For the third time in three years, Tua Tagovailoa has suffered a concussion. The head coach of an NFL competitor advises the Miami Dolphins quarterback to retire: “It’s not worth it.”
Once again Tagovailoa was lying on the ground, badly injured, his fingers cramped, and once again his teammates called for help. It was desperately needed. For the third time in three years, the Miami Dolphins quarterback suffered a concussion on the field. Experts and former players are now recommending that the 26-year-old quit football.
“I hate to say this, but his concussions are getting worse and he’s a young man with his whole life ahead of him,” wrote former NFL pro and current TV host Shannon Sharpe on X. “He needs to seriously consider calling it quits.”
Raiders head coach: “I would advise him to quit”
Antonio Pierce, head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, sees it the same way: “I’ll be honest, I would advise him to quit. It’s not worth it.” The images of the incident were “frightening.”
It happened in the “Thursday Night Game” against the Buffalo Bills (10:31). Tagovailoa, who had been disappointing up to that point, ran into the end zone with the ball on fourth down at the end of the third quarter, hit Damar Hamlin’s upper arm head-first and then lay helpless on the grass. After several minutes of treatment, Tagovailoa was able to walk to the locker room on his own two feet – at least. That was different in the past.
The Hawaiian was (officially) hit twice in the 2022/23 season, hitting the back of his head on the ground in both games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers.
But even before the first effective hit, Tagovailoa had clearly had coordination problems in the duel with the Bills. He may already be struggling with his fourth head injury.
Criticism of double standards
So should I quit? Tagovailoa asked himself the question last year. “I considered it for a while. I sat down with my family,” the NFL star said in April 2023. But he loves football, “if that wasn’t the case, I would have quit a long time ago.”
Meanwhile, former NFL star JJ Watt criticized the ongoing debate for a “double standard. Everyone wants to see modern gladiators, but no one wants to take on the guilt that comes with it.”
