A human story broke out Wednesday during a football news conference. It’s a story of hope and trust. It’s a story of family and fatherhood. It’s a story of love and life.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa revealed, yes, he considered retiring from football in the offseason because of the concussions he sustained.
But in the end he couldn’t tear himself away from the game that he loves, not even for the family he loves even more than the game.
Tagovailoa is a 25-year-old millionaire with a wife and young son. That’s one of the reasons he had retirement conversations with his family. He doesn’t need football.
“But really it would be hard for me to walk away from this game,” Tagovailoa said, “with how old I am, with my son. I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do.
“And, yeah, it’s my health, it’s my body, and I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would have quit a long time [ago].”
I support Tagovailoa’s decision 100%.
It’s his life. He’s consulted with family members, medical experts and, you’d think, anyone else with a qualified opinion. He feels comfortable with his decision.
I’m cool with that.
But let’s put aside the 2023 Miami Dolphins and whether they can get to the Super Bowl.
I worry about Tagovailoa on a human level.
Tagovailoa is a competitor, which explains a lot of why he wants to continue playing.
However, he had two diagnosed concussions in three months last season.
The first one (well, the first diagnosed concussion; he might have sustained one the prior game against Buffalo) caused him to be taken off the field at Cincinnati on a stretcher in late September and be briefly hospitalized. He’d eventually miss two starts. The last one, against Green Bay on Christmas, caused him to miss two more starts late in the season, including the 34-31 wild-card playoff round loss at Buffalo.
Tagovailoa also sustained a concussion during the season-ending injury he had in his final season at Alabama (2019).
During a question, a reporter stated people who have a concussion are more susceptible to concussions in the short term but not in the long term. Tagovailoa was asked whether doctors shared that information.
“They told me exactly what you said,” Tagovailoa answered, practically confirming what the Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier have previously said publicly.
“They also told me that [Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy] wasn’t going to be a problem,” he said of the condition that’s detectable after death. “It’s only when you’re constantly hitting your head against something. So I think that tailors more toward linebackers, O-linemen, D-linemen, guys that are constantly going at it. That also played into the factor of my decision-making and wanting to come back and play.”
Tagovailoa, as far as I know, is correct that linebackers, offensive linemen and defensive linemen are diagnosed with CTE more than quarterbacks.
But former Dolphins quarterback Earl Morrall, who subbed for Bob Griese during the 1972 “Perfect Season,” was reportedly diagnosed with “severe CTE.” Also, longtime Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, who, coincidentally, is a left-handed Alabama quarterback such as Tagovailoa, was also diagnosed with CTE.
And former Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, who finished sixth in the 2006 Heisman Trophy voting, was diagnosed with CTE after his May 2021 death, although it should be noted Brennan also sustained a traumatic brain injury in a 2010 car accident.
Tagovailoa is doing all the right things to prepare his body for the rigors of a NFL season.
He’s taking jiu-jitsu lessons to learn how to fall properly. It’s not something quarterbacks can practice during training camp or the regular season.
“We don’t even get touched until the season starts,” Tagovailoa said, “so with jiu-jitsu I’ve been thrown airborne, I’ve been put in many uncomfortable positions for me to learn how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in.”
Tagovailoa said he’s also been working on strengthening his neck muscles, his core and his legs.
Interestingly, Tagovailoa covered up his still-under-under-construction physique Wednesday, wearing a black adidas hoodie. That wasn’t the case a couple of weeks ago at his charity event, where he wore a suit and his thick neck and muscled frame were apparent, and it wasn’t the case in a recent workout video.
Tagovailoa is doing all he can to be prepared for the 2023 season.
I applaud him. I hope the offseason plan works to his benefit and that he stays healthy the entire season and the rest of his career.
Statistically, Tagovailoa should be fine next season. He’s a good quarterback.
The problem is he has a concerning concussion history that could lead to bigger problems during the season, or later in life. This is a guy with a wife and young son.
In a way, his life is just starting.
Tagovailoa knows this, and he’s weighed his options. He seems aware of the risks.
I’m also aware of the risks.
Football is a violent game, regardless of how much training you undergo.
That’s why I worry about Tagovailoa on a human level.
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