Tua Tagovailoa Concussion: Dolphins QB Hurt Amid Playoff Push

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has entered the NFL”s concussion protocol amid the push to clinch a playoff spot, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Monday.

Tagovailoa displayed symptoms after coming into the team’s facility and self-reported the symptoms, thus placing him right in the concussion protocol. It appeared that Tagovailoa may have been injured on a hit in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers where his head appears to slam into the ground.

The instance is the second such confirmed concussion for Tagovailoa this season. He suffered another concussion against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 29th, where he was knocked unconscious and had to be carted off the field. It is yet another instance that raises some questions about the NFL’s concussion protocol. For the Steelers, Kenny Pickett has had two concussions this season, and tight end Pat Freiermuth has had three concussions in 12 months.

Tagovailoa’s concussion will greatly affect the AFC playoff race as well. The Dolphins play the Patriots this week and then the Jets the following week. If Tua Tagovailoa misses any time, it could hurt the Dolphins’ chances of making the playoffs. For the Steelers, one of the two most viable paths to the postseason is to see the Dolphins lose out on their schedule with some help from other teams.

Tagovailoa’s concussion could change the prospects of that being far likelier than it would have been otherwise. Still, the Steelers need lots of help to even make the playoffs. The Chargers potentially losing to the Colts on Monday Night Football could help those prospects, too. However, it appears the avenue that is the likeliest would be to see the Dolphins have the bottom fall out from under them to finish the season. With Tagovailoa’s injury, Teddy Bridgewater will be in line to start and will try to weather the storm if he plays.