Tua Tagovailoa Injury Has Rams Coach Sean McVay Speaking Out: 'Draw the Line!'

Even as he gears up for a pivotal division bout on Monday night with the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay is putting things into perspective after the injury to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The Los Angeles Rams will visit the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night to cap off another exciting week of football. 

But it was the unfortunate events at the beginning of Week 4 on Thursday Night Football that dominated headlines over the weekend. 

The Miami Dolphins were visiting the Cincinnati Bengals in a battle of two AFC teams with tons of offensive firepower. But Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who had controversially reentered Miami's Week 3 win against the Buffalo Bills after being evaluated for a concussion, suffered one of the more disturbing injures in the history of the sport in the second quarter against Cincinnati. 

After being flung to the ground violently, Tagovailoa's head hit the turf with force. His hands became locked in an awkward position as he lay motionless before being carted off soon after. 

Many of the league's most prominent names from past and present spoke up about the incident in regards to Tagovailoa's availability for Thursday's game in the first place just three days after he was seen stumbling on the field against Buffalo. 

Rams coach Sean McVay wants the priorities between coaches and players around the league to be set straight, as valuing a person's health and safety severely outweighs winning and losing in his book. 

“I think the biggest thing is that it’s about the person before the player,” McVay said. “And some of these things, when you realize this game is so important to so many of us, and when you’re in the midst and in the moment of it, you think that this is just going to be forever, but you realize this is a small blip in time. 

"Injuries are a part of the game. ... But the severity of head and neck injuries is different in that in change the outlook of a player's life in an instant and affect those around them as a result.

McVay continued, "There’s so many things to life with family, with friends, with the people that love and support you and care about you unconditionally, and I think it’s our job as coaches and really in general to look out for the person one, the player next. And these are things that (I) certainly don’t take lightly."

McVay might be one of the league's most passionate coaches. The love for the game is real. He also understands that this love flows through the players as well, often clouding judgement at a time when sitting out a game or two is in the best interest of the player. 

“These guys are such competitors and there’s an element of, ‘I don’t want to let people down,'" McVay said. "And you got to be able to help them realize you’re not letting anybody down. This is a small blip, we’re going to be smart with this."

The Rams and McVay will obviously do most everything to repeat as Super Bowl champions this season, a journey that continues against the Niners on Monday night. But McVay admits that "drawing the line" becomes of ultra importance in a sport where a focus on player safety becomes even more critical after Tagovailoa's injury. 

This game has brought so many blessings, but you have to be able to draw the line in terms of, ‘Alright, what’s really the most important thing in the big picture?’ And certainly safety always is that at a premium for us," McVay said.

---

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Rams? Click Here

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Ram Digest message board community today!

Follow Ram Digest on Twitter and Facebook.