Nick Saban Discusses Return of Tua Tagovailoa to Miami Dolphins Starting Lineup

The former Alabama coach discussed his former quarterback's return from his latest concussion.

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban discussed the return of Tua Tagovailoa to the Miami Dolphins starting lineup. / Mickey Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and will return to the starting lineup for Sunday's home game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Much has been made of Tagovailoa's return, with plenty of questions abound about whether or not he's making the best decision for his health given his concussion history. However, Tagovailoa wants to play and will once again have an opportunity to do that this Sunday.

Tagovailoa's college coach Nick Saban was asked about the quarterback's return to the lineup on Friday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show, and as usual, he didn't disappoint in his assessment of the decision of his former quarterback to enter the arena once again.

"I'm concerned in that I want Tua to be safe and healthy and not have a football career that's going to impact him down the road, number one," Saban began. "Number two is, I think organizationally, this is a medical decision. This is not an organizational decision. People look at him and say, 'Why are they letting him play?' I think the doctors make that decision. I think it's a medical decision. And then for him, it becomes personal then, as to 'I really want to play. I'm a competitor. I love playing. I want to play.' He has to make a decision if the risk-reward from a medical standpoint worth it to you? I think all those things are in play now. If he wants to play, and I've talked to him, he wants to play and I know the type of competitor that he is...I'm happy for him that he's having the opportunity to play. But I also pray for him that he doesn't have any issues."

Nick Saban on Tua Tagovailoa:

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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2024

The Dolphins take on the Cardinals on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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