"That was a damn concussion" - Stephen A. Smith rubbishes Tua Tagovailoa's back injury reports
Tua Tagovailoa has the Miami Dolphins off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 2018-19 season. They defeated one of this year's Super Bowl favorites and their AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills, in Week 3. During the game, the Dolphins quarterback took a significant hit in the second quarter and visibly looked shaken.
On a recent edition of First Take, Stephen A. Smith said that Tagovailoa looked concussed after the play:
"We all know that that was a damn concussion. I mean, I'm not buying that one bit that it was a back issue. I'll leave it to the football aficionados to confirm or deny my assertion."
Smith added that he doesn't find fault with the NFLPA, who's investigating the concussion protocols of the Dolphins or with the quarterback:
"But I'm telling you right now, there's no way in hell, I believe that it was a back issue that he got up from and then stumbled back down. I don't blame the NFLPA for investigating, but I'm also not blaming Tua or anybody else."
As if all players don’t lie about concussions. twitter.com/emmanuelacho/s…
"This is a big, big game for the Miami Dolphins organization and if you're any kind of player, you want to be a part of it. He clearly did not want to come out of that game, but he clearly appeared concussed to me."
Tua Tagovailoa and the strong start to his 2022-23 season
So far, the fifth-overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft is having a career season early on in year three. Tagovailoa is second in the NFL in passing yards (925), third in passing touchdowns (8), and has led two Dolphins comeback wins this season under center.
He was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week Two, throwing for 469 yards and six touchdowns versus the Baltimore Ravens. After starting 12 games all of last season, the 24-year-old hasn't missed a start in 2022.
Let's see if Tagovailoa is alright given his injury history and whether he can lead Miami to the playoffs this season. The Dolphins will travel to Paul Brown Stadium in Week Four to take on the Super Bowl runners-up, the Cincinnati Bengals.
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