Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained an injury to his left hand during practice this week, but coach Brian Flores does not expect the injury will cause his top rookie draft pick from playing in Sunday's road game against the New York Jets.
"He got banged up a little bit. He's a tough kid. He's going to do everything he can from a treatment standpoint. We'll see. I don't think this is something we're too worried about," Flores said on Thursday before the Dolphins practiced on Thanksgiving Day.
"He's better. We'll see how it goes."
Tagovailoa, who throws with his left hand, popped up on the injury report with the injury, which limited him in practice on Wednesday and Thursday.
NFL Network reported Tagovailoa jammed his left thumb on a teammate's helmet, and the injury was "nothing serious."
Flores expressed some of the same sentiment when asked if the injury could keep Tagovailoa out of Sunday's game, as Miami hopes to regain its winning ways after its five-game win streak ended against the Denver Broncos last week.
"I don't think we're at that point yet. He's getting treatment and rehab. We'll see how this goes. It's sore. He's a tough kid. He's played through some things before. But we'll take it one day at a time," Flores said.
"If he can go, he'll go. We'll see how he feels, see how he practices. And then we'll have a better feel. You guys will be eating turkey and asking me about it (Friday)."
Flores said that Tagovailoa would continue being the starter after he benched the former Alabama standout in the fourth quarter against the Broncos and turned to 16-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.
With the Dolphins down 10, Fitzpatrick was able to orchestrate a field-goal drive, and a late-game drive that would have tied the game had it not end with an interception in the end zone.
The Dolphins beat the Jets earlier this season, 24-0, in a game which Fitzpatrick started and saw Tagovailoa make his NFL debut late in the fourth quarter.
