Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa exits defeat against Bills with a concussion

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to be in “good spirits” after a concussion that forced him out of Thursday night’s game against Bills.

By Marcel Louis-Jacques

Sep 13, 2024 02:31 AM

 

MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills after sustaining a concussion in the third quarter, the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career.

There was no specific time frame of his expected return.

The accident occurred when Tagovailoa ran across the middle of the field for a first-down and struck forcibly with his helmet on the front of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa then reacted with an edging response, by putting his arms in a non-natural position.

Medical trainers tended to Tagovailoa for a few minutes while players gathered around the player. He was eventually capable of walking off onto the pitch and to the changing room on his own initiative, but was soon removed from the field for the remainder time.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was expected to inform Tagovailoa of his condition when he spoke with reporters on Friday morning.

Following the match, McDaniel said Tagovailoa was in “good spirits,” but the player did not comment on what the future holds for the veteran of five years.

“Right now … it is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time,” McDaniel stated. “The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate. … We’ll get more information tomorrow and then take it day by day from there.”

Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson was one of the players who was closest to Tagovailoa following his injury. Jackson admitted that he could observe Tagovailoa’s eyes and realize that the player “wasn’t there all the way,” and nearly immediately sat down.

“Crushed. I’m disgusted to see him do this,” said Jackson, who was picked 13th after Tagovailoa’s selection at the time of 2020’s NFL Draft. “Even considering his track record already of this kind of thing, I’m not happy to see him do it. I’m disappointed that he rushed through the pocket. I wish I could have the money back for us all. I could have been more successful.”

A third-year player Skylar Thompson was the final scorer in the place of Tagovailoa. Thompson is likely to start in the event that Tagovailoa doesn’t get to be available to play Seattle Seahawks. Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.

Thompson was a starter in three games for the rookie in 2022, which included losing in the playoffs at home in Buffalo. McDaniel stated that he and the Dolphins are confident and have “utmost confidence” in Thompson but didn’t decide on competing against the Seahawks.

“I do not know when our next game will be. I’m not worried about this,” McDaniel said. “We played Skylar when he was a rookie when the season was at stake, we discovered a way to beat an elimination game and then go toe-to-toe against the same team in a playoff match. I believe he’s significantly better player now than he was back then. These are things the team believes in and I believe that the players truly believe in Skylar and I’m sure that’s why I have complete confidence in Skylar.”

Tagovailoa was the focus of much interest in 2022 when his head was smashed against his head with the ground during an encounter with the Bills. Following his fall, he was stumbling when he returned to the Dolphins huddle, and then took a short break from the match prior to returning to the field with what was reported to be an injury to the back.

It was revealed that the NFL and NFLPA launched a joint inquiry to determine how Tagovailoa was treated and resulted in the NFLPA making use of its rights to terminate the non-affiliated neuro consultant who cleared Tagovailoa be allowed to play again. The NFL has also amended its policy on concussions to include an ataxia clause permitting a spotter to have players taken off the field when they exhibit certain signs of concussion.

The next day Tagovailoa struck the top of his head against the ground in a similar manner in a game in which he was playing the Cincinnati Bengals and was briefly knocked unconscious. He was transported into a hospital in the area, where he was confirmed to have a head injury. McDaniel along with the Dolphins were criticized for the decision to allow Tagovailoa to play.

Tagovailoa was out for 2 games prior to returning on the field, but suffered a second concussion in the game on Dec. 25, game with The Green Bay Packers. The Packers were able to stop him. Dolphins stopped him for the remainder of the season.

Tagovailoa has said that he considered retiring after the 2022 season after a conversation between his parents. In an interview in the last month on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” he explained that his mother had asked him to think about quitting. He opted against it and in the offseason, he worked on bulking up and preparing jiu-Jitsu classes to master how to fall without crashing his head into the ground.

If you asked him, McDaniel suggested the events that occurred in 2022 would not affect the way the team manages Tagovailoa at this point.

“I think it’s important to approach each and every situation … every injury with [the mindset of], ‘We’re going to handle this particular situation with this particular player,'” he stated. “Every situation is unique. I am not worried about anything that’s out of my hands in terms of, I’m just worried about the human being, and he’ll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information. But it’s day-by-day health … particularly with concussions.”

In addition to his final season in Alabama Tagovailoa’s total is four concussions that have been diagnosed in the last five years. In his time with the Crimson Tide in 2019, the player had a brain injury, as well as fractured nose during the same match where he suffered a hip dislocation as well as a fracture to the wall that surrounds the hip socket.

McDaniel was asked if is it safe to allow Tagovailoa to continue playing football given his past history of concussions. McDaniel was clearly stressed, stated that the fact that he didn’t want to think about it.

“I do not approach issues that I’m not sure about in terms of knowledge. I’m there to help my teammates,” he said. “For me to try and make predictions about things I’m not aware of in my area which I’m not an expert on, I feel it’s a good idea. I believe we’ll get some additional details about the situation Tua is. Tua will be able to spend an extended period of time being assessed and we’ll then have discussions and make progress as needed.”

Many Members of the Bills expressed their concern in support of Tagovailoa following the match.

The coach Sean McDermott said the injury “didn’t look good” and expressed his prayers and thoughts were with Tagovailoa’s family. The Quarterback Josh Allen called Tagovailoa a “even greater human” than football player, and wish his family the very best of luck.

“Very sad. It’s the most painful part of the game” Allen said. “Nothing other than prayers and love to his family and him I hope everyone is sending them, as the man will need them. This is the most difficult aspect in the sport.”