Emotional week for Dolphins ends with Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion and uncertain future

MIAMI GARDENS, Florida – Earlier in this eventful week for the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel joked that enough people had seen him cry.

The Dolphins coach was referring to a news conference in which he fought back tears as he reflected on a controversial traffic stop involving Tyreek Hill hours before Miami’s season opener. Five days later, McDaniel sat down for another news conference less than 24 hours after a Thursday night game against the Buffalo Bills, and he again couldn’t hide his emotions.

Their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is in concussion protocol, dealing with his third concussion in three years after colliding head-first with defensive end Damar Hamlin and hitting the back of his head on the turf.

McDaniel ran onto the field to check on Tagovailoa, who got up after a few minutes and was helped to his feet by trainers. As McDaniel walked with Tagovailoa to the sideline, he kissed his quarterback on the side of the head.

“I told him he was the starting quarterback for his family,” McDaniel said Friday morning, speaking slowly and somberly as he recounted the moment, “and to go into the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon.”

Thursday’s game was partly about overcoming another emotional event that Miami players and coaches described as both triggering and unsettling.

All-Pro receiver Hill has been at the center of a renewed national debate over police use of force after body camera footage showed the traffic stop quickly escalated following a verbal argument between Hill and Miami-Dade police officers.

Hill rolled up his car window despite a police officer’s orders to leave it open. After a gunfight around the window, the video shows a police officer dragging Hill out of his car by the arm and head, then forcing him to lie face down on the ground near Hard Rock Stadium. The officers handcuffed Hill and one kneed him in the middle of his back.

The altercation and what was seen on the six officers’ body camera videos have once again brought to the forefront conversations around the Black experience with police.

“What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what that guy or those guys would have done,” Hill said hours after the incident. “I just wanted to make sure I did what my uncle always told me to do whenever I was in a situation like that: just listen, put your hands on the wheel and just listen. You have to be careful.”

Police Department Director Stephanie Daniels has placed Officer Danny Torres on administrative assignment and an internal investigation is underway. The department released the identity of Torres, a 27-year veteran of the department, on Tuesday.

Hill has since said he could have handled parts of the initial interaction better, but he and some teammates have also said they would be able to separate the incident from their football duties.

“I think that’s the beauty of the game,” offensive lineman Terron Armstead said. “You have the opportunity to escape the real world during that time slot. I think there’s no better place in the world for Tyreek to have that than in a locker room and a football game. That’s the beauty of the game, that you have the time to escape and enter a world that’s kind of a fantasy to us.”

Hill caught an 80-yard touchdown pass that helped Miami come from behind to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars that day, but Hill and the Dolphins weren’t able to replicate that magic Thursday.

Hill was held to three receptions and 24 yards, and Miami’s offense was stifled in a 31-10 loss to the Bills.

Losing to their division rivals again was bad enough. Buffalo has won 12 of the last 13 meetings between them. That disappointment was overshadowed by fear, uncertainty and worry for Tagovailoa.

“Those kinds of things, losses, they’re tough,” McDaniel said. “The ones that you really prepare for … they’re really tough and you put your heart into it. I consider Tua a family member. When family goes through something, you know what it’s like. You’re trying to think of a ton of different things that people are counting on me to think about. It’s not easy.”

Players from both teams immediately signaled to coaches when Tagovailoa went down after struggling for a first down.

Tagovailoa ended up on his back with both hands in the air. He appeared to be making a fist with his right hand as he lay on the ground. This movement was consistent with what is known as the “fencing reaction,” which can be common after a brain injury.

He was immediately diagnosed with a concussion — his third since joining the Dolphins as the fifth overall pick in 2020.

McDaniel said Friday there are more unknowns than certainties surrounding the situation at this point. He said the Dolphins will eventually bring in another quarterback, but he didn’t want to rush to judgment on any timetable or Tagovailoa’s NFL future.

“I for one will absolutely not do anything that would escalate the situation or injure any of our players,” McDaniel said, “especially the players that are in concussion protocol. Ironically, I think there are a lot of people that have a vested interest in the Miami Dolphins. There are a lot of fans and a lot of people that want to support them, but to question the timelines literally creates anxiety.”

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