Not even a fourth concussion will keep Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa from the game he loves, according to the player.
While speaking with reporters ahead of a possible return to the field on Sunday, Tagovailoa addressed concerns about his health by essentially saying there is no way he will retire from the game anytime soon.
“I appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. That’s it,” Tagovailoa told reporters on Monday, via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
The Dolphins quarterback also said he will not wear a Guardian Cap as he prepares for his first NFL game since September when he sustained his fourth career concussion. Tagovailoa added he has been currently symptom-free since the day after the fourth concussion and is willing to play the odds with his return to the field, per ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe.
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While Tagovailoa said he’s got to be “smart” with his on-field decisions to stay available for his team, he also didn’t seem all that concerned about the long-term effects of his concussion history, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
https://twitter.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1848428638469075018
Tagovailoa’s health history is deeply concerning without this most recent concussion to factor into the equation.
The fact that his return to football is all but guaranteed right now and that he will not take take advantage of a Guardian Cap to better protect himself should give the Dolphins organization major pause.
While it’s never easy for a team to advocate for a quarterback you just gave a major contract not to play, Miami is essentially playing Russian roulette by sending Tagovailoa back onto the field this season.
For a violent sport like football where you’re already a bad hit away from severe injury, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins really are taking seismic risk by returning to football so soon, if not in general.
What happens if he is concussed again? Could a fifth be the tipping point to major, irreversible injury? Could it even be fatal in the worst-case scenario?
If Miami lets him go back out on the field without any added protections at the very least, the franchise is as culpable in what happens next as the player. It’s not going to be easy to watch this unfold.
If anything, we’ll be watching between our fingers, just hoping and praying Tagovailoa stays healthy.
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