Well, the Miami Dolphins have made their decision — at least for one week.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be out of action in a Jan. 1 road game against the New England Patriots after suffering a concussion in the Christmas day loss to the Green Bay Packers, according to a Dec. 28 announcement from head coach Mike McDaniel.
McDaniel also announced that Teddy Bridgewater will be filling in for Tagovailoa.
The Dolphins starting quarterback told team doctors Dec. 26 that he was feeling concussion-like symptoms. McDaniel agreed, so Miami immediately placed Tagovailoa on the National Football League’s (NFL) concussion protocol.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said Dec. 27 that Tagovailoa showed no injury behaviors nor had he reported any symptoms “that would have triggered the (league’s concussion) protocol” during the game against Green Bay.
The Dolphins will start QB Teddy Bridgewater when they face the Patriots on Sunday, head coach Mike McDaniel announced.
Starter Tua Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol for the second time this season.https://t.co/lNp2MCcF1A
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 28, 2022
I figured this was going to happen, and just wrote about it recently. If you want to read my views about Tua Tagovailoa and the issue surrounding his concussion (as well as my Dolphins being screwed with Teddy Bridgewater), you can read that here.
I want to address something else about this entire situation that has been bothering me since my last Dolphins piece: Literally everybody in the league (and outside of the league) feels the need to say something to my Miami Dolphins about how we should run our team.
Look, I get that head trauma issues should be taken very seriously, again, I just wrote about it. But now we have all of these different figures telling us what to do.
No, I don’t like that at all. I was cool with Robert Griffin III at first, because he would know better than anybody with the whole “preserve your body” mindset, but now we’re getting to the point where it’s absolutely ridiculous.
Just check out this guy Aaron Rodgers, for example:
“I like the kid & the way he goes about his business.. I hope he makes the right decision for him & I know he will”@AaronRodgers12 chats about Tua Tagovailoa being back in concussion protocol #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/TnUApL5wU8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 27, 2022
This is coming from the same guy who gave the entire media a spelling lesson with the whole ‘R-E-L-A-X’ episode when the press was trying to get him to freak out over a bad start to the 2014 season.
In the words of my British-sounding New Zealander wife: “The cheek!”
Aaron, you didn’t like it when people were telling you and the Packers what to do. The same deal applies here. Yes, I agree that Tua Tagovailoa should probably be shut down for the rest of the season after being placed into the NFL’s concussion protocol twice this season, but let us make that decision. And this goes out to everybody, I’m not just singling out Aaron Rodgers. (RELATED: Legendary Defensive End J.J. Watt Announces Retirement From NFL)
Just chill, people. R-E-L-A-X as Aaron likes to spell out.
This is our team, our quarterback, worry about your own.
Sorry, but I don’t like how my Dolphins are being ganged up on in this entire ordeal.