Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel Expects Tua Tagovailoa To Return In 2024

Tua Tagovailoa WILL play football again in 2024 -- at least that's what Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel believes ... giving a positive update on his quarterback's health following his most recent concussion.

McDaniel weighed in on Tua's status on Monday ... saying the 26-year-old continues to move in the right direction, despite not being cleared to play in Week 7.

In fact, McDaniel said he envisions seeing Tua out on the field before the end of the year ... but wouldn't set a timeline on when exactly that will be just yet.

McDaniel said he will continue to "control the controllables" ... and never let his mind get to the point where he would speculate if Tua would ever retire.

As we previously reported, Tua suffered the head injury against the Buffalo Bills on September 15 ... and was placed on Injured Reserve shortly after.

Given his history with concussions, Tua met with several experts regarding his NFL future ... and he'll continue to gather more information this week.

McDaniel's comments echo what Tua's close friend, Manti Te'o , told TMZ Sports earlier this month ... when he revealed he heard from his family, who told him he was not going to walk away from the sport.