Miami Dolphins quarterback Your Tagovailoa was ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills with a concussion after colliding with defensive back Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head on the turf.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, was on the ground for about two minutes before getting up and walking toward the sideline after the third-quarter play. He headed toward the tunnel a short time later, looked into the stands, appeared to smile and left for the locker room.
It didn’t take long for the Dolphins to announce it was a concussion. said he had two during the 2022 seasonand Tagovailoa was diagnosed with another concussion while a college player at Alabama.
Lynne Sladky / AP
“I have a lot of love for Tua, I’ve built a great relationship with him,” said quarterback Skylar Thompson, who replaced Tagovailoa after the injury. “We care more about the person than the player and everyone in the organization would say the same thing. I’m really praying for Tua and hoping everything goes well.”
Tagovailoa positioned himself for a big pay raise with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
He signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension before this season and led the NFL in passing through Week 1 of the season. Tagovailoa left the game with the Dolphins trailing 31-10, which was the final score.
“If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said on Amazon after the game. “He’s a great football player, but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the greatest human beings on the planet. I have a lot of love for him and I’m praying for him and his family, hoping that everything will be okay. But it’s tough, man. This game of football that we play has its ups and downs — and this is one of the downs.”
Tagovailoa injured a goalie on fourth down with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the third. He charged straight at Hamlin and didn’t slide, instead leading with his right shoulder.
He landed on his back with both hands in the air, and Bills players immediately pointed at Tagovailoa as if to suggest an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly followed suit, motioning toward the sideline.
Tagovailoa appeared to clench his right hand into a fist as he lay on the ground. This movement was consistent with what is known as the “fencing response,” which can be common after head trauma.
Tagovailoa eventually got back up. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and gave him a kiss on the cheek as Tagovailoa left.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday Night Football game in January 2023 in Cincinnati, forcing the NFL to suspend a crucial game that quickly lost its significance following a frightening scene that played out in front of a national television audience.
“I love Tua on and off the football field,” Bills player Von Miller said. “I’m a huge fan of his. I can empathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s History with Concussions — and how he has since worked to avoid them — is a big part of the story of his career, and now it comes to the forefront again.
He suffered at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was injured in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and passed concussion protocol, although he appeared disoriented on that play, but he returned to play.
The NFL later amended its concussion protocol to require that if a player exhibits possible concussion symptoms, including loss of balance or stability, he must remain sidelined for the remainder of the game.
Less than a week later, during a Thursday night game in Cincinnati, Tagovailoa suffered concussion after scary hit which briefly knocked him unconscious and led to him being carried off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion of the season came in a December game against Green Bay, and he did not play for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Early last season, Tagovailoa added muscle and spent time studying jiu-jitsu in an effort to learn how to fall more safely and try to protect himself from further injury.
