Tyrod Taylor is grateful he was saved from himself.
Three days after the nationally televised sight of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on his back with his hands frozen in the fencing stance — a telltale sign of a concussion — Taylor became the first quarterback removed from a game under the more intense scrutiny that was beginning became October 2nd. The Giants runner-up was hit shoulder-to-helmet by Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon and ordered to the sidelines by umpire Carl Cheffers and on-site investigators.
Would Taylor have retired from the game after his 8-yard scramble for a first down ended in a fumble and he rolled onto his back?
“No, not right now,” Taylor told the Post. “Because I didn’t feel anything and I passed the tests they gave me in the dressing room with flying colors. If you ask me two days later, yes, that’s different.”
Taylor has suffered four concussions since August 2017, so he’s no stranger to the symptoms. He even discussed the situation in Tagovailoa with the examining doctor. But his headache was belated.
Tyrod Taylor AP
“I’ve been fortunate to take a few similar hits without having the same reaction,” Taylor said. “I didn’t see a movie that night, but after seeing it the next day, I understood [the referee’s thinking]. Being me, I will still try to make the first down 10 times out of 10. I’m not going to do anything different in this game, except maybe change the angle of the shot, but I’m still trying to get the first down.”
Taylor said he “felt normal” before flying to London with the Giants last Thursday, but he didn’t go through the five-step protocol (including the in-person neurologist exam) in time to take action against the Packers will. He just received medical clearance on Tuesday but remained restricted until Thursday’s practice session.
“I think it’s good that sometimes you have to protect the player from himself,” said Taylor. “The competitiveness in me wants to stay out there and make games. But no matter how frustrated you are right now, sometimes that’s not the right thing to do. We play a volatile sport to earn a living, but a brain injury is not something to be taken lightly. Football is just a small part of our lives and I want to be able to enjoy life after.”
On September 25, Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a neck injury and allowed to return to Miami’s game against Buffalo, although he wobbled as he got up from his helmet that slammed onto the turf. In a quick turnaround at a Thursday game in Cincinnati, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, resulting in the firing of the independent neurotrauma counselor who vacated Tagovailoa last Sunday. It also prompted the launch of a full investigation into whether the league’s concussion protocol had been circumvented.
Tagovailoa is not back in action but Taylor, who played 12 snaps in place of injured Daniel Jones before his concussion, will again be Jones’ backup against the Ravens on Sunday.
“He did the huddle well,” said quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney. “The boys really respect Tyrod. He served the offense well and gave us a couple of first downs. I expect that from him. When he came in, I wasn’t worried at all.”