The Miami Dolphins positioned Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was recognized together with his third concussion in two years, the workforce introduced Tuesday.
Tagovailoa might be sidelined for not less than 4 video games with the designation. He might 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 night time sport towards 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 decreasing 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, acquired to his toes and walked to the sideline. The Dolphins recognized him with a concussion just some minutes later.
Coach Mike McDaniel has since cautioned towards 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 workforce 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 provided their opinions on Tagovailoa’s future, together with Raiders coach Antonio Pierce, who prompt he ought to retire.
“So far as Tua’s profession is worried, I feel it’s an utmost precedence of mine for Tua to talk on Tua’s profession,” McDaniel mentioned Monday. “Stories are reviews. So far as I’m involved, I’m simply nervous concerning the human being and the place that’s at daily. I’ll let Tua be the champion of his personal profession.”
McDaniel mentioned Tagovailoa was on the workforce’s observe facility on Monday smiling together 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] acquired the workforce in good spirits and all people praying for him and hoping [for his] well being.”
Head accidents have turn out to be an all-too-familiar, all-too-scary incidence all through Tagovailoa’s profession.
In a September 2022 sport towards 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 recognized with a concussion.
4 days later, he acquired hit once more throughout a Thursday night time sport at Cincinnati wherein 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 scenario sparked fast and important modifications to the concussion protocols by the NFL and the NFL Gamers Affiliation. Probably the most notable addition was that an abnormality of stability and/or stability can be a symptom prohibiting a participant from returning to a sport.
Tagovailoa briefly thought-about retirement after that, however as an alternative returned and studied methods to higher shield himself on the sphere, together with taking jiu-jitsu courses forward of the 2023 season.
Tagovailoa has mentioned he spoke to quite a few neurologists who advised him they didn’t consider he can be extra vulnerable to move accidents than some other participant shifting ahead, nor would he be at the next threat for continual traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is the mind illness related to repeated blows to the top. He was additionally recognized with a concussion whereas in faculty at Alabama.
With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will go along with backup Skylar Thompson once they journey to face Seattle on Sunday. Miami additionally signed Tyler Huntley off the Raven’s observe squad.
