Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not planning to retire from the NFL following his third concussion in the last three years, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
‘Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say,’ Rapoport wrote on social media site X. ‘He’s already begun seeing concussion specialists and will continue to do so, but there is no timeline to return.’
The NFL Network insider went on to say that the Dolphins’ fifth-year starter plans to play when cleared by doctors.
‘The goal is to get on the field when he is ready. That’s one reason Mike McDaniel would not put a timeline on it. Wouldn’t even address it. Timelines lead to anxiety,’ Rapoport said.
‘As far as the football goes, wouldn’t be surprised if he misses multiple games.’
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How many concussions has Tua Tagovailoa had in his lifetime?
The concussion Tagovailoa suffered on Thursday night was the third he’s had since entering the NFL in 2020, but it’s at least the fourth he’s had in his lifetime.
His first known concussion happened while he was still Alabama’s starting quarterback. In a game against Mississippi State during the 2019 season, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion and broken nose when taking a sack in addition to breaking and dislocating his hip.
In total, the 26-year-old quarterback has had at least four concussions in the last six years.
Tagovailoa’s third concussion in three years has prompted retirement speculation
Tagovailoa, 26, suffered the concussion late in the third quarter of the Dolphins’ ‘Thursday Night Football’ clash with the Buffalo Bills. The former Alabama quarterback was scrambling up the middle on a fourth down play in the red zone when he lowered his head into the chest of Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
He remained on the ground for several moments after the hit before walking off of the field. Miami eventually declared him out of the game with a concussion.
The injury, which came with ‘fencing position’ symptoms looked eerily similar to the concussion Tagovailoa suffered against the Bengals in another ‘Thursday Night Football’ game in 2022, immediately prompted speculation that the Dolphins’ quarterback might retire.
‘I’m looking at these concussions, if I’m him, at this point, I’m seriously considering retiring from football,’ Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez said on Prime Video’s postgame show Thursday night. ‘If that was my son, I would be like, ‘It might be time.’ This stuff is not what you want to play around with.’
USA TODAY’s Mike Freeman wrote, ‘None of us should tell him to retire. But his family should. His close friends should. Everyone who loves him and cares about him should. Go over the risks again. About CTE. About Parkinson’s disease.’
Tagovailoa has previously considered retirement
In April 2023, months after the NFL season that included the quarterback’s first two concussions as a pro, Tagovailoa told reporters he considered retiring from the sport after the 2022 season ended.
‘Yeah, I think I considered it for a time,’ the former Alabama signal-caller said at the time. ‘Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but, really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am, with my son – I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. It’s my health, it’s my body, and I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would’ve quit a long time ago.’
