“It’s the worst part of the game”; Bills react after Dolphins QB suffers concussion, two years after scary head injury

MIAMI — The Buffalo Bills beat the Dolphins 31-10 in Miami on Thursday night, but one story that made headlines isn’t about the score. Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa exited the game with a concussion.

In September 2022, Tagovailoa had a scary moment when his fingers were frozen after suffering two concussions just days apart. This led to him being carried off the pitch on a stretcher. Many criticized the decision to put him in the second game at all.

On Thursday, Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion minutes after the first head collision. As the quarterback collided head-on with Bills safety Damar Hamlin, you can see his head bounce off Hamlin and hit the ground. While the Bills got to celebrate the win, there was some concern for Tagovailoa.

“Your situation did not look good. Thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. We want the best for him,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said.

“It’s the worst part of the game. Nothing but love and prayers for him and his family. And we hope everybody sends them because they’re going to need them,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said.

Concussions are a form of traumatic brain injury and can be incredibly serious. After Tagovailoa’s back-to-back head trauma in 2022, it reignited the concussion conversation in the NFL.

Within weeks, the NFL has increased its policy, becoming stricter about when to remove a player from a game after a potential head injury. Last night, Tagovailoa walked off the field and was then officially ejected per that policy.

The Dolphins next game is Sunday, September 22nd. As for whether or not the starting quarterback will be there, the Dolphins coach declined to comment.

To some, concussions may not seem like a big deal, and nearly one in three people say they’ve had at least one in their lifetime. But it is a form of traumatic brain injury.

You may have heard of CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This is the long-term disease that destroys your brain, related to repeated head trauma. It is found in boxers, ex-military and football players.

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