Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa thanks Bills fans for donating $16,000 to his foundation

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa thanked Buffalo Bills fans for donating more than $16,000 to his foundation following his Week 2 concussion.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills Mafia has a history of donating funds to charitable causes as a result of pivotal or tragic moments, and the fanbase puts its compassion on display yet again in Week 2 after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in a 31-10 loss to Buffalo. The concussion was the third diagnosed head injury of Tagovailoa’s young career, prompting national concerns about his well-being and playing future.

Bills fans, as they are wont to do, showed support to the division rival quarterback by donating money to his charity, raising $16,000 for the Tua Foundation in the hours following Tagovailoa’s injury. The non-profit, which was founded by the signal-caller in 2021, is “dedicated to the support of youth initiatives, health and wellness, and other charitable causes.”

Tagovailoa, despite constant questioning from the media, ultimately decided to resume his football career and cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol ahead of Miami’s Week 8 bout with the Arizona Cardinals. The quarterback spoke to reporters after Miami’s loss on Sunday, thanking the Buffalo faithful for their mid-September generosity during his postgame media availability.

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“I do want to say a big thank you to those fans, and then I was told that a good amount of them were Bills fans, as well,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s kind of like a love-hate thing; hard to hate them, also hard to love them sort of deal. I really appreciate it from the Bills fans and then also to just fans in general, thank you.”

This is the second time that Bills fans have spearheaded a fundraising campaign for the Tua Foundation, also donating a significant sum of money to the organization following Tagovailoa’s 2022 concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Bills fans first started donating to charitable organizations in 2017 after Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton led a come-from-behind Cincy victory over the Baltimore Ravens, their win allowing Buffalo to qualify for the playoffs and, thus, break its 17-year postseason drought. The ‘Mafia’ thanked Dalton by donating to his foundation, ultimately raising over $400,000 for the organization; the Buffalo faithful has since donated to foundations and efforts backed by the likes of Lamar Jackson, Keon Coleman, and Josh Allen, amongst several other players.

The fanbase has donated, in total, over a million dollars to various efforts over the years, with the recent acknowledgment from Tagovailoa showcasing that football is about much more than the game that takes place on the gridiron. The Miami quarterback will have an opportunity to thank Bills fans in person this week, as Buffalo is scheduled to host the Dolphins next Sunday in a Week 9 clash.

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