After incurring two documented concussions this season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is doing everything he can to avoid more in the future, including an idea to learn “how to fall” better after hits.
Tagovailoa is in Arizona for Super Bowl LVII and spoke with the “Up & Adams” show about the season and his recent recovery. The QB was in the concussion protocol well after the season ended just to get the best treatment and information on his brain health possible.
During the conversation, he revealed a unique plan that will include him partaking in a specific martial art to try and learn better ways to fall and avoid banging his head against the turf after QB hits and sack:
“We got like a plan set up, I’ll be doing Judo on Fridays just so that I can kind of figure out; you know, understanding my body and how to fall.”
The 2022 season started off so well for Tagovailoa. However, it all quickly changed in a Week 4 game against the Bengals when he was knocked out during a sack and left laying in a scary position on the field. The moment became a scandal for the Miami Dolphins and the NFL because Tagovailoa also seemed to suffer an undiagnosed concussion in a matchup with the Bills the week before but was allowed to finish the game.
After missing two weeks while in the league’s concussion protocol, the 24-year-old returned and had some big games over the next 10 weeks. Unfortunately, he suffered another incident of brain trauma in Week 16. This time it forced him out for the final two games and the Dolphins’ wild-card game in the NFL playoffs.
Concussions becomes easier to get and harder to recover from the more frequently they occur, and with Tagovailoa such a key member of the roster, the Miami Dolphins and their young QB are going to some unusual lengths to maintain his brain health going forward.
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