Following Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion in Week 2 against the Bills, most of the media and NFL fanbase have been worried about his future. Naturally, everyone has an opinion on whether or not he should continue playing.
Tua has suffered two major concussions in three seasons and at least one more. Following the game, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel implored people not to speculate on his future as a player or his retirement thoughts. What hasn’t been discussed is what the Dolphins should do with the QB. That changed over the weekend when ESPN analyst Chris Canty called out the Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa reportedly has no plans to retire from the Dolphins
Doing right by Tua is an interesting take. What exactly is that? Canty seems to suggest that the Dolphins should release him? Place him on injured reserve for the season? Ask him to leave the NFL and his contract for his health? Canty is insinuating that the Dolphins are selfishly thinking of themselves, the team goals, and their salary cap. That’s not the case.
The problem here is simple: the Dolphins don’t have much of a say in this situation. Tua has all the say, control, and decisions. The Dolphins, as Barry Jackson points out, can’t simply call Tua and say, “You’re playing on Sunday.” An independent neurologist has to review the CT images of Tua’s head. He will then discuss the situation with the Dolphins training staff and the team doctor. If any one of them says he isn’t ready, he doesn’t return to the field. This is not a matter of “saving the player from himself.”
Right now, the Dolphins don’t have much information, and chances are Tua himself is still waiting on test results. The neurologist doesn’t make any decisions on their own, either. They will consult others in their practice or other specialists in that field of study.
Tagovailoa, per Ian Rapoport, has no plans to retire. He wants to keep helping this team try and win, but his return won’t be something either side rushes to get done. Mike McDaniel has looked heartbroken over the injury to his QB, saying multiple times he’s more worried about the person than the player. For Canty to try and say that the Dolphins don’t have Tagovailoa’s best interest in mind is absurd.
