Former NFL stars are telling Tua Tagovailoa to consider hanging up his cleats after suffering another concussion in Thursday night’s loss to the Bills.
Tagovailoa, 26, left the game in the third quarter after colliding head-on with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin and was ruled out the rest of the game with a concussion.
It was the third concussion diagnosed during his NFL career, raising serious concerns about his health.
“I’m really praying for Tua’s long-term health. Another concussion officially puts him at No. 3 and countless other scares. Think about the person, not just the player,” former ESPN analyst and NFL QB Robert Griffin III wrote on X.
Tagovailoa has suffered two concussions during the 2022 NFL season, not including a scare in Week 3 when he hit his head hard on the ground and stumbled onto the field.
He was cleared to return to that game and was later ruled to have suffered a back injury, not a concussion.
The controversial decision led the NFLPA to fire the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who cleared him to return to the game.
“I really hope Tua is okay, but he needs to seriously consider quitting,” wrote Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. “I hate to say it. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his whole life ahead of him.”
Former Cowboys star Dez Bryant expressed similar concern.
“That’s it… The NFL is moving forward and doing the right thing. Tua has had way too many concussions. He needs to retire for health reasons related to his longevity,” the former receiver wrote on X.
On Thursday night, Tagovailoa attempted a head-first dive before hitting Hamlin directly.
The QB attempted to sit up but looked dazed and returned to the ground as his teammates immediately signaled for medical personnel.
Stream the game live Thursday night on Amazon Prime Video
Tagovailoa eventually left the field and headed to the Dolphins’ locker room, where he was quickly diagnosed with a concussion within about six minutes.
On Prime Video’s postgame show, former tight end Tony Gonzalez said it should be something the quarterback seriously considers.
“To me, it seems like a no-brainer, honestly,” he said. “I try to put myself in that situation, that’s what we do as players. Injuries, it’s an unfortunate part of this game. … It’s something that can affect you long term.”
“For me, it’s one of those moments where I say to myself: ‘I’ve had a great career, it’s time to move on.'”
Former defensive back Richard Sherman added on the postgame show that Tagovailoa needs to discuss it with his wife and family.
Tagovailoa said in 2023 that he had considered retiring after his two concussions in 2022.
“Yeah, I think I thought about it for a while, sitting down with my family, sitting down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations,” Tagavaolia said at the time. “It would be hard for me to walk away from this game with my age and my son. It’s my health. My body. I feel like it’s what’s best for me.”
“I always dreamed of playing for as long as possible until my son knew what he was watching.”
