Images of Tua Tagovailoa lying on the field after a brutal hit the Dolphins' quarterback suffered during the team's 31-10 loss have reignited discussions about his future in the NFL and whether he should consider retiring.
After suffering his third officially acknowledged NFL concussion, Tua is now inhabiting a mental space no NFL player ever wants to occupy — wondering whether furthering one's playing career has put your ability to function as an everyday human being in question.
Tua's unfortunate and all-too-familiar injury occurred with 4:24 left in the third quarter as he scrambled toward the end zone for a potential first down. He collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin, and Tagovailoa crumpled.Tua Tagovailoa throws up finger signs after possible 5th concussion head injury tonight against the Buffalo Bills 😲pic.twitter.com/x3uPVG0tBM
— Tunechi⊹ ⊹ (@w2tunechi) September 13, 2024
If you ask them today, chances are most Dolphins fans will say they saw it all happen in slow motion, hoping for the best but expecting the worst, even before Tua was hit. Following the collision, his arms went rigid, extending outward and moving toward his helmet in a distressing display.
Teammates immediately surrounded him, frantically motioning for medical staff to hurry onto the field. He ultimately walked off the field on his own two feet. But six minutes later, the Dolphins confirmed that Tagovailoa had suffered another concussion and would not return to the game.
Tua's History of ConcussionsLess than a month ago Tua Tagovailoa talked about if his family suggested retirement following his concussions in 2022:
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) September 13, 2024
"I would say for sure, especially with what happened with the concussions... it was moreso my mom..."
(🎥 @LeBatardShow)
pic.twitter.com/6kDudDFoMz
This latest concussion is a sad reminder of Tagovailoa's battle with head injuries, which began in the 2022 season. During a Week 3 game against Buffalo, he appeared to suffer a concussion but returned to play later in the game.
Just days later, Tua was cleared to play against the Cincinnati Bengals, only to suffer an even worse head trauma that led to him being led off the field in a stretcher after showing signs of a traumatic brain injury, including a fencing response — the same sudden stiffening of the limbs following head trauma that fans saw again last night.
The situation was so bad — and Tua so broken by it — that it led to widespread criticism of the Dolphins and the NFL's concussion protocols. The independent neurotrauma consultant involved was dismissed, and the league revised its policy. To make matters worse, Tagovailoa suffered yet another concussion against the Green Bay Packers later in the season.
While saying all the right things at the moment, Tagovailoa recently openly discussed considering retiring owing to repeated head injuries. In an interview with Dan LeBatard during the offseason, he put a name and a face to who most people would assume would be the biggest advocate of retirement: his mother. This was a take he got, particularly now that he had his own kids to care for.
"It was more so, like, my mom, and I get it — like I've got kids too now, and you can understand why mothers are the way they are," Tagovailoa told LeBatard.
Tua gets 93M no questions asked and probably 167M if he has to retire due to injury.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) September 13, 2024
He fought back from absolutely horrifying concussions to lead the league in passing and earn that contract from the Dolphins.
He has to really consider hanging it up after tonight.
Reactions and Concerns
While Tua has some diagnoses to consider and questions to ask his doctors, many around the league voiced their concern for his well-being — and their own opinions — about whether he should strap on a helmet again."You can't help but feel for him," Bills quarterback Josh Allen told media Thursday night. "He's a great football player, but he's an even better human being. This game of football that we play, it's got its highs and it's got its lows, and that was one of the lows."
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant took to X to call for Tua to retire, saying, "He need to retire for his longevity health concerns." ESPN's Shannon Sharpe echoed a similar sentiment, pointing out that Tua is "a young man with his entire life ahead of him."That’s it….
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 13, 2024
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
Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it dwn. I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him. #BillsFins #ThursdayNightFootball.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 13, 2024
Money Not a Problem
Tua got paid this offseason for just this reason — life insurance in the case of emergency, AKA retirement due to concussions. His new four-year, $212.4 million contract extension, with $167.1 million guaranteed — the largest in Dolphins history — has him set for life.The Dolphins, on the other hand, would be cooked salary cap-wise but likely have a hefty insurance policy of their own to cover much of the deal.
For Tagovailoa, the choice to continue playing or retire shouldn't be about money but life after football. He clearly is not long for the sport. He clearly cannot withstand the type of hits that are commonplace in the league. No jiu-jitsu or karate classes can fix that fact.
For Dolphins fans, a 1-1 season has never felt worse.
