Tua Tagovailoa urged by Dolphins coach to be ‘quarterback of his family’ after latest concussion

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa will doubtless be sidelined for the staff’s subsequent sport and maybe longer, his coach stated Friday, because the Dolphins QB was advised to focus on being the “beginning quarterback of his household.”

Tagovailoa was injured in a tough collision with Payments security Damar Hamlin within the third quarter of Thursday evening’s 31-10 loss to the visiting Buffalo Payments. 

The Dolphins’ subsequent sport is per week from Sunday as they journey northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks. The choice to play can be within the arms of Tagovailoa and his physician, Miami coach Mike McDaniel stated.

“I do not see how he would play within the subsequent sport. I do not see it,” McDaniel advised reporters.

And additional signaling that the Dolphins are ready to go longer with out Tagovailoa, McDaniel stated the staff is available in the market to choose up one other quarterback to again up Miami’s now-presumptive starter Skylar Thompson and apply squad QB Tim Boyle.

“The staff and the group are very assured in Skyler,” McDaniel stated. “That being stated, we are going to herald (one other quarterback).”

Tagovailoa, scrambling to transform on fourth down, handed the road to achieve the primary down earlier than reducing his helmet and going exhausting into Hamlin’s torso. The QB hit the bottom and appeared unable to stand up as gamers on each groups instantly referred to as for medical consideration.

As Tagovailoa left the sphere, McDaniel appeared to whisper him a message.

“I advised him he is the beginning quarterback of his household, to go to the locker room, take a deep breath and I am going to see you quickly,” McDaniel stated Friday.

The tackler, Hamlin, almost died about 20 months in the past when he went into cardiac arrest throughout a “Monday Night time Soccer” sport and needed to be resuscitated on the sphere in Cincinnati. 

Hamlin didn’t quit his profession regardless of that near-death incident, and McDaniel stated he was in no place to advise Tagovailoa on his subsequent transfer.

“I feel it might be so, so incorrect of me to to even sniff that topic,” stated McDaniel, fearing he’d add undue stress to Tagovailoa for making such an opinion recognized.

“If I might reply that query, I might be like, ‘All proper, that is my ideas on his profession’ and he learn it, if he agreed with it or he disagreed with it, both means, I’ve simply made it worse.”

The scary second on “Thursday Night time Soccer” drew the eye of Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce. And in mild of earlier head accidents suffered by Tagovailoa, the previous New York Giants linebacker supplied some unsolicited recommendation to the Miami QB.

“I’ll be sincere, I’d inform him to retire. It is not price it,” Pierce advised reporters on Friday. “It’s not price it. Performed the sport, I haven’t witnessed something like I’ve seen that’s occurred to him thrice. Scary. You’ll be able to see immediately (on Thursday evening), the gamers’ faces on the sphere. You’ll be able to see the sense of urgency from all people to get Tua assist.”

Pierce shared McDaniel’s family-first message to the 26-year-old Tagovailoa.

“I simply assume that sooner or later, he’s going to stay longer than he’s going to play soccer,” the Las Vegas coach stated. “Handle your loved ones.”

Tagovailoa missed a number of video games of the 2022 season, struggling two scary concussions that yr.

He loved a banner 2023 season, throwing for a league-high 4,623 yards. The Dolphins rewarded Tagovailoa in July with a four-year, $212.4 million contract, with $167 million assured.

Jesse Kirsch reported from Miami Gardens, Florida, and David Ok. Li from New York Metropolis.