Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has been placed on injured reserve after suffering yet another frightening head injury.
Tagovailoa was scrambling for yards on a fourth down play Thursday when he slammed into the chest of Bills Safety Damar Hamlin.
Tagovailoa immediately slummed to the ground and could be seen in the so-called “fencing position.” That position, where one arm is outstretched, while the other is tucked into the body, similar how an Olympic fencer would stand, is an indication of a serious head injury and lack of consciousness.
Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion, which is at least the third documented concussion of his young career.
He’ll now be required to sit out at least the next four games given the IR designation,. But that is just the minimum.
Untested Skylar Thompson is taking the reigns in Tagovailoa’s absence.
ESPN has the story:
The Miami Dolphins placed Tua on injured reserve Tuesday after the quarterback suffered another concussion in Thursday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Per NFL rules, Tagovailoa must remain on injured reserve for at least four games. There is no timetable for how long Miami plans to keep him on IR as he focuses on his health before his return to the field.
It is the third diagnosed concussion of Tagovailoa’s NFL career.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel on Monday said Tagovailoa wouldn’t be placed on IR until more information became available, but the decision was made Tuesday after further evaluation.
Miami signed quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad. Per NFL rules, the Dolphins must allocate a spot on their 53-man roster to Huntley for at least their next three games.
“We got to learn firsthand a nice reminder of how it only takes one play and what you think your depth is changes abruptly,” McDaniel said. “So that’s a move for moving forward to secure some depth in case of the unforeseen, which is timelines for us as it relates to Tua.
Third-year quarterback Skylar Thompson will start Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks now that Tagovailoa has officially been ruled out.
Thompson did not play during the 2023 season, but he started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a playoff loss on the road to the Bills. McDaniel said the move to add Huntley “was not any direct reflection on Skylar” and was made to bolster the team’s depth.