Quarterback for the Miami Dolphins Your Tagovailoa was ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills with a concussion after colliding with defenseman Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head on the turf.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of head injuries, remained down for about two minutes before getting up and walking to the sideline after the play in the third quarter. He soon walked to the tunnel, looked into the stands, appeared to smile and headed for the locker room.
Lynne Sladky / AP
The Dolphins quickly announced that it was a concussion.
Tagovailoa, who suffered multiple concussions in his first three NFL seasonspositioned himself for a big pay raise with an injury-free and productive 2023, throwing for 29 touchdowns and a league-record 4,624 yards.
He signed a four-year, $212 million extension for this season and was the NFL’s leading passer in Week 1 of the season. Tagovailoa left the game with the Dolphins down 31-10, which was the final score.
Tagovailoa injured a fourth-down keeper with about 4:30 left in the third. He went straight toward Hamlin and did not slide, but instead led with his right shoulder.
He landed on his back, both hands in the air, and Bills players immediately pointed at Tagovailoa as if to suggest an injury. Dolphins center Aaron Brewer quickly did the same, waving toward the sideline.
Tagovailoa eventually got to his feet. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel grabbed the side of his quarterback’s head and kissed him on the cheek as Tagovailoa left. Skylar Thompson came onto the field to take Tagovailoa’s place.
Hamlin was the player who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during a Monday night game in January 2023 in Cincinnati that caused the NFL to suspend a crucial game, but that game quickly lost its significance after a terrifying scene played out in front of a national television audience.
Tagovailoa’s history with concussions — and how he’s worked to avoid them ever since — is a big part of the story of his career, and now it’s coming to the forefront again.
He suffered at least two concussions during the 2022 season. He was injured in a Week 3 game against Buffalo and passed the concussion protocol, although he appeared disoriented on that play, but returned to the game.
The NFL later changed its concussion protocol, stating that if a player exhibits possible symptoms of a concussion, including lack of balance or stability, he must sit out the remainder of the game.
Less than a week later, during a Thursday night game in Cincinnati, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion from a horrific blow, briefly knocking him unconscious and having to be carried off the field on a stretcher.
His second known concussion that season occurred in a December game against Green Bay. He will not play the remainder of the 2022 season.
Leading up to last season, Tagovailoa built up his muscles and spent time studying jiu-jitsu to learn how to fall more safely and protect himself from further injury.
