Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions this season, which sparked discussions about the future of his football career.
The team’s general manager, Chris Grier, said Tagovailoa’s concussion risk is not greater than any other player in the NFL.
Grier said the notion that players who were previously diagnosed with a concussion are susceptible to suffering more is unfounded.
“From what our doctors and the consultants we’ve talked to through the NFLPA, that is not a true statement,” Grier said.
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Tua Tagovailoa
(Megan Briggs / Getty Images / File)
Grier added that the Dolphins will continue to rely on medical experts when it comes to Tagovailoa’s health.
“So for us, I don’t think he’s any more prone than anyone else. For us, we’re just letting the doctors, the medical staff and the people in that field that know more. From everything we’ve been told, that is not a concern.”
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Grier’s words suggests that the organization believes Tagovailoa can move forward in his career. Earlier this week, Grier ended speculation on the team’s plans for the quarterback position for the 2023 season.
“I would say with Tua, he’s our starting quarterback,” Grier said. “I don’t know how we could say it any more clearly.”
As far as Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option and possible extension is concerned, Grier previously said “everything is on the table” for the organization. Miami has to make a decision on the option by March 1.
Head injuries kept Tagovailoa out of five total games this season, including Miami’s 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws a pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oct. 23, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
(AP Photo / Wilfredo Lee)
Tagovailoa’s first documented concussion of the season happened in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals during a Thursday night game. His head hit the ground hard while he was tackled by a defender, and the impact caused his hands to seize.
Four days earlier, in a Week 3 game against the Bills, Tagovailoa appeared to show signs of a head injury late in the first half. He was taken out of the game after he was unsteady when he tried to stand up following a tackle.
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Tagovailoa was not diagnosed with a concussion, but the NFL and NFLPA later determined that the league’s concussion protocol needed to be amended.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa looks to pass against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on Dec. 4, 2022.
(AP Photo / Jed Jacobsohn)
Tagovailoa sat out of the next two games against the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings and was replaced by Skylar Thompson and veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
He returned in Week 7 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped lift the Dolphins to an 8-3 start to the season.
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Tagovailoa set career highs in 2022 with 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions.
