MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday evening in opposition to 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 toes and strolling to the sideline after the play within the third quarter. He made his strategy to the tunnel not lengthy afterward, trying into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the locker room.

The Dolphins wanted nearly no time earlier than asserting it was a concussion.

Tagovailoa, who sustained a number of concussions his first three NFL seasons, 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.

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 damage. Dolphins heart Aaron Brewer shortly did the identical, waving to the sideline.

Tagovailoa ultimately acquired to his toes. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the facet of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa departed. Skylar Thompson got here into the sport to take Tagovailoa’s spot.

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 shortly misplaced significance within the aftermath of a scary scene that unfolded in entrance of a nationwide tv viewers.

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 through 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 potential 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 didn’t play for the remainder of the 2022 season.

Going into final season, Tagovailoa added muscle and hung out finding out jiu-jitsu in an effort to discover ways to fall extra safely and attempt to shield himself in opposition to additional damage.

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