Tagovailoa ruled out playing against the Bills in the playoffs

“He’s learning for himself that he needs to listen to the advice of doctors and medical professionals,” said McDaniel. “He understands the risk of doing that, so there are some things he can’t control.”

Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion for the second time this season after the loss to Green Bay and missed the Dolphins’ last two regular season games.

He had already missed two games earlier in the season when he sustained a concussion in Week 4 against Cincinnati in a scary move, hitting him momentarily unconscious. It was four days after he was allowed to return to the game when he looked disoriented after his injury.

Days later, the NFL changed concussion protocol to require that if a player displays symptoms of a concussion, including an inability to maintain balance or stability, that they must rest for the rest of the game.

McDaniel declined to say if there are concerns about Tagovailoa’s long-term health or if there are considerations about how head injuries might affect the third-year NFL quarterback’s career.

Thompson, in his second start of the season, completed 20 of 31 passes for 152 yards without a turnover in an 11-6 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.