Tua Tagovailoa had a banner year in 2023. The Miami Dolphins quarterback led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, threw a career-high 29 touchdowns and played the entire season.

That last stat is particularly encouraging, considering his injury history. He was expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft until a hip injury ended his Alabama career early. He had missed games in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he suffered multiple concussions in 2022, some of which led to intense criticism for the team's handling of the injuries. He got another concussion September 12, 2024, in a loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Tua was given a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension before this season, making him the highest paid quarterback in Dolphins history. The team is counting on him to be the franchise quarterback that leads them back to the Super Bowl.

Here's a look at Tua Tagovailoa's history with injuries and concussions, starting with his time in college football:

Tua Tagovailoa college injury: Did Tua have concussions at Alabama?

Tua Tagovailoa burst onto the college football scene on the biggest stage, spelling Jalen Hurts at halftime of the 2018 national championship game and leading Alabama to an overtime win over Georgia. He became the full-time starter the following season, but a series of injuries followed him for the next two seasons. None of them involved concussions, at least none that were reported.

HAL HABIB: Tua Tagovailoa wants every little thing more than just all right

The following season, Tua sprained his left knee and tweaked his left quad within a month, though he missed only a quarter of game time. In the 2018 SEC championship game, he suffered a high-ankle sprain after a lineman stepped on his right foot, causing him to miss the fourth quarter. He got "tightrope" surgery and was back for the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff run less than a month later.

Tua got another high-ankle sprain in October 2019 on the same foot, missing one game. In his second game back against Mississippi State, he dislocated his right hip on what turned out to be the last play of his college career. Reports said he was "screaming in pain" on the field before being carted to the locker room.

Tua was a favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft before the hip injury, but he wound up falling to the Dolphins at No. 5. A lot of NFL experts thought the Dolphins should have instead taken Justin Herbert, whom the Chargers chose with the following pick.

Where did Tua get his first concussion?

It's unknown whether Tua Tagovailoa sustained concussions in his early days playing football. But his first registered concussion came during the 2022 season, though which game has become a touchy subject.

During the Dolphins' Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills, the back of Tua's head hit the ground hard after a hit by Matt Milano. The quarterback stumbled while he got up, and he briefly exited the game. Coach Mike McDaniel said Tua was checked by an independent neurologist and was out of the NFL's concussion protocol the following day.

The injury was initially announced as a head injury, but that was later changed to a back injury. The handling of his injury opened an NFL Players Association inquiry, which eventually led to the neurologist who cleared Tua to be fired. This came a few days later, when Tua suffered what was officially his first concussion.

Tua Tagovailoa concussion causes fencing response: Why did Tua put his fingers up?

Four days after that Bills game, Tua Tagovailoa had an even scarier injury on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals. In the second quarter, the quarterback was slammed hard to the turf and he lay there afterward with his fingers seemingly frozen in the air for several seconds. It's what neurologists refer to as the "fencing response," and it's a sign of head trauma.

Warning: The following video may be unsettling.

Tua wound up missing the next two weeks after the Bengals game.

Is Tua prone to concussions?

Brain injuries typically worsen over time, and that wasn't Tua Tagovailoa's last concussion of the 2022 season. Ten weeks after he came back, Tua suffered another head injury against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day. He briefly exited that game before returning. After the game, he was diagnosed with another concussion.

Tua would miss the last two games of the regular season, as well as the Dolphins' first playoff game since the 2016 season.

Repeated concussions have prematurely ended several NFL careers, including Hall of Fame Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. Star Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck also retired early because of the fair of lingering health issues from sustained brain trauma.

How many games has Tua missed because of injury?

Tua Tagovailoa has missed nine regular-season games across his first four NFL seasons, plus one playoff game. He played all 17 games plus the playoff game in 2023. Here's a breakdown:

• 1 game in November 2020: Thumb injury in practice before Week 12

• 3 games in September-October 2021: Fractured ribs early during Week 2 game vs. Bills

• 1 game in November 2021: Broken finger on his throwing hand

• 2 games in October 2022: Concussion suffered during Week 4 game vs. Bengals

• Last 2 games of 2022 regular season plus 1 playoff game: Concussion suffered during Week 16 game vs. Packers

How to watch Miami Dolphins vs Buffalo Bills: Time, TV channel, streaming

• When: 8:15 p.m. Thursday, September 12

• Where: Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)

• TV: WFOR (CBS Channel 4) in Miami

• Streaming: Amazon Prime

Dolphins vs. Bills streams exclusively on Prime Video.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tua Tagovailoa injury, concussion history as Miami Dolphins QB