Numerous members of the NFL community have publicly addressed the controversial hit delivered by Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence that left him with a concussion Sunday.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is quite familiar with head injuries, so it’s understandable that reporters asked him about the Lawrence incident.
“I thought that was crazy,” Tagovailoa said about his reaction to replays of the Al-Shaair hit, per the Dolphins’ website. “[Lawrence] was giving himself up and [the] defensive guy came and smoked him. Then again, I don’t know the reaction time with being a defender trying to go and make a play on a guy, so, like, I don’t know all the logistics with that, but I felt like he did have time to sort of, even if he was going to launch, he could’ve launched out of the way knowing that Trevor was giving himself up.”
Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said earlier this week that quarterbacks “should be taught to dive at the ankles of the defender” rather than to slide feet first to avoid being hit high while finishing scrambles. Retired quarterback Tom Brady generated some headlines when he explained that he felt the NFL should maybe “fine or penalize a quarterback for sliding late” on such plays.
Tagovailoa was specifically asked about Brady’s take.
“That’s what I would say, too,” Tagovailoa responded. “It’s difficult, and I would say for the defender for sure because they’re trying not to give up as many yards as possible. So for them, it kind of goes against what they’re trying to do. I’m glad I don’t make up the rules and I’m glad I’m not in any of those meetings to give my two cents or whatever. I’m glad those guys in the higher-ups are going to be able to talk about that one.”
Tagovailoa suffered a minimum of two reported concussions during the 2022 campaign and missed four games earlier this season while in the concussion protocol. Meanwhile, it was learned on Wednesday that the Jaguars are shutting Lawrence down through the end of this season so he can have surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder.
Comments offered by Brady and Tagovailoa, who theoretically should want the NFL to go out of the way to protect quarterbacks during games, suggest the league’s competition committee could at least explore adding a rule for the 2025 season that would penalize players for sliding feet first.
