Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel 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 crashed to the turf during the third quarter of the Miami Dolphins’ loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The quarterback appeared to go straight for the fencing response, before the cameras quickly zoomed out from the incident, leading many fans and even former NFL players to call for Tagovailoa’s retirement.
However, McDaniel, who is in his third year as Miami’s head coach, took a different stance on his player’s future.
“I think it would be a mistake for me to even bring that up,” the 41-year-old said when pressed about the possibility of Tagovailoa retiring from the game.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has weighed in on calls for Tua Tagovailoa to retire
Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills safety Damar Hamlin late in the third quarter on Thursday.
“It’s more about caring about the human being. You’re talking about his career. His career is his own.
‘I completely understand why people want to get to that point. I just wish, for a second, that people would listen to what I’m saying: that talking about his future is not what’s best for him.
‘I’m going to ask everyone who really cares to let that be the last thing on their mind.
‘If I answered that question and he read it, whether he agreed or not, that would make it worse.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate because of my concern and consideration. I don’t think those kinds of conversations are appropriate when talking about someone’s career… I think it’s only fair that their career is decided by themselves.”
McDaniel admitted that Miami has a plan for the short-term future. The coach revealed that the team will move forward with backup quarterback Skylar Thompson, but will add another quarterback to provide 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 evaluate what this means from a football standpoint,” McDaniel added. “Deadlines create anxiety.”
The Dolphins quarterback suffered a concussion, the third known of his NFL career.
McDaniel said the team would move forward with backup quarterback Skylar Thompson.
Tagovailoa collided with Bills safety Hamlin in the open field and headed forward instead of sliding. The quarterback fell after the collision and hit his head on the Hard Rock turf.
As the quarterback left the game, McDaniel demonstrated his close bond with his players by giving Tagovailoa a kiss on the head.
The head coach spoke about the emotional moment as he revealed what he told the quarterback.
“He’s the starting quarterback in his family,” McDaniel told reporters when asked what message he wanted to give the player. “Go into the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon.”
“All I tell Tua is that everyone is counting on you to be a dad this weekend,” McDaniel added.
Tagovailoa has already suffered three known concussions in the NFL after his 2022 season was cut short by head injuries.
As the quarterback left the field, McDaniel planted an emotional kiss on his head.
In Week 3 of that year, he was hit by a nasty tackle and had to fight back, but he later returned to the game.
In Week 4, he again exhibited concussion symptoms after another brutal hit and was taken off the field on a stretcher.
Later in the season, in Week 16, he suffered another concussion, which ended his season and prompted a change in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Tagovailoa did not miss a game in the 2023 season after bulking up over the summer, but he showed up for the most recent preseason with a significantly slimmer frame.
