The Miami Dolphins are clinging to their playoff lives as they head into Week 18. They’ll need to defeat the New York Jets on the road to keep those slim chances of reaching the postseason going, and they’ll likely have to do that without their starting quarterback. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday that Tua Tagovailoa is “unlikely” to play in the regular season finale due to a nagging hip injury. That will thrust Tyler Huntley into the QB1 role for Week 18.

However, if Miami does thread the needle and finds itself in the playoffs, Tagovailoa has vowed he’ll be under center. 

“If the cards play out the way they should, and the way we know and think they can, I’m going to be available next week,” Tagovailoa said, via SI.com. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts. I’ll be playing for sure.”

When Tagovailoa is officially ruled out for Week 18, it will mark the second straight game he’s missed due to this hip injury he suffered during the team’s Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans. He also missed four games earlier in the season due to another concussion that landed him on injured reserve. 

Despite all that, the playoffs are still within relative grasp, but it won’t come easy. On top of playing without Tagovailoa and needing a win against the Jets, the Dolphins will also be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs to defeat the Denver Broncos. What further complicates that leg of their playoff path is that Kansas City is expected to rest most of their key starters with the No. 1 seed already locked up. 

However, if they can somehow get a stroke of luck and have the pieces fall just right, they will get their franchise quarterback back under center for what would be an improbable postseason appearance.