Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not currently planning to retire after suffering his third documented NFL concussion on Thursday night, according to multiple reports. Tagovailoa will take a first step toward deciding his future Monday in a scheduled meeting with neurological specialists.
“My understanding is that Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire,” Ian Rapaport said Sunday morning on NFL Network. “In fact, his eyes are already on returning to the football field. As far as when that goes, we simply do not know. Every concussion is different. The way every player responds to a concussion is different. He is healthy enough to play when he and his doctors decide that.”
Tagovailoa was concussed Thursday night after lowering his shoulder and colliding his head with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. He limped off under his own power after laying on the ground for a few minutes, and he was immediately ruled out of the game with a concussion.
Tagovailoa is the only NFL quarterback over the past five seasons to enter the concussion protocol three times, which has led many in NFL circles — including former and current players and coaches — to suggest the Dolphins QB prioritize his health and consider retirement.
While the 26-year-old does have the option to medically retire, if that’s what he ultimately decides, Tagovailoa will first meet with specialists. The Dolphins and coach Mike McDaniel are leaving all decision making in the hands of their player and his doctors with no existing timeline for a call to be made.
Tagovailoa said he considered retirement after the 2022 season but knew it would be difficult for him to walk away from the game, especially considering his youth. He mentioned wanting to play long enough for his son to know he was watching his father on the field.
“I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would’ve quit a long time ago,” Tagovailoa said in April 2023.
Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, told CBS Sports he is sure the process will play out properly.
I have great confidence in the Dolphins medical staff and their plan to work with the player and his representatives and family to get through this injury and then tackle all the questions that come alongside with that,” he said. “I think, ultimately, everyone in the medical field would have a pretty broad agreement about how to ensure someone has recovered from a concussion. What we lack are specific guidelines about how to predict future risks and lifetime numbers of concussions. And those are issues upon which smart, talented and experienced practitioners disagree, which tells you none of us really know the right answer yet.”
Despite Tagovailoa having suffered multiple head injuries, he will undergo the standard concussion protocol, a five-step program.
- Symptom-limited activity
- Aerobic exercise as long as symptoms do not return
- Return to football-specific exercise for no more than 30 minutes
- Return to practice
- Full evaluation and clearance by a team doctor and independent neurological consultant
Since returning at the start of the 2023 season, in which he ultimately led the NFL in passing, Tagovailoa has been wearing the “best helmet possible” for protection, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
