announced the decision to hire LaFleur, who spent the past two years with New York.

The Rams wrapped up the worst season in NFL history by a defending Super Bowl champion this month, fielding the worst offense in the league by total yards after losing several significant players to injury. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen then left the team to return to Kentucky, where he spent the 2021 season as the Wildcats' offensive coordinator.

The Rams' previous offensive coordinator was Kevin O'Connell, who became the Minnesota Vikings' head coach shortly after the Rams' Super Bowl victory. Coach Sean McVay has called the Rams' plays throughout his tenure, and he went without a formal offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019.

The Jets had one of the NFL's worst offenses in both seasons with LaFleur in charge under head coach Robert Saleh. He led an offense last season that ranked 29th in scoring and 25th in total yards while struggling for consistent quarterback play.

LaFleur was on the San Francisco 49ers' staff from 2017 to 2020 under Kyle Shanahan, who has beaten McVay's teams in eight consecutive regular-season meetings.

The 36-year-old LaFleur is also the younger brother of Matt LaFleur, who was McVay's offensive coordinator with the Rams during McVay's first season in 2017 before eventually becoming the Green Bay Packers' head coach.