I don’t think we as an audience forget the prevalence and significance of concussions. We accept it with the long list of terms and conditions we hastily skip as we fall back into our recliners every Sunday.
Maybe that’s on us. Maybe, to an extent, it always will be. But should we not push for better?
As long as football is still football, the risk of (serious) injury will lurk between turf pebbles and chinstraps. Eradicating it is impossible, but mitigation does not destine the sport to flags around one’s waist. It just makes the sport more humane and our entertainment that much more redeemable.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa landed hard late in the first half of his Christmas Day loss to the Green Bay Packers. It went unnoticed in real time, but viral on social media after Tagovailoa reported concussion-like symptoms on Monday.
Again.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Concussion History
The first time this season, against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa suffered a “back” injury subsequent to a hit that put a video to the term “gross motor instability.” Days later, he would be carried off the field on a stretcher. Another big hit, another collection of gasps, another instance of time stopping as we fear the worst.
That Cincinnati Bengals game was the first time this season he was diagnosed with a concussion. He returned to action the week before.
Having two injuries in such quick succession jolted the public into outcry, and the NFL (with the NFLPA) acted with a revised set of rules regarding the concussion protocol.
Tagovailoa missed a couple of games–both Dolphins losses–and returned to kick off a five-game win streak. In that time, it was easy to forget about the concussion(s) that he suffered. Just a dodged bullet in the war of professional football.
Sunday’s hit could have resulted in a possible third concussion in as many months. He found the field yet again, only to have a half of football synonymous with the greater quarterbacking collapses of the decade. Three interceptions, zero points, and a blown lead. It is possible he threw Miami out of the playoffs.
Should Tagovailoa play this week?
As a result, the pressure is rising in South Florida. The Dolphins have found themselves on another losing streak, this time worth four games. They head to New England and New Jersey to end their season. A loss against the Patriots makes their playoff odds a coin flip. A Jets win this weekend could make Week 18’s contest a do-or-die game for both teams.
Head coach Mike McDaniel will look to play Tagovailoa. I’m sure Tagovailoa would look to play Tagovailoa, despite going to team officials on his own accord to report symptoms.
It is impossible to not zoom out and find this insane.
There is a non-zero chance that Miami starts a quarterback with up to three concussions in a single season. Even the most generous reading of the injury report shows a quarterback that’s been through the wringer this season. As we watch the hits pile up, we are forced to ask a separate question.
Is a diagnosis really necessary to hold players out of games?
Perhaps I’m glossing over some labor issue in this spur of the moment appeal, but Miami should sit Tagovailoa for the rest of the season. The quarterback himself should have some serious conversations with people he trusts sooner rather than later.
At what point is seriously risking your quarterback’s long-term health solely dependent on a doctor’s checklist? At what point is Miami gambling against the development of a degenerative brain disorder, or worse? At what point do we say “that’s enough brain trauma for a season?”
Tagovailoa signed a contract. He knows what he signed up for and the consequences that could arise. As a competitor and as a teammate, he is going to do everything in his power to play. It is on the Dolphins to look out for his best interest.
At the moment, FanDuel has the Patriots as 1.5-point favorites for Week 17, with a total of 42.5. It’s a line impacted by Miami’s recent struggles, but also a signal that Tagovailoa will not play on Sunday. From there, it is anyone’s guess.
I would much rather speculate about life without a Dolphins playoff run than a life without yet another Tagovailoa injury.