What we know about Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's injury — and what's next

MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career in Thursday night's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Tagovailoa was ejected from the game in the third quarter after a play in which he scrambled up the middle for a first down and dropped his shoulder to initiate contact with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. After Tagovailoa's helmet made hard contact with Hamlin's body, the quarterback immediately went into a fencing reaction, a term used to describe a person's arms moving into an unnatural position.

Dolphins medical trainers attended to him for several minutes as players knelt around him. He eventually managed to walk off the field and into the team's locker room under his own power.

The Dolphins have 10 days until their next game against the Seattle Seahawks but can rule out Tagovailo regardless of how he progresses through the league's concussion protocol. A stint on injured reserve could be another possibility given his injury history.

“Right now, [it] More about making a proper systematic assessment and taking it one day at a time,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “The furthest thing from my mind is what the timeline is. We just have to evaluate and just think about my teammate. … we will get more information [Friday] And then take it day by day from there.”

Here are four key questions after Tagovailoa's recent concussion.

What is Tagovailoa's injury history?

Tagovailoa was a candidate to be selected as the top quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft in his final season at Alabama but suffered a hip dislocation and fracture of the posterior wall of his hip socket midway through the season. That year he suffered a broken nose and contusion.

Tagovailoa recovered in time to play for the Dolphins but missed five games over his first two seasons due to various minor injuries. In 2022, he suffered two concussions and a third hit to the head that ultimately changed the NFL's concussion protocol.

He didn't miss a game through the 2023 season, though, and earned a four-year, $212.1 million contract extension in July.

What options did Tagovailo consider after his 2022 season?

Tagovailoa admitted to briefly retiring after a conversation with his family. During an interview with “The Dan Le Batard Show” last month, he clarified that it was primarily his mother who asked him to reconsider his playing career.

In the end, he decided against it and spent the 2023 offseason training in a jiujitsu breakfast program to avoid hitting his head on the ground.

The training seemed to help as he played all of Miami's games last season, including the playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This offseason, Tagovailoa told CBS Sports he lost 14 pounds in an effort to become more mobile.

the game

Mike McDaniel: Tua in 'good spirits' after injury

Mike McDaniel said Tua Tagovailo was talking to teammates in the locker room and is in good spirits after the injury.

If Tagovailoa wants to return to the field, what hurdles will he have to clear in the concussion protocol?

McDaniel said Tagovailo will undergo a thorough examination and evaluation before deciding how to proceed. The NFL's return-to-participation protocol is a five-step process that ends with a team physician agreeing with an independent neurological consultant that a player can safely play again.

The first step in the protocol is rest and recovery “until his signs and symptoms and neurologic examination” return to “baseline status.” The next step is light aerobic exercise, followed by the introduction of continuous aerobic exercise and strength training.

A player may return to football activities in the fourth phase of the protocol, all of which are non-contact. The final step is full clearance, once the physician and neurologist agree the player is ready.

What are the Dolphins' options at quarterback? Will they sign another player?

If Tagovailoa is unable to play in next week's game against the Seahawks, third-year quarterback Skyler Thompson is in line to start. Thompson started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a road playoff loss at Buffalo.

The only other quarterback on the Dolphins roster is Tim Boyle, who was signed to their practice squad. If Miami decides to bring in another quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, the team's first-round pick in 2012, has a free agent option available.

McDaniel did not commit to the possibility of playing without Tagovailo but expressed “great confidence” in Thompson. It's unlikely Miami will immediately bring in another quarterback to start over Thompson, but it could add depth if Tagovailo is forced to miss time.