Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another scary concussion on Thursday Night Football and Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has concerns about the quarterback.
“To be honest with you, I would encourage him to retire. It's not worth it. I've never seen anything like what's happened to him three times,” Pierce said at a news conference Friday.
“You could see it right away in the faces of the guys on the field. There was a sense of urgency to help Tua. I think one day he'll outlive playing football. Take care of your family.”
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) receives an assist on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The Dolphins were down 31-10 to the Buffalo Bills and the Dolphins offense was at the Buffalo 13-yard line. It was 4th down and 4 yards and the Dolphins needed a touchdown to stay in the game.
The 26-year-old Tagovailoa scrambled for a first down, but instead of sliding past the goal posts, he was tackled by safety Damar Hamlin and immediately fell to the ground, hitting his head on the Hard Rock Stadium turf.
Tagovailoa's hands began moving uncontrollably, he appeared disoriented and he was holding his head as the Dolphins began to surround him, players from both the Bills and Dolphins took a knee and medical personnel quickly arrived to evaluate the quarterback.
After being down for several minutes, Tagovailoa walked off the field with a visibly limp. Instead of going into the blue medical tent, Tagovailoa walked with a trainer off the field to the locker room, where he was diagnosed with a concussion.
Dolphins player Tua Tagovailoa faces NFL retirement request after recent concussion: 'It's not worth it'
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) receives an assist on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
The other case Pierce mentioned was during the 2022 season, when Tagovailoa appeared to suffer a concussion in a Week 3 game at home against the Bills, but it was later determined he was dealing with a back injury and had been hobbling after hitting his head on the ground during the play.
Just a few days later, during Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, Tagaoivailoa was thrown to the turf at Cincinnati's Pacol Stadium, creating a disturbing scene with his hand sticking out, something that sometimes happens with head injuries that cause the fingers to bend.
Tagovailoa was carried off the field on a stretcher and returned to the game in Week 7.
Later that season, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion in a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers on Christmas Day and sat out the rest of the season.
Tagovailoa didn't miss a game last season, and the Dolphins signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension after he led the NFL in passing yards in 2023.
Following the loss to the Bills, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked if it was safe for Tagovailoa to continue playing football.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) leaves the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
“I don't think I would get involved in anything that is far outside of my area of expertise from a medical standpoint. Like I said, I'm just there to support my teammates,” McDaniel told reporters. “I don't think it's appropriate to make predictions that I don't know in areas that are not my area of expertise.”
“We will have more information tomorrow on Tua's condition. He will be evaluated at length and then we will have a proper discussion and update. He was around the locker room, interacting with his teammates as a leader and trying to lift the morale of the rest of the team. He will be in the office tomorrow to receive the proper treatment.”
The Dolphins' next game is on September 22 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Fox News' Ryan Gaydas and Scott Thompson contributed to this report.
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