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Tua Tagovailoa<\/strong><\/a> suffered another frightening concussion on Thursday night.<\/p>\n The incident occurred with just over four seconds remaining in the third quarter when the Dolphins quarterback lowered his head and collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin<\/strong>, who tackled him in the middle of the field. After the hit, Tagovailoa required assistance to leave the field.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Despite being reportedly in \u201cgood spirits\u201d after the game, his teammates and coaches were visibly distressed, as this was the 26-year-old\u2019s third diagnosed concussion in two years, according to ESPN.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what we know about Tagovailoa\u2019s remaining contract with the team, his concussion history, and the comments made on his latest injury, including those from Hamlin.<\/p>\n Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension<\/a> with Miami in July.<\/p>\n According to the Associated Press<\/em>, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has not provided any immediate updates on whether Tagovailoa might return for the remainder of the 2024-2025 season. In the meantime, Skylar Thompson<\/strong> is being considered as Tagovailoa\u2019s potential replacement and starting quarterback.<\/p>\n Tagovailoa has been placed in the NFL\u2019s concussion protocol and must successfully complete a series of tests and assessments before he or the Dolphins can consider his return to the field.<\/p>\n \u201cEach player and each concussion is unique,\u201d the NFL stated in the introduction to the protocol rules. \u201cTherefore, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Tagovailoa was diagnosed with two concussions in 2022, as well as one during his time at Alabama. He missed five games due to the concussions he sustained throughout the 2022 season.<\/p>\n One concussion occurred early in the season when a hit against the Cincinnati Bengals forced him to leave the field on a stretcher. Another concussion was diagnosed later in September 2022, following a game against the Bills in which Tagovailoa\u2019s knees buckled and he struggled to stand after a head injury. Although he was not initially diagnosed with a concussion from that hit, it became a focal point in the debate over NFL concussion protocols. He was later officially diagnosed with a concussion after the Bengals game, which occurred just four days later.<\/p>\n At Alabama, Tagovailoa had a procedure for a high ankle sprain in October 2019, which caused him to miss one game. A month later, he dislocated his right hip against Mississippi State, which prematurely ended his college career.<\/p>\n Heading into the 2023 season, Tagovailoa began training with a jiu-jitsu coach to learn how to better protect his head when falling. He managed to play in every Dolphins game last year.<\/p>\n After the Dolphins\u2019 game against the Bills, Hamlin, also 26, posted on X<\/a>: \u201cMy love and prayers are with @Tua for sure. Sending you strength and healing for a speedy recovery. Much love, broski.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement reported by Tim Graham<\/strong> of The Athletic, Hamlin reflected on his own experience, saying, \u201cI was just trying to make a routine tackle, trying to get them off the field on fourth down.\u201d<\/p>\n Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest following a tackle during a game against the Bengals in the 2022 season, added, \u201cIt\u2019s trauma. It will always be there. I\u2019m able to manage it because of the work I\u2019ve done. I went through trauma therapy and have a psychologist I talk to. It\u2019s allowed me to push my mind forward and continue my process. I did the hard stuff last year\u2014putting on the pads, tackling, getting game-ready\u2014to ensure that I\u2019m now perfectly fine and able to play again.\u201d<\/p>\n Childhood friend Manti Te\u2019o<\/strong> struggled to find the right words during an appearance on \u201cGood Morning Football\u201d on Friday morning. The former Notre Dame star, visibly shaken after witnessing Tagovailoa\u2019s head injury against the Bengals, emotionally shared, \u201cI wanted him to walk [away].\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is just a game,\u201d Te\u2019o, 33, reflected, \u201cand then there\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued, \u201cWatching a young man you\u2019ve known since he was a little boy go through this\u2026 it\u2019s hard for me. I can\u2019t imagine how difficult it is for Uncle Galu and Auntie Danie to see their son go down again.\u201d<\/p>\n While Te\u2019o expressed a deep desire for Tagovailoa to be able to raise his children\u2014Ace<\/strong> <\/a>and Maisey<\/strong><\/a>, whom he shares with wife Annah Gore<\/strong><\/a>\u2014healthily, he stopped short of advocating for his retirement. \u201cTo see my brother Tua go down like that, it really makes me want the best for him. He\u2019s a father of two now, and I want him to be able\u2014years from now\u2014to raise his children and walk his daughter down the aisle. That\u2019s what I wish for Tua. That\u2019s true joy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Bills quarterback Josh Allen<\/strong> echoed the prevailing sentiment around the stadium after Tagovailoa left the game with another injury, calling the concerning incident \u201cvery sad\u201d to witness.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the worst part of the game,\u201d Allen, 28, told reporters, according to ESPN. \u201cNothing but love and prayers are going out to him and his family. I hope everyone is sending those, because he\u2019s going to need them. It\u2019s the worst part of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n In a postgame interview on Prime Video, Allen also mentioned, as reported by NBC Sports, that he \u201ccan\u2019t help but feel for him.\u201d He added, \u201cHe\u2019s a great football player, but he\u2019s an even greater human being. He\u2019s one of the best people on the planet. I\u2019ve got a lot of love for him, and I\u2019m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything is OK.\u201d<\/p>\n Former receiver Dez Bryant<\/strong> was more direct about the retirement discussion, calling for league intervention. \u201cThat\u2019s it\u2026 NFL, go ahead and do the right thing,\u201d Bryant posted. \u201cTua has had way too many concussions. He needs to retire for his long-term health.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReally hope Tua is okay, but he needs to seriously consider shutting it down,\u201d said Shannon Sharpe<\/strong><\/a>, the former Denver Broncos tight end. \u201cHis concussions are becoming more severe, and he\u2019s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n\t\t<\/div>\nHow Much Longer Does Tua Have Left on His Contract?<\/h2>\n
How Many Concussions Has Tua Had?<\/h2>\n
Did Damar Hamlin Make Any Comments?<\/h2>\n
Who Else Has Weighed in on Tagovailoa\u2019s Injury?<\/h2>\n