Good news has emerged for troubled NFL player Tua Tagovailoa, as doctors have cleared him to play again in 2024. The new development would put smiles on the faces of the Dolphin’s quarterback and his fans after he was forced to hang his boots following a concussion he suffered earlier in the season.
His coach announced this on Monday after “positive” meetings with neurologists. Tua Tagovailoa got injured in game week two after a collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. The clash happened after Tua Tagovailoa made a first down and then lowered his shoulder instead of sliding while initiating contact.
Although he was able to leave the field after the incident, his body took a significant hit from the collision. The concussion is the third in a series of such injuries he’s suffered in the past two years. He had received a diagnosis of two head injuries in 2022 alone.
Journalist even quoted him to have considered taking a step back from the sport “for a time” as a result of the toll the injuries have had on his health. On Monday, October 14, 2024, his coach, Mike McDaniel, disclosed that Tagovailoa’s meetings with doctors were fruitful.
“I do expect to see him playing football in 2024,” McDaniel said after the meetings, which were held during the Dolphins bye week. “But where that is exactly, we’ll let the process continue,” he added.
Tua Tagovailoa still won’t be available to play until gameweek 8, when the Miami Dolphins will square off against the Arizona Cardinals. McDaniel explained that the quarterback will continue to interface with experts to determine the earliest possible time for him to return to action.
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Tagovailoa’s Coach Has Called for an End to Speculations
Coach McDaniel has warned against unnecessary speculations about Tua Tagovailoa’s possible return, which have been making the rounds. “I never went down that rabbit hole of if he would or wouldn’t (continue playing football),” McDaniel said. He also admonished commentators to be more worried about the footballer’s health.
“Just because I’ve learned through circumstance that that’s the wrong question to be asking. The right questions are completely, 100% toward the human being,” he stressed. A lot of Tagovailoa and Dolphins fans have been praying for his recovery. His teammates have also wished him a speedy recovery. But his presence on the pitch has been greatly missed, too.
The Dolphins have struggled, especially in the offensive department, since Tua Tagovailoa’s absence. The team has recorded one of the league’s worst-scoring offenses after posting 12 points per game.
The Miami Dolphins are likely to continue with Tyler “Snoop” Huntley as Tagovailoa’s replacement as they prepare for a face off with Indianapolis in their next matchup. Although coach McDaniel has applauded Huntley for stepping up and improving, the team has suffered two defeats in their three previous matches.
They only won their most recent game against the New England Patriots in Week 5. This situation is looking significantly different from last season when Tagovailoa helped the team reach the playoffs.
What We Know About Tua Tagovailoa Injury?
Interestingly, the 2023 season was the first ever full season Tua Tagovailoa would play in his NFL career. During the season, the team had the best defense and secured 11 wins and an AFC wild card. The Dolphins were looking forward to yet another blissful season before Tagovailoa’s injury.
According to news reports, Tagovailoa’s September 12 collision with Harmlin left him dazed. His arm went into a fencing response. This means they were in an unnatural position. He received medical attention for some minutes as players knelt around him. Fans and teammates probably heaved a sigh of relief after he left the pitch without needing a stretcher.
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Tua Tagovailoa Will Play Again Despite Concussion
According to NFL rules, players like Tagovailoa who end up on the “injured reserve” list will miss a minimum of four games. This means Tagovailoa won’t be on the field before October 27. Precisely, Tagovailoa has three more games to go.
Yet, his return in October isn’t guaranteed. It all depends on his recovery speed. As per the NFL rule update, players who suffer concussions must satisfy a five-step process before returning to training. But judging from the feedback from experts, Tagovailoa is likely to don a Dolphin jersey this year.
Over the years, the player has received calls from fellow footballers and doctors to retire from the field. However, he has brushed off those calls and is determined to keep playing. One of the calls came from the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach, Antonio Pierce. “I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Pierce told reporters.
Another stakeholder in the NFL, Dr. Bennet Omalu, said that Tagovailoa could become permanently paralyzed if he kept on playing. “If I were his brother, his father, his uncle, cousin, nephew, if I were a member of his family, I would beg him to retire.”
How Much Is Tua Tagovailoa Salary?
Following his impressive contribution to the Dolphin’s league campaign last season, the player bagged a new contract. The new deal lasts for four years and has a total value of $212.4 million.
This contract places his average annual salary at $53.1 million. Also, the contract saw Tagovailoa bagging a signing bonus of $42 million and $93.17 million guaranteed at signing. This places his overall guaranteed income at $167.171 million.
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