How Doug Pederson Plans to Handle Devastating Injuries

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion on Thursday Night Football. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson explains how he plans to handle such situations.

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks on from the sideline against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars faced the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, falling short of beating them on the road. The Dolphins would have a short turnaround as they would have another game just a few days later on Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills.

Late in the game, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion that will likely see him miss multiple weeks if not more. 

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson explained his thought process and how he would handle the situation, as every team in the National Football League handles things differently.

Pederson says that while he did not have much information on the play Tagovailoa got hurt on, he believes it is essential to do what is best for the player first, as player safety is one of the most critical issues in the league today.

Coach Pederson’s player-first approach to handling head injuries is a stance more coaches are taking as concussions have become more common around the league and player safety has become more of a priority. 

“Obviously, I don't know the whole situation,” Coach Pederson said. “Obviously, it’s what you see on TV and what happened, but I think if it happened to, say it's one of our guys, I think you have to be very careful and do the right thing for the player. I think that's the most important thing. It's part of the game that, obviously, we're trying to remove. I just don't know if you can fully remove it because of the nature of these hits, but I think you just have to continue to think about the player and the health and safety of the player, and making sure that they're 100, 1000 percent healthy. 

“Those are just decisions that I think personally, as a player, you have to consider, I think as you think about your career, and you think about wanting to play. That's the thing about it is: everybody wants to play, and they love this game so much, and they give so much to it that when things like this happen, reality kind of hits a little bit. It just shows the human nature, or the human side of our sport.”

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