Famous concussion doctor Bennet Omalu begs Tua Tagovailoa to retire after Dolphins QB suffered THIRD head injury of career
Dr. Bennet Omalu, known for discovering chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former football players, is once again calling on Tua Tagovailoa to come out of retirement.
On Thursday, the 26-year-old player suffered his third known concussion after colliding with Damar Hamlin during the Miami Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Speaking with TMZ SportOmalu said he would become “permanently disabled” if his brain was damaged further.
“If I was his brother, his father, his uncle, his cousin, his niece, if I was a member of his family,” Omalu said, per TMZ. “I would beg him to retire. To do something else.”
Omalu, played by Will Smith in the 2015 film about his life and work “Concussion,” encouraged the quarterback to retire from the NFL for the second time in two years.
Dr. Bennet Omalu called on Tua Tagovailoa to retire after he suffered his third concussion in the NFL
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion after a collision with Damar Hamlin during Miami’s loss to Buffalo
His first call-up came when Tagovailoa was stretchered off the field with a concussion during a 2022 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“He’s got to stop,” the doctor said. “Sometimes money isn’t worth more than a human life. 20 billion dollars isn’t worth more than your brain.”
After Thursday’s terrifying collision, former NFL star Dez Bryant took to social media to urge Tagovailoa to hang up his cleats for his own good and that of his family.
While Shannon Sharpe, Nick Wright and Ryan Clark all expressed their concerns that night, ESPN’s Elle Duncan shared Omanu’s thoughts on how his family should handle the situation.
While media discussions are ongoing, Omalu also called on the Dolphins and the NFL to step in and protect the quarterback from further harm.
Tagovailoa suffered two concussions in 2022, prompting calls for his retirement
“If the company put him back on his feet,” Omalu said, “knowing that there is a significant and substantial risk that this individual will suffer serious and permanent brain damage as a result, why would you put him back on his feet?”
Meanwhile, Miami coach Mike McDaniel has left the decision in Tagovailoa’s hands, admitting he doesn’t know when or if his star facilitator will return to the court.
“I think it would be so wrong of me to even touch that subject,” McDaniel told reporters Friday. “It’s more in line with actually caring about the human being. You’re talking about his career.
“I totally understand that people want that, but I wish people would hear what I’m saying: it’s not in his best interest to bring up his future.
“I would urge anyone who really cares to consider this as the last thing on their mind.”