The Miami Dolphins placed injured quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve Sunday evening, after he suffered a concussion in his team’s Week 2 loss to Buffalo.
The procedure isn’t altogether surprising given Tua’s extensive history with concussions, but also means that he’ll miss at a minimum the team’s next four contests. Miami was also quick to point out that there was still no timetable for his return, and that his stint on the IR could last longer than the 4 game minimum.
It’s now the 3rd diagnosed concussion of Tua’s football career, and led to widespread discussion across the football world as to whether the former Alabama standout should continue playing football at all.
Current and former players alike weighed in on the matter in the aftermath of the Bills vs. Dolphins game Thursday, with several calling for Tua to prioritize his health over the love of the game. One such advocate for retirement was former New York Giants’ defender turned Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
Nevertheless, the Dolphins have been adamant throughout the process that they wouldn’t comment or make any decisions until additional medical advice was provided, but would ultimately leave the decision up to Tua himself. Given the league’s checkered history with concussions and CTE, the fact that the former 1st round pick was placed on IR at all has to be viewed as a step in the right direction, as traditionally concussions have resulted in players being tabbed as “day-to-day” at best.
In a corresponding move, the Dolphins signed quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. Backup QB Skylar Thompson will start Sunday’s contest vs. the Seattle Seahawks as Huntley gets acclimated in his new surroundings.
Miami and Seattle kick off at 4:05pm ET on Sunday, September 22nd.
Photo: CCS pictures. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.