Tua Tagovailoa injury: Former NFL team doctor reacts to Dolphins QB's concussion

On Thursday, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion early in the second half against the Buffalo Bills. Before Tagovailoa’s injury was officially ruled a concussion, former NFL head team doctor David J. Chao weighed in on Tagovailoa’s condition.

“We all know Tua has an injury history, concussion history,” Chao said. “Each concussion leads to potentially easier concussions. There’s no way he returns to this game the way that he got hit; the way he postured with his hand and fingers on the right side.”

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When Tagovailoa went down on Thursday evening, his right hand curled into a fist and extended into the air. Although it was not as severe, the involuntary action was eerily familiar to Tagovailoa’s reaction when he suffered a concussion in September 2022.

The concussion was Tagovailoa’s first of two that season. The former Alabama standout has now had three known concussions during his NFL career. It was a slow night for Tagovailoa before he suffered the injury. He finished the game with 145 passing yards and a touchdown while throwing three interceptions.

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Tagovailoa has only thrown three interceptions in a single game two other times in his NFL career. The Dolphins ultimately failed to score on their offensive drive after Tagovailoa left the game with quarterback Skylar Thompson behind center.

Safety comes first for Tua Tagovailoa

Chao emphasized the importance of the Dolphins being careful with Tagovailoa.

“He’s going to be ruled out of this game, and rightfully so. Let’s hope he’s OK,” Chao said. “This will be at least his third documented concussion, and this is part of the risk of the collision sport of football. And hats off to Tua for trying to do it for his team.

“But this is where the slide rule was invented. Clearly going to be a concussion. Unfortunately, let’s see how much time out this is, and let’s hope for the best for Tua. Prayers up for him, but clearly a concussion, and that was the hand and the posturing. There’s no way he can return to this game and we’ll see how much time he misses.”

As Chao predicted, Tagovailoa did not return to the game. However, the Dolphins reported the former All-Pro QB was conscious and had full movement of his body, which is an excellent sign. Now, Dolphins fans can only anxiously await Tagovailoa’s recovery and eventual return to the gridiron.