Miami Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa is back slingin' the ball at Miami Dolphins' practice after suffering a concussion 13 days ago ... and while it's a step in the right direction, the quarterback is still in protocol.

The 24-year-old was spotted in Dolphins gear on Wednesday at the Baptist Health Training Complex ... wearing his helmet and throwing the football.

Marcel Louis of ESPN says the QB also launched a couple of deep passes 25 to 30 yards downfield ... which is great to see, considering the frightening sight after hitting his head against the Bengals in Week 4.

Of course, the team is not going to rush Tua back -- especially considering the hit he took in the Bills game four days prior.

Even though it looks like Tua's close to returning to the field, the Dolphins announced that Skylar Thompson will be the starting QB for Sunday's game against the Vikings.

The Dolphins have been getting ripped for the way they handled the situation -- with head injury expert Chris Nowinski telling us Tagovailoa should never play for Miami again.

The NFL and NFLPA have modified the protocol after looking into Tua's concussion evaluation, adding ataxia as a "no-go" symptom which is an "abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue."

Ex-NFL star Jamal Lewis says Tua Tagovailoa needs to be very, very careful with his health going forward after suffering a concussion last week ... telling TMZ Sports effects from similar head injuries that he's experienced in the past have lingered "for years."

"This is a silent creeper," Lewis said of post-concussion symptoms, "that can haunt you for the rest of your life slowly."

Lewis, unfortunately, knows all about head trauma -- the former Baltimore Ravens running back sustained several concussions in his career ... including one in 2009 that he says was a horrifying experience.

The ex-tailback says he was knocked out during a game, and didn't feel quite right following the hit for months. At one point while trying to recover, he says he "woke up not really recognizing myself."

The 43-year-old -- one of only eight people to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in an NFL season -- is now telling Tagovailoa to use him as a cautionary tale ... and truly take care of his head before returning to the field.

"You gotta be more smart and understand that you might have a family," Lewis said, "that you have other people that are more important than this game."

Tagovailoa appeared to suffer a head injury initially against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25.

After telling docs it was his back, not his head, that bothered him, he was allowed to return to the game and then play again four days later against the Cincinnati Bengals.

In that game, he was slung to the ground and knocked out for several moments. He was rushed to the hospital, and has since been away from the Dolphins recovering.

Famed neuropathologist Bennet Omalu -- the inspiration for the Will Smith "Concussion" movie -- tells TMZ Sports ... Tua Tagovailoa should never play another down in the NFL again after suffering a scary head injury last week.

"If you love your life," Omalu said in a message to the Miami star, "if you love your family, you love your kids -- if you have kids -- it's time to gallantly walk away. Go find something else to do."

Tagovailoa was injured in the second quarter of the Dolphins' loss to the Bengals last Thursday ... and Omalu, who discovered CTE, said from everything he saw on the game's broadcast, he believes the quarterback "suffered severe, long-term permanent brain damage" during the play.

Now, Omalu is pleading with the 24-year-old football player to hang up his cleats forever to avoid sustaining any further damage.

"Tua, my brother. I love you," Omalu said. "I love you as much as I love my son. Stop playing. Stop. Hang your helmet and gallantly walk away."

Tua was rushed to the hospital immediately following the hit, but he was discharged just hours later and flew back to Florida with the team on Thursday night.

On Friday, Tagovailoa told his fans he was "feeling much better" ... and was determined to get back out on the field as soon as possible.

Omalu clearly believes that would be a mistake.

"He should stop," the doctor said. "Sometimes money is not more valuable than human life. $20 billion is not worth more than your brain."

Tua Tagovailoa won't be under center when the Dolphins take on the Jets this Sunday, the team just announced, after the 24-year-old QB sustained a brutal hit to the head on Thursday Night Football.

Mike McDaniel, the Fins' first-year head coach, told media Monday Tua was still in concussion protocol and was out for the week 5 clash with the division rival Jets.

Of course, Tagovailoa was on the receiving end of two brutal hits within a five-day period.

The first came during Sunday's week 3 game against the Bills, when Tua was slammed to the ground, appearing to hit his head. He attempted to stand up, but wobbled, falling to the ground. Many experts say it was a clear-cut sign of a concussion ... but team officials insisted it was actually a back injury.

Then, just days later during "Thursday Night Football," a nationally televised game against the Bengals, Tua again took a huge hit to the head. The former 5th overall pick lay on the ground, hands "postured," unconscious. Medical staff rushed out, removed Tua's facemask, put him on a stretcher, and took him to the hospital.

Tagovailoa was released later that night ... and flew back to Miami with his teammates on the team plane.

We spoke to traumatic brain injury expert, Chris Nowinski, last week after the second injury ... and the former football player and WWE Superstar told us Tua shouldn't play again this season, and should consider never playing for the Dolphins again after the handling of the injuries.

