With Tua Tagovailoa’s future and health at stake, Dolphins must exercise extreme caution

It was the scene none of us wanted to see: Tua Tagovailoa lunged on the soccer field after another collision and was hit in the head.

But that’s where we found ourselves late Thursday night, watching in fear for the well-being of the Miami Dolphins quarterback as medical personnel tended to him after his third-quarter struggle and collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Immediately, memories and mental images of Tagovailoa’s 2022 concussion came flooding back.

It is difficult to fathom the heartbreaking fear his family members must have experienced at that moment. But everyone from current to former NFL players, fans and everyone in between sympathized.

Tagovailoa was eventually helped to his feet and he limped off the field under his own power. Just before the quarterback reached the sideline, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had a brief word with his player: “I told him he’s his family’s starting quarterback, and to go to the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon.’” With that, McDaniel kissed Tagovailoa on the head and handed him over to the trainers, who took him to the locker room for evaluation.

.@KayleeHartung provides an update on Tua Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/hiEnuq9ISC

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McDaniel’s emotions were impossible to hide for the rest of the game and during his post-game press conference. McDaniel immediately asked questions about how the Dolphins would handle Tagovailoa’s recovery, but said only that he expected Tagovailoa to undergo extensive evaluations on Friday, and that the Dolphins would then approach the situation and the quarterback’s care “one day at a time.” .

Now faced with the question of how to handle their quarterback after a third known concussion in three seasons, Dolphins leadership is in an extremely difficult position. It will have to wait to learn how this latest concussion will affect the 26-year-old quarterback and then grapple with deciding when/if he should return to the field.

The Dolphins and their doctors will no doubt be working hard to avoid a repeat of 2022, when Tagovailoa was seemingly allowed to return to action prematurely and subsequently suffered at least one new concussion. (These decisions led to a joint investigation by the NFL’s medical examiners and the NFL Players Association.)

You’ll recall, it was Week 3 of that 2022 season when Tagovailoa took a hit that left him stumbling and struggling to keep his balance after an injury that the Dolphins classified as a back injury, though something about that diagnosis always seemed off. Tagovailoa started the next play before ultimately holding a sack that caused his back and the back of his helmet to hit the ground. Tagovailoa’s body involuntarily went into screen reaction before he was taken off the field on a stretcher. Then, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion in Week 16 and missed Miami’s final two regular season games and playoff game.

If the Dolphins learned anything from the Week 3 and 4 series, it’s that medical exams and league-mandated protocols aren’t always as comprehensive or foolproof as you’d hope. So this time, measures that may even seem extreme are necessary as they navigate this latest brain injury recovery with their quarterback.

Almost immediately after Tagovailoa’s injury Thursday night, social media erupted with opinions from former players, including Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who covered the game for Amazon Prime, and fans suggesting that Tagovailoa should retire and would never play football again. The risk of the quarterback returning to action and suffering another (and possibly more devastating) concussion appears to far outweigh the rewards of a continued playing career, they say.

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However, it’s not that simple. How do you tell a young man that he is incapacitated? How do you tell him that he can no longer fulfill his dream?

Tagovailoa has certainly proven that he is capable of playing at an elite level. He led the NFL in passing yards last season and got off to another prolific start in Week 1. But his injury history suggests his body isn’t designed to hold up under the rigors of this violent game.

There is a fine line between supporting a player, while letting him live his life and make his decisions, and protecting a player from himself. Determining where that distinctive line falls is painfully complicated and perhaps impossible to determine.

Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards last season and was the league’s leading rusher through Week 1 of this season. (Jasen Vinlove/USA Today)

It’s an unenviable position for the Dolphins, who agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with the quarterback earlier this summer. The deal is the last thing on anyone’s mind at this point in the organization. Protecting and supporting a member of their family in the hope that he or she returns to full health and maintains the ability to live a quality life is at the top of their priority list.

The Dolphins cannot adhere to the usual return-to-play concussion protocol, which involves daily monitoring and benchmarks and a gradual increase in physical activity and possible clearance for game action by the end of the same week.

It appears the Dolphins’ doctors will have to mandate extensive and the most advanced testing to learn as much as possible about Tagovailoa’s brain and recovery process before they even let him set foot on a treadmill. The problem is that brain damage from a concussion is often difficult to detect, even with the most modern forms of technology. But extreme caution is advised even if the quarterback no longer exhibits concussion symptoms.

For now, it’s far too early to know what the recovery timeline looks like. McDaniel said Friday he didn’t even know if the Dolphins would place the quarterback on injured reserve (minimum of four games) to ensure he doesn’t try to rush back.

“I’m literally not going to know anything either way, because again, that’s how we operate, like we don’t know anything — because we don’t,” the coach said. “The driving force behind any kind of movement – ​​let’s say anytime play, let’s say IR, whatever those things are – the absolute most important opinion is that of the most important person in this entire equation: Tua. His opinions on what he wants to do with his life and career, combined with the experts in the field of neuroscience – these are the driving forces behind these actions. …I’m not hiding anything. I’m being as transparent as I absolutely could be. I have no idea what a timeline is, and I’m actually extremely motivated to be in the gray because I’m extremely motivated to do what’s right for, you know, the person we’re talking about. I know this isn’t necessarily the ideal way to do business. But this is more than just doing business.”

McDaniel added, “Literally all I say to Tua is, ‘Everyone is counting on you to be a dad this weekend,’ and then we move on.”

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If Tagovailoa ultimately decides he wants to keep playing and the doctors allow it, the Dolphins will have to do everything possible to protect him, which means taking him at an extremely slow pace to protect him from setbacks, and perhaps taking him must wear a Guardian Cap. in games about his already specialized helmet. But that’s just the beginning.

They are heavily invested in him at this point. His contract has $167 million guaranteed against injuries, including $43 million paid this year. Even if the team were to force him to retire for medical reasons, it would owe Tagovailoa the remaining $124 million in guaranteed money on his contract. If he chooses to retire on his own, he will forfeit that money unless he and the team reach a settlement for the injury. So the only move is to exercise patience and support.

McDaniel explained, “I consider Tua a family member of mine,” and his sentiments are shared by those within the Dolphins organization. So for now, the necessary steps are to ensure that the man’s welfare takes priority over all matters of football. Then those decisions will eventually come.

If only there was a way to guarantee that the Dolphins quarterback never has to endure another similar episode in the future.

(Top photo of Mike McDaniel kissing Tua Tagovailoa as he leaves the field: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)