Tua Tagovailoa shares why he is thankful for Dolphins

Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) reacts after running with the football for a first down against the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions in 2022 and that meant a lot of time under the watchful eye of the team’s physicians. The second and final concussion, which Tagovailoa suffered in late December, led to a 36-day stay in the league’s concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa missed the team’s final two regular season games and then had to watch helplessly as they faltered in the playoffs. But despite all of that, and some of the criticism that faced the Dolphins over their handling of his concussions early on, Tagovailoa remains grateful to the organization.

"For concussion protocol, I think the team did me the biggest service throughout that… They were protecting me from myself. Me and my family are very thankful for the Dolphins."

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“For concussion protocol, I think the team did me the biggest service throughout that,” Tagovailoa told USA TODAY. “They never allowed me to go through protocol normally until the season was done. So that’s why it might have seemed like it took forever, but they were just protecting me from myself. And me and my family are very thankful to the Dolphins.

“But it really entailed a lot of exertion, so like running, ocular and vestibular movements, so like balance, proprioception — things like that. Having went to see a doctor in Pittsburgh, got clear from him and then had to do written test, memorization.”

Although some have pressed Tagovailoa to retire, that’s not the path intends to take. Rather, the quarterback says he will practice judo this offseason in an effort to learn how to fall in a more controlled manner.

Meanwhile, doctors do not believe Tagovailoa’s two concussions this past season will leave him more susceptible to further injury.