From the moment Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down with his concussion against the Buffalo Bills, there has been loads of speculation that the Pro Bowler might hang up his cleats. With three concussions since 2022, the belief was that No. 1 might decide that enough was enough. However, Ian Rapoport has cleared things up here.
According to the NFL insider, Tagovailoa has 'no plans' to retire. Rapoport added that Tagovailoa has already met with some specialists and more meetings/conversations are on the way. While there's no exact timeframe for when the Dolphins' signal-caller will get back on the field, we now know he hasn't played his last down for Mike McDaniel:
Ian Rapoport has reported Tua Tagovailoa isn't planning to retire from the Dolphins
There was understandably a ton of concern surrounding the $212.4 million man after he hit the turf against Buffalo in the Week 2 loss. On a 4th-down run, Tagovailoa tried fighting for extra yards to get the first down, but he collided in rough fashion with Damar Hamlin before falling to the turf.
Tagovailoa went into the 'fencing' position and he was taken back to the locker room with the help of trainers shortly after. It didn't take long for the Dolphins to announce he was out for the rest of the game with his concussion.
Skylar Thompson took over the offense, but there was no miracle comeback for Miami against their hated AFC East rival. With Tagovailoa, ESPN's Adam Schefter has also reported that he's 'seeking input' from medical professionals on the effects of the multiple concussions he has suffered. Tagovailoa of course isn't going to rush back to action, but with the latest updates from Rapoport and Schefter, it's looking like his 2024 isn't over just yet.
Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards last campaign, leading to his monster extension from general manager Chris Grier. Things took a while there, however, with Tagovailoa's injury history reportedly being a cause for concern for the Miami front office. The deal got done, but Tua getting hurt vs. the Bills was brutal for so many reasons. Soon enough, we'll find out a timeline for his return to action, but Miami (for now) will have to rely on Thompson to try and keep McDaniel's offense above water.