-
Marcel Louis-JacquesESPN
MIAMI — Speaking Wednesday for the primary time since maintaining a concussion on Sept. 29, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa mentioned he recollects maximum of that night time however lost consciousness after a hit that despatched him to a clinic.
He used to be concussed in Miami’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 when he hit his head at the flooring whilst looking to lengthen a play, and used to be in brief hospitalized earlier than being discharged and returning to Florida with the workforce after the sport.
Tagovailoa mentioned he does not take into accout what took place instantly after hitting his head at the flooring and shedding consciousness however does take into accout being pushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center by the use of ambulance, in addition to his shuttle again to Miami together with his teammates early the following morning.
“I wouldn’t say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn’t really tell what was going on,” he mentioned. “When I did come to and kind of realized what was going on and what was happening, I didn’t think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened.”
Dolphins trainer Mike McDaniel mentioned Monday that it is within the quarterback’s aggressive nature to take a look at to increase performs — however he spoke with Tagovailoa about spotting when it is time to concede and throw the ball away.
Tagovailoa mentioned that even if it is all the time been his mindset to make one thing occur when he’s at the box, he must be informed when to just accept {that a} play is useless.
“Throwing the ball away hasn’t been something that I’ve done in the past really well,” he mentioned. “Because I’m trying to make plays, and so just learning from that — if it’s not there, it’s OK to throw it away. It’s the longevity of me just being able to be the quarterback for this team and not try to make something out of nothing.
“Plays will come to us, and that is the reason more or less what our mantra for our offense is.”
Tagovailoa said the support he has received since the concussion stands out most to him about the events of the past few weeks.
Beyond the messages and tweets from fellow players around the league, Tagovailoa said his neighbors brought over baked goods, candies and notes and artwork from their kids — all of which, he said, made him and his family feel the support from his community.
What made his nearly two weeks away from football difficult, however, was having to stand by idly as the Dolphins skidded to a three-game losing streak in his absence. Tagovailoa was present throughout the facility while in concussion protocol and sought to help however he could. But it was frustrating not being able to help out on the field.
“There’s issues you’ll be able to do within the locker room to stay the fellows inspired, to stay the fellows going motivated,” he said. “But it sucks. As a competitor, I need to be available in the market with the fellows. I would like as a way to cross available in the market and assist our guys win video games. And that is a horrible feeling that I may most effective watch from the sidelines.”
Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol Saturday, although he was not active for the Dolphins’ game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6. He is preparing as the team’s starter this week for Sunday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The NFL’s leader in QBR at the time of his injury in Week 4, Tagovailoa said the process of his return to the field was “beautiful anxious,” including his interviews with the NFL and NFLPA as part of their joint investigation into how his situation was handled.
The Dolphins have seen a sharp decline in their offensive efficiency without Tagovailoa on the field. Through the first three weeks of the season, they ranked first and second in the league in points per drive and offensive expected points added, respectively. In the time since, they’ve fallen to 28th in offensive EPA and 29th in points per drive.
It’s a similar situation as Tagovailoa faced last season, when he returned from a rib injury to a team on a four-game losing streak. He said that experience taught him not to press upon his return and that he is not solely responsible for the Dolphins’ success.
“I simply gotta be myself — I’m no longer the savior of this workforce,” he said. “I do not simply are available in and we commence profitable video games. It’s a workforce deal. The protection will get us stops, the offense is going and places issues at the board and the protection can assist put issues at the board in addition to particular groups. So for me, I simply have a look at it as entering this week and simply be myself. Don’t attempt to power the rest. Don’t attempt to make performs that are not there — simply give our playmakers the ball and allow them to cross to paintings.”