Dolphins’ McDaniel Explains Why He Felt Comfortable Playing Tua Tagovailoa
The Dolphins handling of Tua Tagovailoa continues to be at the forefront of the industry, as the quarterback suffered a neck and head injuries just four days after it seemed like he suffered a head injury on Sunday.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel maintains that, despite what it looked like vs. Buffalo, Tagovailoa wasn’t concussed on Sunday, which is why he was comfortable playing him on Thursday.
“There was no medical indication from all resources,” he said, via ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. “If there would have been anything lingering with his head, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out there in harm's way.”
When asked whether there was any doubt towards the process that ultimately cleared Tagovailoa, McDaniel defended the organization’s actions prior to playing the quarterback.
“I have 100% conviction in our process regarding our players,” he said, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “This is a player-friendly organization and I make it very clear from the onset that my job here is for the players. I take that very seriously. No one in the building strays from that.”
The NFLPA is investigating the process that led to Tagovailoa returning to Sunday’s game, and that began before the Dolphins played the Bengals Thursday night. After the game, NFLPA president DeMaurice Smith mentioned that the union “will pursue every legal option” when it comes to Tagovailoa’s injury.
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