On Thursday night, Tua Tagovailoa suffered a fierce collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, resulting in a concussion. With many concerned calling for the QB to retire for his own well-being, let’s take a look at just how concerning this latest concussion is.
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As Tagovailoa was pushing for a first down, he collided with Hamlin in the red zone. The aftermath was distressing as the QB struggled to get up with his left hand gripping his helmet in pain.
Just six minutes later, the Miami Dolphins confirmed that the 26-year-old had faced his third documented concussion. Considering this is the third concussion of his career, suffering another one on the field could prove to be extremely harmful to the QB’s life.
SCARY. If Tua Tagovailoa plays another down in the NFL, there should be a criminal investigation. Two years ago and tonight. Concussions. Frightening. pic.twitter.com/haZ6A5MCuQ
— Don Lewis (@DonLew87) September 13, 2024
Tua’s first concussion happened in Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season against the very same Buffalo Bills. The QB took a hit from LB Matt Milano. It was an unforgettable scene as his head slammed against the turf. However, it was not ruled as a concussion and despite his critical condition, Tua was permitted to return to the game.
Just days after that first hit, it happened again during a Thursday night game against the Bengals. As Tua was slammed down to the ground, another difficult-to-watch scene followed as his body locked up.
Within seconds, his fingers started curling–also known as the “fencing response”— a type of reflex that usually happens during severe head trauma. This time, it was ruled a concussion.
Unlike the first time when he made a comeback to the gridiron, this second hit led him to be carried off on a stretcher. Although he returned two NFL games later, the scare from the hits understandably lingered.
That was not all. Another setback happened in the Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers later that season. While he slammed his head on the ground, the symptoms were not immediately obvious.
However, a few days later, the QB reported feeling off and thus, was put in the concussion protocol yet again which ended his season. The Miami Dolphins had to play in the playoffs without their starting QB.
So, while he was diagnosed with two concussions, he actually took three hard hits to his head during the 2022 season.
This time too, the “fencing response” was spotted as the 26-year-old’s right arm was tensed up.
With the NFL’s updated concussion protocols, he needs to go through a long-lasting recovery process before he can even think about returning to action. That brings us to the fact that while the Dolphins may have extra time before their Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks–one thing is certain—Tua will not be rushed by his team or the league to get back on the field.
