Bills safety Damar Hamlin posts message to Tua Tagovailoa after scary collision during Thursday Night Football

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin knows a thing or two about being involved in a scary moment on the football field.

Hamlin was involved in a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals back on January 2, 2023 that caused his heart to stop and required life-saving medical attention on the field.  The nation watched in shock as the young defender was rushed off the field, his fate then unknown.

Mercifully, he recovered fully and was able to resume his football career the following season.

Unfortunately, he was involved in another scary collision on Thursday night during the Bills' 31-10 win over the Dolphins.  Early in the fourth quarter, the safety met a scrambling Tua Tagovailoa just past the first down marker on fourth down.  Rather than slide or roll, Tua inexplicably lowered his head and shoulder into the oncoming Hamlin's chest.

The resulting collision sent Tua back into what appeared to be a fencing position, with his arms, hands, and fingers, briefly frozen and extended in an unnatural position.  Players took a knee as medical staff attended to Tua, who suffered his third diagnosed concussion since the start of the 2022 season.

After the game, Hamlin took to Twitter/X to offer a message of support to the Dolphins' quarterback.

It's a nice gesture from a player who understands far too well about the dangers that can take place on the football field.

Of course, Tua already knows them too well himself.  He, his family, and the Dolphins organization should be having a conversation about the future for Tua in football.  How much more he's willing to take, given the unfortunate tendency he has to incur what appear to be significant head injuries.

For right now, the focus will obviously be on the crux of Hamlin's message: recovery.  That's the most important thing.  But the questions about Tua's future are something that he and the Dolphins will still have to figure out together - and very much sooner rather than later.

Related: How much would Miami Dolphins owe on Tua Tagovailoa's contract should Tua retire due to concussions?