Tua Tagovailoa deserved his extension based on how the Dolphins treated him

Concussions were a nightmare for Tua Tagovailoa to overcome

When the 2021 season ended, so did the Flores era. Enter Mike McDaniel, a first-time head coach on any level. Quirky and nerdy, but also someone who saw what Tagovailoa could bring to the table. McDaniel catered his offense around the quarterback and set forth to rebuild the psyche of his young QB.

McDaniel wasn't in a position to argue with the Dolphins, Tua was his to inherit whether he liked it or not. So, he did what coaches do, he worked with it. Initially, it looked like a match made in heaven. Three opening victories to start the season including wins over the Ravens and Bills. Against the Bills, Tua was knocked to the ground and got up staggering. He remained in the game, but many still believe he was concussed.

Against the Bengals in Week 4, everything changed yet again. Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game on a vicious sack. His head slammed to the turf and his hands clenched in odd angles. He somehow managed to miss only two weeks. Upon his return, the Dolphins would end a three-game slide and win their next five, climbing back into the playoffs.

Then, in Week 15, he would suffer another concussion against the Packers. He would miss the next two regular season games and the first playoff game for the Dolphins since 2016. There was offseason talk about him calling it a career and retiring. He spoke with several neurologists and his family before deciding to return for another season.