Stephen A. Smith blasts NFL, Dolphins over handling of Tua Tagovailoa

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has become the latest media personality to blast the NFL and the Miami Dolphins over their handling of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this past season. 

"It was mishandled. It was exposed," Smith said about the situation during Thursday's edition of the "First Take" program, per Brandon Contes of Awful Announcing. "And I take no pleasure in saying this…but it’s important to point out, and there’s no easy way to have this kind of conversation. It’s an easy argument to make that his life is on the line when he steps out on the field. And we’re not talking about just because you’re playing in the NFL." 

Tagovailoa suffered what was publicly called back and ankle soreness in a Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills and was carted off the field with a reported concussion just four days later during a contest at the Cincinnati Bengals. He later entered the concussion protocol following a Christmas Day matchup and remained in the protocol for over a month. 

On Wednesday, Tagovailoa acknowledged he considered retirement after the second reported concussion due to fears related to his head injuries. 

"He had a concussion in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills and they didn’t treat it as such," Smith alleged. "What happened with him was criminal. He should have never, ever been allowed to stay on the field, even though he survived that game that Miami won (against Buffalo), and he certainly shouldn’t have been allowed on the field that Thursday night against Cincinnati, when another hit, where his head hit the turf and it looked like rigor mortis had kicked in and his fingers were contorted, and his body froze. It was a scary, scary sight to see." 

The NFL and NFL Players Association made changes to the league's concussion protocols in October following Miami's Week 4 game at the Bengals. That same month, Tagovailoa admitted he didn't "remember much" from shortly after the hit that caused his concussion in Cincinnati. 

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier suggested Wednesday the team is in no hurry to sign Tagovailoa to a long-term extension after it picked up the signal-caller's fifth-year option that locks him down through the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Tom Brady sounds ready to at least answer the phone if Grier decides to call TB12 about playing this fall.