Mike McDaniel remains adamant that Tagovailoa did not suffer concussion during Sunday's contest versus Bills
Life comes at you fast when you're an NFL head coach.
Mike McDaniel spent the first three weeks of the NFL season in the limelight, basking in the glow of the team's 3-0 start. But in the wake of Tua Tagovailoa's scary second-quarter injury against the Cincinatti Bengals on Thursday night, McDaniel and the rest of the Dolphins front office will face scrutiny for how they handled the quarterback situation this week, especially considering Tagovailoa was pulled last Sunday for what was initially called a head injury.
While that scare was deemed to be back-related according to Tagovailoa and the team, the optics of these two events happening in back-to-back weeks will make the NFLPA's inquiry into last Sunday's incident have much higher stakes.
On the "Thursday Night Football" postgame show, former NFL champion offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth recalled his own incident of being tested for a concussion but being able to fake the test and make it back onto the field. While certainly not a sign of anything nefarious on the part of the Dolphins, it goes to show there remains a gap between what the NFL says their stance is on player health and what they allow to transpire during games.
For what it's worth, McDaniel remained adamant that Tagovailoa did not experience a concussion or other head-related injury a week ago during his post-game news conference.
Until the dust settles on the ongoing investigation, a full indictment will have to wait. And honestly, it's hard to know what the NFLPA can even uncover. Per the team's account, the Dolphins followed every protocol last Sunday.
If that turns out to be true, it might say more about the NFL's protocol than Tagovailoa's first incident.
McDaniel was the hottest coach in the NFL through three weeks. He might still be the hottest coach, but this time it's coming from his seat.
More must-reads: