Tyreek Hill couldn't hide his excitement catching the football from Tua Tagovailoa on Wednesday for the first time in over a month.
"Almost made me cry today man," Hill said. "I know that sounds crazy, but he's a big part of this team."
Tagovailoa practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week 2, and the Dolphins (2-4) are aiming for him to start Sunday against Arizona.
Tagovailoa still needs to progress through the final stages of the NFL's concussion protocol for that to happen, but he moved one step closer by returning to the practice field.
"I feel very good about how he attacked this whole process and how he came out of it to this day," coach Mike McDaniel said before Wednesday's practice. "And you hope for a couple days of good work so then you have no blips and you're cleared to play."
Tagovailoa has met with numerous medical experts who specialize in brain and head injuries since being diagnosed with the third concussion of his NFL career on Sept. 12. The experts deemed it safe for him to return to football, McDaniel said Monday.
Tagovailoa said he would not wear a Guardian Cap - the protective soft-shell helmet cover that is optional for players to wear in games - saying it is a "personal choice." Tagovailoa already wears a quarterback-specific helmet designed to help reduce head injuries.