Former NFL stars are telling Tua Tagovailoa to consider retirement after he suffered another concussion in Thursday night's loss to the Bills.
The 26-year-old Tagovailoa left the game in the third quarter after being hit head-on by Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin and will miss the rest of the game with a concussion.
This was the third concussion he was diagnosed with in his NFL career, raising major concerns about his health.
“I really just pray for Tua's long-term health. He's had another concussion, he's been third in the regular season and there are countless other scares. Please think of him as a person, not just a player,” said former ESPN analyst and NFL QB Robert Griffin III wrote about X:.
Tagovailoa has suffered two concussions during the 2022 NFL season, but that doesn't include the scary incident in Week 3 when he slammed his head on the ground and stumbled off the field.
He was cleared to return to the game and it was later determined he had a back injury, not a concussion.
The controversial decision led the NFLPA to fire an unrelated neurotrauma consultant who had cleared him to return to the game.
“I really hope Tua is OK, but he seriously needs to stop it,” the Pro Football Hall of Famer said. Shannon Sharpe writes:“I'll say this: His concussion is getting worse and worse. He's a young man with his whole life ahead of him.”
Former Cowboys star Dez Bryant expressed similar concerns.
“That's right…NFL please do the right thing. Tua has had too many concussions. Due to health concerns, he should retire.” The former wide receiver wrote to X.
On Thursday night, Tagovailoa attempted to dive headfirst before hitting Hamlin.
The quarterback tried to get up but collapsed to the ground looking dazed, with his teammates quickly waving to the medical staff.
The match will be streamed live on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday night.
Tagovailoa eventually left the field and headed to the Dolphins' locker room, where he was diagnosed with a concussion about six minutes later.
Speaking on Prime Video's postgame show, former tight end Tony Gonzalez said the quarterback should seriously consider it.
“It's a no-brainer for me, to be honest,” he said. “I try to put myself in those situations. That's what we players do. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the sport. … It's something that can have long-term effects.”
“For me, it's like, 'I've had a great career and it's time to move on.'
Former defensive back Richard Sherman added on the postgame show that Tagovailoa needs to discuss the matter with his wife and family.
Tagovailoa said in 2023 that he was considering retirement after suffering two concussions in 2022.
“Yeah, I think I sat down with my family and my wife and we talked about it and I've been thinking about doing it for a while,” Tagavaolia said at the time. “It would be difficult for me to walk away from the game, being at an age and having a son. It's about my health, my body. I feel like this is what's best for me.”
“I always dreamed of playing long enough to know what my son was watching.”
