MIAMI — If the Dolphins make the playoffs, they will have to rely on the left arm of Tua Tagovailoa against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
That's because veteran backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tested positive Thursday for COVID-19 and will miss the final game of the season, according to multiple media outlets, including ESPN.
Miami later placed Fitzpatrick on the reserve/COVID-19 list and signed South Florida native Jake Rudock to fill the roster spot. Rudock, who was a sixth-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 2016, attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale and played for Iowa and Michigan in college.
Fitzpatrick was instrumental in the Dolphins' victory last Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders, coming off the bench and leading Miami to a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback win.
If Miami can defeat Buffalo on the road Sunday, the Dolphins will make the NFL playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
If the Dolphins lose, they will need a loss from either Indianapolis, Cleveland or Baltimore for a wild-card playoff berth.
