Former All-Pro wide receiver Brandon Marshall revealed on Thursday that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is not the only player that has been dangerously kept in a game by the Dolphins organization in the past despite some clear concussion-like symptoms.
Marshall spoke about his history of concussions over his NFL career, detailing an incident where he stayed quiet about a concussion he suffered because his contract ran up at the end of the 2010 season while with the Dolphins.
“I had the feeling that if I came out of the game, I wasn’t going to get the contract that I am working towards right now,” said Brandon Marshall on the Up & Adams Show. “I was in a contract year, and a linebacker took my head off.
“After that hit I couldn’t close my eyes without stumbling. I couldn’t tie my shoes, and I didn’t let anyone know…”⁰
Brandon Marshall reflects on the time he kept quiet after suffering a concussion in 2010 during a contract year.📺: @FanDuelTV | @heykayadams | @BMarshall pic.twitter.com/7FY3Cbxvrs
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 6, 2022
“The first thing on my mind was stay here on a knee and collect yourself. If I get up and make one stumble, I am in the protocol. Now I am going to miss out on a $50 million contract. When I got drafted, my mom was in a motel. My sister had two kids and was struggling. So I played through it and ended up getting a big deal.”
This is the sad reality of the business side of the NFL. At any point, a player’s job can be taken from them by another talented player.
Marshall continued to describe the aftermath of that concussion, adding that it had some scary effects on him.
“For the next two or three weeks after that hit, I couldn’t close my eyes without stumbling. I couldn’t tie my shoes, and I didn’t let anyone know.”
This speaks to why Tagovailoa wanted to play in the game following his infamous head injury turned back injury.
Players need to be on the field to save their jobs and livelihood, and most are willing to risk their long-term health in the process.
