Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion sparks calls to retire from NFL
By Joe Lago
The NFL is a tight-knit community, and the players who've played in the league, past or present, are part of a lifetime brotherhood that looks out for each other, especially in time of need.
Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion has the NFL fraternity extremely worried, so much so that several former players believe the Miami Dolphins quarterback should retire from football.
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Tagovailoa left Thursday night's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter after lunging head-first and loudly colliding with safety Damar Hamlin while scrambling for a first down. Tagovailoa laid on the ground after appearing to lose consciousness.
Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question. His right arm shows the "fencing posture" indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the #concussion spectrum. He is done for the night and must miss the next game.pic.twitter.com/3Ur62QfBLH
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 13, 2024
Tagovailoa's 2022 season was marred by multiple concussions. He controversially was allowed to play after sustaining a head injury in a Week 3 win against Buffalo, sparking an investigation that led to the firing of the Dolphins' neurological consultant.
Thursday's concussion was Tagovailoa's third diagnosed concussion in the last 24 months. That unfortunate recent history had former NFL stars looking out for the long-term health of the 26-year-old who signed a $212 million contract extension in July.
Former All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown tweeted that "Tua may want to rethink playing football" because concussions are "not something to mess with." Three-time Pro Bowl wideout Dez Bryant wrote on X that Tagovailoa needs to "retire for his longevity health concerns."
In all seriousness
— AB (@AB84) September 13, 2024
Tua may want to rethink playing football in the future depending on severity
Concussions not something to mess with
On Amazon Prime's postgame show, Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez called Tagovailoa's latest concussion "so sad" and felt "it might be time" for him to walk away from the sport. "If I'm him, at this point, I'm seriously considering retiring from football," Gonzalez said.
On Friday, ex-NFL linebacker and close friend Manti Te'o got emotional while talking about Tagovailoa on NFL Network's "Good Morning Football." While he hinted at retirement, Te'o said he just hopes his fellow Hawaiian native "makes the right decision."
“I’m not going to make that decision. I’m not saying to step away from the game," Te'o said. "As a brother, I just want the best for (him) and whatever that looks like for Tua and the Tua Tagovailoa family. That’s what I want for him.”
Some things are bigger than football.
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 13, 2024
Sending our love to Tua 🩵🧡 pic.twitter.com/sdwMZgw2Qc
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce, a Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants, said Friday that he would advise Tagovailoa to retire. "He's going to live longer than he's going to play football. Take care of your family," Pierce told reporters.
When asked about Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion and how it should be handled, #Raiders HC Antonio Pierce said he would advise him to retire.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) September 13, 2024
"He's going to live longer than he's going to play football," Pierce said. "Take care of your family."
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