“He is one of the best humans on the planet.” These words, spoken by Josh Allen about his rival Tua Tagovailoa, remind us that even in the gladiatorial arena of the NFL, compassion can outshine competition.

On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen added another notch to his belt of dominance over the Miami Dolphins. In a lopsided 31-10 victory, Allen extended his record against the Dolphins to an impressive 12-2. But as the final whistle blew, it wasn’t the scoreboard that occupied Allen’s thoughts.

Instead, Allen’s post-game comments zeroed in on Dolphins quarterback Tagovailoa, who suffered a concerning concussion late in the third quarter. “If you know Tua outside of football like I do, you can’t help but feel for him,” Allen shared via the Prime broadcast, his voice tinged with concern.

At the same time, Bills’ dominance could well be seen right from the beginning of the match. Stepping out from behind Allen, James Cook completed an outstanding performance on three first-half touchdowns. This offensive frenzy and two interceptions- including a pick-six by Ja’Marcus Ingram- set the tone for the game. The win against the Dolphins improved Buffalo’s record to an astonishing 20-5 since 2020 against AFC East opponents and further underlined their grip over this division.

But then disaster struck. As he sought to transform a fourth-and-4, Tagovailoa collided with Damar Hamlin of Buffalo and the game turned nasty. On the field lay the Dolphins’ glamorous quarterback, his arms’ posture all too familiar to people who know for what it is that they are looking: Meanwhile for players or others who watched it happen, this served as a bitter reminder of Tagovailoa’s history with concussions.

Tua Tagovailoa’s injury reignites player safety debate

After Tagovailoa was helped off the field, the place was quiet. This incident instantly raised the issue of NFL player safety again.

His latest concussion adds to a pattern of head injuries for Tagovailoa. In 2022, he was sidelined for four games because of two diagnosed concussions. One particularly shocking incident took place in a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers, where he played the entire game before entering concussion protocol the next day.

Neuroscientist Chris Nowinski highlighted the severity of the situation on social media today: “Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question. His right arm shows the ‘fencing posture’ indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the concussion spectrum.”

The incident has even prompted calls for Tagovailoa to consider hanging up his cleats. Former NFL player Dez Bryant didn’t mince words, posting, “That’s it…. NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns.”

This latest setback comes just months after Tagovailoa signed a hefty four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Dolphins. The quarterback had taken proactive steps to protect himself, even incorporating jiu-jitsu into his offseason training to learn “how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in.”

As the NFL community grapples with the implications of this latest injury, Josh Allen’s words serve as a poignant reminder of the brotherhood beyond team colors. “He is a great football player, but he is an even greater human being,” Allen said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m just praying for him and his family.”

In a sport where toughness is celebrated and injuries are often seen as part of the game, Allen’s heartfelt comments cut through the noise. They remind us that behind every helmet is a person – a friend, a family member, a human being deserving of care and concern.