MIAMI (WSVN) – Doctors are wondering what’s next for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he suffered his third diagnosed concussion following a tough tackle during Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
It was a scary moment after Tagovailoa struggled to get up after he went head first into a Bills player’s chest.
Tagovailoa teammates keeled as he got checked out by medical staff.
Eventually, he got up and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel was seen checking him out and gave him a moment of encouragement as he walked off the field.
When Tagovailoa was on the ground, he did something with his arm known as a fencing response, which doctors said is concerning.
7News on Friday spoke with Dr. Jesse Morse.
“We see concussions pretty often unfortunately in the NFL, but this is pretty rare when you see someone actually doing something,” Morse said. “It speaks to the severity of his concussion but also he seems pretty predisposed to having these.”
Morse is a sports medicine doctor in Miami with a focus in concussions.
“It is called a traumatic brain injury for good reason and unfortunately, we will probably see some of this translate to CTE or maybe dementia like symptoms,” he said.
Dr. Morse said it is something to consider because of all the trauma to the brain Tagovailoa has already endured following the three concussions he has suffered in his professional career.
A Boston University study found that 92% out of the 376 former NFL players that they studied had CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.
CTE is caused by multiple brain injuries like concussions, which can lead to memory loss and in severe cases, can cause changes to someone’s personality, including violent outbursts.
“We’re talking about the brain,” Morse said. “You can replace a knee, but you can’t replace the brain. You can have increased risks of suicidality, dementia or forgetting things, what we call liability, where your emotions go up and down really easily.”
With all this research, there’s been several changes to the NFL protocols and progress with helmets, but its impossible to guarantee safety.
Dr. Morse said given Tagovailoa’s history, his team is likely taking a tough look at his future.
“It may be time to spend time with your family, spend time with your kids and do something not as traumatic,” he said. “I know you love the game but unfortunately, is it worth your brain and your life?”
Coach McDaniel spoke to reporters Friday morning.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate, simply because of my care and regard, and I don’t think that those types of conversations, when you’re talking about someone’s career, I think, probably, it’s only fair that their career should be decided by them,” he said.
As Tagovailoa continues to recovery, the Miami Dolphins are considering making Skylar Thompson the starting quarterback.
The player who Tagovailoa ran into was Damar Hamlin, who was the young Bills player who went into cardiac arrest on the field in January 2023.
Hamlin tweeted that Tagovailoa makes a speedy recovery.
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