Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t intend to retire, despite calls from former players and a prominent doctor to do so after he suffered his most recent concussion, NFL Network reported Sunday.
Tagovailoa, 26, sustained a concussion — at least his third in four NFL seasons — in Thursday night’s game against the Bills when he ran on fourth down and collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. After being attended to by medical personnel, he walked off the field.
Per NFL Network, Tagovailoa has started meeting with doctors specializing in concussions with his eventual goal being cleared to return to the field. Head coach Mike McDaniel has said there is no timeline for Tagovailoa to return and that his chief concern lies with him as a person, not a player.
The quarterback missed five games in 2022 because of a pair of concussions.
That history has left former players — one of them a current NFL head coach — worried for his future.
“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “I just think at some point, he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
“Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it [down],” Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe posted to social media. “His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.”
Dr. Bennet Omalu, who inspired the 2015 movie “Concussion,” told TMZ Sports that Tagovailoa could become “permanently incapacitated” should he continue playing, adding he could have “catastrophic and permanent brain damage” with another hit.
“If I were his brother, his father, his uncle, cousin, nephew, if I were a member of his family,” Omalu said, “I would beg him to retire.”
The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in the offseason.
In his pro career, Tagovailoa has appeared in 55 games and is 33-20 as a starter. He has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 13,122 yards with 83 touchdowns and 40 interceptions.
–Field Level Media