On the Week 2 edition of Thursday Night Football, the Miami Dolphins were embarrassed at home by their AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills, in a 31-10 primetime loss. Up until the 4:38 mark of the 3rd quarter, the narrative this morning was likely going to be whether Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa can win big games against some of the NFL's elite, as Tagovailoa was once again struggling in a standalone game, having already thrown 3 interceptions, including one for a touchdown. Then, the biggest concern for every Dolphins and NFL fan regarding the Dolphins' QB happened once again. Trying to create a spark for his team and pick up a first down, Tagovailoa scrambled, but as he was diving to the ground, he collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin, of all people, and it was almost immediately clear that Tagovailoa had suffered his third diagnosed concussion (and likely his fourth) since 2022.
Now, the topic of conversation around the sports world is whether Tagovailoa should ever return to the field. It’s not just about him suffering these head injuries so often, it’s about the gruesome reactions he has on the field almost every time they happen. In 2022, we saw him struggling to walk in a straight line, and just four days later, he was stretchered off the field in Cincinnati. Now, for the second time, we’ve seen Tua's fingers go into the fencing position after a hit to the head.
Because of these factors, there will be a lot pressure not only on the Dolphins but also on the NFL to protect Tagovailoa from himself if he is cleared and wants to return to the field. Also, many "experts" will tell the Dolphins' quarterback to walk away from football, as he needs to consider his quality of life after the game. To that, I would say I understand your sentiment, but it's easy to say that from the outside. It's easy to say when you've never loved or been as passionate about something the way Tua Tagovailoa is about football.
Tua Tagovailoa's life’s work has likely been focused on becoming the best football player he can be for at least the last 15 years. He has bled, sweated, and cried over this game, being a football player has been probably made up his identity for the majority of his life. Telling him to give all of that up just like that, I believe is insensitive.
It's definitely not on the same level, but when I stopped playing hockey, it was a truly devastating time for me. My whole inner circle was involved in the game, it was how we bonded and it was almost everything we talked about. Once I stopped playing, I felt like an outsider in the group and I felt like I lost a sense of credibility around my friends. So in a way, I can relate to the frustration Tua must be feeling right now when he hears people telling him to stop doing what he has loved for his whole life, at just 26 years old.
Also, football is not like other sports that you can play recreationally, such as basketball or soccer. Once you're done playing in the NFL, you'll never experience that level of competition or intensity again. Tom Brady has stated this on multiple occasions, saying that it was a major reason he continued playing until he was 45. Unlike other sports, you can't just casually play football.
Listen, I don’t know what Tua is going to do, but if I had to guess, despite the amount of head trauma he has suffered, I expect to see him back on the field, not just in general, but within the next few weeks. Will people be upset? Yeah, probably, and I might be wrong, but it's just my gut feeling. I understand if you want Tua to walk away, but I hope some of the points I’ve laid out here help you understand why it’s not that easy. When you love something as much as he loves football, it’s incredibly hard to just give that up, even with a guaranteed $167 million coming his way.
I will support whichever decision Tua makes, but I get very uncomfortable when I hear people trying to force him into a decision, especially when they don’t share or have ever experienced a level of passion or love like his for football.
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