MIAMI GARDENS – The Miami Dolphins officially exercised quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s fifth-12 months solution on his rookie deal on Monday.
The 24-calendar year-aged is now contracted with the team by the 2024 time. He will be confirmed $23.2 million for the 2024 season, in accordance to the NFL.
Tagovailoa was the NFL’s best-rated passer past period with a 105.5 score, getting to be the youngest participant to guide the league in passer ranking due to the fact previous Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino did so in 1984.
Nevertheless, regardless of demonstrating flashes of the assure the Dolphins observed in him coming out of Alabama, Tagovailoa had a tumultuous time last yr, specifically down to his battles with head injuries.
Tagovailoa suffered 3 concussions through the year, raising scrutiny about the NFL’s concussion protocols.
His wellness scares commenced September 25 in a match in opposition to the Buffalo Expenditures, when Tagovailoa stumbled backward and fell all through a engage in, hitting his head on the turf. Although he initially stood up on his have, Tagovailoa then staggered and experienced to be served by two teammates.
Tagovailoa was taken out of the game, evaluated by medical practitioners and authorized to return after halftime. Later on, the two the NFL and the NFL Players Affiliation concluded that concussion protocols had been properly adopted.
But 4 times later on, in a video game towards the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa was injured again in a scary hunting incident, carted off the subject, and taken through ambulance to a nearby medical center. This time, he was identified with a concussion. Days later on, the NFLPA fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma expert associated in the conclusion to let Tagovailoa return to the video game against the Charges.
On Xmas against the Green Bay Packers, it took place all over again. This time, Tagovailoa was not evaluated all through the game — the analysis arrived the next day after he showed concussion-like indicators. The Dolphins shut Tagovailoa down for the rest of the season, meaning he missed the Dolphins’ playoff recreation from the Expenditures. Two concussions occurring close collectively can have forever disabling consequences, according to the American Affiliation of Neurological Surgeons.
Gamers sustained 149 concussions in video games this period — an 18% improve more than 2021, the NFL mentioned very last week. That whole also is 14% increased than the three-calendar year common (130) between 2018 and 2020.
The league’s main medical officer attributed the increase in component to a protocol change that he said “broadened and strengthened” the definition of a concussion pursuing Tagovailoa’s accidents earlier in the time.
Tagovailoa was the fifth in general select in the 2020 NFL draft out of Alabama. He has played in 36 career online games with 34 starts, completing 708-of-1,078 vocation passes for 8,015 yards and 52 touchdowns.
In 2022, Tagovailoa was voted a workforce captain and received the Don Shula Leadership Award, selected by his teammates.
