Former Lions OL TJ Lang on Tua: 'It's Starting to Get Scary'

TJ Lang battled concussions his final season in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

After Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion against the Buffalo Bills, the NFL world has been debating whether it is worth it for the 26-year-old to continue his NFL career.

Former Detroit Lions offensive lineman TJ Lang, appearing on 97.1 The Ticket, shared insights regarding the struggles he experienced with brain injuries his final season playing in Motown.

Like many, the former offensive lineman expressed concerns due to the fact the Dolphins signal-caller has experienced so many brain injuries in his career.

While the hosts did not demand for Tagovailoa to retire, they echoed the concerns many NFL fans and pundits expressed in not wanting his quality of life to be severely impacted after his careers ends or what could happen on the field, if he incurs another big hit to the helmet.

“'It's starting to get scary. I went through a bunch of concussions," said Lang. "Probably five or six documented, maybe a handful of other ones where I didn’t feel right, didn’t want to go say anything because I know, automatically, it’s a five-day process once you’re in the protocol. That’s what made me walk away from the game."

Lang noted his children began to become increasingly worried regarding his health, which became burdensome when he evaluated his NFL future.

"My last year I had a couple, I had one against Dallas. So the Minnesota one was the last game I played in. It started off as a neck injury, and then as we progressed throughout the next couple weeks, I started feeling it was something more," Lang said. "I think for me, my kids were old enough to start being concerned. My kids were getting older, and my kids were starting to look at me and really be afraid every time I got hurt.

"I’d come home days where my knee’s banged up, I’m in a boot, messed my ankle up or gotta go get surgery on my shoulder. That didn’t worry me," Lang commented further. "But when it came to the brain stuff, the concussion stuff, I remember laying in bed at 4 o’clock in the afternoon in just a dark room, and my kids coming in and looking at me almost in tears because they were scared."

After a long career, including being part of the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl winning squad, the decision to walk away became easier for Lang.

"That’s what made it easier for me. It also made it easier that I was 10 years in. That made it easier for me and I think that’s what makes it harder on younger players," said Lang. "Tua has his entire career ahead of him and he signed a big contract, so there’s a lot of people relying on you. That’s stuff that weighs on you.” 

Mike Valenti indicated it may be time for the Tagovailoa to explore other options outside of playing NFL football.

"My response to this, I can’t make a demand that this guy retires," Valenti expressed. "I just know as someone who watches the sport, when it’s the same guy with the same injury and it’s a brain injury. T.J., it happened last night, I go, ‘Get this guy out of this game. Get him into a different career.’”