Tua Tagovailoa's recent concussion comes with a number of worrying assumptions.
The Dolphins quarterback suffered what appeared to be his third injury during a scary third-quarter moment in Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Bills, when he collided headfirst with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin.
An added concern surrounding his status is that he has suffered two previous concussions, both of which occurred over the course of several weeks during the 2022 season.
This latest report has quickly reignited a heated debate about his future in the NFL and whether he should retire, but the Dolphins weren't ready to enter that discussion just yet as of Friday.
“I feel like it would be very wrong for me to speak out on that,” head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters. “It's in keeping with what you really care about as a human being. You're talking about his career… I know everybody wants to get there, but I want you guys to hear what I'm saying. It's not in his best interest to talk about his future. I plead with everybody that really cares to just put that in the back of their minds.”
As Tagovailoa, McDaniels and the rest of the Dolphins try to work things out together, there will be big dollar signs next to the question marks that will make things even more uncomfortable.
The quarterback signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract with Miami that began this year, with $167.171 million guaranteed, $43 million of which has already been paid.
According to Michael Ginnitti of SpotracIf Tagovailoa is not medically cleared to return to football, he will be eligible to receive the remaining $124 million.
If he is acquitted and chooses to retire, he will not receive the money.
Tagovailoa must pass a physical in March, and if he does, the Dolphins could waive him and “obligate” him to $50 million of his 2025 salary, Ginity said.
Tua Tagovailoa concussion aftermath
The quarterback's $54 million payment for the 2026 season becomes guaranteed on March 14.
But the money isn't the issue yet. Right now it's all about making sure Tagovailoa can recover from another head injury, no matter how long it takes.
“What the timeline is is the furthest thing from my mind,” McDaniel said. “Like every other guy, we just have to evaluate and worry about our teammates. We'll have more information tomorrow and take it one day at a time from there.”
