Tua Tagovailoa Says He Was Knocked Unconscious During His Most Recent Concussion Scare

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is opening up about the two concussions he experienced in recent weeks — and how he feels about his risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).

Last week, 24-year-old Tagovailoa returned to his team for the first time after he experienced a concussion during a game on Sept. 25, followed by another on Sept. 29.

On Wednesday, Tagovailoa spoke with reporters about the incidents and revealed he was briefly knocked unconscious after his second concussion during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I wouldn't say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn't really tell what was going on," Tagovailoa said, per ESPN. "When I did come to and kind of realized what was going on and what was happening, I didn't think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened."

According to the Palm Beach Post, Tagovailoa said he's come to believe that he is at less risk to developed CTE — a degenerative brain disorder likely caused by concussions and hits to the head — because he is a quarterback.

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"Let's say guys get about six concussions," Tagovailoa said. "Well, those guys that only have six concussions that are playing the position that I'm playing, where we don't hit as much, are less susceptible to getting CTE later on in their years than someone who's playing a position where they're constantly taking hits or blows to the head, which would be O-line, D-line, linebackers."

"And that's kind of some of the information that I've been given from a lot of these doctors that are the best of the best in their field," he added, per ESPN.

A growing number of NFL players have developed CTE, which causes symptoms like memory loss, depression, and mood disorders and can only be diagnosed after death.

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While there is no set number of concussions that will definitively cause CTE, the National Health Service said evidence suggests "a pattern of repeated minor head injuries increases the risk."

Tagovailoa said he is preparing to return to the field as a starter this week to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He told reporters that being away from his team on the field, which included his participation in rehabilitation activities, was difficult.

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"There's things you can do in the locker room to keep the guys encouraged, to keep the guys going motivated," he said. "But it sucks. As a competitor, I want to be out there with the guys. I want to be able to go out there and help our guys win games. And that's a terrible feeling that I could only watch from the sidelines."