Tyrod Taylor is thankful for being saved from himself.
Three days after the nationally televised Week 4 sight of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on his back with his hands frozen in the fencing posture — a telltale sign of a concussion — Taylor became the first quarterback removed from a game under the more intense scrutiny, which began Oct. 2. The Giants’ second-stringer was hit shoulder-to-helmet by Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon and ordered to the sideline by referee Carl Cheffers and the on-site concussion spotters.
Would Taylor have removed himself from the game after his 8-yard scramble for a first down ended with a fumble and him rolling onto his back?
“No, not at that moment,” Taylor told The Post. “Because I didn’t feel anything and I passed the tests that they asked me in the locker room with flying colors. Now, if you asked me two days later, yeah, that’s different.”
Taylor has suffered four concussions since August 2017, so he is no stranger to the symptoms. He even discussed the Tagovailoa situation with the evaluating doctor. But his headaches set in on delay.
Tyrod Taylor AP“I’ve been fortunate to take some hits similar to that and not have the same response,” Taylor said. “I didn’t watch film that night, but after seeing it the next day, I understood [the referee’s thinking]. Me being me, I’m still going to try to go for the first down 10 times out of 10. I’m not going to do anything different on that play except maybe change the angle of the hit, but I’m still trying to get the first down.”
Taylor said he “felt normal” before flying last Thursday with the Giants to London, but he did not get through the five-step protocol (including the in-person neurologist checkup) in time to be active against the Packers. He just gained medical clearance on Tuesday, but remained limited until the practice on Thursday.
“I think it is a good thing that you have to protect the player from himself at times,” Taylor said. “The competitiveness in me wants to stay out there and make plays. But, as frustrated as you are in the moment, sometimes that’s not the right thing to do. We play a volatile sport for a living, but a brain injury is not something you should take lightly. Football is just a small portion of our life, and I want to be able to enjoy life after.”
On Sept. 25, Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a neck injury and allowed to return to Miami’s game against Buffalo despite wobbling as he rose to his feet from his helmet slamming into the turf. On a quick turnaround to a Thursday game at Cincinnati, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, prompting the firing of the independent neurotrauma consultant who had cleared Tagovailoa the previous Sunday. It also sparked the launch of a full-scale investigation into whether the league’s concussion protocol had been skirted.
Tagovailoa has not returned to action, but Taylor, who played 12 snaps in place of an injured Daniel Jones before his concussion, again will be Jones’ backup Sunday against the Ravens.
“He had good command of the huddle,” quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney said. “The guys really respect Tyrod. He did a good job operating the offense and got us a couple first downs. That’s what I expect from him. When he went in, I wasn’t worried at all.”
