Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tonga ioa suffered his third concussion during a game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night the injury occurred in the third quarter when Tua collided with defensive back Demar Hamlin and hit the back of his head on the ground after lying on the field for about 2 minutes Tua got up and walked to the sideline before heading to the locker room before leaving the field he smiled at the crowd but the team quickly confirmed that it was a concussion tua's concussion history includes two others from the 2022 season as well as one he sustained while playing college football at Alabama Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel explained that Tua would undergo a thorough evaluation and received the necessary care the following day McDaniel emphasized that he wasn't concerned about how long Tua might be out but was instead focused on the quarterback's health and well-being some of tua's teammates saw him after the game and were relieved to find that he was in good spirits quarterback Skyler Thompson who took over fer Tua after the injury expressed his deep care for Tua as a person not just a player Thompson shared how much love and respect the entire team has for Tua and hoped for his speedy recovery Tua had just signed a 4-year $212 million contract extension before the season making him one of the highest paid players in the NFL he had a strong start to the season leading the league in passing during week one however the Dolphins were losing 31-1 when he left the game and that ended up being the final score Buffalo Bill's quarterback Josh Allen spoke highly of Tua calling him not only a great football player but an even better human being Allan along with many others hoped for the best for Tua and acknowledge the emotional ups and downs that come with the game of football Allen's sentiments reflected the concern many players coaches and fans feel when a player experiences such a serious injury tua's career has been marked by injuries though he had an impressive 2023 season that helped lead the Dolphins to the playoffs last year he threw for 29 touchdowns and led the league with 4,624 passing yards despite his success Tua had previously admitted that he considered retiring from football after suffering multiple concussions in 2022 he ultimately decided to continue playing but said he had given serious thought to walking away from the game coach McDaniel made it clear that he doesn't have the authority to decide if or when Tua will return to the field he emphasized that Tua would be evaluated and any decisions would be made in his best interest the injury happened on a fourth down play when Tua ran straight into Hamlin without sliding to protect himself Hamlin the player involved in the collision had a life-threatening incident earlier in the year when he suffered Cardiac Arrest during the game the collision between Tua and Hamlin left Tua lying on his back and players from both teams immediately signaled for medical attention tua's movements on the ground were consistent with a fencing response a reflex that sometimes occurred after a traumatic brain injury