It's not just Nowinski who believes the situation was handled inappropriately ... in fact, the NFL-NFLPA are conducting a joint investigation aimed at looking at what went down behind the scenes with Tua's injuries.

Coach McDaniel was asked about the inquiry ... and he says the organization will be an open book.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel fought back tears as he discussed Tua Tagovailoa's injury ... saying, "I'm just really, really glad that I can hear normal Tua in his voice."

McDaniel was clearly emotional as he spoke with reporters on Friday ... saying watching one of his players get carted off the field will "never feel normal."

"It's something you never want to be a part of, and when I put myself there, this is what happens. It's not fun."

Coach said Tua's teammates were excited to see him on the plane after the game ... and happy to see that his personality was "normal."

McDaniel says he talked to Tua on Friday morning ... and said the QB was still feeling headache symptoms. The team is now waiting on the results of Tagovailoa's MRI.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh also weighed in on Tua's injury ... saying he was shocked the QB was even on the field, to begin with.

"I couldn't believe what I saw last night," Harbaugh told reporters. "I couldn't believe what I saw last Sunday. It's just something that was astonishing to see after coaching for 40 years -- college and the NFL -- well, almost 40 years."

"I've never seen anything like it before. It just was really something that I really just couldn't believe what I was seeing."

"The Dolphins did not take care of you. The fact they put you out there, frankly, If I were [Tua], I would not go back and play for the Dolphins, because this was not just a failure of the medical team, this was a failure of the coaching staff, and failure of ownership."

That's Chris Nowinski, one of the world's foremost experts on traumatic brain injuries, very much NOT mincing his words when it comes to the future of 24-year-old Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa.

And, whether it's in a Dolphins jersey or any of the other 31 teams, Nowinski believes Tua shouldn't see the field for a single snap the rest of the season.

"My advice would be, having been through it and knowing so many dead athlete stories where there was suicide or some aspect of CTE or some traumatic brain injury, do not go back this season."

Of course, the second-year signal caller was on the receiving end of an incredibly scary hit Thursday night ... as the Fins played the Bengals in Cincinnati.

After being slammed to the ground, Tagovailoa appeared to immediately lose consciousness ... and it was clear something was wrong.

Tua was placed on a stretcher and left the stadium in an ambulance, where he was taken to a local Cincy hospital for treatment.

To make matters worse, the game was only five days after Tagovailoa seemingly suffered a head injury against the Bills (Chris says he showed five signs of a potential concussion), but was allowed to return to the game.

As for his current condition, Tua was released from the hospital and was able to fly back to Miami, per reports ... where he's said to be resting at home in good spirits.

But, Chris says this is anything but a story with a happy ending ... 'cause there's real risk of long-term impact, and that's why Nowinski says Tua shouldn't play again this season.

If you're at all familiar with traumatic brain injuries and CTE, you've likely heard of Nowinski. The former WWE wrestler had his career cut short after sustaining a head injury ... and he recognized the sports world misunderstood the injury.

Chris went on to earn his Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience, and he co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation and the Boston University CTE Center ... where his work has been celebrated across the world.

Nowinski also had strong words for first-year Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel ... who told media after the game ... "the best news we can give is that everything is checked out that he didn't have anything more serious than a concussion."

"This is a statement of no faith in the coach," Chris flatly said.

"Really what he should be saying is it's nothing more serious than a traumatic brain injury that caused decerebrate posturing which is very rare, and a sign of a very serious injury."

There's much more. Nowinski also explains Tua's hand placement following the scary injury, and lays out the long-term effects with which he may now be forced to live.

Terrifying moment during "Thursday Night Football" ... Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was rushed to the hospital after suffering what appeared to be a significant head injury.

The 24-year-old signal-caller was injured in the second quarter of Miami's game against the Bengals ... when he was wrapped up by a defender and thrown to the turf.

Tagovailoa's head slammed off the ground hard -- and he immediately seemed to lose consciousness.

Trainers and team personnel raced to tend to him ... before they eventually strapped him to a backboard and transported him to a nearby hospital in Cincinnati.

The Dolphins say he, thankfully, "is conscious and has movement in all his extremities."

Tagovailoa had exited last week's game against the Bills after sustaining an injury on a similar play -- though he and the team told media members afterward he only suffered a back injury.

Story developing ...

Tua Tagovailoa was foolish for returning to the Bills game on Sunday after slamming his head on the turf ... so says famed neuropathologist Bennet Omalu -- who tells TMZ Sports the Dolphins quarterback put his life at risk by making the comeback.

Dr. Omalu -- who's the real-life inspiration for the famous Will Smith "Concussion" movie -- says that under no circumstances should Tagovailoa have come back into the contest in Miami after he was initially knocked out of it.

Omalu says he suspects Tagovailoa suffered a concussion based on everything he saw on the game's broadcast ... and he said the 24-year-old should have protected himself and his future and stayed on the sideline the rest of the day.

"Your life should be worth more to you than any amount of money," Omalu said. "Your life is worth more than $10 billion, 'cause you can't replace your life. You have only one life."

But Omalu, who discovered CTE, isn't faulting the NFL or the Dolphins one bit for allowing Tagovailoa back under center.

"The duty falls on the players," he said. "The NFL did not point a gun on his head and say, 'You must go back to play.' He could have said, 'No.'"

For Tagovailoa's part, he insisted he did not suffer a head injury during the play ... but rather, he said he hurt his back.

"I got up, and that's kind of why I stumbled," the signal-caller told reporters after Miami secured the 21-19 win over Buffalo. "My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I'm good. Passed whatever concussion protocol they had."

A Josh Allen fan was roughed up badly outside of the Bills vs. Dolphins game on Sunday -- taking a foot straight to the face ... before he was kicked and punched repeatedly.

The incident all went down at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami at some point in the midst of Buffalo's 21-19 loss to the 'Fins.

It's unclear what started the melee -- but footage from the scene shows a couple Dolphins fans got into it with two Bills fans ... and the Buffalo tandem got the worst of it by far.

You can see in the footage, both Bills fans were thrown to the ground ... and while the man in the Allen jersey was trying to get up, he got kicked in the teeth. The other Buffalo fan was jumped on as well.

Another person in an Allen jersey attempted to break things up -- but as the Buffalo fan was down -- a man in a Tua Tagovailoa jersey punched him in the head. Another shirtless guy jumped in and kicked him multiple times as well.

Bills OC Ken Dorsey was so pissed in the waning moments of Buffalo's loss to the Dolphins ... he absolutely LOST IT in the booth, slamming his headset and tablet!

Dorsey was frustrated the Bills couldn't get a play off as the clock ticked towards zero ... after receiver Isaiah McKenzie failed to get out of bounds after receiving a pass from Josh Allen.

Broadcast cameras showed Dorsey in the booth, and he was livid, taking out his frustration on his headset and tablet.

Allen tried to get the Bills' offense lined up for one final play, but time ran out ... and they ended up losing, 21-19, to the Dolphins -- their first loss on the season.

After the game, McKenzie said he was trying to get out of his bounds, but knew Tyler Bass' (Buffalo's place-kicker) range ... unfortunately for Buffalo, things didn't work out.

"There was nine seconds left, and I was trying to get to the hash," McKenzie said. "I kind of got bumped by going to the ref, and it just went down from there.

"If I could take it back, I would probably just go up field, get down, put it on the hash myself, and live to fight another down."

A huge fire broke out in the parking lot at the Dolphins vs. Patriots game on Sunday -- destroying several cars -- and according to at least one witness, it all started after someone left a tailgating grill on.

A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tells TMZ Sports ... firefighters were called to Hard Rock Stadium at around 1:28 PM after multiple people had seen flames pouring out of cars just outside of the venue.

Thankfully, according to the spokesperson, "firefighters immediately worked to contain and place the fire under control" and there were no reported injuries.

Video shot by multiple people at the arena showed the inferno was massive -- causing huge amounts of black smoke to pour into the stadium.

One witness says the owners of the cars had no idea their rides were destroyed until they returned to the parking lot. Another said the blaze appeared to start after someone had failed to properly extinguish their BBQ.

The MDFR spokesperson said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

One of the car's owners, Scott Dellorfano, told NBC Miami that his Mercedes S63 -- plus $3k he had in the vehicle -- were destroyed in the fire.

Robert Kraft had a champion in his corner as New England kicked off its 2022 season ... with the Patriots owner hosting none other than Mike Tyson in his suite.

Iron Mike was on hand at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. ... where he watched as the Pats fell to the division rival Dolphins, 20-7.

Mike had a seat right next to Kraft, who was sitting next to his son, Jonathan, -- and the two appeared to be chummy throughout the game as the Pats and 'Fins duked it out on the field.

No word on what exactly led to the meetup ... but Mike and Kraft seemed to have a lot to talk about throughout the duration of the game.

The day didn't go without an awkward moment, though -- At one point, Tyson went to give Kraft a fist bump, who missed the cue, but the two managed to clean it up at the end.

The Miami Dolphins were forced to cancel practice on Thursday ... and it's all because a bunch of players can't stop puking.

