Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa takes firm stance on Guardian Cap use

Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa whitethorn beryllium connected way to play against nan Arizona Cardinals for a pivotal Week 8 matchup aft he suffered a devastating concussion.

Tagovailoa suffered nan injury against nan Buffalo Bills, and he’s been sidelined ever since. As he worked his measurement backmost to getting cleared and into crippled shape, he made clear connected Monday that he wouldn’t spell nan adjacent measurement toward perchance protecting his head.

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Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa takes questions during an NFL shot news conference, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, astatine nan Dolphins training installation successful Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

He said he wouldn’t deterioration a Guardian Cap.

"Personal choice," he said erstwhile asked why he wouldn’t deterioration nan headgear.

Tagovailoa said he would person to beryllium smarter connected nan section to forestall himself getting wounded moreover further.

"Just sewage to beryllium smart, that’s it. Just sewage to beryllium smart," he said. "My full clip playing football, I’ve been a competitor, and that is aliases was benignant of my separator erstwhile I would tally from precocious school, moreover successful assemblage I would do nan aforesaid thing. But it’s a master setting; this is nan master level, nan champion of nan best, you conscionable cant beryllium doing that. So decidedly sewage to enactment much disposable for nan team, for nan organization, for our guys."

Several players person worn nan Guardian Cap this season.

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Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa (1) intends nan shot during a believe convention astatine nan team's training facility, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, successful Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

The headdress was invented successful 2011, and since it was introduced successful nan NFL 2 years ago, concussions person gone down successful training campy by much than 50% from nan mean of the 2018, 2019 and 2021 seasons, according to nan league.

The Guardian Caps were introduced during training campy earlier nan commencement of nan 2022 season. They were made mandatory astatine preseason practices successful 2023 arsenic good arsenic immoderate regular-season aliases playoff believe that featured contact. Only quarterbacks, wide receivers, protect backs, kickers and punters are not obliged to deterioration nan portion of protection.

The NFL has stated that if some players progressive successful helmet-to-helmet interaction are wearing nan cap, nan unit of nan effect is lowered by astatine slightest 20%, and 10% if 1 subordinate is wearing it.

The convention besides reported that Guardian Caps worn during training campy practices successful 2023 helped nan convention recognize a seven-year debased successful training-camp concussions.

Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa (1) is assisted connected nan section during nan 2nd half of an NFL shot crippled against nan Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, successful Miami Gardens, Fla.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Atlanta Falcons backmost Kirk Cousins weighed successful connected whether he would deterioration nan Guardian Cap this play when he said to Fox News Digital.

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He had said successful August that he astir apt wouldn’t deterioration it.

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