Former Alabama and current Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained a head injury during Thursday Night Football, causing him to leave the game against the Buffalo Bills.
The injury occurred during a scramble on fourth down in the third quarter, and he was quickly ruled out with a suspected concussion.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of head injuries including at least two concussions in the 2022 season, had focused on minimizing impact in 2023. He had successfully started all 17 games for the Dolphins and guided them to the playoffs. Unfortunately, he suffered this new injury in the second game of the season, which was a blowout against a division rival.
Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question. His right arm shows the “fencing posture” indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the concussion spectrum. He is done for the night and must miss the next game.@ChrisNowinski1
In the game, Tagovailoa completed 17 of 25 passes for 145 yards, with three interceptions and one touchdown, leaving the Dolphins trailing 31-10. Concussions typically take between 7 to 21 days to recover from, but there are concerns about Tagovailoa’s long-term health. The Dolphins turned to Skylar Thompson to finish the game, but they may seek other options if Tagovailoa is out for an extended period.
Tagovailoa had recently signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension with $167.1 million guaranteed in July after a successful playoff season in 2023.