The 'Fins were set to have a joint workout with the Philadelphia Eagles ... but as it turns out, some guys could barely sleep because they were blowing chunks all night.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo says some players thought all the vomiting was due to food poisoning ... but the team checked what everyone's been eating, and haven't found enough proof to back that theory.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel says the team believes it's a stomach bug going around ... and to be extra cautious, they decided to keep everyone home to make sure it doesn't spread.

Miami and Philly are set to play against each other on Saturday ... and so far, things are still set to go down according to plan.

Coach says he wanted to take extra caution to get everyone healthy for the matchup -- especially because the last week of preseason is crucial for so many guys who are trying to make the team.

As for how many players were affected, McDaniel says it's more than a few, but not half the team.

If Tyreek Hill ever steps into a boxing ring, he knows exactly who he wants to fight -- Jalen Ramsey!!

The topic came up during a recent episode of "BS w/ Jake Paul" -- the Problem Child's new show -- when the Dolphins star receiver was asked ... given the chance to fight anyone in the sports world, who would you box?

Paul's co-host, DCut, suggested Hill fight former NBA star Nate Robinson -- whom Jake viciously knocked out in his 2nd pro fight -- but Tyreek said that would be too easy.

He did, however, have an opponent in mind.

"I really want some of Jalen Ramsey though, for real," Hill said, "If we just being completely honest right here."

It makes sense -- one of the best receivers vs. one of the best cornerbacks.

But, Cheetah says there's no beef.

"I just wanna go at the bully," Hills explains.

Tyreek says he can fight, but it's something he chooses not to do during NFL games.

"I don't get into that," Hill said about fighting during a game, "because it's like wasted energy."

"I'm not finna waste my energy when I gotta come back and then cook you the next play. Why would I do that?"

BTW, Jake whispered ... we can make the Hill vs. Ramsey fight!

Shaquem Griffin -- the first one-handed player to be drafted by an NFL team -- is walking away from the sport at 27 years old.

The inspirational linebacker was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 5th round in 2018 ... and spent 3 seasons with the organization, playing alongside his twin brother, Shaquill. He later joined the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal in 2021 ... but was released before the season.

He later rejoined the 'Fins on the practice squad ... and was waived in October.

Meanwhile, Shaquill signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 ... and while Shaquem had interest from several teams, he says he didn't want to continue playing if it wasn't alongside his brother.

"Football had already given me so much, and the only thing I still really wanted from the game was to play with my brother again," Griffin said in the Players' Tribune.

"I know a lot of people might not understand that approach. There are so many guys out there working hard, just hoping for an opportunity, any opportunity, and here I am limiting them. Believe me, I get it."

Shaquem says he met with Roger Goodell, who offered him a position with the NFL Legends Community ... which will give him the opportunity to mentor young players.

The NFL is coming down hard on the Miami Dolphins, docking the org. two draft picks, including a 1st-round selection, for tampering with quarterback Tom Brady, the league announced on Tuesday.

Team owner Stephen Ross was also suspended until mid-October, and fined $1.5 million!

After a six-month investigation, the NFL says they concluded the organization violated the Anti-Tampering Policy on three separate occasions ... twice with TB12, and once with then-New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

"The investigators found tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity," Commissioner Roger Goodell said.

"I know of no prior instance of a team violating the prohibition on tampering with both a head coach and a star player to the potential detriment of multiple clubs over a period of several years."

The investigation focused on whether team officials improperly attempted to communicate with Brady and Payton over a period of years. It also centered around a claim made by former head coach Brian Flores ... who says Ross incentivized him to lose, in an effort to get a higher draft pick.

The NFL found the Dolphins had "impermissible communications" in 2019-20 with TB12 when he was still a member of the Pats org. and in 2021 when he was Bucs QB.

According to the NFL, Ross and/or his business partner spoke with Brady and his agent, Don Yee, about the prospects of Tom becoming a minority owner of the Dolphins, and possibly playing for the team.

In 2022, the Dolphins again had forbidden communications with Yee, who also repped Payton, about bringing Sean on board as the team's head coach.

As for the allegations made by Flores, the league determined the Dolphins did not intentionally lose games during the 2019 season, and no one instructed BF to lose.

Flores issued a strong statement following the NFL's ruling, slamming Goodell and the league.

"I am thankful that the NFL’s investigator found my factual allegations against Stephen Ross are true," Flores wrote.

"At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross’s offers and pressure to tank games, especially when I wrote and submitted a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns regarding this subject at the time, which the investigator has in her possession."

Meanwhile, Ross released a statement, saying ... "As I have said all along, these allegations were false, malicious, and defamatory, and this issue is now put to rest."

"With regards to tampering, I strongly disagree with the conclusions and the punishment. However, I will accept the outcome because the most important thing is that there be no distractions for our team as we begin an exciting and winning season."

SR concluded by doubling down on his desire to win.

"I will not allow anything to get in the way of that."