MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa is currently with the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career, all in the last 24 months.
And now there are questions about his future – both short-term and long-term.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback was injured in his team’s game 31:10 defeat against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday evening, suffer the injury on a play where he collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa, successfully driving for a first down, initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder toward Hamlin rather than sliding as many quarterbacks do during a huddle.
Players from both teams immediately began making gestures that Tagovailoa needed medical attention as he was lying on the turf and exhibiting some of the typical symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. He remained on the field for a few minutes, then got up after the third quarter and walked to the sideline.
Shortly thereafter, he walked to the tunnel, looked up at the stands, smiled and headed toward the locker room. It took the Dolphins just minutes to announce that he would not be returning to the game.
What do we know about Tagovailoa’s concussion?
Late Thursday and early Friday, all that could be said for sure was that he had suffered a concussion. The Dolphins began evaluating his condition on Friday and there is no timetable for how long that will take.
He was in the NFL Concussion Protocol and must successfully complete a series of tests and evaluations before he or the Dolphins can even consider returning to the field. The Dolphins will sign another quarterback, Coach Mike McDaniel said Friday simply because they know they will be without Tagovailoa for an indefinite period of time.
“Every player and every concussion is unique,” the NFL’s protocol rules read in the introduction. “As such, there is no set time frame for returning to play or completing the steps of the graduated stress program listed below. Recovery time will vary from player to player.”
What is Tagovailoa’s injury history?
He was diagnosed with two concussions in 2022, another while playing at Alabama.
There were many other problems, including some in college that were serious. In Alabama, he had an operation for an ankle sprain in October 2019, which caused him to miss a game. A month later his right hip dislocated against Mississippi State, which ended his college career prematurely.
During his professional career, Tagovailoa suffered concussions, broken ribs, a thumb injury and a broken middle finger on his throwing hand.
In April 2023, he announced that he had discussed with his family whether it would be wise to continue playing in the 2022 season after the two concussions.
What do players say about Tagovailoa?
As expected, there have been mixed reactions, but many former players who are now analysts are advising him to take a long-term look at his health and ask himself whether it is advisable to continue playing football.
Former linebacker Manti Te’o, who has known Tagovailoa for years and calls him his “little brother,” said he hopes he won’t play again in 2022 after the concussion in Cincinnati. He’s thinking about his parents and what they went through Thursday night, and also about Tagovailoa’s long-term ability to raise his own children.
“After he got injured against the Bengals, I wanted him to go,” Te’o said on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football”: on Friday and seemed to hold back his tears. “People have to understand that this is just a game. And then there’s life.”
Former NFL quarterback added Robert Griffin III on social media: “Think about the person, not just the player,” an opinion shared by countless others.
And former receiver Dez Bryant was even more direct, saying it was time for the league to step in. “This is it… NFL, go ahead and do the right thing,” Bryant posted. “Tua has had way too many concussions… He needs to retire because of his health concerns.”
This attitude was later repeated by Antonio Pierce, coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, He said he believes Tagovailoa should take care of his family and not risk further injury.
McDaniel made it clear Friday that he just wants Tagovailoa to recover and that he wants nothing to do with speculation about his future. Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension that begins in the 2025 season.
Have players ended their careers because of concussions?
There are several known cases of players ending their careers due to concussions. The players were at different stages of their careers when they decided to give up their careers.
— Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is perhaps the most prominent example. He was 28 when he retired at the peak of his career, a perennial All-Pro who nevertheless suffered three concussions in three seasons. Among those concussions: one in one game in 2016 when he cried on the field. Since then, he has been working for awareness and safety.
— Frank Wycheck, the Tennessee Titans star who threw the famous lateral pass in the “Music City Miracle” game, left the game after 11 seasons, citing the “aftereffects” of “physical strain,” including two concussions in the 2003 season. He retired after that season, said in a 2017 television interview that he was sure he had CTE, and died last December after a fall in his home.
— Jordan Reed was 30 when he retired in 2021 due to concussions after seven seasons as a tight end for Washington and San Francisco. He said doctors advised him not to continue playing.
— Kylie Fitts was 27 when he retired in 2022. The former Arizona linebacker said at the time, “Due to too many concussions … it’s no longer safe for me to continue playing.”
— Chris Borland was only 24 when he retired from the NFL after just one season because he was concerned about a traumatic brain injury.
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