The Miami Dolphins have announced that starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the team’s Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa suffered his second official and third suspected concussion of the season on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16 of the NFL. He did not play in Week 17 or Week 18 following the news that he had once again entered the concussion protocol. In Week 17 Miami lost 23-21 to the New England Patriots and in Week 18 they beat the New York Jets 11-6. The Dolphins are preparing quarterback Skylar Thompson to start in place of Tagovailoa.
Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out for the Dolphins’ playoff game against the Bills, head coach Mike McDaniel announced.
He still has not cleared concussion protocol and the team is preparing as if rookie QB Skylar Thompson will start. pic.twitter.com/30QSjVk4OD
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2023
This season with the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa completed 259 passes for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions on 400 attempts. He also rushed the ball 24 times for 70 yards and zero touchdowns on the season. The Dolphins with Tagovailoa beat the Bills in Miami this season and battled them closely in Buffalo, but without him, many view their odds of winning as slim.
Head Coach Mike McDaniel said the following when announcing the news: “I would say it’s conflicting. He, himself, is learning that he needs to listen to the advice of doctors and medical professionals. He understands the severity of doing that, so there’s a little bit of things that he can’t control. He was an incredible part of the entire season. I think eight of our wins were as a result of him playing quarterback, among the team, and that did not come because it was just gifted. That was a lot of work and preparation, so it’s very frustrating, much as a lot of things in life and football are.
The focus now is on Tua Tagovailoa’s long-term health and this is probably the right decision. We here at Def Pen Sports wish him the best in his recovery.
