Tua Tagovailoa is close to returning to action following his latest concussion ... but he won't be putting some extra protection on his head when he takes the field -- telling reporters he is electing against wearing a Guardian Cap.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback has been cleared to practice after going down in Week 2 ... and despite all the chatter surrounding his NFL future, he said resuming his day job was never in question this time around -- unlike his previous head injuries.
26-year-old Tua -- who has had multiple serious concussions over the past few seasons -- said he's excited to get back to work ... as he hasn't experienced any symptoms since Sept. 13.
But when asked whether he will join a handful of NFLers who have chosen to wear a padded Guardian Cap over their regular helmets in hopes of reducing the acceleration that leads to brain injury ... Tua shut it down.
"Nope," he said. "Personal choice."
Guardian Caps have been worn by guys like Bills safety Taylor Rapp and Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah this season ... but experts still can't agree on whether they actually make a difference in preventing concussions.
As for whether he'll switch up his playing style, Tua said he just needs to be smarter when making decisions ... and will work on being more available for his teammates.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Tua could make his next start as early as this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals.