Tua Tagovailoa continues to meet with specialists regarding the multiple concussions he has suffered in his playing career. According to Adam Beasley, Tagovailoa is spending the bye week talking with brain experts, which could determine if he's able to return in Week 8 or not. At the same time, the Miami Dolphins quarterback should listen to those players who have come before him.
There is a long list of former NFL players who have dealt with long-term concussion effects. Former Dolphins, Chargers, and Patriots great Junior Seau took his own life as a result of brain damage. Now, another former NFL quarterback has come out publicly to announce he has dementia.
Former 14-year veteran quarterback Tommy Kramer posted on his social media account recently that he was diagnosed with the disease a little over a year ago during a visit to the Cleveland Clinic. According to his "X" release, he was given anywhere from two to 10 years.
Tua Tagovailoa needs to take everything into consideration for the sake of himself and family
Playing a sport that you love is always hard to give up and no one is going to make that decision for Tua other than himself. All of us who have played sports on any level tend to feel the repercussions later in our lives. Some of us can predict the weather thanks to our arthritic knees. Not being able to roll out of bed because your knee locks up is a lot different than not being able to hold a thought.
Tagovailoa has had four confirmed concussions dating back to his days at Alabama and a possible fifth against the Bills in 2022. Is it time for him to seriously consider walking away from the game? It might be, but it is also a lot harder to walk away from the financial security of a contract that sets him up for life. He's also going to take into consideration what brain experts, including the ones he's meeting with during the bye week, have to say about things.
Regardless, at some point, Tagovailoa is going to face a harsh reality about his ability to play the game he loves. It would be fantastic to predict that he will play smarter and never take another hit to the head, but this is the NFL - he will take another hit and given his position, it will probably be harder than the one he took against the Bills in Week 2.
For the Miami signal-caller, it's a personal decision and only he and his family should make it, but he should look to those that have come before him. As things stand, Tagovailoa will likely return to the field in Week 8, but nothing is set in stone just yet.
