Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL career in doubt after latest concussion playing for Miami Dolphins against Buffalo Bills

Week two of the NFL season brought an array of stunning upsets but the biggest storyline will be what happens off the gridiron, in a neurologist’s office.

That’s where Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will find out if he has a future playing football.

Tagovailoa took a huge, self-inflicted hit to the head when he lowered his helmet into Bills defender Damar Hamlin in Miami’s loss to Buffalo.

Including his last season in college with Alabama, Tagovailoa has now sustained four diagnosed concussions in five years, however the passer has so far ruled out any talk of retirement.

The concussion against the Bills, which resulted from Tua’s head making contact with Hamlin’s arm, looked less brutal than the helmet-to-helmet collisions that are commonplace in the NFL.

So, it’s hard not to think Tagovailoa’s previous concussions have made him more susceptible to this type of brain injury.

The research supports this theory.

In a study of college football players by Michigan State University neuroscientist Kevin Guskiewicz, athletes with a history of three or more previous concussions were found to have three times the risk of getting a subsequent concussion than those with no previous history.

The science on the health impacts is pretty clear, too.

The University of Oxford and the University of Exeter conducted the world’s largest study of its kind into traumatic brain injury, and found people who reported three or more concussions had significantly worse cognitive function, which got successively worse with each subsequent concussion after that.

NFL players and coaches are typically loath to weigh in on another man’s business, but Tagovailoa’s impending career decision has been a hot topic in league circles.

Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant said, “That’s it. NFL go ahead and do the right thing. Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns.”

Raiders coach Antonio Peirce, who played nine years in the NFL, was just as blunt in his assessment.

“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Pierce said.

“Playing the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like what’s happened to him three times. Scary … he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”

Though it’s a minor consideration compared to his health, the oft-injured QB inked a four-year, US$212.4 million deal this offseason, which puts the team on the hook for US$167.2 million should he be medically retired.

As it currently stands, the team has not placed Tua on injured reserve, which mandates a player must miss a minimum of four games.

The Dolphins are preparing to start back-up Skylar Thompson against the Seahawks on Monday, and have signed quarterback Tyler Huntley from the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad.

Huntley has started 10 games since coming into the league in 2020 as an undrafted free agent, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 after helping the Ravens get to the playoffs while staring QB Lamar Jackson was injured.