The Current State Of Tua Following His Concussion

Miami, FL – In what looked to be a playoff-bound season for the Miami Dolphins, their postseason chances have taken a drastic turn as starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion this past week. Now, the current state of Tua and his concussion is one of the biggest talking points about the team as they prepare to head to the Pacific Northwest.

Tua did not have a solid performance before the play in question, with 17 completions for 145 yards and three interceptions. However, on a 4th and 4 in the red zone, Tua elected to keep the ball and rush for the line to gain as Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills was ready to tackle him for the stop.

Instead of electing to slide, which would have likely been enough for the first down marker anyway, Tua dove headfirst into Hamlin’s chest, then immediately to the ground starting with his helmet slamming into the grass. He couldn’t get up for a few minutes before walking to the sidelines and the tunnel back to the locker room.

Miami went on to lose the Thursday Night contest to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 31-10, but the big concern is the status of Tua and how soon he can get back on the field if he ever decides to do so.

This Ain’t The End Of Uce

Head coach Mike McDaniel spoke about Tua’s condition after the game, summing up that Tua needs to decide what’s best for him as a person rather than as a player. He has a wife and kids and has dealt with three different concussions in three years of playing football in the NFL.

Football is an unpredictable sport. Last offseason, Tua prepared to deal with hits and tackles by practicing judo – more specifically, the art of falling to avoid landing on certain parts of the body, including his throwing arm, ribs, and most importantly, head. It paid off, as in the 2023 season, Tua started in every single game, including their postseason loss against Kansas City in the Wild Card.

Another look at the hit that Tua took that has ruled him out for the rest of tonight's game.

He was able to get up on his own, but we'll see how long this sidelines him for. #GoFins | #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/Kq9xNEAZio

— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) September 13, 2024

There will be a lot of talk about why Tua didn’t elect to slide at the end of that play instead of diving into Hamlin of the Bills. As mentioned earlier, from the angle of the play, a slide would have still garnered enough yards for a first down. But more importantly, it would have avoided all of this. Tua’s been taught time and time again by coaches, trainers, and maybe even himself that avoiding direct contact is the best option for him unless necessary.

On social media, there was a lot of speculation and suggestions from doctors, fans, and even former NFL players that Tua should heavily consider retirement. With the list of injuries he’s already had to deal with, not to mention his locked-up financial status, it would prioritize his health over the game he loves. For his family, it might seem like a no-brainer to many.

Painting A Timeline For Return

However, Tua is a competitor. He was when he led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a national championship, and he is with Miami as he’s broken numerous NFL and franchise passing records, with the ultimate goal of leading this squad to a Super Bowl – their first since the 1980s.

It was reported a few days ago that Tua has spoken with concussion specialists about when he can return to the gridiron, and the answer seems to be whenever his doctors deem him ready to do so.

On the field, I think we won't see Tua for a while, maybe until their game against Arizona in late October – worst case.

Off the field, Tua needs to do what's right for his health and take all the time needed to make the right decision for him and his family.#GoFins | #FinsUp https://t.co/LzJfCd4YZq

— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) September 15, 2024

This is…a pretty vague answer as far as a timeline, but it does seem likely that it won’t be for the rest of the month and maybe most of October, considering the time he’s missed due to concussions in the past. This includes when he was concussed during their Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers in 2022, in which he missed the rest of the season including their Wild Card loss against Buffalo.

I think a solid return date for Tua could be in their matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on October 27th. It’s over a month away, but factoring in the time he’s needed in the past to recover, along with three out of the next four games for Miami being on the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if that could be chosen as a return date.

Get The Obvious Out Of The Way

Tua is NOT going to play in Sunday’s contest against the Seattle Seahawks. It’s too early for that, but the latest work from the team is that he’s progressing better than expected.

However, if Tua wants to play football again, he must pass the 5-Step Concussion Protocol. It’s a system from the NFL that’s designed to ensure that players who have suffered these injuries don’t have lingering effects when declared fit to play in another game.

1. Rest And Recovery. It is pretty straightforward, Tua needs to rest both physically and mentally.
2. Light Aerobic Activities. Stationary bikes, treadmills, and stretching are permitted here. (I believe Tua is either at or near this step.)
3. Strength Training. Exercising and “Supervised Strength Training” can now be done in this step.
4. Football Activities. Tua can be allowed to participate in non-contact practices at this level.
5. Full Football Activity. Tua can put on a full uniform and can perform in contact practices.

Miami is also uncertain if they need to place Tua on Injured Reserve. If they did, that would mean four games automatically, so they could be eying a return from Tua even earlier than that if everything goes according to plan.

The Backup Takes The Stage

Coach McDaniel has made it clear that Skylar Thompson will be Miami’s starting quarterback until Tua is ready to go, as he did in the press conference the following day after the loss to Buffalo. Thompson has seen a few starts here and there, including their Wild Card game against Buffalo in 2022, but his overall stats (8 games, 68-119, 1 TD, 3 INT) leave much to be desired.

Therefore, their decision to sign another backup on Monday raises a question mark. Tyler Huntley has signed a deal with the Dolphins after spending the season on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.

Huntley was an undrafted pickup by Baltimore in 2020 and has served as Lamar Jackson’s backup. In four games of service in 2022, he put solid stats and a 2-2 record, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.

Huntley may not have been my first choice, but he does bring a solid resume, especially in Baltimore, that earned him Pro Bowl honors.

I'm interested in how long it'll take to get him on the field due to both Skylar's performence and their extensive playbook.#GoFins https://t.co/VK5wdF6wik

— Jake Gibson (@JakeTheEmcee) September 16, 2024

Some fans might believe this means that Huntley will start immediately, but that seems unlikely. Considering the gauntlet of a playbook he’ll have to memorize, not to mention the preparation the team has undergone before this signing for the Seattle game, he might be deemed a starter once more.

Still, he’s a solid pickup with experience being in this position. The battle between him and Skylar for the starting role might be fierce, but for the sake of the season for Miami, the hope is that Tua is cleared for a return sooner rather than later.

UPDATE (9/17/2024) – Since the the publication of this article, the Miami Dolphins have placed Tua Tagovailoa on Injured Reserve. He’ll miss at least the next four games, with his potential return being against the Arizona Cardinals on October 27th.