Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday Night Football with a concussion after a hit from Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the third quarter. It was a scary moment for both players.
Tagovailoa and Hamlin have a history— both separate, and now together.
Hamlin collapsed on the field on Jan. 2, 2023. The 25-year-old suffered cardiac arrest and was in the hospital for nine days, including two days in a medically induced coma. His return to football is one of the most inspirational stories in sports history.
Tagovailoa suffered one concussion in college at Alabama, two concussions during his third season with the Dolphins and a third concussion on Thursday. He also took a third hit to the head in 2022 that directly led the NFL to alter its head injury protocol.
There was a period of time in which Tagovailoa considered retirement. Instead, the former No. 5 overall pick spent the offseason training on how to fall and was unable to avoid similar incident in 2023.
Unfortunately, Tagovailoa collided with Hamlin during Week 2 of the 2024 season.
The hit send his body into fencing response for the third time in his career. Fencing response is a neurological reaction that occurs immediately after moderate forces have been applied to the brainstem. His forearms were held extended in the air for a period of several seconds after the incident.
It is unclear as to what the future holds for Tagovailoa at this time. His health will be monitored over the next few days. Neither the team nor its doctors are in any rush to reach a definitive diagnosis.
Damar Hamlin was on the other end of the hit.
20 months have passes since his frightening near-death incident on Monday Night Football. Much like the tackle that left him down on the field in 2023, Hamlin was trying to make a stop for his team on Thursday.
I was just trying to make a routine tackle. Trying to get them off the field on fourth down.
— Damar Hamlin
Even though Hamlin would like to think of the play just the same as everybody else, he is unable to do so. The journey back to the field was a long one. And it’s not over.
It’s trauma. It will always be there. I’m able to not be affected by it because of the work that I’ve done. I went through trauma therapy. I have a psychologist I talk to. It’s allowed me to push my mind forward, push my process forward.
I did the hard stuff last year as far as putting the pads on, tackling, getting game-ready to know that I’m now perfectly fine and perfectly able to go back and play.
— Damar Hamlin
Two plays after tackling Tagovailoa, Hamlin made a big stop on second-and-goal from the 7-yard-line. It took a lot of work to get to that point, to where he can move on.
It’s football. I did the hard s— last year to free my mind, to be able to know that the field is one of the safest places to be for my situation that happened. We’ve got so many professionals that practice these situations that happen, and that resulted in me being able to come back.
So my mind is free. My mind is clear. I’m just out there trying to play football.
— Damar Hamlin
People are calling for Tua Tagovailoa to retire. Hamlin received the same advice and encouraged the quarterback to make a decision for himself, not others.
You’ve got to tune all that out. At the end of the day, there’s nobody lining up on the field with you except the people that’s on your side. Ain’t nobody in the room with you when the cameras are off besides your family. Those are the opinions that matter.
— Damar Hamlin
Damar Hamlin knows that Tagovailoa is a “dog” and a “fighter.” He will continue to pray for his speedy recovery and knows he will be back soon.