Following Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills, the first portion of the press conference, led by Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel, focused on questions about Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent concussion.

McDaniel first addressed a question about the timeline for Tua’s return, including a possible placement on the injured list.

“Right now I’m not really — it’s more about getting a good procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it day by day,” McDaniel told reporters. “The furthest thing from my mind is what the timeline is. I want to know — we just have to evaluate and I’m worried about my teammate, as are the rest of the guys. We’ll get more information and take it day by day from there.”

McDaniel was then asked about the impact of Tua’s previous concussions, particularly in 2022, on the management of the latest one.

“I think it’s important to approach every situation — just like (we) approach every injury, which is basically, ‘OK, we’re going to address this specific situation with this specific player,'” McDaniel said. “Every situation is unique, so I think there’s — for me, I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my control, I’m just worried about the human being and he’s going to steer the ship if we get the right information, but it’s the day-to-day health that, you know, really trying to approach all things that way, especially with concussions.”

The next topic concerned the broader question, already being asked by some, of whether it is safe for Tua to continue playing football.

“I think from a medical standpoint, it’s — I don’t approach things that I have a lot less expertise in,” McDaniel said. “I’m just there to support my teammate, like I said. I think there’s — for me to predict things that I don’t have an expertise in in my non-expertise area, I don’t think that’s appropriate. I think we’ll get more information tomorrow on where Tua is at. He’ll be able to spend a fair amount of time being evaluated and then we’ll have conversations and progress as needed. But I’m — like the rest of his teammates, he went around the locker room and made contact, as a leader, he tried to keep guys’ heads up and he’ll be in the office tomorrow getting the proper care.”

That is the right way to approach the situation. There are, and will be, many factors to consider. For now, the task is to get a full and complete assessment of Tua’s overall brain health. At some point, the question becomes when and if he will be allowed to play again.

Ultimately, the question will be whether he wants to play, if and when he is acquitted.