Having already adopted certain physical techniques to protect himself, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has also made changes to his diet to help avoid future concussions.
Speaking to reporters about his eating habits, Tagovailoa explained that his doctors have stressed the importance of adding carbs to his meals along with water to keep more fluid in his body.
The discussion came about in the wake of Tagovailoa taking a hard hit to his head and neck area as he was sliding down from New York Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa in the third quarter of Monday’s game.
Mauigoa was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play. Tagovailoa did bounce right up and was okay, but it was a scary moment given his history of concussions.
There has been a lot of attention around the various ways that Tagovailoa has gone about trying to avoid significant head injuries. He began practicing jiu-jitsu after suffering two concussions during the 2022 season in an effort to learn how to fall in ways that protect his body.
“So I mean, with jiu-jitsu, I’ve been thrown airborne, I’ve been put in many uncomfortable positions for me to learn how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in,” Tagovailoa told ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques in June 2023.
There have been some setbacks along the way. Tagovailoa did suffer a concussion in the third quarter of Miami’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills last season. It was his fourth documented concussion dating back to his final year at Alabama in 2019.
Since returning to the lineup in Week 8 last season, Tagovailoa has started 13 of Miami’s last 15 games. He missed the final two games of the 2024 campaign due to a hip injury.
There will always be a sense of unease whenever Tagovailoa is on the field because of how often he has suffered concussions, but hopefully the steps he is taking to protect himself as much as possible keep working.
After a rough game to start this season, Tagovailoa has played well for the Dolphins. He’s completing 71.4 percent of his attempts with 638 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions since Week 2.
Miami earned its first win of the season against the Jets on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins will look to keep their positive momentum going on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.
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