Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has no intention of retiring despite recent concussion, per NFL Network

CNN
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa doesn't plan to retire after sustaining the most recent of a number of profession concussions final week, sources advised NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Tagovailoa was compelled off the sphere in the course of the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss in opposition to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday after diving for a primary down and taking a success from Bills security Damar Hamlin.

The 26-year-old has a historical past of concussions. He suffered a number of within the 2022 season and mentioned in 2023 that he had thought of stepping away from soccer “for a time” as a result of impression of the top accidents.

On Sunday, Rapoport said on NFL Game Day that Tagovailoa’s present objective is to get on the sphere “when he is ready,” including that he wouldn’t be shocked to see the quarterback miss “multiple games.”

Rapoport additionally mentioned that Tagovailoa has begun the method of seeing a concussion specialist, as together with his earlier accidents.

CNN has contacted Tagovailoa’s consultant for remark, whereas the Dolphins declined to remark.

“I’m not trying to even look at, ‘Okay, how serious is this is relative to his past [concussions]?’” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel advised reporters on Friday. “Really for me, I know the facts are that it’s important that he gets healthy day by day and, in that, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this event means from a football standpoint.”

Asked about whether or not Tagovailoa could be contemplating retirement, McDaniel mentioned that it “would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject.”

He added: “All the science behind concussions tells you what we’ve learned is how delicate the time is right after an injury and how important it is that you don’t institute extra sources of anxiety … The only two opinions that really matter, that are the absolute driving force for what we’re doing at that position, (are) Tua and the doctors. I don’t have any information from them.”

Tagovailoa falls to the ground after taking a hit against the Bills.

Tagovailoa guided the Dolphins to the playoffs final season and agreed to a four-year contract extension within the offseason, reportedly price $212.4 million.

During final week’s recreation at Hard Rock Stadium, the Dolphins star stayed on the bottom after the sort out from Hamlin however finally walked off the sphere below his personal energy. Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson got here on in his place.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was amongst these calling for Tagovailoa to retire after sustaining one other concussion.

“It’s not worth to play the game,” Pierce advised reporters. “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 from everybody to get Tua help.”

But talking on ESPN on Sunday, former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who had a stroke aged 31 and later returned to play within the NFL, mentioned that he would assist Tagovailoa’s determination to return again to soccer.

“The other thing to think about is this: ‘I can’t go out like that,’” mentioned Bruschi, including, “To all of us, how we end our careers is so vital, particularly whenever you get into your seventh, eighth, ninth years, and also you’ve been within the league and you already know what it’s like and also you’ve seen all these nice gamers and all their careers ending.

“You have your own ending up here in your mind. Tua still wants to win and he still wants to have a career and I would support him if he wanted to come back.”

The Dolphins’ (1-1) subsequent recreation is in opposition to the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday.