MIAMI — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered the third confirmed concussion of his NFL career during a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Tagovailoa was ejected in the third quarter after a play in which he scrambled up the middle for a first down and dropped his shoulder to make contact with Bills safety Damar Hamlin. After Tagovailoa’s helmet made hard contact with Hamlin’s body, the quarterback immediately went into a fencing response, a term used to describe when one’s arms are put in an unnatural position.

Dolphins medical trainers tended to him for several minutes while players knelt around him, before he was eventually able to walk off the field and into the team locker room under his own power.

The Dolphins have 10 days until their next game against the Seattle Seahawks, but Tagovailoa could be ruled out regardless of how he clears the league’s concussion protocol. A stint on the injured list could be another possibility given his injury history.

“Right now, it’s more about a good procedural evaluation and taking it day by day,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “The last thing on my mind is what the timeline is. We just have to evaluate and worry about my teammate. … We’ll get more information (Friday) and take it day by day.”

Here are four key questions following Tagovailoa’s latest concussion.

What is Tagovailoa’s injury history?

Tagovailoa was a candidate to be selected as the top quarterback in the 2020 NFL draft during his senior season at Alabama, but suffered a hip dislocation and a fracture of the posterior wall of his hip socket midway through the season. He was also diagnosed with a concussion and a broken nose that year.

Tagovailoa recovered in time to play for the Dolphins as a rookie, but missed five games in his first two seasons with various minor injuries. In 2022, he was diagnosed with two concussions and suffered a third blow to the head, which eventually led to the NFL changing its concussion protocol.

However, he did not miss a single game during the 2023 season and received a four-year, $212.1 million contract extension in July.

What options did Tagovailoa consider after his 2022 season?

Tagovailoa admitted he briefly considered retiring after talking to his family. During an interview with “The Dan Le Batard Show” last month, he clarified that it was his mother in particular who asked him to reconsider his playing career.

Ultimately, he decided against it and spent the 2023 off-season building muscle mass and following a jiu-jitsu fall-breaking program to learn how to fall without hitting his head on the ground.

The workout seemed to help, as he played in every one of Miami’s games last season, including a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. This offseason, Tagovailoa told CBS Sports he lost 14 pounds in an effort to be more mobile.

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Mike McDaniel: Tua in ‘good mood’ after concussion

Mike McDaniel says Tua Tagovailoa spoke to teammates in the locker room and is feeling good after the concussion he suffered.

If Tagovailoa wants to return to the field, what hurdles does he have to overcome in the concussion protocol?

McDaniel said Tagovailoa will undergo thorough testing and evaluation before deciding how to proceed. The NFL’s return-to-play protocol is a five-step process that culminates with a team physician working with an independent neurological consultant to determine a player can safely return to play.

The first step of the protocol is rest and recovery “until his signs and symptoms and neurological examination” return to “baseline status.” The next step is light aerobic exercise, followed by continued aerobic exercise and the introduction of strength training.

A player can return to football activities in the fourth step of the protocol, all of which are non-contact. The final step is full clearance, once the physician and neurological advisor agree the player is ready.

What are the Dolphins’ options at quarterback? Will they sign another player?

If Tagovailoa is unable to play in next week’s game against the Seahawks, quarterback Skylar Thompson will step in for his third year. Thompson started three games as a rookie in 2022, including a playoff loss to Buffalo.

The only other quarterback on the Dolphins’ roster is Tim Boyle, who is signed to their practice squad. There are free agent options available should Miami decide to bring in another quarterback, most notably the team’s 2012 first-round pick, Ryan Tannehill.

McDaniel made no commitment to playing without Tagovailoa, but expressed “extreme confidence” in Thompson. It’s unlikely Miami would immediately bring in another quarterback to start in Thompson’s place, but it could add depth if Tagovailoa is forced to miss time.