Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been placed on injured reserve after suffering the third concussion of his NFL career .
Tagovailoa , 26, rushed for a first down during the Dolphins ' 31-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills on "Thursday Night Football" and fell head-first into safety Damar Hamlin. He was removed from the game due to concussion fears and it was later confirmed that he would navigate the NFL's concussion protocol.
While a concussion is serious in any capacity, the volume of blows Tagovailoa has taken since 2022 has raised major concerns. The quarterback also suffered a concussion in his final year at Alabama before declaring for the NFL Draft .
Tagovailoa has been told to retire by several former NFL stars, with Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce saying "It's not worth it" and for Tua to stay safe and look after his family. Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, but for now the Dolphins are taking matters into their own hands.
The decision for Tagovailoa to be placed on IR came after internal discussions within the Dolphins organization. The franchise feel a responsibility to give Tagovailoa enough time to progress through the stages of concussion protocol and also meet with outside neurologists to be fully evaluated, per NFL Network.
It's a major blow to both Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, as Miami is now facing a considerable period without its starter. Skylar Thompson took over against the Bills, and is expected to start Sunday's Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Dolphins have also signed quarterback Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, giving them more options further down the line. Tagovailoa only just agreed to terms on a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension, but an early retirement could see him forfeit over $100 million in potential earnings.
Tagovailoa's deal included $167.1 million guaranteed, with $43 million having already been paid. Should Tagovailoa clear concussion protocol but then choose to retire he would lose out on the remaining $124 million guaranteed that he's owed.
The stance from the Dolphins shows how seriously they're taking Tagovailoa's health, but the player is adamant he doesn't want to cut short his time in the league. There's speculation that Tagovailoa could be rested for the remainder of the 2024 season, but head coach Mike McDaniel is refusing to put a timeline on his return.
"First and foremost, I'm not assessing the injury through the lens of, 'Alright, so what does this mean for him playing?'" McDaniel said Friday. "Really, for me, I know the facts are that it's important that he gets healthy day by day, and in that, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint."
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