Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol. When will he come back?

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins linebacker Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion when he hit his head on the turf and underwent further testing on Friday.

Tagovailoa had a headache Thursday night and Friday morning, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. The team was still awaiting the results of an MRI scan, which McDaniel said was done “as an extra precaution” in addition to the CT scan and X-rays taken the night before.

McDaniel said he doesn’t have a timetable for when Tagovailoa will be able to return.

“I don’t even think about the schedule or anything about him as a player right now,” McDaniel said. “It’s all about the Tua man.”

Tagovailoa was fired Bengals defensive end Josh Topu late in the first half Thursday. During the game, he twisted awkwardly and was thrown onto the lawn. While on the ground, Tagovailoa appeared on display fencing answerwith frozen fingers in front of his face.

He remained lying there for more than seven minutes before he was loaded onto a shield and carried off the field. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for evaluation.

The Dolphins later said he was conscious and had movement in all his limbs. He was released Thursday night and flew back to Miami with the team.

McDaniel said Tagovailoa interacted with teammates on the flight home. He sat next to McDaniel and talked to him about the game.

“His character was typical Tua,” McDaniel added.

It was unclear what was next for Tagovailoa, whose season was cut short by a nagging injury two weeks after he threw a career-high six touchdowns in Week 2 against Baltimore.

It’s another obstacle in the former Alabama quarterback’s NFL career.

In the 2020 rebuild, the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa as their first pick and No. 5 overall to change the franchise after a college career that included a 2018 national championship.

But when that didn’t happen as quickly as Miami had hoped, questions arose about whether to stick with the young quarterback or go in a different direction.

Tagovailoa seemed to answer those questions through the first three weeks of the season, effectively using the weapons Miami surrounded him with in the offseason, including star receiver Tyreek Hill, to lead the Dolphins to a 3-0 record heading into Thursday’s game.

Including his 110 passing yards before leaving the game, Tagovailoa is second in the league in passing yards (1,035), and he has thrown for 10 touchdowns with three interceptions.

Tagovailoa has dealt with injuries at various points in his career, including a sprained right hip in 2019 as Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Last Sunday against Buffalo, Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milan late in the first half and appeared to hit his head on the turf. He stumbled as he got up and was immediately taken to the locker room where he was evaluated for a concussion. He returned to the game early in the third quarter and was not in the concussion protocol the following week, despite questions about why he was allowed to return to the game in the first place.

McDaniel reiterated Friday that Tagovailoa was cleared by multiple layers of medical personnel during that game and said he did not have a head injury.

“My job as a coach is here for the players. I take it very seriously,” McDaniel said. “And no one else in the building deviates from that.”

He added: “From all the resources there was no medical evidence to show that there was anything about the head. If it were, of course, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out.”