The whole football world is once again debating the safety of the sport… all because of Tua Tagovailoa.
On Thursday, September 12, 2024, during the Dolphins vs. Bills Thursday Night Football game, towards the end of the third quarter, Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sliding up the middle of the field for the first down. As he was doing so, his head collided with Bills Safety Damar Hamlin’s chest, resulting in Tua’s third recorded concussion in the span of just two full NFL seasons.
Tua’s first recorded concussion he suffered in the NFL was in Week 4 of the 2022-23 NFL Season against the Cincinnati Bengals after he was slammed to the ground by former Bengals Defensive Tackle, Josh Tupou. Tua’s second concussion was in Week 16 of this same season against the Green Bay Packers when Packers Defensive End Kingsley Enagbare tackled Tua from behind.
The Public’s Reaction
Fans of the NFL were devastated when they heard about how Tua suffered another concussion. Some fans want him to get back and playing soon, while others are concerned for his health and think he should just retire now before any future harm.
A few NFL coaches have publicly stated their opinions on the Tua Tagovailoa situation. One such coach is Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce, who played nine seasons in the NFL himself.
“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Pierce said. “Playing the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like what has happened to him three times. Scary… you could see right away; the players’ faces on the field. You could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point… he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.” -raiders head coach antonio pierce
However, Antonio Pierce wasn’t the only NFL head coach to input their opinion on the matter. Dolphins Head Coach, Mike McDaniel also spoke to the press about the matter of the situation.
“You’re talking about his career… his career is his,” he said. “I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind.” – Dolphins head coach mike mcdaniel.
Mike McDaniel, who was very emotional about Tua’s injury, is saying that fans shouldn’t be thinking about the possibility of Tua retiring in the near future… but should we?
What Should Tua Do?
In my personal opinion, Tua should retire.
It will be a very hard decision for Tua to make on whether he should continue doing what he has worked his entire life for, or quit for the benefit of his family’s well being and his health.
Tua may go back out there on the field soon and play in games but it wouldn’t be the smart decision.
What It All Comes Down To
Tua’s life looks a lot different then it did when he was drafted in 2020. He is now a husband to his wife Annah, and a father of two kids, Ace who is two years old and Maisey who is one years old.
So, it is no longer important for Tua to think about the Miami Dolphins, how many wins he gets, how much he is getting paid. It is time for him to start thinking about his wife and kids.
If Tua does keep playing, he could suffer even more serious brain damage. This could result in chronic traumatic encephalopathy better known as CTE. CTE causes changes in personality and behavior. So, if Tua keeps playing and develops CTE, it could result in serious brain damage which could lead to death.
In relation, Dr. Christopher Roberts, the Chief of Neurosurgery at Broward Health Medical Center in Miami said,
“I mean if you have a bad enough concussion it can severely affect your function in life,” he said. “We saw with Mohammad Ali after his long career at the end of his career he started developing Parkinsonian type of movements and things like that so you certainly get concerned with further brain damage down the road.” -Dr. christopher roberts
—————————————————————————————————–
Tua has also accomplished enough in his career at this point to call his football career a success. This is a list of his accomplishments from college to the NFL so far.
- 2017 College Football National Championship
- 2018 CFP National Championship Offensive MVP
- 2018 Maxwell Award
- 2018 Walter Camp
- 2018 and 2019 (College Football) Polynesian Player of the Year
- 2018 All-SEC first team
- 2022 NFL Passer Rating Leader
- 2023 Pro Bowl
- 2023 NFL Passing Yards Leader
Tua (13) lifting up the College Football Playoff Trophy after winning the College Football National Championship (credit: David J. Phillip/AP Photos).
So yes, safe to say, Tua Tagovailoa has accomplished a lot in his football career. But there is one thing Tua has always wanted to accomplish, and that is winning the Super Bowl.
“I just want to help our team win the Super Bowl. I think that would be the greatest deal. When everything’s said and done, no one can take that away from you.” -Tua Tagovailoa.
Like Tua said, no one can take away winning the Super Bowl from you, but, damage to the brain can take away your life.
——————————————————————————————————
With all of that being said, what do you think Tua should do? Retire? Keep on playing? Let me know by commenting your opinion.
Tune into The Roundup for more viewpoint and NFL coverage!
