Another concussion and scary moment for Miami’s quarterback. Have we reached the point where he needs to just walk away?
It’s 4th down in the red zone and the Miami Dolphins are trailing by three scores in the 3rd quarter. They have to go for it to get back into this game against the Buffalo Bills. So coach Mike McDaniel draws up a play to get his offense into the end zone. The play breaks down and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs for the first down but he wants more. He ends up running into safety Damar Hamlin and falls to the turf at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, reaching for his head.
It happened again. The Dolphins franchise QB suffered yet another concussion. It was his fourth documented concussion and each one has struck fear into football fans that watched it happen. Fear for a man’s long term mental health, and the realization of just how violent the game of football can be. In the aftermath of Tagovailoa’s latest concussion, we have reached a point where he needs to strongly consider retiring from the game of football.
The NFL may try to downplay it, but the league still has a big issue when it comes to head safety. In 2022, there were 0.54 documented concussions per game. That means that every other game that was played in the NFL had a player leave due to a documented concussion. That is not even factoring in the likely hundreds of undocumented concussions that occur throughout games as well. Despite the measures and lawsuits that have come about, the league still has a very prominent head injury problem.
The issue when it comes to players like Tagovailoa and head injuries is the athletes mental fabric that collides with playing a very dangerous game. Professional football players are drilled from a very young age to always try and to compete. That being out there for their team is the expectation. This is even more factual when it comes to those that play quarterback, by far the games most important position. Tagovailoa has always been regarded as an elite player. He was the best high school recruit in his class in his home state of Hawaii and a top 3 national recruit at the quarterback position. When he left Alabama and went to the draft, he was selected fifth overall. He has always had expectations to be great.
And when a player is expected to be great, there is a level of pressure that is placed on them to fulfill the prognostications and to show everyone that they are as good as advertised. Tagovailoa is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he is likely in a secondary tier behind players like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. So as a competitor, he wants to be out there to help his team win to fulfill his destiny as a great player.
With this added pressure there will be times when he will push the limit too far to reach his goals. Not sliding after getting the first down yesterday is an example of this. Going full throttle and trying to get that extra yard or two is the only way that he knows. It is ironic since the will to compete at a high level is also his undoing.
It is not a small thing to suggest that a player retire while they are in the prime of their earning potential. Tagovailoa has made $30M in his time as an NFL player and he recently signed an extension worth $212M. $93M of this contract was guaranteed at signing. On the surface, it may feel like it is worth playing out the stretch until 2029 to make all the money in that contract. At this point, that feels too dangerous.
The disease CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is mentioned a lot when it comes to head injuries and we have seen it manifest in players like Junior Seau and lead to destructive consequences. CTE forms in the brain after repeated head trauma, often seen in combat sports like mixed martial arts and boxing. The symptoms that can be expected with this disease are mood changes, suicidal thoughts, depression, short term memory loss, confusion, and headaches. In short, too many concussions will lead to a severe loss in quality of life and render any extra money earned somewhat useless.
At this point, Tua continuing his career in the NFL feels dangerous and he has an important decision to make. Thankfully, his coach Mike McDaniel has been incredibly understanding by not applying any pressure to force him to return to action sooner than he should. In a past era, players would not get this luxury as coaches often employed a win at any cost sort of mentality. In addition to his own safety, an early retirement to prioritize his long term health would send a message to future generations and the NFL about the importance of taking head injuries seriously. It is a message that the league desperately needs to hear.
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