Tua Tagovailoa made a shocking admission on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters, the 25-year-old revealed that he considered retirement “for a time” after being diagnosed with his second concussion during the 2022 NFL season. The Miami Dolphins quarterback said that he sat down with his family and wife, and they had some difficult conversations regarding his future in the sport.
“It would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am (25), with my son,” Tagovailoa said via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to the point where my son knew what he was watching.”
Tagovailoa expounded on his decision, saying that his health, body, and conclusion — not to retire — is the best he could’ve made for himself and his family.
“I love the game of football,” Tagovailoa said via Pro Football Network’s Adam Beasley. “If I didn’t, I would have quit a long time [ago].”
According to Beasley, Tagovailoa later said that neurologists informed him that CTE was not a big concern for him, which is based on the position he plays and the number of hits he takes.
The Dolphins will be careful with Tua Tagovailoa after multiple scary head injuries last season, but it’s clear he’s decided on his playing future.
[Marcel Louis-Jacques, Adam Beasley]
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.