Video: Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Talks Concussions, Doesn’t Want to Be ‘Poster Boy’

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVNovember 12, 2024

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa opened up about the multiple concussions he has suffered and his process to return to the field ahead of Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

“It never stuck in my mind that I was ever thinking of retiring,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (3:45 mark). “Whether the doctors told me that or not, it would have just been information for me. With what I was doing working out week-to-week, I’m in here every day and it’s a no-brainer, like what am I working hard for then?”

He also said doctors never told him to retire.

“I can tell you what I don’t want to be,” Tagovailoa added. “The poster boy for concussions. That is for sure.”

Jeff Darlington @JeffDarlingtonIn his first extensive one-on-one interview since suffering his latest concussion, Tua opens up about the Dolphins’ season and the factors that played into his return to football.

From ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown: pic.twitter.com/oE538GvEDl

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during Miami’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills and proceeded to miss the next four contests before returning for a Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Dolphins went 1-3 without him and entered Monday’s game against the Rams with a 2-6 record, yet the quarterback’s health given his history was a bigger concern than the overall record.

He suffered two confirmed concussions in 2022, one of which came against the Cincinnati Bengals and forced him to leave the field on a stretcher. That hit came just four days after he remained in the game following a hard hit against the Bills.

What’s more, he suffered a concussion during a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers but remained in the contest. The extent of the injury wasn’t revealed until the aftermath of the game, and he missed the remainder of the season.

Tagovailoa played all 17 games last season, but his health was once again a major concern early in the 2024 campaign.

Despite those concerns, he explained he was never told to retire and is now back on the field looking to lead the Dolphins to a better performance down the stretch of the season.