Tua Tagovailoa suffered the fourth documented concussion of his football career in Week 2 of the current NFL season. The Miami Dolphins’ star got hurt against the Buffalo Bills after lowering his head to fight for first-down yardage.
Tagovailoa was placed on the injured reserve and missed the next four games. The Dolphins went 1-3 in his absence, and the quarterback’s injury derailed their season. Tagovailoa was recently asked by PFN Wednesday about the Dolphins’ subpar record (5-7), and he took full responsibility for it.
Fans Lauded Tua Tagovailoa for Taking Responsibility
“Nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself,” said Tagovailoa about the team’s record. “Obviously, putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down, basically leaving my guys out to dry. That’s what I would say. Anyone can have an opinion about football, it’s this, it’s that, you know, I do take heart to that as well. Don’t wanna do that to my guys again.”
The Dolphins fans loved the fact that their quarterback acted like a leader and took it upon himself to take the blame for a difficult season. Here’s how they reacted:
This guy has grown a lot. Albeit little missteps but we got a good one 🤝 https://t.co/uDpX6b1JgX
— JMack🐬🦃 (@jmackalack) December 4, 2024
“How can you not love this guy?” said one fan.
“This is exactly what you want from a Franchise QB and leader,” wrote another fan.
Like him or not, this is what you want in a franchise QB.
Is Tua flawed? Absolutely. But this right here showed me 2 qualities Tua has that ARod doesn't (one more so than the other):
ACCOUNTABILITY & LEADERSHIPTua getting hurt wrecked our szn. Hopefully he learns from it. https://t.co/5NfXR7BXso
— Jonathan Gumble 🐧Do The WADDLE!🐧 & 🐬⬆️ Always! (@STOP_Gumbytime) December 4, 2024
Another fan added, “So glad he’s playing again.”
“Leader of men. Puts the blame solely on him for this season so far, even tho it’s not really his fault for trying to make a play, and things just happen, unfortunately,” said one fan while praising Tagovailoa.
Man he’s such a good dude. He’s played well. No way the blame is on him.
— Jessie (@tram2022) December 4, 2024
Apart from Tagovailoa, star players have also missed time. Bradley Chubb is yet to make his season debut as he is still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered last year, whereas Jaelan Phillips suffered a season-ending knee injury for the second straight season earlier this year.
However, Tua’s health hasn’t been the only significant storyline. The Dolphins lost 30-17 against the Green Bay Packers last week, further fueling the narrative of Miami’s players being soft and unable to get results in cold weather.
With the loss in Green Bay, Tagovailoa is now 0-8 in games where the temperature is 45 or lower. This is a concerning stat for the team because if they want to win the Super Bowl, they need to learn how to play in cold weather. The AFC runs through cold-weather cities like Buffalo, Kansas City, and Baltimore, where the team has usually struggled.
The Dolphins’ Season Is Likely Over
The Dolphins’ season has been a disappointment, and they have a very low probability of making the playoffs. With just five weeks left in the season, Miami is 2.5 games behind the Denver Broncos, who currently have the last Wild Card spot in the AFC.
Even if Tagovailoa’s team wins the rest of its matches, there is no guarantee the Dolphins will make the postseason. These are Miami’s remaining matchups for the season:
- Week 14: vs. New York Jets
- Week 15: at Houston Texans
- Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers
- Week 17: at Cleveland Browns
- Week 18: at New York Jets
Although the Jets have been one of the worst teams in the NFL this season, it will be hard for the Dolphins to beat them twice in five weeks. Notably, Miami will finish the season with two extremely cold weather games at Cleveland and New York, where Tagovailoa will have an opportunity to counteract the narrative.
But, the way the Dolphins have played this year, it will be hard for them to get those results.