It was the scene none of us needed to see: Tua Tagovailoa incapacitated on the soccer discipline after one other collision and blow to the top.
However there we discovered ourselves late Thursday night time, watching in concern of the Miami Dolphins quarterback’s well-being as medical personnel tended to him after his third-quarter scramble and collision with Buffalo Payments security Damar Hamlin. Instantly, reminiscences and psychological pictures of Tagovailoa’s 2022 concussions rushed again.
The guts-stopping concern that his members of the family should have skilled at that second is tough to fathom. However everybody from present to former NFL gamers, followers and anybody in between sympathized.
Tagovailoa finally was helped to his ft, and he limped off the sector underneath his personal energy. Simply earlier than the quarterback reached the sideline, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had a short phrase together with his participant, “I instructed him he’s the beginning quarterback of his household, and to ‘Go within the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you quickly.’” With that, McDaniel kissed Tagovailoa on the top and turned him over to the trainers, who ushered him to the locker room for analysis.
.@KayleeHartung offers an replace on Tua Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/hiEnuq9ISC
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 13, 2024
McDaniel’s feelings had been inconceivable to cover for the rest of the sport and through his postgame information convention. McDaniel instantly fielded questions on how the Dolphins would method Tagovailoa’s restoration, however he mentioned solely that he anticipated Tagovailoa to undergo intensive evaluations on Friday, and that the Dolphins would then method the state of affairs and the quarterback’s care “at some point at a time.”
Now confronted with find out how to deal with their quarterback after a 3rd recognized concussion in three seasons, Dolphins management finds itself in an especially tough place. It should wait to find out how this newest concussion will affect the 26-year-old quarterback after which grapple with the choice of when/if he ought to return to the sector.
Tua’s harm historical past and video games missed, NFL profession
| 12 months | Week | Harm | Video games missed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2024 |
2 (Sep. 12) |
Concussion |
TBD |
|
2022 |
16 (Dec. 25) |
Concussion |
3 |
|
2022 |
4 (Sep. 29) |
Concussion |
2 |
|
2021 |
8 (Oct. 31) |
Fracture, finger |
1 |
|
2021 |
2 (Sep. 19) |
Fracture, ribs |
3 |
|
2020 |
After week 10 |
Thumb |
1 |
The Dolphins and their docs little question will work exhausting to keep away from a repeat of 2022, when Tagovailoa seemingly was allowed to return to motion prematurely after which sustained at the least one different concussion. (These choices sparked a joint investigation by the NFL and NFL Gamers Affiliation’s medical experts.)
Should you recall, it was Week 3 of that 2022 season when Tagovailoa sustained a blow that left him stumbling and struggling to keep up his stability after an harm that the Dolphins categorised as a again harm, though one thing about that prognosis at all times felt off. Tagovailoa began the next recreation earlier than finally sustaining a sack that triggered his again and again of his helmet to hit the bottom. Tagovailoa’s physique involuntarily went into the fencing response earlier than he was taken off the sector on a stretcher. Then in Week 16, Tagovailoa sustained one other concussion and missed the ultimate two regular-season video games and Miami’s playoff recreation.
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If the Dolphins realized something from that Week 3 and 4 sequence, it’s that medical exams and league-mandated protocols aren’t at all times as all-encompassing or as foolproof as one would hope. So this time measures which will even appear excessive are required as they navigate this newest mind harm restoration with their quarterback.
Virtually instantly after Tagovailoa’s harm Thursday night time, social media erupted with opinions from former gamers, together with Corridor of Fame tight finish Tony Gonzalez, who lined the sport for Amazon Prime, and followers who steered that Tagovailoa ought to retire — by no means enjoying soccer once more. The chance of the quarterback returning to motion and struggling one other (and probably extra devastating) concussion appears to far outweigh the rewards of a continued enjoying profession, they consider.
