Multiple former NFL players agree that Tua Tagovailoa should retire from football

On Thursday, the Miami Dolphins kicked off at Hard Rock Stadium against the Buffalo Bills, and it promised to be a rare September game with playoff implications.

But it was a rough one for them and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who threw three interceptions and had to exit in the second half due to a concussion. It led several people from the NFL community to suggest he should call it quits for his own good.

Tagovailoa suffered at least two concussions during the 2022 season, and afterward, some figured that it may have been best for him to retire at that point. But he resisted those calls and continued to play, even though he did consider leaving pro football.

Brain trauma has been the million-pound elephant in the room for the NFL in recent seasons. The league has made some rule changes in an attempt to make the game safer, and this season, it has allowed players to wear Guardian Caps, a type of helmet thought to cut down on the risk of brain trauma.

The Dolphins were hoping to build on their 11-6 finish from last season, but now, their 2024 campaign, not to mention their immediate future, seems to be up in the air.

Tagovailoa managed to appear in all 17 games last year and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time while leading the NFL in passing yards. But he has had to deal with a number of pundits accusing him of being overrated and barely better than average.

In Miami’s regular-season opener on Sunday, he went just 23 of 37, although he did throw for 338 yards. He was aided by Tyreek Hill’s big game as it was able to get by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 20-17.

On Thursday, Tagovailoa wasn’t able to get his team’s offense going downfield, as Buffalo’s secondary forced the Dolphins to subsist mostly on running plays and checkdowns.

They will not play again until Sept. 22, when they will visit the Seattle Seahawks. It remains to be seen if that will give Tagovailoa enough time to clear concussion protocol.