Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, will not participate in Thursday night’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills due to a concussion sustained during a collision with defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa hit the back of his head on the field after the impact.
The 25-year-old remained on the ground for approximately two minutes before standing up and heading to the sideline after the incident occurred in the third quarter. He was seen smiling at the crowd as he walked to the locker room shortly thereafter.
The Dolphins swiftly confirmed that Tagovailoa had suffered a concussion. He had two concussions during the 2022 season and was also diagnosed with a concussion while playing for Alabama in college.
Skylar Thompson stepped in as quarterback following Tagovailoa’s injury, expressing his concern for him: “I have a lot of love for Tua, built a great relationship with him. You care about the person more than the player, and everybody in the organization would say the same thing. Just really praying for Tua and hopefully everything will come out all right.”
Tagovailoa was intending to build on a successful 2023 season, during which he threw for 29 touchdowns and led the league with 4,624 passing yards. He signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension prior to the season and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1. When he left the game, the Dolphins were behind 31-10, which was the final score.
Buffalo’s quarterback Josh Allen praised Tagovailoa’s character, saying, “If you know Tua outside of football, you can’t help but feel for him. He’s a great football player but he’s an even greater human being. He’s one of the best humans on the planet. I’m just praying for him and his family, hoping everything’s OK.”
Tagovailoa was injured during a fourth-down run with about 4:30 left in the third quarter, opting not to slide and instead leading with his right shoulder. After the hit, he lay on his back with his hands in the air, prompting immediate concern from players on both teams, including Dolphins center Aaron Brewer, who signaled for assistance.
Visible signs of distress included Tagovailoa’s hand movement that matched a “fencing response,” often seen following a brain injury. He ultimately stood up, and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel affectionately supported him as he left the field.
Damar Hamlin previously made headlines for suffering a cardiac arrest during a January 2023 game, which was a particularly traumatic event for the NFL community. Bills linebacker Von Miller expressed support for Tagovailoa, noting, “I love Tua on and off the football field. I’m a huge fan of him. I can empathize and sympathize with him because I’ve been there. I wish him the best.”
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions has been closely followed. He experienced multiple concussions during the 2022 season, including a notable incident in a Week 3 game against the Bills where he showed signs of confusion yet returned to play. Subsequently, the NFL revised its concussion protocols to ensure players displaying symptoms are removed from the game.
His second publicly acknowledged concussion that season occurred during a Thursday night game against the Bengals, leading to him being stretchered off the field after a severe hit. Tagovailoa’s last concussion of the 2022 season happened in December against the Packers, after which he did not return to play.
In an effort to mitigate the risk of future concussions, Tagovailoa focused on building strength and learning safer falling techniques through jiu-jitsu ahead of last season.