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Author opinion: Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire

By Dale-Paul Jordan

ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins reacts after a play during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 17: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins reacts after a play during an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) /
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This has nothing to do with Tua Tagovailoa as a player.  His performance this year has been outstanding.  He gave the Dolphins life and a sense of swag that Miami Dolphin fans haven’t seen since Dan Marino was behind center.  But after Damar Hamlin’s accident on Monday Night Football, the right thing for Tua to do is retire.

Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion this year against the Green Bay Packers.  Any time the word concussion comes up, that is a scary thing.  When it comes up multiple times, that’s when you have to start thinking about the person and not the football player.  I think everyone that watched Monday Night Football, saw what can happen with one play.  Ironically, that play was in Cincinnati, where Tua suffered his second concussion, and showed that graphic representation of his fingers crossed, which scared everyone watching.

CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 29: Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins after an injury during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on September 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 29: Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins after an injury during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on September 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Coming into this season, the buzz around Tua was that he looked healthy. But retrospectively, think about this for a moment.  Tua had an injury problem and concerns during his collegiate tenure.  With broken ankles, hip displacement, and dislocated fingers, there was a health risk or injury concern labeled around him, basically, injury prone.  That’s not a knock on Tua the person, it’s just that his body might not be built to absorb the impact a quarterback takes.

The Miami Dolphins decided not to worry about this factor and still drafted him 5th overall in the 2020 NFL draft.    Monitoring draft experts, any player that has an injury-prone label, usually doesn’t get drafted in the top 5 or even in the first round. However, Tua’s pedigree might be the reason those concerns were ignored. No media outlet will ever be able to accurately predict what happened on draft day, cause they weren’t in the room.

Fast forward to now.  Miami Dolphins fans have been anxiously awaiting a quarterback that can take them into the playoffs.  Tua was set to be the answer or the solution.  But, as a fan, I can’t look at him and state that he’s the solution.  As everyone will be concerned with any hit that is applied to him – will that be the hit that knocks him out of the game or worse his career?

I don’t wish that on Tua.  I don’t think the Miami Dolphins or the NFL can afford to have the scene play out.  With that being said, the best thing for Tua to do is retire.  I know he loves the game of football, but the game isn’t loving him back.

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