Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, recalled in a news conference on Wednesday that he had once worried about his long-term health and was in the mood to say goodbye to the NFL.
The 25-year-old played in 13 games with 3,548 passing yards the previous season. In that season, he tied the franchise record for the most touchdown passes in a game with Hall of Famers Bob Griese and Dan Marino by throwing for 469 yards and six scores.
Tagovailoa was admitted to the hospital in 2022 after suffering two concussions in less than a week due to repeated concussions. Again, though he was not evaluated during the game against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas, the diagnosis came the next day after he displayed concussion-like symptoms.
Furthermore, As a result of a back injury, the quarterback also had to leave Week 3’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Including the playoffs, he completely missed five games.
Why did Tua Tagovailoa once make up his mind to leave the NFL?
Health issues have hampered the careers of the star players and after consulting his family, the 25-year-old ultimately decided to keep playing despite multiple concussions, even though he later believed he should wait to play until his son can one day take him significantly as an NFL player.
More about Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa considering retirement after his multiple stints in the concussion protocol last season, via @Marcel_LJ:https://t.co/fz6xhsR61w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2023
The QB said, “I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations,” Tagovailoa said. But it would be really 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, that he’s watching his dad. It’s my health, it’s my body, and I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family.”
The quarterback’s decision was also affected by the doctors’ assessment of his long-term health, revealing that neither CTE nor another concussion put him at higher risk. Issues of his long-term health have been discussed by the Dolphins with specialists and neurologists and general manager Chris Grier claimed that there is no special reason to be concerned about Tagovailoa.
“They told me that CTE wasn’t going to be a problem,” he said. “It’s only when you’re constantly hitting your head against something. So, I think that tailors more toward linebackers and linemen — guys that are constantly going at it. That also played into the factor of my decision-making and wanting to come back and play,” he said.
Tagovailoa, who was the NFL’s highest-rated passer last season with a 105.5 rating, was selected by the Miami Dolphins as the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has appeared in 36 games with 34 starts, completing 708-of-1,078 career passes for 8,015 yards and 52 touchdowns.
Tagovailoa’s decision to play on despite his experiences, however, highlights the difficult choices that players must make when assessing the risks and rewards of football.
