It’s yet another head injury for a quarterback who’s already endured multiple in his young career. Former Alabama standout and current Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa exited the Thursday Night Game against the Buffalo Bills after a third-quarter head injury on a fourth-down scramble. While he eventually managed to walk off the field, he was ruled out with a likely concussion.
Tagovailoa has a history of head injuries, including at least two concussions during the 2022 season. Heading into 2023, he made it a priority to play more cautiously and started all 17 games, leading Miami to the playoffs.
Tagovailoa sustained his injury during the Dolphins’ second game of the season, amid a blowout loss to a division rival. While attempting to scramble for a first down in hopes of igniting his team, he lowered his shoulder and collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, who was playing in his first regular season game since his on-field cardiac arrest on January 2, 2023. After the hit, Tagovailoa collapsed to the ground and appeared to go into a fencing response, a sign of a significant head injury.
Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question. His right arm shows the "fencing posture" indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the #concussion spectrum. He is done for the night and must miss the next game.pic.twitter.com/3Ur62QfBLH
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 13, 2024
Miami head coach Mike McDaniel later said Tagovailoa was “in good spirits” but would undergo further evaluation. At the time of his injury, he had completed 17 of 25 passes for 145 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. The Dolphins, trailing 31-10, ultimately lost by that score.
While typical concussion recovery times range from 7 to 21 days, concerns will persist about Tagovailoa’s long-term health following this latest injury, even before a full diagnosis is made. With Tagovailoa potentially sidelined for a while, the Dolphins turned to Skylar Thompson to finish the game but may explore other options if their starting QB faces an extended absence.
Tagovailoa had signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in July, with $167.1 million guaranteed, after leading the Dolphins to the playoffs in 2023.
