Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel showed his class by kissing Tua Tagovailoa on the head after the quarterback suffered the third concussion of his NFL career .
Tagovailoa was ruled out of Thursday's defeat to the Buffalo Bills after rushing for a first down but colliding head-first with safety Damar Hamlin and suffering a concussion. Tagovailoa, who agreed to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with $167.1 million guaranteed in July, was clearly shaken by the incident.
McDaniel was also acting out of character with fans believing his mind was elsewhere as he appeared emotionless on the sidelines after Tagovailoa had left the field. Before the quarterback made his way to the locker room he was approached by McDaniel, who opted to kiss him on the head rather than shake his hand.
"This was such a touching moment. Mike McDaniel loves his players," one fan wrote when seeing a video of the interaction. "You could see him fighting back tears once Tua was in the locker room and play resumed."
McDaniel and the entire Dolphins roster think extremely highly of Tagovailoa, and after the game Bills quarterback Josh Allen sent his love to Tua and wished him a quick recovery. It's the third major concussion of Tagovailoa's NFL career, but he also suffered a knock in his final season with Alabama before making it pro.
In 2022, Tagovailoa was diagnosed with two concussions and also suffered a third head injury later that season, which led to health professionals calling for him to retire. Tagovailoa will once again navigate the NFL's concussion protocol again, but due to his injury history, the Dolphins may be more reluctant to rush him back.
Tagovailoa is still only 26 and managed to stay fit for the entire 2023 season which helped earn him an extension in July. But with a major concussion record so early into his career it's once again led to high-profile figures calling for him to step away from football before any lasting damage is sustained.
Legendary Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant posted on X: "That’s it…. NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He needs to retire for his longevity health concerns."
Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez even addressed Tagovailoa's future on Amazon Prime's postgame show of "Thursday Night Football" and said: "I'm thinking retirement here. To me, it seems like a no-brainer. The brain, this is something that can affect you long-term. For me, it's time to move on."
After the game, an emotional McDaniel said that they will deal with Tagovailoa "one day at a time" before addressing the situation again on Friday morning. McDaniel would not answer detailed questions about Tagovailoa's future in the NFL, but told reporters: "I have to put his health as the primary… The best thing I can do is not try to address what this means from a football standpoint."
McDaniel also called for the public not to speculate about the possibility of Tagovailoa retiring. He then added: "Science behind concussions tells you how delicate the time is right after an injury and how important it is you don't institute extra sources of anxiety."
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