Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins is on the ground following a collision with a Bills defender on Thursday night’s game.
It was the kind of run for a first down that quarterbacks in the National Football League do on a weekly basis.
However, Miami Dolphins player Tua Tagovailoa lunged headfirst into the contact, sending his head sharply to the left as a result of the hit to his chest. He then fell to the floor, raising his right fist into the air in what seemed to be a classic indication of a brain injury.
The Miami Dolphins officially announced that Tagovailoa had sustained a concussion later in the Thursday night game. This is the 26-year-old’s latest injury to his already concerning history of brain damage.
Now that Tagovailoa has suffered a concussion, the American public is becoming more aware of the potential long-term brain damage that can result from head injuries, as evidenced by the strong reaction from both fans and former players calling for him to retire. He’s been urged to retire even by one of his present coaches.
To be honest, I would advise him to give up. The Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach, Antonio Pierce, declared at a press conference on Friday that it was not worth it. “I simply believe that he will live longer than he will be able to play football at some point. Look after your family.
The same attitude was expressed by fans and former players on social media and mainstream media. “At this moment, if I were him, I would seriously contemplate giving up football. That might be the right moment, if that were my son. Tony Gonzalez, a Hall of Fame tight end for the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs, said as an analyst on Amazon Prime’s broadcast following the game, “This is not stuff you play around with.”
“I hope Tua is okay, but he needs to think about shutting it down,” stated former Denver Broncos tight end Shannon Sharpe. “His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.”
Frequent head trauma and concussions are major risk factors for long-term brain damage, such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a dangerous disorder that can result in early dementia and even death.
“There is no magic number of concussions to require retirement,” stated Chris Nowinski, a professional wrestler and former football player who is currently the head of the Concussion Legacy Foundation and later sought a career in neuroscience.
Nowinski went on to write on the social media platform X, “It all depends on how he recovers from this one, but having too many concussions can lead to chronic symptoms and mental health disorders.” “He’s in a very tough spot.”
A few NFL players have prematurely resigned from the game due to worries about their brain health. Two such players are All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers and linebacker Chris Borland of the San Francisco 49ers, who quit the league after just one season.
“With Tua, there’s the added pressure of being the star of the franchise, the player that they’re building around,” Borland said to NPR in 2022. “It’s vital that players are better protected because, if left to their own devices, for a hundred different incentives, we would do anything to get back on the pitch.”
Tagovailoa walked off the field under his own power after sustaining a concussion during Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
After Tagovailoa was cleared by a medical review to return to play with what appeared to be a brain injury, the NFL changed its concussion evaluation methodology in 2022. Four days later, he struck his head again in a different game, and this time a formal diagnosis of concussion was made. A few weeks later, he was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to yet another concussion.
He then discussed whether to keep playing with his family and doctors. Last month, during a podcast interview, Tagovailoa disclosed that his mother, in particular, had asked him to think about giving up.
He said to The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz podcast, “It was just brought up here and there, like, ‘I don’t think you should continue to play and whatnot, but we’ll always support what you want to do.” “I understand. You can see why mothers behave the way they do since I am a parent too.”
However, he chose to continue playing football. Tagovailoa used his offseason to reduce his risk of concussions before the next season. He trained in jiu jitsu and learnt how to roll on his back instead of hitting the ground with his head when he fell.
His best season to date was the one that followed in 2023. The Dolphins won their most games since 2008 under his leadership, going 11-6. He also led the league in passing yards. He received a $212 million contract extension in July as compensation.
The amount of that remuneration, should he decide to retire, would now depend on whether he receives a medical clearance to play football again.
Even if Tagovailoa is cleared to play, he will still forfeit $124 million by retiring. He will receive that money if he is medically forced to retire, according to Spotrac, a service that keeps track of contracts for professional athletes.
Following the hit in Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa left the field on his own and, according to the Dolphins, spoke with medical personnel in the locker room.
Head coach Mike McDaniel refrained from speculating on Tagovailoa’s anticipated comeback date on Friday. “The best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint,” McDaniel stated. “Trying to meet [timelines], trying to assess what this means for playing — this is heavy stuff.”
By Friday afternoon, Tagovailoa had not made any public remarks regarding his choices.
