Following Thursday night’s intense matchup against the Buffalo Bills, the focus of the post-game press conference led by Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel honed in on the latest setback concerning Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his recent concussion.
Initially, McDaniel fielded a question regarding the timetable for Tua’s potential return to the field and the possibility of him being placed on Injured Reserve. “Right now, I’m not really — it’s more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time,” McDaniel expressed to the assembled reporters. “The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline. I want to know — we just need to evaluate and I’m just worried about my teammate, like the rest of the guys are. We’ll get more information and take it day by day from there.”
The dialogue then shifted towards the impact of Tua’s previous concussions, particularly from 2022, on how this latest concussion would be managed. “I think it’s important to approach each and every situation to — much like [we] approach every injury, which is basically, ‘All right, we’re gonna handle this particular situation with this particular player,'” McDaniel explained. “Every situation is unique to its own, so I think there’s — for me, I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands in terms of, I’m just worried about the human being and he’ll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information but it’s day by day health is what, you know, really try to approach all the stuff that way, particularly with concussions.”
The conversation then expanded to a larger question looming over Tua’s future in football – whether it’s safe for him to continue playing. McDaniel responded, “I think that’s from a medical standpoint — I don’t approach things that I’m far inferior of expertise. I’m just there to support my teammate, like I said. I think there’s — for me to go ahead and forecast things that I don’t know in my non-field of expertise, I don’t think that’s appropriate. I think we’ll find out some more information tomorrow in terms of where Tua’s at. He’ll be able to spend a good amount of time being evaluated and then we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate. But I’m — like the rest of his teammates he went around the locker room and connected with, as a leader he was trying to keep the guys’ heads up and he’ll be in the office tomorrow to have the appropriate care.”
Approaching the situation tactfully is key, especially given the myriad of factors to consider moving forward. Ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of Tua’s brain health is the immediate priority. As the days progress, the question shifts to when, or if, Tua will receive clearance to resume playing.
The ultimate question doesn’t just revolve around medical clearance, but also whether Tua himself desires to return to the gridiron when the time comes.
