The Miami Dolphins are being shamed by the football world today after they completely mishandled Tua Tagovailoa’s head and neck injury in their Thursday night game against the Bengals.
Tagovailoa, who appeared to be concussed days prior in the Dolphins’ game against the Bills despite it being reduced to a “back injury,” couldn’t even walk straight after Thursday’s hit. He couldn’t stand straight up on his own two feet. That’s what a concussion looks like.
He shouldn’t have been in the game on Thursday night. And the hit taken from the Bengals made an already dangerous situation 10 times worse.
The worst part is that the Dolphins just don’t seem to see how serious this is. Here’s head coach Mike McDaniel talking about how Tagovailoa’s injury isn’t anything “more serious than a concussion.”
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel on Tua Tagovailoa’s injury pic.twitter.com/ct7Mn1zjVm
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) September 30, 2022
“All of his teammates, myself, we’re all very concerned. The best news that we could give is that everything has checked out. That he didn’t have anything more serious than a concussion. He’ll be flying back with us here on the plane.”
Yes, it’s great that Tagovailoa hasn’t broken any bones and won’t be paralyzed and doesn’t have a more brutal neck or back injury.
But here’s the thing — concussions are serious. Very serious. Just as serious as those brutal physical injuries McDaniel was grateful Tagovailoa didn’t have.
Chris Nowinski, neuroscientist, former WWE wrestler, and co-founder of the Boston University CTE Center, explained just how serious it could be via Twitter.
Mike McDaniel said it's good Tua "doesn't have anything more serious than a #concussion."
I don't think this guy gets it. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury & posturing suggests brain stem injury. It's pretty high on the list of serious medical consequences of football. https://t.co/ZGF2LWERak
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 30, 2022
Before the game even started, Nowinski called out the Dolphins for playing Tagovailoa knowing what a second concussion could potentially do to him.
If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL.
If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right https://t.co/vxpaOif5rh
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 29, 2022
Regarding the consequences of athletes playing before they’ve fully recovered from concussions, he used a startling example.
Here is what could have happened to Tua:
HS RB Jayden Veesenmeyer is currently in a coma after a brain bleed. I'm told he took 2 weeks off due to a #concussion, but it appears it wasn't enough. "When in doubt, sit them out." Pray for him. https://t.co/jHxZcaABPW via @RyanMahanSJR— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 30, 2022
He also jumped on the Dan LeBatard show to explain the implication of things further. He put into words just how dangerous this is.
"This is such a medical disaster that if I'm Tua and I recover from this, which is not guaranteed, I might say I don't want to play for this team anymore because of what they did." – @ChrisNowinski1 on the Miami Dolphins allowing Tua to play last night.
📺 https://t.co/mjoTQv7B91 pic.twitter.com/tLvaYTYW0w— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) September 30, 2022
“What should’ve happened is that he should’ve been rested so his brain could recover. Frankly, this is such a medical disaster, that if I’m Tua and I recover from this — which is not guaranteed — I might say that I don’t want to play for this team anymore…We have to think about Tua as a human being. We have former NFL players developing CTE, dying by suicide. One concussion doubles the risk of suicide for the rest of your life. This is a disaster.”
We have no idea what the long-term consequences could be for Tagovailoa at this point and that’s the scary part.
What’s worse is that it’s pretty clear we can’t trust the Dolphins to handle whatever comes next in the right way. At all.
