The Miami Dolphins placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve Tuesday after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years.
Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games and is eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona. However, he must complete a series of tests and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field.
Tagovailoa sustained the injury last Thursday night during a collision with Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin. Running for a first down, he initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding. Players from both teams immediately signaled that Tagovailoa was hurt. As he lay on the turf, he exhibited signs typically associated with a traumatic brain injury. A few minutes later, the Dolphins diagnosed him with a concussion.
Coach Mike McDaniel has urged caution and discouraged speculation about the quarterback’s future. He emphasized that his primary concern is Tagovailoa’s health rather than the implications of this latest concussion for the team or Tagovailoa’s career. This week, Tagovailoa began consulting neurologists about his health amid reports suggesting he has no plans to retire.
Opinions on Tagovailoa’s future have emerged from various quarters of the NFL, including Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who recommended retirement. “As far as Tua’s career is concerned, I think it’s an utmost priority of mine for Tua to speak on Tua’s career,” McDaniel remarked on Monday. “Reports are reports. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just worried about the human being and where that’s at day to day. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career.”
Tagovailoa was reported to be at the team’s practice facility on Monday, greeting teammates and working with trainers. “He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits,” receiver Jaylen Waddle shared. “(He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
Head injuries have been a recurring concern throughout Tagovailoa’s career. In September 2022, during a game against the Bills, a hit from linebacker Matt Milano caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented and stumbled as he tried to rise. Although he was cleared to return to the game and later claimed the stumble was due to a back injury, he was not diagnosed with a concussion.
Just four days later, Tagovailoa suffered another hit during a Thursday night game against Cincinnati, where he was briefly knocked unconscious and taken off the field on a stretcher. His fingers displayed the “fencing response,” an involuntary motion typically associated with a brain injury. He was then placed in the concussion protocol.
Following these incidents, the NFL and the players’ union made changes to the concussion protocol, prohibiting players with balance or stability issues from returning to games. Tagovailoa considered retirement but ultimately decided to return to the field and studied methods to better protect himself, including taking jiu-jitsu classes ahead of the 2023 season.
Tagovailoa has consulted with numerous neurologists who assured him that he would not be more susceptible to head injuries than any other player and would not be at higher risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease associated with repeated head traumas. He was also diagnosed with a concussion while in college at Alabama.
With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will rely on backup Skylar Thompson when they play at Seattle on Sunday. Additionally, Miami has signed Tyler Huntley from the Ravens’ practice squad.
