The Miami Dolphins placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve on Tuesday after he was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years.
Tagovailoa will miss at least four games and could return in Week 8 when the Dolphins play against Arizona, but he must complete a series of tests required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can get back on the field.
He got hurt last Thursday when he collided with Buffalo defensive back Damar Hamlin. After running for a first down, he lowered his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding.
Players from both teams quickly indicated that Tagovailoa was injured. While lying on the field, he showed signs that are typically associated with a serious brain injury.
He stayed down for a few minutes, then got up and walked to the sideline. The Dolphins diagnosed him with a concussion shortly after.
Coach Mike McDaniel has warned against speculation about Tagovailoa’s future, emphasizing that his main concern is for Tagovailoa’s health rather than what this latest concussion means for the team or his career.
This week, Tagovailoa began consulting neurologists about his health, despite reports that he does not plan to retire.
Others in the NFL have shared their thoughts on Tagovailoa’s future, including Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who suggested he should consider 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 said 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.”
McDaniel mentioned that Tagovailoa was at the team’s practice facility on Monday, where he was greeting teammates and working with trainers.
“He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits,” receiver Jaylen Waddle said Monday. “(He’s) got the team in good spirits and everybody praying for him and hoping (for his) health.”
Head injuries have been a common and concerning issue throughout Tagovailoa’s career.
In a game against the Bills in September 2022, he took a hit from linebacker Matt Milano that caused him to fall hard. He seemed disoriented afterward and stumbled when trying to stand up.
He was allowed to return to that game and later stated that a back injury caused the stumble, so he was not diagnosed with a concussion.
Just four days later, he was hit again during a Thursday night game in Cincinnati, which briefly knocked him unconscious, and he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
While lying on the ground, his fingers showed the “fencing response,” an involuntary movement often linked to a brain injury. This time, he was placed in the concussion protocol.
Following these two incidents, the NFL and the players’ union made changes to the concussion protocol. Now, players who have issues with balance or stability cannot return to the game.
Tagovailoa briefly thought about retirement but chose to come back and learn ways to protect himself better on the field, including taking jiu-jitsu classes before the 2023 season.
Tagovailoa mentioned that he talked to several neurologists who told him they did not think he would be more likely to get head injuries than any other player in the future, nor would he be at a higher risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the brain disease linked to repeated head injuries.
He also had a concussion while playing in college at Alabama. With Tagovailoa out, the Dolphins will start backup Skylar Thompson when they play at Seattle on Sunday. Miami also signed Tyler Huntley from the Ravens’ practice squad.
