Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another traumatic brain injury during the Miami Dolphins’ Thursday night divisional clash with the Buffalo Bills.
Tua Tagovailoa Has A Rough History With Brain Trauma In The NFL
This is not the former Alabama man’s first encounter with head trauma; Tua suffered 2 concussions in the span of just 4 days back in 2022, leading an investigation headed by the NFL Players Association, after which the independent brain trauma consultant was subsequently fired.
Whilst the second of the Tagovailoa’s concussions in 2022 was one of the worst we have ever seen, the one suffered on Thurday evening did not look much better, with many medical professionals weighing in on the severity of the injury suffered.
Yet, having faced 3 nasty brain injuries in less than 2 years, the onus will be on the Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa to consider his future very carefully. Fans, ex-players and NFL pundits alike chimed in on X (formerly Twitter) that Tua has a critical choice to make after the events of last night.
And one person has gone a step further, declaring in a press conference on Friday morning that he believes that the Pro Bowler should hang up his cleats once and for all, per ProFootballTalk.
Antonio Pierce: I would tell Tua Tagovailoa to retire. https://t.co/s6aNA15g80
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 13, 2024
Antonio Pierce Would Tell Tua Tagovailoa To Retire
Breaking the long-held Belichick-ian adage, the newly minted full time head coach of the Raiders gave his thoughts on Miami’s franchise QB, and gave a very honest assessment of how he sees Tua’s future.
“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire, it’s not worth it. It’s not worth it. Played the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like I’ve seen that’s happened to him three times. Scary. You can see right away, the players’ faces on the field.
You can see the sense of urgency to get Tua help. I just think that at some point, he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
Sceptics may argue that the former linebackers’s coach has a vested interest in seeing one of the – well at least competent quarterbacks in the league retire – that is probably not at the top of Pierce’s priority list.
As a former player – a recent former player at that, having retired just 15 years ago, the Arizona alum has a strong incline towards player safety – especially given his reputation as a much-loved players coach.
Ultimately though, Pierce is not his coach, and even then the decision as to his future rests entirely upon the shoulders of Tua Tagovailoa and his family. Hopefully, after receiving medical advice and getting a clearer picture as to the extent of the injury, Tua can make a well-informed decision that is best for him and his family.
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