Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are reportedly placing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after he suffered a concussion in the team's Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the decision was made "in order to give him ample time to progress through the stages of concussion protocol and meet with outside neurologists."

That means Tagovailoa cannot return until the Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals at the earliest, although Garafolo explained "the Dolphins are committed to placing no timeline on him as he works through a deliberate process and eventual return to play."

Injuries have yet again become the central storyline of Tagovailoa's season after he left the Week 2 game with a concussion, the third time he's been diagnosed with a concussion in the past three seasons. This time around, it appeared as though he may have been temporarily knocked unconscious on the field after a collision with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

"Crushed. I hate to see him like that," Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson told reporters at the time. "Even with his history already with that type of stuff, I hate to see it. I hate that it was him rushing out the pocket. Wish I could get that back for all of us. I could have been better."

In the 2022 season, Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground against the Bills and was seen stumbling back to the huddle and left the game briefly, though he was eventually cleared to return with what was deemed a back injury. The situation quickly earned widespread attention, with speculation that a concussion went undiagnosed, and the NFL fired the unaffiliated neurological consultant who cleared his return to play.

Four days later, Tagovailoa was knocked unconscious in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and diagnosed with a concussion. He missed two games before returning to action, only to suffer another one in a late December game against the Green Bay Packers. The Dolphins shut him down for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.

His concussion against the Bills this season led to public discussions about whether Tagovailoa should consider retirement, though reporting at the time suggested he had no plans to do so. But there is going to be an added layer of scrutiny and attention, however, given his history.

Skylar Thompson is expected to start in his absence.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was unsure when asked about quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's potential placement on injured reserve.

According to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe, McDaniels said that there isn't enough information to determine a possible IR stint and the team will know more in the coming days. Tagovailoa is also expected to continue seeing outside specialists.

The signal-caller exited the Dolphins' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday with a concussion after attempting to scramble for a first down and colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

This is the third time in three seasons that Tagovailoa has entered concussion protocol, with two of them occurring in 2022

While McDaniel wasn't able to provide an update on the quarterback's IR status, he revealed that Tagovailoa was in a positive mood as he recovers.

"He's downstairs today, smiling with his teammates," he said, per Pro Football Network's Adam Beasley. "As far as I'm concerned, you're in the protocol and he's doing well today and we take it day by day."

McDaniel declined to speak on his future, though.

"It's of the utmost importance for Tua to speak on Tua's career," he added, via Beasley.

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported on Sunday that Tagovailoa "would like to continue playing and doesn't have any plans to retire" after his latest concussion.

The Dolphins are seemingly expecting the former No. 5 pick in the 2020 draft to miss some time, signing quarterback Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Monday.

Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension with Miami in July after earning the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2023. He finished with a record of 11-6 in 17 starts, completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 4,624 yards and 29 touchdowns as well as 14 interceptions.

Tua. Tyreek. Too easy.

📺: #BUFvsMIA on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/GqJJdyI3EW pic.twitter.com/tveAaxFaga

— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2024

Skylar Thompson is expected to start under center for the Dolphins until Tagovailoa is able to possibly return.

The wife of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa spoke with his brother midway through the team's Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills to say he was "OK" after suffering a concussion, according to The MMQB's Albert Breer.

Breer added that Annah Tagovailoa made an "acknowledgment that there was a lot of uncertainty ahead."

The Dolphins star suffered a concussion when he dove forward on a run in the third quarter against Buffalo. ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques noted he "immediately went into a fencing response with his arms in an unnatural position."

Concussions are considered in a far more serious tone than they were in the past thanks to the wider awareness of their long-term health effects.

Tagovailoa has been diagnosed with three of them since entering the NFL in 2020, and he had one as a junior at Alabama in 2019. It didn't take long for a chorus of voices to not just express concern for the 26-year-old but question whether he should keep playing at all.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Tagovailoa "has no plans to retire" and he's lining up meetings with specialists to identify the best courses of action moving forward.

The southpaw is coming off a career year in 2023. He led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) and threw for 29 touchdowns to earn his first Pro Bowl nod. He then parlayed that into a $212.4 million extension.

All of the football considerations are taking a back seat, though, due to the gravity of the present situation.

The Miami Dolphins signed quarterback Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad on Monday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

The #Dolphins are signing former Pro Bowl QB Snoop Huntley off the #Ravens practice squad, per sources.

With Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol, Skylar Thompson is in line to start Sunday at Seattle, and now Huntley could be a factor in coming weeks as well. pic.twitter.com/VYlU3v3GOo

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 16, 2024

Head coach Mike McDaniel discussed the move in his press conference, explaining that Skylar Thompson remains the starter while Tua Tagovailoa is unavailable and Huntley will only provide additional depth:

"This was not a move to in any way, shape or form out of anything not that has to do with Skylar. Our team going all the way back to his first rep in rookie minicamp as a rookie to down the stretch of the 2022 season to what he was able to do to win the No. 2 job, this is not in any direct reflection to Skylar as Tua's backup. This is more for the depth. I do think that it helps the dynamics of the room to give another guy with starting history to this team and gives another added addition of a guy that's a signal-caller that a team can get behind."

