Getty Image / Megan Briggs
The NFL just can’t seem to get it right when it comes to the health of Tua Tagovailoa.
It has only been a few months since Tua was allowed to finish a game against the Buffalo Bills despite appearing to display some pretty clear signs of a concussion.
He then played in the team’s next game on a short week and suffered an even worse concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals. That concussion kept him out for a couple of weeks and led to an investigation into the handling of the situation as the NFL seemingly putting an emphasis on their handling of head injuries.
It seems that emphasis didn’t last for long.
Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion this weekend. It seemingly occurred on a play where he was tackled and his head hit the ground against the Green Bay Packers.
Here’s the play where Tua Tagovailoa’s head hit the ground from Sunday night’s game vs. the Packers:pic.twitter.com/c7G5zExov8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) December 26, 2022
Despite the potential head injury, Tua continued to play and wasn’t stopped by the league or anybody int he Dolphins’ organization.
Today, his head coach confirmed that Tua had suffered a concussion during the game.
#Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel on Tua Tagovailoa: “This is a private time for him to focus on his health. …This is a human being. His health is the first, foremost and only priority.” https://t.co/jQDX1lcM5e
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 28, 2022
As a result of the concussion, Teddy Bridgewater will be starting in Week 17 for the Dolphins.
Teddy Bridgewater will start for the Dolphins after Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion this past Sunday @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/B57lUmi6qU
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 28, 2022
This is a pretty awful look for the NFL and it’s extremely dangerous for Tua’s career. This is now the 3rd concussion he has suffered this season and he was allowed to play through 2 of them. He easily could have been injured more severely in the 2nd half as he played through this concussion.
The NFL has failed Tua Tagovailoa this season and they need to fix their handling of concussions before it happens to another player.
