Dolphins place Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after latest concussion

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins positioned Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was identified with his third concussion in two years, the staff introduced Tuesday.

Tagovailoa will likely be sidelined for not less than 4 video games with the designation. He will likely be eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona, however has to efficiently full a collection of checks and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol earlier than he can return to the sphere.

Tagovailoa was damage within the third quarter of a Thursday evening sport in opposition to the Buffalo Payments on a play the place he collided with Payments defensive again Damar Hamlin. He ran for a primary down after which initiated the contact by reducing his shoulder into Hamlin as an alternative of sliding.

Gamers from each groups instantly motioned that Tagovailoa was damage, and as he lay on the turf the quarterback exhibited some indicators sometimes related to a traumatic mind damage. He remained down on the sphere for a few minutes, obtained to his toes and walked to the sideline. The Dolphins identified him with a concussion just some minutes later.

Coach Mike McDaniel has since cautioned in opposition to hypothesis on the quarterback’s soccer future, stressing that he’s extra centered on Tagovailoa getting wholesome than what this newest concussion means for the staff or for his long-term profession. Tagovailoa this week started the method of consulting neurologists about his well being amid reviews that he has no plans to retire.

Others across the NFL have supplied their opinions on Tagovailoa’s future, together with Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who advised he ought to retire.

“So far as Tua’s profession is worried, I believe it’s an utmost precedence of mine for Tua to talk on Tua’s profession,” McDaniel mentioned Monday. “Experiences are reviews. So far as I’m involved, I’m simply fearful in regards to the human being and the place that’s at each day. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his personal profession.”

McDaniel mentioned Tagovailoa was on the staff’s follow facility on Monday smiling along with his teammates and dealing with trainers.

“He’s doing good, man. Talked to him, he’s in good spirits,” Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle mentioned Monday. “(He’s) obtained the staff in good spirits and everyone praying for him and hoping (for his) well being.”

Head accidents have turn out to be an all-too-familiar, all-too-scary prevalence all through Tagovailoa’s profession.

In a September 2022 sport in opposition to Buffalo, he took a success from linebacker Matt Milano, which triggered him to slam to the bottom. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his toes. He was cleared to return to that sport and later mentioned it was a again damage that triggered the stumble. He was not identified with a concussion.

4 days later, he obtained hit once more throughout a Thursday evening sport at Cincinnati during which he was briefly knocked unconscious and was taken off the sphere on a stretcher. As he lay on the turf, his fingers appeared to show the “fencing response,” a time period sometimes related to a mind damage. That point, he was positioned within the concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa’s state of affairs sparked fast and important modifications to the concussion protocols by the NFL and the NFL Gamers Affiliation. Essentially the most notable addition was that an abnormality of steadiness and/or stability can be a symptom prohibiting a participant from returning to a sport.

Tagovailoa briefly thought of retirement after that, however as an alternative returned and studied methods to raised defend himself on the sphere, together with taking jiu-jitsu lessons forward of the 2023 season.

Tagovailoa has mentioned he spoke to quite a few neurologists who instructed him they didn’t imagine he can be extra vulnerable to go accidents than another participant transferring ahead, nor would he be at the next danger for persistent traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is the mind illness related to repeated blows to the top. He was additionally identified with a concussion whereas in school at Alabama.

With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will go together with backup Skylar Thompson after they journey to face Seattle on Sunday. Miami additionally signed Tyler Huntley off the Raven’s follow squad.

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