Tua, Bridgewater practice fully. An injury update and reaction, fallout on alleged stumble

A six-pack of Miami Dolphins notes on a Friday:

▪ Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater were full participants at Friday’s practice, encouraging signs as they work their way through concussion protocol. Neither has yet exited the five-phase protocol, an NFL official confirmed. But Friday was the first time that either QB practiced fully since entering protocol.

Bridgewater was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Tagovailoa was ruled out.

If Bridgewater - who also has a pectoral injury - clears protocol by Saturday, he will back up rookie starter Skylar Thompson on Sunday against Minnesota (1 p.m., Fox), according to coach Mike McDaniel.

If Bridgewater doesn’t clear protocol, then practice squad quarterback Reid Sinnett would be elevated and back up Thompson.

Cornerback Kader Kohou is doubtful for Sunday with an oblique injury. Tagovailoa (out) and Kohou (doubtful) are the only two Dolphins on the 53-man roster who are listed as out or doubtful.

Meanwhile, Terron Armstead was listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. He hasn’t practiced in a month but had played through his toe injury before departing after eight snaps in the Jets game last Sunday. He was spotted in the locker room on Friday, and seemed to be walking around fine, but is off limits to reporters because he’s not practicing.

Greg Little said he took snaps at right tackle - where he has started the past four weeks - and left tackle in practice this week. If Armstead cannot play, Little would likely play one tackle spot, and practice squad player Brandon Shell could play the other.

Right tackle Austin Jackson wasn’t spotted at practice on Friday and doesn’t appear ready to come off injured reserve. He has missed four weeks with an ankle injury.

Tight end Durham Smythe, who has been dealing with a hamstring injury, also is listed as questionable and could be a game-time decision.

“I haven’t dealt with one in seven or eight years dating back to college,” Smythe said of a hamstring injury. “I definitely feel good. But it’s one of those things that you have to be able to trust it. Walking around day to day basis it feels good. We’ll take it up to Sunday and see how it feels then, test it out and hopefully it will be good to go.”

Running back Raheem Mostert (knee) was listed as questionable but said on Thursday that he will play on Sunday.

Safety Elijah Campbell (foot) was the fifth Dolphin listed as questionable. Smythe, Mostert and Campbell were limited in Friday’s practice.

Xavien Howard, who missed the Jets game with a groin injury, is no longer on the injury report and will play Sunday. With Kohou doubtful, the Dolphins likely would have Noah Igbinoghene and Keion Crossen back up Howard and Nik Needham at cornerback.

▪ There is no visual evidence that Bridgewater showed ataxia or stumbled against the Jets even though an upstairs spotter said otherwise, essentially sidelining Bridgewater for two games.

But under the new NFL concussion protocol rules, the spotter who sees the alleged “stumble” isn’t required to prove it to the Dolphins medical staff or the on-site independent neurologist, even though all of them have access to the same video.

The NFL has declined to comment on the matter, and the Dolphins as an organization, and as individual players, have chosen not to make an issue of it for seemingly multiple good reasons:

1) Complaining wouldn’t have accomplished anything.

2) The Dolphins certainly don’t want to give the impression that they’re against anything designed to promote player safety.

3) The Dolphins don’t want to say anything that would imply lack of confidence in Thompson because they have confidence in the rookie quarterback.

But the Dolphins do not believe Bridgewater stumbled.

▪ I spoke with Smythe, who’s always thoughtful in his responses, about the fact that only South Florida media and Dolphins fans seemed skeptical about Bridgewater being ruled out. National media hasn’t shown any interest in the story.

“You look back on it through video that we all saw after the game and there are questions that come up,” Smythe said Friday. “But we can’t go back in time and say ‘what if he played the whole game?’ and things of that nature. We all saw the video. We saw there didn’t seem to be a stumble or anything of that nature. There’s nothing we can do about it now. I said Sunday that we have faith in all of our quarterbacks, including Skylar. I thought he did a great job coming in without a lot of reps during practice, being a rookie, seventh round pick.”

Not a single Dolphins player has reacted angrily, in a public way, to Bridgewater being ruled out, and Smythe explained that, from his perspective, and also offered a sensible view of how the new rule - which gives considerable authority to a spotter - can be modified.

“I think the intention of the rule is good and that’s one of the reasons why I wasn’t completely furious about something like that,” Smythe said. “The intention is to keep the players safe in a risky, dangerous game. But with any rule that’s new, there are going to be tweaks that could be made. I appreciate the intentions of the rule. But as we move along through the process, there are definitely tweaks that can be made, maybe to make it a collective effort instead of one person. I’m confident they’ll work it out.”

▪ After a breakout season for the Cowboys last year, receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. has only seven targets and four catches (for 40 yards) in four game as a Dolphin, having missed one with an injury.

Last season, he had 45 catches for 602 yards and six touchdowns.

Asked if the Dolphins need to get him involved more, offensive coordinator Frank Smith said: “We’re just trying to make sure we’re getting guys in position to do what they do well and [see] how the game plays out. Great offenses push the ball around as much as they can.”

Wilson signed a three-year, $22.8 million deal ($12.75 million guaranteed) with the Dolphins nine days before the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill.

The acquisition of the All Pro Hill obviously is one factor for the modest touches for Wilson and tight end Mike Gesicki, who has nine catches and 12 targets for 101 yards.

▪ Hill gave a thoughtful answer this week when asked if he has given any consideration to potentially being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day. His numbers would seem to put him on course for that.

“I really haven’t thought about any of that at this point in my career. I already accomplished everything that I basically wanted to accomplish. A small town kid, fifth-round draft pick, and I’m able to be that role model for so many kids around the world, but most importantly, I’m able to be a role model for kids back in my hometown [Douglas, Georgia], who probably don’t even believe in themselves, but they get a chance to look at me from the same city, same dream, as a role model.

“For me, man, that right there is a part of my blessing every day, and that’s really why I play football. I’m really blessed to have this platform that I’m able to perform at. I thank God for it each and every morning. I’m able to wake up, provide for my family, provide for my kids.

“And, man, if I’m blessed to go to Canton, I’d be very thankful for it. If not, I’m just happy to be able to play this great sport. I grew up jumping on a trampoline imagining I was jumping over Randy Moss as a kid – now, I’m here.”

▪ The Dolphins say they have only begun to scratch the surface on what they can do with fullback Alec Ingold.

“I’m like a kid in a candy shop,” he said. “I’m excited about going into meetings and [new plays] being installed. That’s the reason I’m here.”

He said with past teams, there were around 10 plays where he had a central role.

And now?

“It’s 20 to 30,” he said.