Tua Tagovailoa reportedly intends to continue NFL career despite concussion fears

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire despite calls from former players and a leading doctor to do so after he suffered his most recent concussion, NFL Network reported Sunday.

The 26-year-old suffered a concussion — at least his third in four NFL seasons — in Thursday night’s game against the Bills when he ran on fourth down and collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. After being treated by medical personnel, he walked off the field.

According to NFL Network, Tagovailoa has met with doctors who specialize in concussions with the ultimate goal of returning to the field. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has said there is no timeline for Tagovailoa to return and that his biggest concern is with his quarterback as a person, not as a player.

Tagovailoa missed five games in 2022 with two concussions, a history that has former players — including a current NFL head coach — concerned about his future.

“I’ll be honest with you, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “I just think at some point he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”

Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe also voiced his concerns. “I really hope Tua is OK, but he needs to seriously think about taking him out,” Sharpe posted on social media after Thursday’s incident. “His concussions are getting worse and he’s a young man with his whole life ahead of him.”

Dr. Bennet Omalu, who inspired the 2015 film Concussion, told TMZ Sports that Tagovailoa could be “permanently disabled” if he continued playing, adding that he could suffer “catastrophic and permanent brain damage” if he were to suffer another blow.

“If I were his brother, his father, his uncle, his cousin, his niece, if I were a member of his family,” Omalu said, “I would beg him to retire.”

Tagovailoa said in 2023 that he considered retiring but felt he was too young to turn his back on the sport. “I’ve thought about it for a while, after sitting down with my family, sitting down with my wife, having those kinds of conversations,” Tagovailoa said. “But it’s going to be hard for me to turn my back on this sport, given how old I am.”

The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa with the 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft and signed him to a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in the offseason. He has earned $73 million in his career to date.

Tagovailoa has appeared in 55 games and is 33-20 as a starter since entering the NFL. He has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 13,122 yards with 83 touchdowns and 40 interceptions. He led the NFL in passing yards last season and was named to his first Pro Bowl.