Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa never planned to be the face of the NFL‘s 2023 concussion problem. And he wasn’t exactly thrilled that he became its avatar. But when you suffer (at least) two concussions in the span of three months — including one on national television that featured some truly frightening visuals — there’s not much you can do to change the narrative.
Perhaps this will: A new quarterback-specific helmet intended to lower the incidents of concussions like the ones Tagovailoa suffered in 2023.
New Helmet Could Help Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa’s two diagnosed concussions (plus a third incident that looked like a concussion, but Tua and Dolphins insist was not) were the result of the back of his head slamming into the ground.
The new VICIS ZERO2 MATRIX QB helmet, which has been approved for use in 2023, is designed to protect against those exact types of injuries. The league says research shows that this helmet performs 7% better in quarterback-specific testing than the leading competition did last season.
“Helmets customized to the unique experiences of a position group promotes player safety,” said Jeff Miller, NFL’s executive vice president overseeing player health and safety. “This is the next evolution in a rapidly advancing market for improved helmets. We’re proud to share the data necessary to design and build better equipment.”
It’s not immediately clear if Tua will wear the ZERO2 MATRIX helmet. But the league apparently thinks he should.
The NFL drafted a long release announcing the new technology and gives the model its full-throated endorsement.
Instead of a one-size-fits-all (literally) approach, the league believes customization of helmets for position groups is the better way to reduce head injuries.
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VICIS’ ZERO2 MATRIX QB reflects the findings of the voluminous game impact data the NFL collects throughout the season and is just the latest step toward customization.
The NFL already uses position-centric helmets for offensive and defensive linemen, including models that are among the highest-rated approved (per the union).
Tagovailoa missed parts of seven of the Dolphins’ 17 games last year — including their Wild Card playoff loss to the Bills — due to a series of high-profile head injuries. He wants to keep playing, however, and the Dolphins insist specialists he’s seen believe it is safe to do so.
But eliminating his concussions is of the highest priority inside Dolphins HQ. He even trained in jiu-jitsu this offseason to learn how to fall better after contact.
Tagovailoa should have no limitations when Miami begins their offseason conditioning program next week.
“I’m very excited,” Tagovailoa said last week of returning to work. “I think our entire team is excited to get back out there, get to meet a lot of the newer guys. A lot of the newer guys getting to meet guys that have been in this system for a whole year. It’s very exciting, and I think a lot of the fans, the community, everyone is very supportive. You can feel that support and everyone’s excited.
“Offseason training’s been good. Been working on strength in many areas and been chipping away at things that I felt like that I needed to work on to get to where I feel I can get to in the later parts of the season.”