More drama surrounding NFL star Tua: “I would advise him to quit. It’s not worth it”

More drama surrounding NFL star Tua
“I would advise him to stop. It's not worth it”

14.09.2024, 11:05 a.m.

After his third concussion in three years, Tua Tagovailoa faces an uncertain future. More and more voices are calling for the Miami Dolphins quarterback to retire.

Tua Tagovailoa was lying heavily on the ground again, his finger was cramping again, and he quickly called his teammates for help. It was desperately needed. For the third time in three years, the Miami Dolphins quarterback suffered a concussion on the field, and quite a few experts and former players are recommending that the 26-year-old should quit football.

“I hate to say this. But his concussions are getting worse and he's a young man with his whole life ahead of him,” wrote former NFL pro and current TV presenter Shannon Sharpe on X. “He needs to think about quitting.” Antonio Pierce, head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, feels the same way: “I'll be honest, I would advise him to quit. It's not worth it.” The images of the incident were “scary.”

“Everyone wants to see modern gladiators”

It happened in the “Thursday Night Game” against the Buffalo Bills (10:31). Tagovailoa, who had been disappointing up to that point, thought he was heading for the end zone with the ball on fourth down at the end of the third quarter, but he hit Damar Hamlin's upper arm head-first and then lay helpless on the grass. After several minutes of treatment, Tagovailoa was able to walk to the locker room on his own two feet – at least. That was different in the past.

The Hawaiian was (officially) hit twice in the 2022/23 season, hitting the back of his head on the ground in both games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers. But even before the first impact, Tagovailoa had clearly had coordination problems in the duel with the Bills. The fact that he was able to continue after treatment sparked a lot of criticism at the time. He may already be struggling with his fourth head injury.

Would you rather quit too? Tagovailoa asked himself the question last year. “I considered it for a while. I sat down with my family,” the NFL star said in April 2023. But he loves football, “if that wasn't the case, I would have stopped playing a long time ago.” Former NFL star JJ Watt, meanwhile, criticized a “double standard” in the ongoing discussion: “Everyone wants to see modern gladiators, but no one is going to take the guilt that comes with it.”