Tua Tagovailoa’s 2023 preseason debut got off to a shaky start.
During Saturday’s contest in Houston, the Dolphins quarterback threw an interception to Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman on the first play from scrimmage.
After the initial hiccup, Tagovailoa finished the day strong, going 5-for-7 for 61 yards overall during two first-quarter drives.
He finished with a 58.3 quarterback rating before ceding the quarterback reins to Skylar Thompson.
It’s Tagovailoa’s first game since Miami lost to the Packers on Christmas Day when he suffered a concussion after his head slammed on the ground after being tackled, his second concussion in a month.
He also suffered a concussion in late September.
In April, the 25-year-old admitted that his concussion history had him considering retirement but ultimately decided to return to the league.
Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins passes the ball during the preseason game against the Houston Texans. Getty Images“Yeah, I think I considered it, you know, for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations,” Tagavaolia told reporters. “It would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am and with my son. It’s my health. My body. I feel like this is what’s best for me.
“I always dreamed of playing as long as a could to the point where my son knew what he’s watching.”
Tagovailoa started taking jiu-jitsu classes to learn how to properly fall and avoid head injuries.
“It’s actually a lot cooler than you think, learning how to fall,” he said. “You continue to train it, work at that it becomes second nature. You think it’s easy. Just don’t fall and hit your head. We use crash pads to land on first. We’re trying to fall with tucking your chin … it’s about the technique to disburse your energy when you fall.”
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is hit by Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins after throwing the ball in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Tua Tagovailoa dealt with concussions last season. USA TODAY SportsThe signal-caller excelled during the 2022 season — when healthy.
Tagovailoa, who was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, threw for a career-high 3,548 yards with 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 13 games.
The Dolphins finished the season, Mike McDaniel’s first as the team’s head coach, with a 9-8 record — Miami was 8-5 in games Tagovailoa started — and earned an AFC wild-card berth.
