Tua Tagovailoa’s football future is up in the air after his latest concussion, and it sounds like he’s going to get an expert’s opinion.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback is planning to meet with neurologists early this week before making a decision about his football future, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Tagovailoa was knocked out of the Dolphins’ “Thursday Night Football” game earlier this week after lowering his head during a run-in with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. He was left reeling on the ground and did not return after being escorted from the field by trainers.
Tua takes a hard hit. He appears to be concussed. #BUFvsMIA pic.twitter.com/SwBpjQQaM1
— Rate the Refs App (@Rate_the_Refs) September 13, 2024
All concussions are concerning, but they get more concerning when a player has a history of concussions. Tagovailoa certainly falls in that category, having considered retirement after sustaining multiple concussions in the 2022 season. He has been diagnoses with four concussions in his last five seasons of football.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel declined to offer any timeline for Tagovailoa’s return after the game, a 31-10 Dolphins loss:
“I’m just worried about the human being,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said. “I was just worried about my guy. It’s not something you ever want to be a part of. You hope not to.”
Another head coach, Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders, went as far as telling reporters he would tell Tagovailoa to retire out of concern for his health.
The question now is if the neurologists have similar advice.