NFL insider offers sensitive insight on Tua Tagovailoa injury situation

By now, we have heard plenty about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his injury suffered during last week's edition of Thursday Night Football.

Out of respect for Tua, we won't go into any additional detail about the play on which it happened or any of the post-injury questions. To put it simply, all of the questioning and whispers need to come to an end, or else.

On the latest episode of the NFL Insiders Podcast from NFL Network, insider Judy Batista discussed Tua's situation from a heartfelt, factual standpoint. It's a standpoint that everyone else needs to adapt, as well, or things could worsen for the young man.

"I just wish everybody would back off," Batista said.

She went on to talk about what the science and data calls for in a situation like this.

"All the science says you don't want to cause more anxiety for someone who has a concussion ... Stop talking about this. Stop talking about any decisions and just let him deal with the doctors and get well," Batista continued.

How might Tua Tagovailoa's injury situation worsen over time?

As it turns out, Batista hits the nail on the head, here. She is trying to build a factual, sensitive narrative going forward around Tua and his well-being.

The data indeed tells us that people who suffer injuries like this are subject to far more anxiety and depression. What will trigger more mental issues after an injury like this is if the person is put into stressful situations. It also tells us that these individuals need "time to have structured independence and more control over his or her life."

What's more stressful for a professional athlete, after suffering such an injury (on multiple occasions), than having countless people in your ear with their opinion on how you should go about making decisions regarding your future?

The situation Tua is in, currently, is certainly one where he needs to feel as though he has all the independence and control, without a multitude of people telling him what he should and shouldn't do.

The mental distress is beyond comprehension for those who are not in Tua's shoes. This delicate matter is one where he deserves respect and privacy. The last thing he needs is for this situation to become worse than it already is. He does not need opinions of the masses, period.

That doesn't mean he isn't going to seek help from medical professionals and absorb the proper advice. It simply means that, based on the science like Batista mentioned, the amount of people posting advice or tagging him on social media with their opinion should drastically decrease.

Hopefully, for Tua's sake, he is opting not to pay any attention to those folks in the first place. But, in this social media age, it can be hard to completely unplug when you're the center of so much attention. What can the fans do? For those fans who care about this team and Tua's well-being, it's pretty simple: stop talking about it.

If Tua is hoping to make his return to the field, that's his decision. And, if we're all wanting to help in whatever way we can, we can start by being good human beings and not adding even an ounce of excess stress to his life.