Tua Talks: Strong Words from Dolphins Quarterback

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa discusses return from injured reserve

QB Tua Tagovailoa conducts a press conference Monday / Alain Poupart - Miami Dolphins On SI

Tua Tagovailoa is back, looking straight ahead and not thinking twice about anything that's happened in the past.

That was the clear conclusion from his press conference Monday, the first time he spoke with reporters since he sustained his third official concussion the night of September 12 when the Miami Dolphins faced the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium.

Tagovailoa will return to practice Wednesday and, barring any setbacks, will be back at quarterback for the Dolphins when they face the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

Tagovailoa will have to clear the NFL's concussion protocol, which can only happen after practicing and having no symptoms after the fact, but that seems almost like a formality since the quarterback said he has been symptom-free since the day after he collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin at the end of a fourth-down scramble.

The decision to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve was made after consultation with medical experts, and those medical experts — several around the country were consulted — have told the quarterback he's at no greater risk of further concussions.

Tagovailoa normally conducts his weekly media sessions on Wednesdays — like most quarterbacks around the NFL — but this clearly isn't a normal week.

The biggest message seemed pretty simple: Tua is ready to play, he wants to play, he appreciate the concern for his well-being, but the latest concussion is a thing of the past (understanding he still has to clear the NFL protocol).

"This is what I love to do," Tagovailoa said. "This is what makes me happy and I'm gonna do it. That's it."

TUA TALKS

During the 13-minute press conference, Tagovailoa touched on various topics, some even outside of the concussion, and indicated he's at no greatest risk in the future than he was previously.

On when he became symptom-free: “I would say for myself, I've been symptom-free from the next day after the game on.”

On paying attention to the outside world, including talk that maybe he should retire: “I wasn't paying attention to any of it. None of it.”

On wearing a Guardian cap: “Nope.  Personal choice.”

On whether his playing style will change: “It's got to be smart. That's it. It's got to be smart. My entire time playing football, I've been a competitor and that is or was sort of my edge when I would run from high school. Even in college, I would do the same thing. But it's a professional setting. This is the professional level, the best of the best. You know, you just can't be doing that. So definitely got to stay more available for the team, for the organization, for our guys.”

On what his family said about coming back and how deep was that discussion: “Nobody, no one's advice had affected anything that I thought in terms of returning. So no one had an effect on it. Had some conversations with my wife, but that was it.”

On how frustrated he is to have to go through this again and have to answer all these questions: “Hey, I'm frustrated, but this is what it is. Do I want to be known for this? No I don't, but that's the cards I've been dealt with given the history of it. So it is what it is.”

On watching the team struggle and Mike McDaniel’s comments he shouldn’t be viewed as a savior: “Well, I don't think for myself I put any pressure on myself coming back and having to save the team. I think what we got to do is we got to look at this past game. All 11 guys on the field, were we given an opportunity with the plays that were called to score on every drive? And if we can say yes, then we can look at ourselves and see what we can do to get better moving forward. It's been frustrating, frustrating for sure, but I've tried to stay in it with meetings with the guys, trying to continue to be the leader for guys in multiple position rooms in terms of what we're looking at, how you can make the quarterback's job a little easier by doing this, by doing that, and then also some nuances within the offense as well, trying to help everyone.”

On how he felt about the decision to put him on injured reserve: “What I do know is I think the team did what was best in the interest of me, knowing that I'm a competitor. And, you know, given what the doctors have told me, that having a substantial amount of time to rest and recover would have been good for me, I think they did what was best in terms of protecting myself from myself.”

On what he would say to those who are worried that you might get hurt again: “I appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game and I love it to the death of me. That's it.”

On whether he looked at the big picture in terms of where the Dolphins are in the standings: “I ain't thinking any of the records. What if this, what if that. Focus on this week. Focus on getting a win and hoping to build off of that.”

On whether there ever would be a time where he would voluntarily sit out longer or he’ll always defer to what the doctors advise in terms of timetables: “Man, I just think it's based off of whatever that individual feels. If you feel like you can go, you can go. I just think this is only becoming a thing just because of what ended up happening two years ago for myself within the sport. I hate that it's happened, but we don't look at boxers the same way, we don't look at hockey players the same way, but I just think because of what happened and the magnitude that had, that it's becoming more of an issue here in the league.”

On how much risk he feels he’s taking: “How much risk do we take when we get up in the morning to go drive to work, get into a car crash maybe, I don't know. Everything I think takes risk. So to answer that question, every time we all suit up we're all taking a risk that we could potentially get hurt, whether it's a concussion, a broken bone, anything. You get up off of the bed the wrong way, you potentially could risk you spraining your ankle. There's just risk in any and everything. And I'm willing to play the odds.”