In the event that Tua Tagovailoa is forced to medically retire from football in the wake of another scary concussion, the Miami Dolphins would be on the hook for a significant percentage of the $212.4 million deal the quarterback signed less than two months ago. However, the team would get a good chunk of money back thanks to an insurance policy baked into the contract.
According to Over The Cap, the Dolphins included a $49.3 million insurance policy in the deal that would pay out if the team is forced to pay Tagovailoa his $167.1 million injury guarantee.
It should be noted, though, that the scenario seems unlikely to come to fruition. While a chorus of people around the NFL have urged retirement for Tagovailoa, the choice to do so appears firmly in the quarterback’s court. The massive injury guarantee would only come into play if Tagovailoa isn’t medically cleared to return to the field.
“There is no magic number of concussions to require retirement,” Chris Nowinski of the Concussion Legacy Foundation told NPR. “It all depends on how he recovers from this one, but having too many concussions can lead to chronic symptoms and mental health disorders.”
While the long-term health of Tagovailoa warrants discussion, it still seems unlikely that a doctor would tell the Dolphins quarterback that he is no longer allowed to play.
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