Worst fear: Tua Tagovailoa leaves Bills game with concussion

It couldn’t just be another run-of-the-mill disappointing Dolphins defeat on primetime, or just another demolition of the Dolphins by the Buffalo Bills.

No, it had to be much worse.

With the Dolphins already trailing 31-10, and Tua Tagovailoa having thrown three interceptions — only one of which was clearly his fault — Tagovailoa picked up 11 yards on a scramble down the middle of the field.

There he encountered, of all people, Damar Hamlin, the NFL’s other remarkable comeback story of the past couple of seasons, someone who had to be revived on the field against the Bengals in 2022 after his heart stopped.

Tagovailoa’s head went straight into Hamlin’s chest.

And then, after Tagovailoa took several minutes to get up — and couldn’t lift his arm on a slow walk to the sideline — the official word came.

“Tua Tagovailoa has been ruled out with a concussion.”

Another one.

So now the questions will begin, not just when Tagovailoa will return this season, but if he will return at all.

He has admitted that he considered retirement after the last series of concussions.

But then he returned, played all 17 games last season, led the NFL in passing yards, and seemed to be past the problem.

He was not.

Now we wait… as the Dolphins stand at 1-1, with the overmatched Skylar Thompson the only other quarterback on the roster, and a road trip to Seattle next.