Tua Tagovailoa injury: Mike McDaniel shares update after Dolphins QB suffers concussion vs. Bills

Following Thursday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel had an update on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He left in the third quarter after running into the shoulder of Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin and was quickly diagnosed with a concussion.

Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down with 4:35 to play in the third quarter and immediately headed to the locker room. According to Prime Video’s Kaylee Hartung, the concussion diagnosis came just six minutes after he left the field. He suffered three that season, but played in every game in 2023.

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Speaking with reporters in his postgame press conference, McDaniel addressed Tagovailoa’s situation. He said the former Alabama star was in “good spirits” when they spoke, but he’s not thinking about a timeline or injured reserve just yet.

“Right now, it’s more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time,” McDaniel said. “The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are. We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from there.”

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McDaniel shared a moment with Tagovailoa on the field before he headed back to the locker room. When the play took place, Tagovailoa appeared to go into the “fencing position” – a sign of a brain injury – and McDaniel walked through his thoughts in the moment.

“My thought was concern,” McDaniel said. “I was just worried about my guy. Not something that you ever want to be a part of. You hope not to.”

Prior to his injury, Tagovailoa was 17 of 25 passing for 145 yards and a touchdown, but also threw three interceptions – including a pick-six. It was just his second game after signing a lucrative extension with the Dolphins worth $212 million over four years.

However, his night was cut short after the big hit. As the game was wrapping up, Hartung had another update and confirmed Tagovailoa was conscious and had full movement of his extremities.

“Guys, Tua is still in the Dolphins’ locker room. We’re told family is inside with him,” Hartung said. “We’ve seen his wife and two children, as well as his brother. We’re told he is conscious, awake and alert – just as he was when you saw him walking off this field on his own power. We’re also told he has full movement in his extremities.”

Tagovailoa dealt with multiple concussion issues during the 2022 season, including one suffered against the Bengals on Thursday Night Football. However, he rebounded last year and showcased his durability, appearing in every game while throwing for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns to make his first career Pro Bowl.

After he left Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa received support from around the NFL. That includes from Patrick Mahomes, who posted three praying emojis on social media after the injury occurred.

Skylar Thompson came in at quarterback as the Dolphins’ struggles continued. They eventually fell to the bills 31-10 to drop to 1-1 on the season. De’Von Achane had the biggest game for Miami, taking 22 carries for 96 yards in the effort. He also had seven receptions for 69 yards and the Dolphins’ lone touchdown.

Miami will have a longer week because they played on Thursday Night Football. The Dolphins will hit the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22.