What happened to Tua Tagovailoa? Dolphins QB goes down on field vs Bills
Tua Tagovailoa was having a bad night on the field but it became much worse in the third quarter of the game as desperation led to a serious-looking injury. The Miami Dolphins were trailing 31-10 at home and they needed some touchdowns. Therefore, on a 4th-and-4 in the red zone, they could not afford a field goal and decided to go for it.
Tua Tagovailoa got the ball, saw the field open up in front of him, and took off. He got the first down and instead of sliding immediately, he took the ball into contact. Perhaps there was desperation to make up for his previous mistakes, which had resulted in four turnovers, including three interceptions, for the Dolphins, and cut down the Buffalo Bills' lead. But in the process, he took a heavy blow to his head, and his neck was seen buckling when he got hit.
He fell on the turf and appeared to be showing the classic fencing response that one gets after a concussion. Luckily, he was able to get off and walk off on his own power, but he seemed to be limping a bit.
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Whether that was related to the current hit or symptoms arising from any potential concussion remains to be seen but he needed to be taken off to the locker room either way. He was since ruled out of the game with a concussion.
Tua Tagovailoa's concussion history is worrying
The NFL has been trying to tamp down on the head injuries to players ever since it was proven that repeated instances can lead to CTE. Players themselves have become more careful and that leads to the question of what it means for Tua Tagovailoa.
He played all the games for the Dolphins in the 2023 NFL season but in 2022, he had two instances of concussive hits. The first of those, and the way it was handled and how he was allowed to return for the next game, altered the league's protocols regarding the handling of such injuries.
He also suffered a concussion and broken nose during his college career in a game for the Alabama Crimson Tide against Mississippi State. Such instances are now piling up for him and there will be decisions that he and the Dolphins will need to make going forward that could stretch beyond the limit of the current concussion protocol.