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MIAMI — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career on Thursday evening in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Tagovailoa was dominated out of the sport within the third quarter after a play by which he scrambled up the center for a primary down and lowered his shoulder to provoke contact with Payments security Damar Hamlin. After Tagovailoa’s helmet made exhausting contact with Hamlin’s physique, the quarterback instantly went right into a fencing response, a time period used to explain an individual’s arms going into an unnatural place.
Dolphins medical trainers attended to him for a number of minutes as gamers knelt round him. He was in the end in a position to stroll off the sector beneath his personal energy and into the crew’s locker room.
The Dolphins have 10 days till their subsequent sport towards the Seattle Seahawks however may rule Tagovailoa out, no matter how he progresses by the league’s concussion protocol. A stint on the injured reserve checklist could possibly be one other chance contemplating his damage historical past.
“Proper now, [it] is extra about getting a correct procedural analysis and taking it someday at a time,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel mentioned after the sport. “The furthest factor from my thoughts is what’s the timeline. We simply want to judge and simply fear about my teammate … we’ll get extra data [Friday] after which take it daily from there.”
Listed here are 4 key questions following Tagovailoa’s newest concussion.
What’s Tagovailoa’s damage historical past?
Tagovailoa was arguably the highest quarterback of the 2020 NFL draft class throughout his ultimate season at Alabama, when he suffered a hip dislocation and fracture of the posterior wall of his hip socket halfway by the season. He was additionally identified with a concussion and damaged nostril that yr.
Tagovailoa recovered in time to play for the Dolphins as a rookie, however missed 5 video games throughout his first two seasons because of varied minor accidents. In 2022, he was identified with two concussions and took a 3rd hit to the top that ultimately led to the NFL altering its concussion protocol.
He did not miss a sport in the course of the 2023 season, nevertheless, and earned a four-year, $212.1 million contract extension in July.
What choices did Tagovailoa contemplate after his 2022 season?
Tagovailoa admitted to briefly contemplating retirement after conversations along with his household. Throughout an interview with The Dan Le Batard Present, he clarified that his mom primarily requested him to rethink his taking part in profession.
In the end, he determined towards it and spent the 2023 offseason bulking up and coaching in a jiu-jitsu breakfall program to be able to discover ways to fall with out hitting his head on the bottom.
The coaching appeared to assist as he performed in all of Miami’s video games final season, together with a playoff loss towards the Kansas City Chiefs. This offseason, Tagovailoa advised CBS Sports activities he misplaced 14 kilos in an effort to be extra cell.
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Mike McDaniel: Tua in ‘good spirits’ after concussion
Mike McDaniel says Tua Tagovailoa was speaking to teammates within the locker room and is in good spirits after struggling a concussion.
If Tagovailoa needs to return to the sector, what hurdles will he must clear in concussion protocol?
McDaniel mentioned Tagovailoa will bear thorough testing and analysis earlier than they resolve the right way to proceed. The NFL’s return to participation protocol is a five-step course of that culminates in a crew’s doctor concurring with an impartial neurological guide {that a} participant can safely play once more.
Step one of the protocol is relaxation and restoration, “till his indicators and signs and neurologic examination” return to “baseline standing.” The following step is gentle cardio train, adopted by continued cardio train and introduction of energy coaching.
A participant can return to soccer particular actions within the fourth step of the protocol, all of that are non-contact. The ultimate step is full clearance, as soon as the doctor and the neurological guide agree the participant is prepared.
What are the Dolphins’ choices at quarterback? Will they signal one other participant?
If Tagovailoa can not play in subsequent week’s sport towards the Seahawks, third-year quarterback Skylar Thompson is in line to start out. Thompson began three video games as a rookie in 2022, together with a playoff loss on the street in Buffalo.
The one different quarterback on the Dolphins’ roster is Tim Boyle, who’s technically signed to their observe squad. There are free agent choices out there ought to Miami resolve to usher in one other quarterback, notably the crew’s first-round decide in 2012, Ryan Tannehill.
McDaniel didn’t decide to the potential for taking part in with out Tagovailoa however expressed the “utmost confidence” in Thompson. It is unlikely Miami would instantly usher in one other quarterback to start out over Thompson, however it may add depth if Tagovailoa is compelled to overlook time.
