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Aaron Rodgers says Tua Tagovailoa should consider sitting out rest of season

Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers indicated that Tua Tagovailoa should think about “shutting it down” after entering concussion protocol for the second time this season.

Rodgers appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and indicated that Tagovailoa should think about his future rather than risk suffering an additional injury before the end of this season.

“But now, it’s probably time to maybe consider shutting it down when you’ve had some episodes,” Rodgers said. “I don’t know if that’s gonna be in the thought process. As a competitor, that’s the last thing you want, but at some point, you do start thinking about your cognitive function later in life and any aftereffects you might be dealing with.”

Tagovailoa was placed in concussion protocol by the Dolphins’ team doctors on Monday after he self-reported having symptoms related to a concussion. That currently puts Tagovailoa’s status for Sunday’s road game against the New England Patriots in potential jeopardy

The injury to Tagovailoa likely took place in the latter portion of the first half of the Dolphins’ game on Sunday against Rodgers’ Packers. At the time, the Dolphins were leading 20-10 and ended up losing 26-20.

In addition to not scoring during the final two quarters against the Packers, each of the Dolphins’ final three drives of the game was ended by a Tagovailoa interception. Prior to that flurry of pickoffs, he had thrown only five interceptions all season.

A Voice of Experience

Rodgers has been in the NFL since 2005, though he didn’t become starting quarterback for the Packers until 2008. Since being elevated to that role, Rodgers has fashioned a career that will eventually enshrine him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

That stature allows Rodgers to offer an experienced viewpoint on a subject that’s become prominent within the NFL during his time in the league. From a more personal perspective, Rodgers knows what Tagovailoa is going through, having sustained two concussions during the 2010 season and one in 2018.

Over his lengthy career with the Packers, Rodgers has generally been one of the more durable players, allowing him to throw 473 touchdowns and for over 58,000 yards.

In 2013, his season ended after playing in nine games because of a broken collarbone. Four years later, he was limited to just seven contests after again suffering a broken collarbone.

Even though the Dolphins remain in the hunt for a playoff berth, they don’t want Tagovailoa to incur further damage if he’s not ready to go. The team selected him with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft and consider him to be a key building block for its future.

If Tagovailoa does indeed shut it down for the rest of this season, the Dolphins will use veteran Teddy Bridgewater in his place.