With Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol for the second time this season, opinions on the quarterback’s next steps are flooding social media and the Internet.
Dr. Chris Nowinski tweeted it’s time the organization does right by the QB and sits him for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, a former NFL star running back takes it a step further. Speaking on FS1’s “Speak,” LeSean “Shady” McCoy said Tagovailoa should consider retiring from football.
A day after Miami’s 26-20 loss to Green Bay, the Dolphins announced Tagovailoa was in concussion protocol.
Reviewing video of the game, Dr. Nowinski — a former Harvard football player-turned-W.W.E. star-turned-doctor — said he believes the hit that landed Tagovailoa in the concussion protocol occurred in the second quarter. Nowinski noted that Tagovailoa threw three interceptions after the play in question.
If that is indeed the play that caused Tagovailoa’s concussion symptoms, that’s twice this season he’s continued playing in games after suffering hits to the head. He temporarily left a Week 3 game against Buffalo with what the team initially called a head injury after he struggled to maintain his balance making his way down the field. The team later said it was a back-related injury.
Four days later, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion against Cincinnati, forcing him to miss two games. On the Thursday afternoon before the game, Nowinski tweeted:
The day after Miami’s Christmas Day game against the Packers, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said he wasn’t aware of Tagovailoa’s condition until well after the game. The team and NFL botched the situation, especially considering Tagovailoa’s history this season with head injuries.
On Wednesday, McDaniel said the team will play backup Teddy Bridgewater at QB on Sunday and that medical professionals have sounded the alarm on how seriously the organization needs to take Tagovailoa’s health.
As McCoy noted, this is a complicated conversation.
Tagovailoa was the fifth overall draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft and hit his stride this season. The franchise built a strong roster around him. If he retired, the decision would reverberate for years. Look at the Indianapolis Colts since Andrew Luck’s early retirement to see what that type of decision can do to a franchise.
But Tagovailoa’s long-term health is far more important than the Dolphins experiencing a few more lean years.
No one questions Tagovailoa’s commitment to football, but there comes a time when athletes must make difficult decisions about their health. Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly retired at 28 following a history of concussions.
“It makes me sad because I love playing this game — I’ve played it since I was a kid. It’s my favorite thing in the world to do,” Kuechly said upon his retirement. (h/t ESPN.com)
As hard as it would be to see Tagovailoa give up the sport, it would be even harder to see him take any more hits to the head.
For his sake, Tagovailoa should consider retirement.
