Tua Tagovailoa suffers concussion: Dolphins QB injured by blow to the head against Bills in “TNF”, leaves the field

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion on a fourth-and-4 run in the third quarter of Week 2's Thursday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa lowered his head while attempting to score on the first down when he collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the red zone. The Dolphins quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.

After collapsing on the field, Tagovailoa appeared to go into the “fencing reaction” he similarly displayed after suffering a scary concussion during a 2022 “Thursday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tagovailoa remained on the turf while trainers examined him while his teammates knelt on the field. He soon got up and left the field under his own power while trainers were by his side. Dolphins replacement Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa at center as the Dolphins lost 31-10.

In July, Miami signed Tagovailoa to a contract for Four-year extension worth $212.4 million with a $167 million guarantee after a career season in 2023. He led the league with 4,624 yards passing, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

There were legitimate concerns about the former No. 5 overall pick's long-term health after the 2022 season, as he missed four starts due to concussions. However, Tagovailoa made a major effort in the offseason to avoid concussions. He built muscle, did martial arts training and began wearing a new helmet. As a result, Tagovailoa started every game for Miami in 2023 for the first time in his career.

Unfortunately, this latest incident and the subsequent reaction of the fencing authority reopens a long-running story that has not been addressed for over a year.

NFL concussion history

In Week 3 of the 2022 season, Tagovailoa was thrown backwards and hit his head on the field during a game in Miami against the Bills. The quarterback got up and appeared dazed. He even fell back to the ground before his teammates helped him up. He left the game and apparently passed concussion protocol, with the Dolphins classifying his injury as a back problem. The NFLPA even said afterward that it would investigate the situation.

Just four days later, the Dolphins traveled to Cincinnati to face the Bengals. In the second quarter, Tagovailoa was sacked and hit the back of his head hard on the court. He responded with a fencing attack, eerily raising his hands as a neurological response to the head trauma. Tagovailoa was carried off the field on a stretcher and taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. However, he was released from the hospital and flew home with the team.

Dr. Rahul Shah, a board-certified orthopedic spine and neck surgeon, gave CBS Sports some insight into the fencers' reaction:

“So when the head takes a hit, it basically snaps back,” Dr. Shah said. “So when you have a scenario like that, basically that whole structure is going to be affected and what's going to happen is the person will go unconscious and basically have this decortication response. Basically, think of it like a short circuit that goes all the way down to the fingertips. And that's what it shows – it gives you insight that the base of the neck or that brain area is still pretty fragile, especially after the fact that it had its previous injury.”

Tagovailoa missed the next two games, but returned for a Week 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. His concussion problems weren't over, however. In a Christmas Day game against the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa had a terrible second half in which he threw three interceptions. The following day, it was announced that he had been placed in concussion protocol. Tagovailoa missed the final two games of the regular season and Miami's Super Wild Card Weekend game against Buffalo.

Tagovailoa's injury on Thursday night is officially his third concussion in his NFL career. The quarterback even admitted that he thoughtful retirement after he was carried off the field on a stretcher in Cincinnati.

“Yeah, I think I've thought about it for a while after sitting down with my family and my wife and having those conversations,” Tagovailoa said in April 2023. “But at my age, it would be really hard for me to walk away from this game with my son. I've always dreamed of playing as long as I can until my son knows exactly what he's watching his dad play. I mean, it's about my health, it's about my body, and I feel like this is what's best for me and my family.”

CBS Sports will stay updated on this breaking story.