Tua Tagovailoa walked off the Hard Rock Stadium field on Thursday night with another concussion. His third one diagnosed in three years and the fourth one since his college days. Now, his future is in question. Not this year, but for his career.
The narrative of what kind of quarterback Tagovailoa is will take a backseat. His health is now a concern. The star QB was ruled out of returning against Buffalo within 10 minutes. It was a quick diagnosis. The hit that he took on the field showed signs of "fencing," a posture that is a sign of a serious brain injury. In 2022, a hit taken against the Bengals put Tua in the same posture.
From @GMFB: #Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion last night. pic.twitter.com/lup20tkqes
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 13, 2024
Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the TNF loss to Buffalo in Week 2
For now, the question of Tua's future is not at the forefront of anyone's mind; his health is. That concern will eventually change, and when it does, the conversation will turn to his long-term future in the NFL.
He signed a $212.4 million contract extension in the first week of training camp. The Miami Dolphins took their time and there were rumors of his health being a reason why the contract wasn't done sooner. When Tua suffered his second confirmed concussion in 2022, he was placed on IR and didn't play in the postseason. It was reported that he spent his offseason contemplating his future. He spoke with his family and made the decision to return to football.
A family man through and through, Tua's future could come down to conversations he has with his loved ones. Not many people believe that the signal-caller will actually retire, but many believe that he should. On the Amazon Prime post-game show, Hall-of-Famer Tony Gonzalez said that he thinks retirement should be something the Miami QB considers.
Inevitably, Tua will decide his future, and chances are he will be back in a week or two if he clears the concussion protocol. The question is, will he play with more caution like he did in 2023, and will that affect his game? There is still a lot of time left in 2024, and while the Dolphins could have a great season, another serious concussion for Tua may end his career.