Tua Tagovailoa earned his first Pro Bowl selection after guiding the Dolphins to the playoffs for the first time in six years, but he won’t be playing in it.
Miami’s 24-year-old quarterback will miss out on the revamped event due to still being in concussion protocol, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. Tagovailoa was named as an alternate for either Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes or Bengals’ Joe Burrow, since one of them will be playing in the Super Bowl.
Tagovailoa has been out since Dec. 26, when he suffered a concussion against the Packers. Without him under center for Miami’s wild-card game against the Bills two weeks ago, the Dolphins lost 34-31 in Buffalo.
Despite a breakout season in which the former Alabama star threw for more than 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions in 13 games, Tagovailoa was derailed by multiple concussions.
Among the blows he suffered was getting knocked “unconscious” against the Bengals in October. The series of injuries sparked a change in the way the NFL approaches concussions.
Speculation also began to percolate that Tagovailoa might consider retiring because of the multiple head injuries he sustained, but the quarterback’s parents said that he will be returning to the Dolphins next season.
“That’s [the Dolphins’] guy. They love him,” Tagovailoa’s dad, Galu, told KHON2 News. “We love them and what they’re doing and how they are helping with his recovery and trying to get him back.”