The Pro Bowl passer initially signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in March but joined the Ravens after he was released by the Browns on Aug. 29.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa exited the team's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday due to a concussion. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that he expects Tagovailoa to miss at least one game before he's able to return.

The addition of Huntley doesn't come as a large surprise, with McDaniel revealing that the team planned to bring in another signal-caller in the wake of Tagovailoa's injury (via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press).

The former No. 5 overall pick appeared in all 17 contests with Miami in 2023, but he missed multiple games during the 2022 season after suffering two diagnosed concussions.

As for Huntley, he already has nine regular-season starts and one playoff start under his belt. In 11 total appearances over the past two years, he's completed 64.4 percent of his throws for 861 yards and five touchdowns compared to three interceptions. Huntley has also rushed for 192 yards on 58 attempts over that same span.

Huntley finds Likely and the @Ravens are on the board

📺: #PITvsBAL on ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/WxnOXJY8R6 pic.twitter.com/PNuV0yMjR4

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2024

He helped the Ravens maintain a playoff spot in 2022 after Lamar Jackson missed time due to a PCL injury, earning a Pro Bowl nod.

While Huntley becomes familiar with Miami's offense, Skylar Thompson is expected to start under center in Week 3. Thompson stepped in for Tagovailoa against Buffalo, finishing 8-of-14 for 80 yards.

"What's going to lie ahead, who knows, but man, I'm confident, though," Thompson said on Thursday, per Reynolds. "I feel like I'm ready for whatever's to come. I'm going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job."

With Tagovailoa's status uncertain moving forward, the Dolphins added some more depth to their quarterback room on Monday.

Tom Brady is at the start of his broadcasting career with Fox, and he reportedly isn't going to come out of retirement to fill in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa on the Miami Dolphins.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported as much during Sunday's episode of NFL Countdown while also revealing Tagovailoa "would like to continue playing and doesn't have any plans to retire" even after suffering the third confirmed concussion of his NFL career during Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

"He's 26 years old," Schefter said. "When he went through this before, he had no desire to retire. My understanding is he still would like to continue playing and doesn't have any plans to retire. That is going into the meeting with the neurologist, which will help give him more information, which will help him make an informed decision.

"The Dolphins are sitting back and waiting to see what happens with Tua in these meetings and what comes out of them, and while I'm sure they've had to discuss how to proceed forward, I don't think they've had any significant discussions about replacements for Tua at this point in time when Mike McDaniel himself has said that Skylar Thompson is the expected starter for their next game against the Seattle Seahawks.

"And I know a lot of people suggested Tom Brady, bringing him out of retirement, that's not going to happen with Tom Brady going to Miami."

The report comes after Darius Butler, who played with Brady on the New England Patriots, shared an image of the all-time great in a Dolphins jersey:

Yurrr @TomBrady Miami is beautiful this time a year! ☀️🌊🌴 #GoFins pic.twitter.com/yniInvZjJP

— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) September 13, 2024

It wasn't long ago that the Dolphins were connected to Brady so much they were punished.

As ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques noted in August 2022, Miami was stripped of its 2023 first-round pick and 2024 third-round pick for violating the league's anti-tampering policy because of conversations with Brady and then-New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton.

Team owner Stephen Ross was also fined $1.5 million and suspended.

Brady never played for Miami and instead finished his career with three seasons on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after starring in New England for 20 seasons. In all, he retired with an unbelievable resume that included seven Super Bowl titles, five Super Bowl MVPs, three league MVPs and 15 Pro Bowl nods.

As for the Dolphins, their immediate future at quarterback is somewhat uncertain given Tagovailoa's injury history. He suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 season and was stretchered off the field in one of them. While he played all 17 games last season, he suffered another one Thursday.

Schefter echoed the sentiments that the team plans on starting Skylar Thompson during the upcoming game against the Seattle Seahawks, which follows head coach Mike McDaniel's comments.

"I don't know what our timeline is. I'm not concerned with that," McDaniel told reporters after Thursday's game. "We played Skylar as a rookie and with the season on the line, and found a way to win an elimination game and go toe-to-toe with this very same organization in a playoff game. I think that he's a much better player than he was then. Those are things that the team feels—I think guys really believe in Skylar, so I have the utmost confidence in him."

He also told reporters Thompson is the "next man up."

