Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has revealed his stance on calls for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire following Thursday night’s game.
Tagovailoa suffered the third known concussion of his NFL career when he slammed to the turf during the third quarter of the Miami Dolphins ‘ loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The quarterback appeared to go straight into the fencing response, before cameras quickly cut away from the incident, leading many fans and even former NFL players to call for Tagovailoa to retire.
However, McDaniel, who is in his third year as head coach in Miami, took a different stance on the future of his player.
‘I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject,’ the 41-year-old said when pressed on the question of Tagovailoa walking away from the game.
‘It’s more in line of actually caring about the human being. You’re talking about his career. His career is his.
‘I totally get that’s where people want to go. I just wish, for a second, people would hear what I’m saying—that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him.
‘I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that should be the last thing on your mind.
‘If I were to answer that question and he read it, whether he agreed or disagreed, it would make him worse.
‘I don’t think it’s appropriate because of my care and regard . I don’t think those types of conversations when you’re talking about someone’s career… I think it’s only fair that their career should be decided by them.’
McDaniel did admit that Miami has a plan in place for the short-term future. The coach revealed that the team would be moving forward with backup quarterback Skylar Thompson but will bring in another quarterback for depth.
The Dolphins have Tim Boyle signed to their practice squad, while the team’s 2012 first-round pick Ryan Tannehill is currently a free agent and could be a viable option.
‘The best thing I can do is not assess what this means from a football standpoint,’ McDaniel added. ‘Timelines give anxiety.’
Tagovailoa collided with Bills safety Hamlin in the open field and led with his head instead of sliding. The signal caller went down after the collision, slamming his head on the Hard Rock turf.
As the signal caller exited the game, McDaniel demonstrated his close bond with his players as he planted a kiss on Tagovailoa’s head.
The head coach opened up on the emotional moment as he revealed what he said to the quarterback.
‘He’s the starting QB of his family,’ McDaniel told the media when asked what message he shared with the player. ‘Go in the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon.’
‘All I’m telling Tua is everyone is counting on you to be a dad this weekend,’ added McDaniel.
Tagovailoa has now suffered three known concussions in the NFL, after his 2022 season was cut short by head injuries.
In Week 3 of that year, he was rocked by a huge tackle and went into the fencing response, but later returned to the game.
In Week 4, he exhibited concussion symptoms again after another brutal hit and was stretchered from the field.
Later in the season, in Week 16, he suffered yet another concussion, which ended his season, and sparked a change to the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Tagovailoa didn’t miss a game in the 2023 season after bulking up over the summer, but he reported for the most recent preseason with a significantly slimmed-down frame.
