Damar Hamlin Breaks Silence on Hitting Tua Tagovailoa

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin delivered a hit late in the third quarter of Thursday night's 31-10 win that knocked Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out with a concussion.

After scrambling for a first down on fourth-and-4, Tagovailoa collided with Hamlin, causing the back of his head to slam into the grass. He remained down for a few moments before exiting the field with a noticeable limp but under his own power. The Dolphins officially ruled him out six minutes later, per the broadcast.

After the game, Thursday Night Football host Taylor Rooks spoke with the 26-year-old Bills defensive back and relayed his immediate thoughts on the Amazon Prime postgame show.

"He said of course any time anybody goes down, I get a little bit of a flashback just due to what happened to me," Rooks said, recapping her postgame conversation with Hamlin.

"He said there's some trauma there, but he said he has done the work to have a free mind. He's been through a lot of therapy and is really hoping that Tua knows that the more you really think about what you want to do out there, the better it is for you."

Hamlin was a primary storyline of the 2022-23 NFL season after suffering cardiac arrest on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. He made a miraculous comeback from the near-death experience and returned to the field for Buffalo in Week 4 against the Dolphins last season.

Rooks continued, "He said 'I want to make sure Tua knows that he's my boy, that I wish him a speedy recovery'."

"He said he has done the work to really understand that even though these injuries happen and people think about him, that's not necessarily what he wants to be remembered for," said Rooks of Hamlin. "And he wanted to stress that above all else, he wants players to be safe, and that's what he wants for Tua."

Meanwhile, Hamlin took to X, formerly Twitter, to send his message to Tagovailoa.

Thursday's head injury is at least the third documented concussion of Tagovailoa's five-year NFL career and has fans and former players calling for him to retire .

Related: Josh Allen Sent Heartfelt Message To Tua Tagovailoa After Head Injury

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