Tua Tagovailoa injury: Mike McDaniel clarifies QB’s symptoms, responds to handling situation differently
By Keith Farner
Published:
Tua Tagovailoa indeed had a headache on Thursday night, and still does, his coach, Mike McDaniel, told reporters on Friday afternoon.
McDaniel also said he wouldn’t have done anything differently in handling Tagovailoa’s injury from Sunday because the quarterback passed all the protocols for a head injury.
McDaniel said he didn’t see anything different about Tagovailoa that would have indicated a head injury.
“I’m in steady communication with this guy day in and day out,” the coach said. “And we’re talking about high-level stuff…there was no medical indication (of a head injury).”
If McDaniel had put Tagovailoa in harm’s way with a head injury, he said, “I wouldn’t have been able to live (with) myself.”
Mike McDaniel said he talked to Tua today and said Tua was saying he didn’t want to miss games. McDaniel said, “Don’t even think about a game. Let’s just think about doing everything the right way, to listen, to get opinions that you need and let’s worry about you and your head.”
— Adam Lichtenstein (@ABLichtenstein) September 30, 2022
McDaniel also deflected a question about putting Tagovailoa on injured reserve.
“I’m not even thinking about timetables as a player,” he said. “It’s about Tua as a person. We’re just worried about him getting healthy and getting all of the testing done. We’ll cross the bridge on timetables.”
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel speaking now. Says Tua Tagovailoa told everyone on the plane last night he had a headache and still does.
McDaniel says he believes the MRI is concluding now.
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) September 30, 2022
Mike McDaniel when asked about the possibility about putting Tua on IR: “I’m not even thinking about timetables as a player. It’s about Tua as a person. We’re just worried about him getting healthy and getting all of the testing done. We’ll cross the bridge on timetables.”
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) September 30, 2022
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
