The Miami Dolphins’ 33-8 shellacking at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts on September 7 left more than just a bad taste in fans’ mouths. Following the embarrassing failure, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s sloppy outing dominated the stat sheet.
Aug 23, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Danny Striggow (92) tackles Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Aug 23, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Danny Striggow (92) tackles Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
But recently a handful of Dolphins’ believers have constructed a new theory. They think the 27-year-old may have suffered an undetected concussion early in the contest following a brutal second-quarter sack by safety Nick Cross.
Given the QB’s well-documented history of head injuries, any big hit sends alarm bells ringing throughout the fanbase. However, his career-worst 51.7 passer rating has left most fans divided about their franchise quarterback’s future.
Fans React with Mixed Opinions to Tua Tagovailoa’s Undetected Concussion Evidence
The debate raging across Dolphins’ X handle and fan forums reveals a fanbase at war with itself. Some showed genuine concern for their signal-caller’s health, while others were too harsh to criticize the Hawaii native.
TRENDING: #Dolphins fans are concerned that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion early in the game.. the reason for his struggles.
Tua was historically bad throwing multiple interceptions and had 3 turnovers today.
Something to keep an eye on.pic.twitter.com/X1tyHnieXP
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 7, 2025
“Flores was right about Tua. Too soft,” one fanwrote, referencing former head coach Brian Flores’ reported concerns about the quarterback’s makeup. Anotheraddedwith even less patience: “No bro he was shitty from the get go.”
The pile-on continued with the thirdnoting, “Not everything is a concussion. He just s**ks,” while anothersuggested, “Either he needs to retire, wear a guardian cap, or be put in a bubble then.”
Perhaps most telling was this brutally honest take from a longtime fan, whoclaimed, “As a fan of the team, I’m not concerned. I hope it’s the beginning of the end of him.”
However, not everyone was ready to throw in the towel, though. “Hope Tua recovers quickly – concussions are serious. Wishing him a safe return,”wroteone supporter.
Entering his sixth NFL season, Tua’s struggle on the field was too much for the camp. He only racked up 114 passing yards with 14 completions on only 23 attempts. He was also strip-sacked once.
The most alarming aspect was each of his turnovers resulted in scoring drives for the Colts, which ultimately led to a blowout loss for Miami. WR Tyreek Hill seemed visiblyfrustrated from the sideline. Head coach Mike McDaniel was very disappointed following his Week 1 outing.
Mike McDaniel Shows No Mercy for Tua Tagovailoa
Head coach Mike McDaniel didn’t sugarcoat his signal caller’s performance when addressing the media. He pulled no punches when evaluating Tagovailoa’s rough outing.
“It was something left to be desired … there’s throws he makes nine times out of 10, and he didn’t make them today,” McDaniel said, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques.
🎥 Mike McDaniel on Tua Tagovailoa’s struggles today: “Definitely not all on him, at all… there’s too many people that failed at the execution of their jobs for him to even have any extra on his shoulders.” (@MiamiDolphins) #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/6EpO4Nil6V
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) September 7, 2025
“Definitely not all on him – too many people failed at the execution of their jobs for him to have anything extra on his shoulders. Like the rest of the team, [his performance] wasn’t good enough,” he added.
While McDaniel spread some blame across the roster, his pointed criticism of Tagovailoa was not even close to his usual protective approach. Calling out routine missed throws highlights a growing tension inside the team’s environment, but without any bad blood.
With the Patriots coming up next week, attention will be on how Miami addresses the Tagovailoa situation.