On Thursday night Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third confirmed concussion in since being drafted by the Fins in 2020.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide star left the game after running head first into Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered his own scare on the field in 2023. In all Tagovailoa has had at least six head injuries when you include the three he suffered at Alabama.
While he did manage to clear protocol, it’s still something worth mentioning, especially with the NFL and CTE which as of 2023 and according to the Boston University CTE center has been found in 345 of 376 deceased former NFL players.
That’s the growing fear for Tagovailoa if he ultimately decides to continue his playing career after these unfortunate head injuries.
As expected, Tagovailoa’s injury Thursday night sparked a lot of conversation on the Friday morning sports talk shows.
Bart Scott Gives The Real On His Retirement
During Friday episode of ESPN’s “Get Up,” former Ravens and Jets linebacker Bart Scott talked about why he retired in 2012.
At the time of his decision it was believed that Scott walked away following an injury to his toe. Scott opened upon Friday about the real reason for stepping away from the game he loved.
“Everybody thinks I retired because of my toe,” Scott said. “I had reconstructive surgery on my toe when I left. But really it was because I started seeing spots and lights. I had light sensitivity, I haven’t really shared this with anybody, but I feel inclined to do it in this intimate setting that we have.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I was like, you know what? It’s time to fold it up,” he continued. “It’s about the people that are around Tua, right? Because it’s hard for him to make an emotional decision, that’s why you put people around you, your team that you trust with your life, to make lifelong decisions and you give them the information, then you come together and make a collective decision.”
Scott’s reveal seemingly shook up the set, as no one knew that was why he walked away. Scott’s reasoning for telling that was to give an example of what Tagovailoa will go through as he attempts to make the correct decision for himself and his family going forward.
What’s Next For Tua?
Tagovailoa’s former college coach Nick Saban chimed in on his former star signal-caller. The legendary Alabama coach says he believes the evaluation about the risks Tua would face by continuing his playing career should be done by the medical experts. Speaking from Columbia, South Carolina, as he prepares for ESPN’s “College GameDay,” Saban was blunt in his opinion.
“This has to be a medical decision,” Saban said. “I mean, you have to let medical people who understand the circumstances around these injuries, these concussions — and when you have multiple concussions, that’s not a good sign.”
“I think Tua and his family and everyone else should listen to all the medical evidence to make sure you’re not compromising your future, health-wise, by continuing to play football,” he added.
Tua Just Signed Mega Deal
In late July, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins agreed on a four-year, $212.4 million extension with $167.1 million guaranteed. This latest injury clouds the new deal, especially if he opts to actually retire. While, the money side of things will eventually get worked out, right now Tagovailoa needs to focus all his attention into getting healthy and being a husband, father, son and brother.
That’s what’s most important.
