Can we have an honest healthy discussion about Tua and these concussions? As a fan i want him as the QB of this team but if he was my family member I’d want him to hang it up. What do you guys think?
— Smoke (@nickysmokess) September 13, 2024
Never in my life have I felt as defeated as I do right now as a Dolphins fan—and I’ve seen this team go 1-15. But what they did tonight against Buffalo? That might just be one of the most pathetic performances I’ve ever witnessed. With that being said, none of it even matters right now as I sit here writing about something far more important: whether Tua Tagovailoa needs to retire after suffering his fourth concussion in two years. I’m genuinely hurting.
Tua is my guy. There’s no one else I’d rather have leading this team. I’ve believed in him from the start, and he’s shown he can be a franchise quarterback. But at this point, none of that matters. This is bigger than football. This is about life, about health, about being present for your family in the years to come. I can’t sit back and watch this unfold and say things like, “Oh, he’ll be okay, it was just a freak accident,” or “Just slap a guardian cap on him, and he’ll be fine,” or even worse, “One more concussion, and then maybe he should retire.”
Are you people out of your *minds*? If this were your son, your husband, or someone you loved, would you honestly want him to go back out there? Would you really want to risk seeing his fingers curl up on national TV for the third time? What are we even talking about here?
The hit that caused this most recent concussion wasn’t even some vicious, out-of-bounds play. It was a standard, bang-bang moment, the kind that happens in every NFL game. And yet, it took him out of the game. At what point do we, as fans, as humans, step back and say enough is enough? How many more times does he need to be sidelined with a head injury before we acknowledge that this is a serious, life-altering situation?
I’m sure Tua wants to get back out there. He’s a competitor, and he’s shown his resilience time and again. But at what cost? At this point, it’s not about pride, or toughness, or proving the doubters wrong. It’s about his future. If he were my family member, I’d be telling him to hang up his cleats before the game makes that decision for him. You only get one brain, one body, and there’s no glory in risking permanent damage just for a few more years on the field.
As much as I love seeing Tua play, it’s just not worth it anymore. This isn’t about wins or losses; it’s about life after football. We’ve seen too many players suffer from long-term brain injuries, and it’s heartbreaking every time. I don’t want that for Tua. I don’t want that for his family.
Prayers up for Tua and his loved ones. I wish them nothing but the best as they navigate these tough decisions. Football is temporary—life is forever.
