McDaniel: Focus first on Tua's well being, not profession

MIAMI — Roughly 12 hours after Tua Tagovailoa was identified together with his third concussion in two years, Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel pleaded with followers and media members to permit his quarterback to concentrate on his well being earlier than discussing his profession.

Talking to native media Friday morning, McDaniel stated he “completely understands” folks’s concern about Tagovailoa’s well being, however insisted that putting stress and nervousness on the quarterback to decide about retiring isn’t what’s finest for him proper now.

“I believe it could be so fallacious of me to even sniff that topic, and it is extra in line of really caring in regards to the human being,” McDaniel stated. “You are speaking about his profession — his profession is his … I simply want that folks would for a second hear what I am saying, that citing his future isn’t in one of the best curiosity of him. So, I’ll plead with everyone that does genuinely care that that must be the very last thing in your thoughts since you do not, what do you suppose?”

Tagovailoa sustained successful to the top throughout Thursday night time’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, when he lowered his shoulder into Payments security Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa’s helmet made forcible contact with Hamlin’s arm, prompting a fencing response as a surprised crowd at Onerous Rock Stadium set free a collective gasp. Tagovailoa remained on the sphere for a number of minutes, however was capable of stroll off the sphere and into the locker room underneath his personal energy.

He was nearly instantly dominated out for the rest of the sport with a concussion.

McDaniel stated Tagovailoa was nonetheless asleep when he tried to name him roughly an hour earlier than talking with the media at 10 a.m. E.T. and had not but undergone additional testing and analysis. When requested in regards to the severity of Tagovailoa’s harm, McDaniel once more insisted that he’s not centered on any type of return to participation timeline.

“I am not assessing the harm via the lens of like, ‘alright, so what does this imply for him taking part in?'” McDaniel stated. “I am not making an attempt to even have a look at, okay, nicely how critical is that this relative to his previous ones? know the information are that it is vital that he will get wholesome day-to-day … one of the best factor I can do isn’t attempt to assess what this even means from a soccer standpoint.”

Tagovailoa was identified with two concussions throughout the 2022 season and took a 3rd hit to the top that led to the NFL altering its concussion protocol, particularly with how they’re reported and evaluated.

He’s at present within the NFL’s return to participation protocol, though McDaniel stated his message to Tagovailoa was that everybody was “relying on him to be a dad” this weekend, and that they’d determine the remaining out later.

The Dolphins do not play for an additional 10 days once they face the Seattle Seahawks of their first street recreation of the season. McDaniel declined to invest as as to if Tagovailoa can be positioned on injured reserve however did say the group had begun the method of bringing in one other quarterback.

McDaniel steered that third-year quarterback Skylar Thompson can be the Dolphins’ starter and not using a wholesome Tagovailoa — who he stated is a secure guess to not play towards the Seahawks, though his opinion won’t be the driving pressure within the resolution.

“The one two opinions that basically matter which can be absolutely the driving pressure for what we’re doing at that place: Tua and the docs,” McDaniel stated. “If I’m a betting man, I am guessing that these two folks — I do not see how he would play within the subsequent recreation. I do not see it, however who am I to know or decide? However I believe it is a honest evaluation to be ready to have three quarterbacks on a roster for the following recreation, that we’ll want so as to add one for that recreation.

“However once more, I don’t know, and I am not going to impulsively begin making selections. I do not even see myself concerned in a very powerful elements of these.”

A number of former NFL gamers expressed on social media their opinion that Tagovailoa ought to retire, together with Dez Bryant, Ben Watson and Tony Gonzalez.

Whereas he did not deal with anybody particularly, McDaniel defined why he’ll chorus from voicing his opinion on Tagovailoa’s future.

“If I have been to reply that query, I might be like, ‘alright, that is my ideas on his profession,'” he stated. “And he reads it — if he agreed with it or he disagreed with it, both method I’ve simply made him worse … I do not suppose it is acceptable merely due to my caring and regard. And I do not suppose these varieties of conversations if you’re speaking about any individual’s profession, I believe it most likely is barely honest that their profession must be set by them.”