Tua Considered Retirement – Even if Only Briefly

Tua Considered Retirement – Even if Only Briefly

19 April, 2023

Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, had a rough 2022 NFL season because to repeated concussions.

Concerns were raised concerning Tagovailoa’s continued football participation after he missed five starts owing to two confirmed concussions.

Tagovailoa told reporters on Wednesday that he had contemplated retiring over the last four months but ultimately concluded that continuing to play was in the best interest of him and his family.

“I considered it [walking away from football] for a time having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations,” Tagovailoa told reporters. “But, really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game 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.

“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].”

After Week 16’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Tagovailoa was placed in concussion protocol and missed the last two regular season games as well as Miami’s playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

Tagovailoa had at least his second concussion of the 2022 NFL season in the game against the Packers. After getting a concussion in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the third-year starter didn’t play for two weeks.

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion four days after tripping and hurting his head during Miami’s Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills.

Tagovailoa had his greatest professional season in 2022, when he threw for 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions.

The Dolphins exercised Tagovailoa’s fifth-year option in March, making him their starting quarterback for the next season.

The general manager of the Miami Dolphins, Chris Grier, has faith in Tagovailoa.

“I would say with Tua, he is our starting quarterback,” Grier told reporters in January. “I mean, I don’t know how we can say it any more clearly. We’ve been that way through this season and what he’s done. What Mike (McDaniel) and Tua, (Darrell) Bevell, Chandler (Henley), the coaching staff have all done. They’ve all worked tremendously hard, all of them together.”