Dolphins' Mike McDaniel Not Concerned With Timelines After Tua Tagovailoa Injury

Tagovailoa suffered the third diagnosed concussion of his career during Thursday's loss to the Bills.

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel speaks with Tua Tagovailoa during a timeout in a December 2023 game. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Thursday night suffered the third diagnosed concussion of his career during a scramble up the middle in the third quarter of a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In a scary scene eerily reminiscent of his concussion from a 2022 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa displayed the "fencing response", which is an unnatural position of the arms following a concussion.

Tagovailoa was able to walk off the field, and as he approached the sideline, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel kissed the veteran QB on the head.

There was no immediate timeline for Tagovailoa's return and he was swiftly ruled out for the remainder of the game.

After the contest, McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa was in "good spirits" after the game, but that a timeline for his return to the field is not his concern at the moment.

"Right now ... it is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time," McDaniel said. "The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline.

"We just need to evaluate and just worry about my teammate. ... We'll get more information tomorrow and then take it day by day from there."

When asked if the team will handle this injury situation differently than they did in 2022, McDaniel reiterated that Tagovailoa's well-being as a person is his primary concern.

"I think it's important to approach each and every situation ... every injury with [the mindset of], 'We're going to handle this particular situation with this particular player,' "McDaniel said.

"Every situation is unique. I am not worried about anything that's out of my hands in terms of, I'm just worried about the human being, and he'll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information."

"But it's day-by-day health ... particularly with concussions."

Tagovailoa has now had four diagnosed concussions in the past five years, including two during the '22 season that led the Dolphins to shut the QB down for the season—and the veteran QB to ponder an early retirement.

The league and NFL Player's Association also opened an investigation into how the Tagovailoa injury situation was handled, ultimately firing the club's neurological consultant who cleared the QB to return, and modifying the concussion policy to allow for spotters to recommend a player exhibiting concussion symptoms be removed from the game.

Dolphins backup QB Skylar Thompson finished Thursday's game in place of Tagovailoa and would likely be in line to start for the club in Week 3, should Tagovailoa be unable to play.

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