MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — When Tua Tagovailoa returned to the field from a concussion that briefly hospitalized him in 2022, he scrambled in the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers and initiated contact by lowering his shoulder into the defender.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Glendale Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Coach Mike McDaniel later said Tagovailoa came to him on the sideline and said he “needed that” contact after missing time with his head injury.
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But as Tagovailoa prepares to start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals in his first game back from another concussion, McDaniel’s message is much different
“My answer would be: ‘You don’t need that one’ this time around,” he said, speaking on Tagovailoa’s need to “be smart” in how protects himself on the field.
Medical experts deemed it safe for Tagovailoa to play football again after he suffered a concussion in Week 2.
Tagovailoa’s scrambling has been a topic of discussion between the quarterback and his teammates since his latest concussion, which came when he initiated contact with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on a scramble instead of sliding
“We’ve been talking to him ever since his injury,” running back Raheem Mostert said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Hey, you need to work on sliding.’ And we all joke around and laugh, but on a serious note, he knows that he has to protect himself a little bit better.”
The Cardinals have a quarterback in Kyler Murray whose scrambling is a big part of his game because of his elusiveness and speed. He’s third among NFL quarterbacks in rushing with 325 yards and had a 44-yard rushing touchdown in Arizona’s Week 7 win over the Chargers.
