Brett Favre sends prayers to Tua Tagovailoa after Dolphins place QB on IR
Tua Tagovailoa is IR-bound and will miss four games, but there is no guarantee that he will play again this season. The Miami Dolphins decided on Tuesday, five days after the Pro Bowler suffered a concussion when he slammed headfirst into Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a 10-31 home loss on Thursday Night Football.
Prayers have poured out for him, and Brett Favre joined the fray:
The Hall of Fame quarterback can empathize with Tagovailoa, given his history of concussions has been a hot media topic. The most significant of them came in 2010 when his Minnesota Vikings were hosting the Chicago Bears.
At the time, the fiberglass roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome had collapsed, forcing the team to play at TCF Bank Stadium, the home of the collegiate Golden Gophers.
During that game, Favre was sacked hard by defensive end Corey Wootton and hit the cold turf headfirst. As he was being led back to the sidelines, he asked athletic trainer Eric Sugarman, "Suge, what are the Bears doing here?"
It would be the last game he ever played, as he retired after the season. The Vikings, meanwhile, resumed the process of replacing the Metrodome, eventually opening US Bank Stadium at its site in 2016 (they played at TCF during the transition).
Washington legend Joe Theismann has "great concern" for Tua Tagovailoa after concussion
Another NFL legend who has spoken up on Tua Tagovailoa's current condition is Joe Theismann. The Washington legend, whose career was ended in 1985 by a gruesome leg fracture he sustained on a sack by Lawrence Taylor, visited the Bleav in Commanders podcast and said:
"Having the history he has had with concussions, I have great concern for his health and his future if he goes back and plays football. There seems to be a recurring problem, I don't want someday, in the not-so-distant future, to hear that Tua can't play anymore."
He then delivered his verdict on what the fifth-year passer should do:
"I understand fully his love for the game. I understand that he wants to play. Sometimes it takes someone other than you to make the decision for you because your so emotionally involved... I would say walk away. My concern is just for the young man's health."
The Dolphins have since made a move, signing former Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley off of the Cleveland Browns' practice squad.