Long Game the Priority with Tua

The news Friday that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not be participating in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games isn't of great consequence in the grand scheme of things, and it's not nearly as significant as the big picture.

After being voted as the first Pro Bowl alternate among AFC quarterbacks, Tagovailoa was in line to replace the AFC Super Bowl QB, either Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow.

But Tagovailoa won't participate because he remains in concussion protocol, per ESPN writer Marcel Louis-Jacques, citing a source. Tagovailoa has not suffered any setbacks, according to the report, but the process of going through the protocol has been deliberate and he has met with several doctors and specialists.

This would seem to answer the question of whether Tua would have been able to play in the divisional round of the playoffs had the Dolphins been able to pull off the upset at Buffalo during Super Wild Card Weekend.

TUA ALREADY LOOKING AHEAD

The news Friday comes after both Tua and his parents recently said there are no plans for him to retire in the aftermath of the two (diagnosed) concussions he sustained in 2022 — in the Thursday night game at Cincinnati and on Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers.

His parents, Diane and Galu, both said he was coming back in 2023 when they were interviewed at the Polynesian Hall of Fame when their son was honored as the Offensive Polynesian Player of the Year.

Tua Tagovailoa’s parents express gratitude for overwhelming support from #Hawaii and beyond throughout Tua’s adversities this past season, have no doubts that he will return as #Dolphins quarterback in 2023 #NFLHawaii @TuaFoundation @PolynesianFBHOF 🤙🏽 @AHoshidaSports pic.twitter.com/RaZaPhUOg9
— Rob DeMello (@RobDeMelloKHON) January 26, 2023

Tua himself posted on Instagram a few days earlier that he already was looking forward to next season.

Tua's health, of course, is a huge storyline around the Dolphins heading into the offseason after the two concussions.

GM Chris Grier said in his season-ending joint press conference with head coach Mike McDaniel the day following the playoff loss at Buffalo that Tua was the team's starter and brushed aside concerns that he now would be more susceptible to getting concussions after what happened in 2022.

“I think from what our doctors and the consultants we’ve talked to through the NFLPA, that is not a true statement," Grier said. "So for us, I don’t think he’s any more prone than anyone else. So for us, we’re just going through and letting the doctors and the medical staff and the people in that field, like you said that know a lot more – but from everything we’ve been told, that is not a concern.”