Antonio Pierce Says He Would Advise Tua Tagovailoa to Retire After Latest Concussion

The Raiders coach made it clear what he would tell Tagovailoa if asked.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says that he would advise Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says that he would advise Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's latest concussion, one that once again prompted the star quarterback to exhibit the fencing response to a head injury, took the league by storm on Thursday Night Football.

Tagovailoa was injured in the second half of the loss to the Buffalo Bills after he dove forward headfirst into Bills' safety Damar Hamlin on a scramble outside the pocket. Tagovailoa left with a concussion and is expected to be out of the lineup for the forseeable future.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was asked about Tagovailoa's latest head injury and what he would advise the quarterback to do moving forward.

"I'll be honest, I'd tell him to retire," Pierce told the local media in Las Vegas on Friday. "It's not worth it to play the game. I haven't witnessed anything like I've seen what's happened to him three times. [It's] scary."

"You can see right away the players' faces on the field. You can see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point, he's gonna live longer than he's gonna play football. Take care of your family."

It's become clear that plenty of players, coaches and media members around the league are concerned for Tagovailoa's long term health following another head injury. Whether or not he continues to play football is up for debate, but the ultimate decision sits with the Dolphins quarterback regarding whether or not he wants to continue to put himself at risk.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.