Miami, Sept 15 V7N - Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during the Dolphins' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. This marked Tagovailoa's third confirmed concussion in his five NFL seasons. The injury occurred in the third quarter when Tagovailoa collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin while scrambling for a first down. His head made contact with Hamlin's arm, and after being attended to by medical staff, Tagovailoa was taken to the locker room. Skylar Thompson replaced him for the remainder of the game.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel reported that Tagovailoa was in good spirits postgame and was headed home rather than to a hospital. However, McDaniel emphasized that the focus is on Tagovailoa's health and recovery rather than setting a timeline for his return. Further testing was planned for Friday.

Tagovailoa's history with concussions has raised concerns, especially following two incidents in the 2022 season. In a Week 3 game against the Bills, Tagovailoa initially returned to the field after what was termed a back injury, despite showing signs of a head injury. Just days later, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he suffered a severe concussion, leading to a "fencing response" and requiring him to be taken off the field on a stretcher. That incident prompted changes in the NFL’s concussion protocol, including the firing of the independent neurotrauma consultant involved in clearing Tagovailoa to return to the field.

The Dolphins and the NFL will likely monitor Tagovailoa's condition closely as he undergoes further evaluation.

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