Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was dominated out of Thursday evening’s sport with the Buffalo Payments due to a concussion after colliding with defensive again Damar Hamlin and hitting the again of his head in opposition to the turf.
Tagovailoa, who has a historical past of coping with head accidents, remained down for about two minutes earlier than attending to his ft and strolling to the sideline after the play within the third quarter. He made his technique to the tunnel not lengthy afterward, wanting into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the locker room.
The Dolphins wanted nearly no time earlier than saying it was a concussion. The crew mentioned he had two throughout the 2022 season, and Tagovailoa was recognized with one other concussion when he was a school participant at Alabama.
Lynne Sladky / AP
“I’ve quite a lot of love for Tua, constructed a fantastic relationship with him,” mentioned quarterback Skylar Thompson, who changed Tagovailoa after the harm. “You care in regards to the particular person greater than the participant and everyone within the group would say the identical factor. Simply actually praying for Tua and hopefully every part will come out all proper.”
Tagovailoa positioned himself for an enormous pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
He signed a four-year, $212 million extension earlier than this season and was the NFL’s main passer in Week 1 this season. Tagovailoa left the sport with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which held as the ultimate rating.
“If you understand Tua exterior of soccer, you may’t assist however really feel for him,” Payments quarterback Josh Allen mentioned on Amazon following the sport. “He is a fantastic soccer participant however he is an excellent larger human being. He is top-of-the-line people on the planet. I’ve bought quite a lot of love for him and I am simply praying for him and his household, hoping every part’s OK. But it surely’s powerful, man. This sport of soccer that we play, it is bought its highs and it is bought its lows — and this is likely one of the lows.”
Tagovailoa was harm on a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left within the third. He went straight forward into Hamlin and didn’t slide, main along with his proper shoulder as an alternative.
He wound up on his again, each his fingers within the air and Payments gamers instantly pointed at Tagovailoa as if to recommend there was an harm. Dolphins middle Aaron Brewer rapidly did the identical, waving to the sideline.
Tagovailoa gave the impression to be making a fist along with his proper hand as he lay on the bottom. It was motion in step with one thing that’s known as the “fencing response,” which will be widespread after a traumatic mind harm.
Tagovailoa finally bought to his ft. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the aspect of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed.
Hamlin was the participant who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a sort out throughout a Monday evening sport in January 2023 at Cincinnati, inflicting the NFL to droop a pivotal sport that rapidly misplaced significance within the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in entrance of a nationwide tv viewers.
“I really like Tua on and off the soccer discipline,” Payments edge Von Miller mentioned. “I am an enormous fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him as a result of I have been there. I want him the perfect.”
Tagovailoa’s historical past with concussions — and the way he has since labored to keep away from them — is a large a part of the story of his profession, and now involves the forefront as soon as once more.
He had a minimum of two concussions throughout the 2022 season. He was harm in a Week 3 sport in opposition to Buffalo and cleared concussion protocol, although he appeared disoriented on that play however returned to the sport.
The NFL later modified its concussion protocol to mandate that if a participant exhibits doable concussion signs — together with an absence of steadiness or stability — he should sit out the remainder of the sport.
Lower than per week later, in a Thursday evening sport at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was concussed on a scary hit that briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being taken off the sphere on a stretcher.
His second identified concussion of that season got here in a December sport in opposition to Inexperienced Bay, and he did not play for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Going into final season, Tagovailoa added muscle and frolicked finding out jiu-jitsu in an effort to discover ways to fall extra safely and attempt to defend himself in opposition to additional harm.