Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will reportedly attempt another comeback after sustaining a brutal concussion on the field.
Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion at the NFL level on September 12 against the Buffalo Bills and has since been placed on injured reserve by the Dolphins. At the time, the team announced the quarterback would seek opinions from multiple independent neurologists.
According to USA Today, this marked Tagovailoa’s fourth concussion dating back to his college career at Alabama. The quarterback has also suffered a fractured pelvis, dislocated hip, and broken nose, and he injured his back in what has been called an injury-plagued career.
Despite this, close friend and former linebacker Manti Te’o said that Tagovailoa has decided he wants to make another return to football.
Tua is “going to try to get back,” Te’o said in an airport interview at LAX.
Te’o claimed he spoke to the quarterback’s father over the phone and wasn’t shocked at all when he heard the news.
“It’s no surprise to me that he’s going to try to do so,” Te’o told TMZ. “That’s just Tua being Tua. He loves the game. He feels an obligation to his teammates. That’s just who he is. He plays hurt.”
If the information is accurate, that would mean it took just three weeks (or less) for the 26-year-old to decide to return following the brain injury.
“Tua’s a grown man now,” Te’o continued. “He has a family of his own. I think everybody just wants the best for him — whatever that is.”
This seemingly confirms earlier reports from just days after Tagovailoa’s injury that claimed he had no plans to stop playing permanently.
“Tua Tagovailoa has no plans to retire, sources say,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said in a video on X.
“The goal is to get on the field when he is ready. That’s one reason [coach] Mike McDaniel would not put a timeline on it. Wouldn’t even address it. Timelines lead to anxiety,” Rapoport added.
Dolphins coach McDaniel had said at the time that he was simply concerned about “the human being,” not his football career.
“I think I’ll let Tua be the champion of his own career and speak on that,” McDaniel said.
In 2024, Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212 million contract extension with the Dolphins that included a $42 million signing bonus.
The renewal came after two concussions at the NFL level, but the quarterback had such a stellar year in 2023 that he was given $167 million in guaranteed money, averaging out to an annual salary of just over $53 million.