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It’s not so easy, nonetheless. How do you inform a younger man that he’s unfit for work? How do you inform him that he can not stay his dream?
Tagovailoa definitely has proved he’s able to enjoying at an elite stage. He led the NFL in passing yards final season and had gotten off to a different prolific begin in Week 1. However his harm historical past means that his physique isn’t designed to carry up underneath the trials of this violent recreation.
There’s a tremendous line between supporting a participant whereas permitting him to stay his life and make his choices and defending a participant from himself. Figuring out the place that differentiating line falls is painfully difficult and maybe inconceivable to find out.
Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards final season and was the league’s chief by means of Week 1 of this season. (Jasen Vinlove / USA At this time)
It’s an unenviable place for the Dolphins, who earlier this summer time agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with the quarterback. The deal is the very last thing on anybody within the group’s minds right now. Defending and supporting a member of their household in hopes he returns to full well being and maintains the power to steer a high quality life tops their precedence listing.
The Dolphins can’t abide by the standard return-to-play concussion protocol, which entails day by day monitoring and benchmarks and a gradual ramp-up of bodily exercise and potential clearance for recreation motion by the tip of the identical week.
It looks as if the Dolphins’ docs ought to mandate intensive and essentially the most refined testing attainable to study as a lot about Tagovailoa’s mind and restoration course of earlier than they let him set foot anyplace a lot as a treadmill. The issue is that concussion-related mind injury is usually tough to detect even with essentially the most fashionable types of know-how. However excessive care is required, even when the quarterback is not exhibiting concussion signs.
For now, it’s far too early to know what the restoration timeline seems to be like. McDaniel mentioned Friday that he didn’t even know if the Dolphins would place the quarterback on injured reserve (a minimal of 4 video games) to make sure he doesn’t try to rush again.
“I actually won’t know any form of something both manner, as a result of, once more, that’s how we’re working, as if we all know nothing — as a result of we don’t,” the coach mentioned. “The driving drive behind any form of transfer — let’s say enjoying anytime, let’s say IR, no matter these issues are — absolutely the most necessary opinion is that of crucial particular person on this complete equation: Tua. His opinion of what he desires to do together with his life and his profession, coupled with the consultants in neuroscience — these are the driving forces behind these actions. … I’m not hiding something. I’m being as clear as I completely might. I’ve zero concept what any form of timeline is, and I’m really extraordinarily motivated to be within the grey, as a result of I’m extraordinarily motivated to do proper by, , the individual that we’re speaking about. I do know that’s not a perfect option to do enterprise, essentially. However that is greater than enterprise.”
McDaniel added, “Actually all I’m telling Tua is, ‘Everyone seems to be relying on you to be a dad this weekend,’ after which we’ll transfer from there.”
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If Tagovailoa does finally determine he desires to proceed enjoying and docs permit it, then the Dolphins should do all the pieces attainable to guard him, which suggests bringing him alongside at a painstakingly sluggish tempo to assist guard in opposition to setbacks, and maybe making him put on a Guardian Cap in video games over his already specialised helmet. However that’s simply the beginning.
They’ve invested in him closely at this level. His contract options $167 million that’s assured for harm, together with $43 million that has been paid this yr. Even when the workforce pressured him to retire for medical causes, it might owe Tagovailoa the remaining $124 million of assured cash on his contract. If he chooses to retire on his personal, he would forfeit that cash, until he and the workforce reached an harm settlement. So, the one transfer is to train persistence and help.
McDaniel defined, “I have a look at Tua as a member of the family of mine,” and his sentiments are shared by these throughout the Dolphins’ group. So for now, the required strikes are to make sure the well-being of the person takes priority over any soccer issues. Then, finally these choices will come.
If solely there was a option to assure that the Dolphins quarterback by no means has to endure the same episode sooner or later.
(Prime photograph of Mike McDaniel kissing Tua Tagovailoa as he exits the sector: Megan Briggs / Getty Photos)