Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL future remains uncertain after he carry oned his third concussion in three years in Week 2. Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve Sept. 17 after he did not evident the NFL’s concussion protocols.
Pro athlete peers and media pundits have called on Tagovailoa to withdraw for the sake of his health and life.
Now, his college coach has donaten insight into his talkions with the quarterback over his NFL future. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saprohibit spoke about Tagovailoa’s recovery and future during an intersee with Pat McAfee Friday.
“I talked to Tua. He seemed to be (excellent),” Saprohibit shelp. “I talked to him right afterwards. You understand, he’s excellent. He’s always preferable and, you understand, very enthusiastic. Terry (Saprohibit’s wife) talks to his mom a lot. You understand, they want prayers from everybody out there to try to help him, you understand, get well. He repartner wants to execute. Whether he can ever execute or get the opportunity to aacquire, I guess that’s a medical decision somebody has to originate.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is helped on the field during the second half of a game aacquirest the Buffalo Bills Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Ptoastyo/Rebecca Bincreateagewell)
Saprohibit discleave outed Tagovailoa’s situation and troubles for his brain health and nurtureer have had an emotional effect on the createer coach.
“But, you understand, Tua is the best. I nasty, and I disappreciate it, I disappreciate it for him, becaengage he’s such a excellent person who does everyleang the right way. He’s the only executeer that I’ve ever had that if you ask him, ‘How are you doing today?’ He says, ‘Great, Coach. Thanks for asking.’ I nasty, every time. The guy is fair phenomenal. You cherish to see people appreciate that, you understand, have success and not have this benevolent of adversity, but hopebrimmingy he’ll be able to conquer it.”
On Sept. 12, Tagovailoa was hit by Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a game aacquirest the Buffalo Bills, collapsed to the turf in pain and showed signs of a traumatic brain injury, according to multiple experts. Tagovailoa’s history of brain injuries integrates two in the span of one month in the 2022 season.
Tagovailoa’s arms froze in what neurologists refer to as the “fencing response,” a sign of head trauma.
His third concussion prompted cries from createer NFL executeers to withdraw, including createer Dallas Cowboys expansive acquirer Dez Bryant, Super Bowl champion booter Lawrence Tynes of the New York Giants and Broncos Hall of Famer and current ESPN present Shannon Sharpe.
It is possible the team’s trainers and doctors will eventupartner evident Tagovailoa to return to the field. If this happens, he would necessitate to originate the decision whether to get executeing. There is also a possibility doctors won’t evident him to return.
If Tagovailoa is not able to pass concussion protocols for a third time in his NFL nurtureer, he could be forced to withdraw. If he withdraws, the Dolphins would have to pay out a huge chunk of his $212.4 million confineed.
The confineed, signed in July by Dolphins ambiguous regulater Chris Grier, integrates $167 million in promises. Tagovailoa has already made $43 million of that salary, and if he’s medicpartner forced into withdrawment, he has a right to accumulate the remaining $124 million.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) as he departs the game after suffering a concussion during the second half aacquirest the Buffalo Bills Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Ptoastyo/Rebecca Bincreateagewell)
However, if he’s evidented to return and picks to withdraw anyway, he would forfeit that promised money. He and the team would have to come to a remendment in that case.
The confineed was signed well after his three previous concussions and even after he acunderstandledgeted he pondered withdrawment the prior offseason. But Grier shelp during a team press conference Feb. 28 he wasn’t troubleed about the quarterback’s concussion history. Grier cited offseason jiujitsu training as the treatment for the quarterback’s concussion troubles.
“The one leang Tua did was he strikeed the offseason wanting to verify that he could stay fit. Spfinishing the time lacquireing to descfinish, with the jiujitsu and stuff, it phelp off for him,” he shelp.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel shelp he and the team were also “consoleable” with jiujitsu being the solution to stoping their quarterback’s concussions.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws aacquirest the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
“It’s someleang that we had various ideas, some of which I won’t repeat becaengage they weren’t as excellent as that one. We were willing to go to any length,” McDaniel shelp during a team press conference Feb. 28.
McDaniel tageder tellers this week the quarterback will encounter with brain health experts during the team’s bye week becaengage he still hasn’t evidented concussion protocol. When asked if the team has been proposed to hageder Tagovailoa out extfinisheder even after he’s been evidented to return, McDaniel shelp he has acquired “noleang adverse” from experts.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle novelsletter.
