Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's future in the NFL remains uncertain after he suffered his third concussion in three years in Week 2. Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve on September 17 after who did not pass the NFL's concussion protocols.
Fellow professional athletes and media experts have called on Tagovailoa to retire for the sake of his health and life.
Now, his college coach has given insight into his conversations with the quarterback about his future in the NFL. Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban discussed Tagovailoa's recovery and future during an interview with Pat McAfee on Friday.
“I talked to Tua. He seemed (well),” Saban said. “I talked to him right after. You know, he's good. He's always positive and, you know, very enthusiastic. Terry (Saban's wife) talks to his mom a lot. You know, they want prayers from everyone to try to help him, ya You know, to recover. He really wants to play or have the opportunity to play again, I guess it's a medical decision that someone has to make.”
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) receives an assist on the field during the second half of a game against the Buffalo Bills on September 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Saban revealed that Tagovailoa's situation and concerns about his brain health and career have taken an emotional toll on the former coach.
“But, you know, Tua is the best. I mean, and I hate it, I hate it for him, because he's a good person who does everything the right way. He's the only player I've ever had that if you ask him, ' How are you today?' He says, 'Cool, coach. Thanks for asking.' I mean, every time. You love seeing people like that, you know, have success and not have this kind of adversity, but I hope he can overcome it.” .
On September 12, Tagovailoa was hit by Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a game against the Buffalo Bills, collapsed to the grass in pain, and showed signs of a traumatic brain injury, according to several experts. Tagovailoa's history of brain injuries includes two in the span of a month in the 2022 season.
Tagovailoa's arms froze in what neurologists call the “fencing response,” a sign of head trauma.
TUA TAGOVAILOA'S RETIREMENT COULD COST THE DOLPHINS $124 MILLION AFTER GM RELIED ON JIUJITSU TO END HIS CONCUSSIONS
His third concussion prompted cries from former NFL players to retire, including former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, Super Bowl champion kicker Lawrence Tynes of the New York Giants and Broncos Hall member of Fame, and current ESPN host Shannon Sharpe.
It's possible that Tagovailoa will eventually be cleared by team trainers and doctors to return to the field. If this happens, you would have to make the decision to continue playing. There's also a chance that doctors won't give you the all-clear to return.
If Tagovailoa is unable to clear concussion protocols for the third time in his NFL career, he could be forced to retire. If he retires, the Dolphins would have to pay a large portion of his $212.4 million contract.
The contract, signed in July by Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, includes $167 million in guarantees. Tagovailoa has already earned $43 million of that salary, and if he is forced to retire for medical reasons, he is entitled to collect the remaining $124 million.
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talks with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) as he leaves the game after suffering a concussion during the second half against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
However, if you are cleared to return and decide to withdraw anyway, you will lose that guaranteed money. In that case, he and the team would have to reach an agreement.
The contract was signed long after his three previous concussions and even after he admitted he considered retiring last offseason. But Grier said during a team press conference On Feb. 28, he wasn't worried about the quarterback's concussion history. Grier cited off-season jiujitsu training as the remedy for the quarterback's concussion concerns.
“The only thing Tua did was attack the offseason wanting to prove that he could stay healthy. Spending the time learning how to fall, with jiujitsu and stuff, it was worth it for him,” he said.
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Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he and the team were also “comfortable” with the fact that jujitsu was the solution to preventing concussions for their quarterback.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) throws against the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. (Sam Navarro/Image Images)
“It's something we had several ideas, some of which I won't repeat because they weren't as good as that one. We were willing to go to any extreme,” McDaniel said during a conference. team press conference February 28.
McDaniel told reporters this week that the quarterback will meet with brain health experts during the team's bye week because he has not yet cleared the concussion protocol. When asked if the team had been advised to keep Tagovailoa out longer even after he was cleared to return, McDaniel said he hasn't received “anything negative” from experts.
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