Thompson went 1-1 as a starter during the 2022 regular season and then threw one touchdown and two interceptions during a playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will meet with neurologists this week, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

"Tagovailoa will be seeking their input into the severity of his latest concussion and the cumulative effect of the ones he has suffered in the past to make the most informed decision about his future, sources said," the report read.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport later reported Tagovailoa that has no plans to retire following the latest concussion:

From @NFLGameDay: #Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say. He’s already begun seeing concussion specialists and will continue to do so, but there is no timeline to return. Tua will be back when he and his doctors deem him healthy and ready. pic.twitter.com/Cc6aQI8HcZ

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 15, 2024

ESPN's Adam Schefter provided a similar report on Sunday NFL Countdown, stating that Tagovailoa has no plans to retire heading into his meetings with the neurologist:

He's 26 years old. When he went through this before, he had no desire to retire. My understanding is he still would like to continue playing and doesn't have any plans to retire. That is going into the meeting with the neurologist, which will help give him more information, which will help him make an informed decision. The Dolphins are sitting back and waiting to see what happens with Tua in these meetings and what comes out of them, and while I'm sure they've had to discuss how to proceed forward, I don't think they've had any significant discussions about replacements for Tua at this point in time when Mike McDaniel himself has said that Skylar Thompson is the expected starter for their next game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Tagovailoa left the Dolphins' Thursday night loss to the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter after a scramble on a fourth down.

The quarterback lowered his head at the end of the seven-yard gain before colliding hard with Bills defender Damar Hamlin.

Shortly after, the Dolphins announced Tagovailoa had been ruled out with a concussion.

Tua Tagovailoa took a hard hit to the head but was able to walk off the field on his own.

He's been ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion, the Dolphins announced. pic.twitter.com/50rdxenOdE

— ESPN (@espn) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa has a history of head injuries, including multiple concussions that limited him to 13 games in 2022.

The Dolphins and the NFL faced criticism that season after Tagovailoa, four days removed from after being cleared to return to play following a potential head injury in a game, was taken to a hospital after suffering a concussion in the following contest.

The incident caused the NFL and NFLPA to adjust their concussion protocol and is likely to lead the Dolphins to exercise caution in Tagovailoa's return to the field.

Tagovailoa had gone 17-of-25 for 145 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions prior to leaving the Week 2 game. He struggled early in the loss, throwing two picks in the first quarter for the first time in 55 career outings.

During the team's season opener Tagovailoa went 23-of-37 for 338 yards and a touchdown to lead the Dolphins to a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Tagovailoa, 26, thrived during his first fully healthy season for the Dolphins in 2023 as he led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while racking up 29 touchdowns.

The 26-year-old quarterback recently agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract, which will kick in before the 2025 season.

With Tagovailoa sidelined, Miami is leaning on Skylar Thompson as the starting quarterback for the time being.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is reportedly considering taking advantage of the recent decision to allow private equity firms to purchase stakes in NFL franchises.

Ross is "in talks" to sell a stake of up to 15 percent of the Dolphins to private equity firms at a franchise valuation of more than $7 billion, sources told Lauren Hirsch and Ken Belson of the New York Times.

The transaction would also involve the sale of partial ownership stakes in Formula One's Miami Grand Prix as well as in Hard Rock Stadium, per the Times.

Forbes ranked the Dolphins as the 11th-most lucrative NFL franchise with a valuation of $6.2 billion as of August.

The addition of stakes in the F1 race and arena could drive up the price of the sale and lead to an overall increase in NFL franchise valuations, according to the New York Times report.

The sale could be be approved during the NFL's annual owners meeting in Dallas this December, according to the Times.

NFL owners met in Minneapolis last month to vote in approval of a rule change which would allow private equity to own up to a 10 percent stake in a franchise.

Ross is hoping to avoid hitting the limit by working with "wealthy individual partners" who "would help private equity buyers exceed that cap," according to the Times report.

Several firms were approved by the NFL to purchase franchise stakes at the time of the vote. One of those companies, Arctos Partners, is reportedly one of the buyers involved in the potential Dolphins sale.

The firm also owns a minority of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, although they are expected to sell some or all of the stake, per Chris Smith of Sports Business Journal.

Ross reportedly previously attempted to sell a stake in the Dolphins to hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin. The incomplete sale reportedly put the valuation of the team and stadium at $7.5 billion.

The controlling owner of the Dolphins since 2009, Ross recently turned down a $10 billion offer for a controlling stake in the team, arena and F1 race, USA Today's Safid Deen reported in May.

If Ross successfully sells the minority stake in the Dolphins, he will join several other NFL owners reportedly looking to cash in on the new rules. The Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers are also exploring potential sales to private equity firms, Giles Turner and Randall Williams recently reported for Bloomberg.

Tua Tagovailoa's college coach hopes the Miami Dolphins quarterback will follow whatever advice he receives from doctors after suffering another concussion during Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (starts at :40 mark), Nick Saban explained that Tagovailoa's NFL future has to be determined by a "medical decision" from his doctors based on the information they glean from his test results.

