Concussions have been a problem in the National Football League (NFL) since it was created. Players are getting thrown all over the place. It’s naturally not a safe game to be played and concussions are evidence of that. Plenty of players have even quit football because of head trauma. One of the greatest linebackers of all time, Luke Kuechly, retired from football at the young age of 28. He cited his three concussions as the main reason for his early retirement. Players that have frequent concussions may develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and Kuechly wanted to reduce the possibility of developing this condition. So, he retired early. His retirement was ideal for him in terms of his long-term health and set a good example of what players should be doing if they get concussions. However, his retirement did not help change the view of concussions. More and more players have gotten injured and downplayed the impact concussions may have. The most recent example was a recent injury from Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa had a great start to the season. In the Dolphins matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in week 2, Tagovailoa threw for 469 yards and six touchdowns. At that time he was leading the entire NFL in passing yards and was ready to lead the Dolphins to the playoffs. Then in week 3, everything went wrong. They were facing the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25, and Tagovailoa had a solid start to the game. That was before he was hit, causing him to fall backwards. His head bounced on the ground and it looked like he may have had a concussion. Tagovailoa stood up under his own power, but had trouble walking and fell back down to the ground. He clearly had a concussion. There was no doubt that something was wrong. He left with trainers toward the locker room and the Dolphins that he was questionable to return to the game due to a head injury. During halftime though he apparently cleared concussion protocol and instead his injury was more focused as a back injury. The guy wobbling around after a hit was being diagnosed with a back injury. At the time something definitely seemed fishy. Tagovailoa returned to the game and the Dolphins beat the Bills 21-19. Throughout the week in between the next game, he was said to be dealing with a back injury. Nothing related to the head. Neuroscientist Chris Nowinski tweeted this before the game, “If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even though they must know this isn’t right.” Yet the Dolphins chose to let him play. Pretty much everyone saw what came next. Right before halftime, Tagovailoa was sacked and it appeared as if he hurt his neck and head. He laid on the ground for nearly 10 minutes before being taken off the field on a stretcher. Right away, he was transported to a local hospital. Later he was finally diagnosed with a concussion, even though he clearly had one the week before. Everyone criticized the Dolphins for letting him even play in that game at all. They responded by firing the independent neurotrauma consultant that cleared him to play in the first place. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel responded to all the criticism with the same attitude. He trusted the independent consultant and would not have played him if there was any indication that there was a head injury. McDaniel said, “We’re talking about high-level football conversations about progressions and defenses and recalling stuff from two weeks previous and then him having to reiterate a 15-word play call. All things, absolutely no signs. There was no medical indication, from all resources, that there was anything regarding the head.” I am sorry but that’s complete bullshit. After the first hit, he literally struggled to walk properly. You do not have to be an expert to realize that there was something wrong with his head. Since the injury, other coaches have talked about how they approach concussions. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said this when reacting to the Tagovailoa injury, “A lot of times, players want to play. They want to go out there, and they want to play, and sometimes you just have to tell them, ‘No.’ You have to say, ‘No.’” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said, “If I see a player that I think is not functioning properly that for some reason has not been identified, then absolutely I would [take them out]. I have done that.” Head trauma is so dangerous, so why bother taking any chance with it? If there is any possibility that he could have had a concussion why play him? There had to have been some serious negligence from the Dolphins and McDaniel. We aren’t even talking about never playing football again. It’s about Tagovailoa’s livelihood. It’s about him being able to walk and function as he always has. People need to realize that it’s about more than football.
Tua’s best course of action now may be retirement. Much like Luke Kuechly, Tua may need to put his health first and retire. He will certainly leave behind a legacy: he won 30/32 games as a starter at the University of Alabama, was 1st in FBS history in career passing efficiency rating, and was the 2018 Heisman Trophy runner-up before being drafted fifth overall in 2020. He’s also made enough money for several lifetimes: his career earnings are estimated to be nearly $26,000,000. Additionally, if Tua chooses to retire it could set an important precedent for the whole NFL. A young player who was having an incredible season chooses to retire to save himself from the NFL’s broken concussion protocol; other players may follow suit and the NFL may be forced to make a policy change to survive the court of public opinion.
If he chooses to hang it up after these horrific injuries, he’ll still have his health, his legacy and a well-funded retirement. One famous neuropathologist urged Tua to “gallantly walk away,” and I agree. For his own safety, it may be time to retire.
