Everybody has an opinion on what Tua Tagovailoa should do next after he sustained yet another concussion during Thursday evening’s 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Though many like Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce feel very strongly that he should retire, others such as Tagovailoa’s former Alabama coach Nick Saban believes the choice is solely up to him.
The thing is, this sort of speculation doesn’t do Tagovailoa himself any good, according to coach Mike McDaniel.
“It would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject,” McDaniel said Friday morning, later adding “I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that [retirement] should be the last thing on your mind.”
Here’s a quick list of some notable people’s responses:
Antonio Pierce
▪ “I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it. Played the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like I’ve seen that’s happened to him three times. Scary. You can see right away, the players’ faces on the field. You can see the sense of urgency to get Tua help. I just think that at some point, you know, he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
Nick Saban
▪ “He’s such a great competitor, but I think this has to be a medical decision. You have to let medical people who understand the circumstances around these injuries, these concussions — when you have multiple concussions, that’s not a good sign. I think Tua and his family and everyone else should listen to all the medical evidence to make sure you’re not compromising your future, health-wise, by continuing to play football, but that is medical decision, not me to speculate on.”
Tony Gonzalez (NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer) :
▪ “If I’m him, at this point, I’m seriously considering retiring from football. If that was my son, I’d be like, ‘It might be time.’ This stuff is not what you play around with.”
Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (former football player, professional wrestler and founding CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation):
▪ “There is no magic number of concussions to require retirement. It all depends on how he recovers from this one, but having too many concussions can lead to chronic symptoms and mental health disorders. He’s in a very tough spot.”
Dez Bryant (former NFL player):
▪ “That’s it … NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns.”
Ryan Clark (former NFL player and ESPN analyst)
▪ “We are not entitled to tell him that he shouldn’t play.”
John “Jabo” Burrow (former Vanderbilt football player who retired because of head injuries) :
▪ “Violence and trauma is necessary for participating in the game, but the natural outcome of those things is brain trauma and risk of death. I just hope Tua can be ok. It makes me very sad for him. Damar Hamlin had some comments I read on using counseling to help process his trauma in order to get back to a place where he feels safe being on the field. That makes me sad too, but for different reasons. The game is traumatic.”
Benjamin Watson (former NFL player) :
▪ “Thinking about Tua right now. Everyone is going to have an opinion on what he should do with his career and that’s a tough position to be in. I wasn’t a star QB but I’ve been in that position several times; concussed, frozen and stumbling on the field while my family watched. Though I’m grateful for each season I played, I sometimes wish I would have walked away earlier. Perhaps it would have alleviated some of my current concern about my future health. But in the moment many athletes believe that things will always get better, they can overcome any setback and there is more greatness to attain. The dogged determination that got us to the pinnacle can simultaneously be our worst enemy in decisions where objectively is a necessity. Every athlete has to count the cost; known and speculative. I pray Tua seeks the Lord in the coming days. May wisdom prevail.”
Manti Te’o (former NFL player)
▪ “After he suffered the one against the Bengals, I wanted him to walk. When I saw him have to be carted off the field, I wanted him to walk. That was hard. What people have to understand is this is just a game, and then there’s life. When you watch a young man that you’ve known since he was a little boy go out there … is it hard for me? Yeah. But I can’t imagine how it is for Uncle Galu and Auntie Diane to watch their son again go down. I want the best for Tua — the man and the father. He’s a father of two now. I want him to be able — not today, but 10, 15, 20 years down the line — to raise his children, to be able to walk his daughter down the aisle. That’s what I want for Tua. That’s true joy.”
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