'I was stunned,' says UB concussion expert about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returning to the Bills game last weekend

By Ellen Goldbaum

BUFFALO, N.Y.—University at Buffalo concussion expert John Leddy, MD, says that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is at higher risk for a more prolonged and complicated recovery after the concussion he sustained Thursday night against the Bengals.

Tagovailoa also sustained a concussion during last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills, which Leddy has reviewed.

“He slammed his head against the turf and when he got up he was obviously ataxic, meaning wobbly and his teammate had to stabilize him,” says Leddy. “Just by seeing that in and of itself you would assume he was concussed. I was stunned that he went back in. Even if he felt fine, in most people’s opinion that was enough to take him out of the game.”

Leddy describes as “vicious” the additional hit that the quarterback took last night against the Bengals.

“Had they treated him appropriately against the Bills he might have missed one game,” says Leddy, “now he’s at risk for missing a season. It all depends on how he’s doing now, but now he’s at higher risk for more complicated and delayed recovery.”

John Leddy, MD, an internationally known expert on concussion, is clinical professor of orthopedics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and director of UB’s Concussion Management Clinic. He is a physician with UBMD Orthopedics.