The Miami Dolphins have shut down Tua Tagovailoa for Week 18 of the NFL season due to his concussion issues.
Tagovailoa suffered two documented concussions this season, and there were also questions about another play where he was injured earlier in the season. The second concussion was not diagnosed until a day after Miami’s Week 16 loss to Green Bay, meaning Tagovailoa played half the game after being concussed.
The Dolphins will likely bring back the No. 5 overall pick next season, which is the final season of his 4-year rookie contract with Miami, but with one condition.
The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson speculated on Twitter Saturday that the Dolphins will likely bring Tagovailoa back after he and the team agree for the young quarterback to wear a more protective helmet.
Such a development would not be surprising.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wrote during the week that the Dolphins believe Tagovailoa suffering so many concussions is not a coincidence. They believe that the quarterback has a tendency to have his head whip back and bounce off the turf hard.
In addition to a more protective helmet, maybe we could see Tua bring back a Bryan Cox neckroll.
Tagovailoa finished his regular season with 3,548 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, to go with a 105.5 passer rating.
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