Tua Tagovailoa was ruled out of the game with a concussion after taking a blow to the head while scrambling in the third quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills Thursday night.
Tagovailoa remained on the field as medical personnel attended to him. He eventually was able to rise to his feet and walk off the field and then into the locker room under his own power.
What Happened to Tua Tagovailoa?
Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa as the Dolphins’ quarterback. A head injury for Tua is a terrifying prospect for the player and his team. He considered retirement after suffering at least two concussions in the 2022 season.
On Thursday, he appeared to involuntarily assume the fencing position, reminiscent of his scary head injury against the Bengals – also on a Thursday night – two years back.
Prayers for Tua Tagovailoa. Note his right hand balling into a fist and his arm going straight in the air. That’s posturing and a sign of loss of consciousness and a #concussion. Certainly out for the game. So sad. pic.twitter.com/e6wYIDVaZa
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 13, 2024
Tagovailoa was scrambling on fourth-and-4 from the Bills’ 13 when, instead of sliding after he gained the first down, he lowered his head into the side of Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Who could forget that Hamlin nearly suffered cardiac arrest on the field during a game two years ago?
Sports Injury Central provided this analysis of Tagovailoa’s latest injury on Thursday night.
“(Tagovailoa) left TNF Matchup with Bills with, (what) by video, appears to be a concussion with visible posturing. In 2022, (he) suffered two concussions, with the second one knocking him out for the rest of the season. After strengthening (his) body to withstand these types of hits in the 2023 offseason, Tagovailoa lost weight this past offseason. (We) worry he will miss multiple weeks as this has been his pattern in the past.”
Tagovailoa’s latest concussion comes almost exactly two years to the day after his head slammed to the turf on this very same field – against this same exact team.
In that game, Tagovailoa staggered as he got up and went to the ground again before heading to the locker room. But both team and independent neurologists determined that his instability was due to a back injury — not a head injury — and allowed him to return to the game.
However, outrage over the Dolphins’ handling of those five days prompted a change to the NFL’s concussion policy. Any player who now exhibits gross motor instability as Tua did against Buffalo two years ago is now immediately ruled out of games.
Tagovailoa then missed two games with his first diagnosed concussion after a scary injury in Cincinnati and the Dolphins’ last three games (including their playoff loss to the Bills) after his second on Christmas Day vs. the Packers. That prompted him to contemplate retirement, although he ultimately decided to keep playing.
Tagovailoa has officially been diagnosed with four concussions dating back to his college playing days at Alabama. That does not include the aforementioned back injury.
The following offseason, Tua put on weight in an effort to keep himself healthy and made a commitment to slide more to protect himself.
That allowed him to play all 18 games (including the playoffs) in 2023. But he dropped that weight this past offseason to regain lost mobility.
Tagovailoa used that agility on Thursday night’s awful play but didn’t slide even though he had gained the first down.
Prior to the concussion, Tagovailoa had completed 17 of 25 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
According to Amazon, Tagovailoa is conscious, awake, and alert. He also has full movement in his extremities and is with his family in Miami’s locker room.