Report: Tua Tagovailoa is still going through concussion protocol

The Miami Dolphins season has been over for well over a week, but quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is still dealing with the side effects from the concussion that he suffered in a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

According to his parents who spoke on the matter recently, Tagovailoa is still going through concussion protocol despite the fact that he suffered the injury over a month ago.

While it is good to hear that Tagovailoa is progressing well and that his family seems confident about his future in the NFL and in South Florida, it is undoubtedly worrisome to learn that he remains in concussion protocol.

To put things into perspective, players are often cleared through concussion protocol after a week or two. The severity of the injury and the related symptoms are tied to the length in which a player remains in protocol. The fact that Tagovailoa has remained in protocol for over a month now seems to indicate that the injury was indeed quite serious.

After all, there were reports following the Week 16 concussion that Tagovailoa had memory issues. Based on that and the fact that his Week 16 concussion was his second confirmed concussion of the season, it’s very likely that the Dolphins medical staff is taking it as slowly as possible with Tagovailoa.

The good news is that there appears to be a lot of confidence about his health going forward. One neurological doctor recently expressed his belief that with proper rest, Tagovailoa will be able to return to the football field without having to worry about an increased risk of concussions.

At the moment, the plan appears to be for Tagovailoa to lead the Dolphins once again in the 2023 season.

However, it is also impossible to ignore the recent rumors linking the Dolphins to potentially available quarterbacks around the NFL. Players like Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson have already been linked to the Dolphins. Those rumors may end up growing louder the longer Tagovailoa remains in protocol and the more his future is brought into doubt.

Of course, no matter what the future holds for Tagovailoa in South Florida, the hope on everyone’s end is that he is able to continue playing the game he loves while leading a healthy life. His health is obviously the priority right now, and that is the way things absolutely should be.