Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will reportedly attempt to return after suffering a severe concussion on the field.
Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion at the NFL level against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12 and has been placed on injured reserve by the Dolphins since then. At the time, the team announced that the quarterback would seek the opinions of multiple independent neurologists.
According to USA TodayThis was Tagovailoa's fourth concussion dating back to his collegiate career at Alabama. The quarterback also suffered a fractured pelvis, a dislocated hip, a broken nose, and a back injury during what has been called an injury-plagued career.
Despite this, close friend and former linebacker Manti Te'o said Tagovailoa was determined to get back into football.
Te'o said in an airport interview at LAX that Tua is “trying to come back.”
Te'o spoke to the quarterback's father on the phone and claimed he wasn't shocked at all when he heard the news.
“It's not surprising to me that he would try to do that,” Te'o said. TMZ. “It's just Tua being Tua. He loves the game. He feels an obligation to his teammates. That's who he is. He plays hurt.”
If this information is accurate, it would have taken the 26-year-old just three weeks (or less) to make the decision to come back from his brain injury.
“Tua is an adult now,” Theo continued. “He has his own family. I think everyone wants what's best for him, whatever that is.”
This appears to confirm previous reports just days after Tagovailoa's injury, which claimed he had no plans to stop playing permanently.
“Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say,” NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said in a video. ×.
“The goal is to be on the field when I'm ready. That's one of the reasons.” [coach] Mike McDaniel wouldn't put a timeline on it. Don't even address it. Schedules can lead to anxiety,” Rapoport added.
Dolphins coach McDaniel said at the time that he was just concerned about “people,” not his football career.
“I'm going to let Tua be the champion of his career and talk about it,” McDaniel said.
In 2024, Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension with the Dolphins, which included a $42 million signing bonus.
Although this renewal came after two concussions at the NFL level, the quarterback had a very good year in 2023, being given $167 million in guaranteed money and an average annual salary of just over $53 million. It became.
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