Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa clearly hasn’t realized his lesson.
Simply two months in the past, the NFL world was encouraging Tagovailoa to retire after watching him curl his fingers whereas down on the turf following a shot to the pinnacle throughout a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Payments again on September 12.
It was the third confirmed concussion that Tagovailoa has had on the skilled degree, and it sidelined him for 4 video games.
Tagovailoa vowed to not put on a Guardian Cap upon his return. He caught to his phrase, which was all properly and good, assuming that he would make some playstyle adjustments to get himself out of hurt’s approach.
A lot for that.
After being picked off within the second quarter of a 23-15 win over the Rams on Monday night time, Tagovailoa tried to convey down Los Angeles linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who had come down with the interception.
Rozeboom was operating alongside the sideline on his return when Tagovailoa lowered his shoulder and took a knee to the facet of the pinnacle. The Miami signal-caller ended up being simply high-quality, even sharing just a few mild moments with reporters following the sport when requested in regards to the deal with.
“I went as much as that dude that intercepted me and requested him, ‘Like bro, you couldn’t (of) simply ran out of bounds or like reduce?’ … He advised me after the sport, he’s like, ‘There’s no room, there was nowhere else to go,’” Tagovailoa mentioned. “He gotta do what he gotta do to assist his staff win video games.
“I wasn’t planning on utilizing my head to go hit him, so.”
All through his rationalization of how issues went down, Tagovailoa couldn’t cease smiling, even laughing at instances—as a result of what may probably be funnier than one other traumatic mind harm, proper?
Dolphins coaches want to start out getting a few of the blame right here, too. To constantly let Tagovailoa go on the market and throw himself headfirst at opposing defenses is simply plain irresponsible.
It must be made clear to Tagovailoa that he fairly actually can’t endure one other concussion. Not solely would that one seemingly be career-ending, but it surely may be life-altering, each mentally and bodily.
Absolutely these conversations have been had—or no less than we hope that’s the case—but it surely appears to be like just like the message nonetheless hasn’t gotten via. One thing tells us we haven’t seen Tagovailoa get knocked out for the final time.
The saddest half?
Nobody goes to intervene.
Miami isn’t going to bench the 26-year-old, and the NFL definitely isn’t going to step in.
For a league that claims it cares a lot in regards to the well being of its gamers, right here’s an opportunity to probably save one, and all it’s going to do is look the opposite approach.
We clearly hope Tagovailoa cleans up his recreation in such a approach that may stop a significant head harm from ever taking place once more.
However when he—and everybody else round him—seemsly embraces recklessness, it seems like one other catastrophe is sure to occur.
