What’s Next for the Dolphins QB After His Concussion? – Hollywood Life
Tua Tagovailoa suffered one other horrifying concussion on Thursday evening.
The incident occurred with simply over 4 seconds remaining in the third quarter when the Dolphins quarterback lowered his head and collided with Bills security Damar Hamlin, who tackled him in the center of the area. After the hit, Tagovailoa required help to depart the area.
Despite being reportedly in “good spirits” after the sport, his teammates and coaches have been visibly distressed, as this was the 26-year-old’s third identified concussion in two years, in response to ESPN.
Here’s what we learn about Tagovailoa’s remaining contract with the workforce, his concussion historical past, and the feedback made on his newest harm, together with these from Hamlin.
How Much Longer Does Tua Have Left on His Contract?
Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with Miami in July.
According to the Associated Press, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has not supplied any rapid updates on whether or not Tagovailoa would possibly return for the the rest of the 2024-2025 season. In the meantime, Skylar Thompson is being thought-about as Tagovailoa’s potential alternative and beginning quarterback.
Tagovailoa has been positioned in the NFL’s concussion protocol and should efficiently full a collection of checks and assessments earlier than he or the Dolphins can take into account his return to the area.
“Each player and each concussion is unique,” the NFL said in the introduction to the protocol guidelines. “Therefore, there is no set timeframe for return to participation or for progressing through the steps of the graduated exertion program. Recovery time will vary from player to player.”
How Many Concussions Has Tua Had?
Tagovailoa was identified with two concussions in 2022, in addition to one throughout his time at Alabama. He missed 5 video games as a result of the concussions he sustained all through the 2022 season.
One concussion occurred early in the season when a success in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals compelled him to depart the area on a stretcher. Another concussion was identified later in September 2022, following a sport in opposition to the Bills during which Tagovailoa’s knees buckled and he struggled to face after a head harm. Although he was not initially identified with a concussion from that hit, it turned a focus in the debate over NFL concussion protocols. He was later formally identified with a concussion after the Bengals sport, which occurred simply 4 days later.
At Alabama, Tagovailoa had a process for a excessive ankle sprain in October 2019, which precipitated him to overlook one sport. A month later, he dislocated his proper hip in opposition to Mississippi State, which prematurely ended his faculty profession.
Heading into the 2023 season, Tagovailoa started coaching with a jiu-jitsu coach to learn to higher defend his head when falling. He managed to play in each Dolphins sport final 12 months.
Did Damar Hamlin Make Any Comments?
After the Dolphins’ sport in opposition to the Bills, Hamlin, additionally 26, posted on X: “My love and prayers are with @Tua for sure. Sending you strength and healing for a speedy recovery. Much love, broski.”
In an announcement reported by Tim Graham of The Athletic, Hamlin mirrored on his personal expertise, saying, “I was just trying to make a routine tackle, trying to get them off the field on fourth down.”
Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest following a sort out throughout a sport in opposition to the Bengals in the 2022 season, added, “It’s trauma. It will always be there. I’m able to manage it because of the work I’ve done. I went through trauma therapy and have a psychologist I talk to. It’s allowed me to push my mind forward and continue my process. I did the hard stuff last year—putting on the pads, tackling, getting game-ready—to ensure that I’m now perfectly fine and able to play again.”
Who Else Has Weighed in on Tagovailoa’s Injury?
Childhood pal Manti Te’o struggled to seek out the proper phrases throughout an look on “Good Morning Football” on Friday morning. The former Notre Dame star, visibly shaken after witnessing Tagovailoa’s head harm in opposition to the Bengals, emotionally shared, “I wanted him to walk [away].”
“This is just a game,” Te’o, 33, mirrored, “and then there’s life.”
He continued, “Watching a young man you’ve known since he was a little boy go through this… it’s hard for me. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for Uncle Galu and Auntie Danie to see their son go down again.”
While Te’o expressed a deep want for Tagovailoa to have the ability to elevate his kids—Ace and Maisey, whom he shares with spouse Annah Gore—healthily, he stopped in need of advocating for his retirement. “To see my brother Tua go down like that, it really makes me want the best for him. He’s a father of two now, and I want him to be able—years from now—to raise his children and walk his daughter down the aisle. That’s what I wish for Tua. That’s true joy.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen echoed the prevailing sentiment round the stadium after Tagovailoa left the sport with one other harm, calling the regarding incident “very sad” to witness.
“That’s the worst part of the game,” Allen, 28, instructed reporters, in response to ESPN. “Nothing but love and prayers are going out to him and his family. I hope everyone is sending those, because he’s going to need them. It’s the worst part of the game.”
In a postgame interview on Prime Video, Allen additionally talked about, as reported by NBC Sports, that he “can’t help but feel for him.” He added, “He’s a great football player, but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best people on the planet. I’ve got a lot of love for him, and I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything is OK.”
Former receiver Dez Bryant was extra direct about the retirement dialogue, calling for league intervention. “That’s it… NFL, go ahead and do the right thing,” Bryant posted. “Tua has had way too many concussions. He needs to retire for his long-term health.”
“Really hope Tua is okay, but he needs to seriously consider shutting it down,” stated Shannon Sharpe, the former Denver Broncos tight finish. “His concussions are becoming more severe, and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.”
