Tua Tagovailoa Had Blunt Message for People Telling Him to Retire After Concussion Scare

Kristen Wong | Oct 21, 2024

Screengrab on Twitter/ @jjones9

The Miami Dolphins are designating quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to return from injured reserve after Tagovailoa landed in concussion protocol following a head injury he suffered in Week 2’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The NFL world unsurprisingly has plenty of opinions on the Dolphins' decision to bring back Tagovailoa, with many members of the media previously calling for the 26-year-old quarterback to retire given his history of concussions. 

In the face of mounting worries over his long-term health, Tagovailoa took the podium at a Dolphins press conference on Monday to deliver a short and blunt message. 

“I appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. That’s it,” Tagovailoa said.

Tua Tagovailoa on those who worry he could get hurt again: “I appreciate your concern. I really do. I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. That’s it.” pic.twitter.com/fAvoHA2PXo

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 21, 2024

Tagovailoa added that he has been symptom-free since the day after he suffered the concussion and brushed off concerns from those suggesting he should hang up his cleats.

“I wasn’t paying attention to any of it,” Tagovailoa said of the outside noise.

Tagovailoa has yet to clear concussion protocol, but he is “tracking to play” on Sunday when the Dolphins take on the Arizona Cardinals at Hard Rock Stadium, per Adam Schefter.

The Dolphins have dropped three of their last four games with Tagovailoa sidelined, relying on a ragtag quarterback unit of Tyler Huntley, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle. Miami averaged just 10 points per game during that span and currently sits in second place in the AFC East with a 2-4 record.

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