"Tua is such a great competitor and he's a great person..

I think Tua and his family should listen to all the medical evidence and they shouldn't be influenced by anybody else" ~ Nick Saban #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/FXAnUWAzOP

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the third quarter when he lowered his head on a scramble for a first down. He ran into the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin before falling to the turf.

Skylar Thompson finished the game for Miami at quarterback. Head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Friday he didn't want to get into any speculation about Tagovailoa's playing future:

"I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject, and it's more in line of actually caring about the human being. You're talking about his career—his career is his ... I just wish that people would for a second hear what I'm saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I'm going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind because you don't, what do you think?"

This marks the third time since the start of the 2022 season that Tagovailoa has been officially diagnosed with a concussion.

During the 2022 season, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to update the league's concussion protocol in response to Tagovailoa being allowed to reenter a Week 3 game against the Bills after suffering an apparent head injury.

The Dolphins initially reported Tagovailoa was being evaluated for a head injury, but McDaniel said during his postgame press conference his quarterback was dealing with a lower-back issue.

Tagovailoa corroborated the story: "Kind of got my legs caught under someone, they were trying to push back and it felt like I hyper-extended my back or something. It kind of hurt. I got up, and that's kind of why I stumbled. My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I'm good. Passed whatever concussion protocol they had."

Last season marked the first time in Tagovailoa's career he started every game since entering the NFL in 2020.

Saban coached Tagovailoa at Alabama for three seasons from 2017 to '19. He went 20-2 as a starter and appeared in 32 games. Tagovailoa finished second to Kyler Murray in Heisman voting for the 2018 season.

After Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce voiced his concerns for the player's long-term health.

While speaking to reporters Friday, Pierce said he would advise Tagovailoa to retire.

"He's going to live longer than he's going to play football," Pierce said. "Take care of your family"

Pierce was not alone in expressing his concern, as multiple NFL personalities suggested that Tua evaluate whether he should continue playing football following the scary instance on Thursday night:

Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it dwn. I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him. #BillsFins #ThursdayNightFootball.

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 13, 2024

That’s it….

NFL go ahead and do the right thing

Tua has had entirely way too many concussions

He need to retire for his longevity health concerns

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 13, 2024

Part of the discussion is going to be about if he should play anymore. Ever again. That’s the reality. That makes me feel sick. But it’s part of the discussion now. Just want the man to be safe and healthy. Damn.

— Louis Riddick (@LRiddickESPN) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa exited the game against Buffalo in the third quarter after he scrambled for a first down and crashed into Bills safety Damar Hamlin before his head bounced off the turf. He was examined by Miami's medical staff for several minutes on the field before walking off under his own power. It was his third diagnosed concussion in the past two years.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel also addressed the subject of Tagovailoa retiring while speaking to reporters on Friday. McDaniel said he "totally understands" the concerns over the 26-year-old's health, but he feels it's not an appropriate time to speculate on a significant decision for his career.

"I think it would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject, and it's more in line of actually caring about the human being," McDaniel said. "You're talking about his career—his career is his ... I just wish that people would for a second hear what I'm saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I'm going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind because you don't, what do you think?"

McDaniel added that Tagovailoa is a safe bet to not play in Miami's Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson would get the start in Tagovailoa's absence.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has no interest in focusing on when Tua Tagovailoa might return to the football field after suffering a concussion in Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, McDaniel explained he told Tagovailoa he's "the starting quarterback of his family" while walking with him off the field to the sideline during the game.

Mike McDaniel told Tua in this moment :

"He’s the starting quarterback of his family. Go in the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon"

Powerful ❤️ pic.twitter.com/K65pyVAoQL

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa was injured late in the third quarter when he scrambled for a first down on fourth-and-4. He lowered his head and it collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin's chest.

The Dolphins quarterback fell to the ground hard and appeared to hit the back of his head on the turf. He was diagnosed with a concussion and replaced by Skylar Thompson for the remainder of the game.

This is the third diagnosed concussion has suffered since entering the NFL in 2020. The first two came during the 2022 season, including one that occurred in the second quarter of a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers.

Tagovailoa wound up playing the entire game against the Packers. McDaniel said afterward the coaching staff didn't notice anything in the moment that made them question if he was injured, and it was only when reviewing the game tape they saw a change that was concerning.

"There were some things that caused us to really prod," McDaniel explained, "and as a result we felt that he needed to see medical professionals."

That concussion kept Tagovailoa out of action for the final two games of the regular season, as well as Miami's 34-31 loss to the Bills in the AFC Wild Card game.

Tagovailoa started every game last season for the first time in his career. He led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and set a career-high with 29 touchdown passes.

Thompson will be in line to start for the Dolphins when they play in Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22 if Tagovailoa is unable to play.