Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion Thursday after taking a hit to the head in the third quarter of the team's loss to the Bills.
It was a scary moment for Miami's signal caller as he put his head down on a scramble and jammed his helmet into Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin. The hit caused Tagovailoa to tweak his neck and lay motionless on the ground before showing signs of movement, ultimately walking off the field with the assistance of Miami's medical team.
Scary as the play was at the moment, it is scarier when considering Tagovailoa's history of head injuries during his time in the NFL.
As the focus remains on his overall well-being, several former NFL players have taken to social media to contemplate whether Tagovailoa should retire from the game.
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Will Tua Tagovailoa retire?
In the aftermath of his injury, neither Tagovailoa nor the Dolphins have discussed whether or not retirement is in his near future.
On Sunday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Tagovailoa has "no plans" on retiring from the sport. He’s already in the process of seeing concussion specialists, but he does not have a timeline for a return.
Postgame, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel took a measured approach when asked about Tagovailoa's future playing the game of football.
I think that’s from a medical standpoint — I don’t approach things that I’m far inferior of expertise. I’m just there to support my teammate, like I said. I think there’s — for me to go ahead and forecast things that I don’t know in my non-field of expertise, I don’t think that’s appropriate. I think we’ll find out some more information tomorrow in terms of where Tua’s at. He’ll be able to spend a good amount of time being evaluated and then we’ll have conversations and progress as appropriate. But I’m — like the rest of his teammates he went around the locker room and connected with, as a leader he was trying to keep the guys’ heads up and he’ll be in the office tomorrow to have the appropriate care.
McDaniel took a similar approach when speaking with media Friday morning.
"You're talking about his career," Miami's head coach said of retirement discussion. "His career is his…. I just wish people would for a second hear that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him."
Thursday's injury is the third known concussion of Tagovailoa's five-year NFL career. He missed time after suffering concussions in Weeks 4 and 16 of the 2022 season.
In 2023, Tagovailoa revealed that the rash of head injuries in 2022 caused him to consider retirement from the game.
The 26-year-old's latest injury has resulted in a widespread reaction from former players focused on his long-term future outside the game.
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Former NFL players call on Tua Tagovailoa to retire
Among players to react in the moment were Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe and longtime Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
"Really hope Tua is ok, but he's gotta seriously think about shutting it (down)," Sharpe posted on X (formerly Twitter). "His concussions are getting worse and he's a young man with his entire life ahead of him."
Like Sharpe, Bryant's suggestion came with the big picture in mind, thinking of Tagovailoa's life rather than his football career,
When speaking with reporters Friday, retired nine-year veteran and current Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce weighed in on Tagovailoa.
"I'll be honest, I'd tell him to retire. It's not worth it," Pierce told reporters, citing the number of issues Tagovailoa has had during his career. "He's going to live longer than he's going to play football. Take care of your family."
Mitchell Schwartz, a former All-Pro offensive lineman, said he felt Tagovailoa should retire when asked by a follower on X.
Antonio Brown also said, "Tua may want to rethink playing football in the future depending on severity," adding that "Concussions (are) not something to mess with."
Tagovailoa, 26, married his wife in 2022 and has two young children.
Should Tagovailoa decide to hang up the cleats, he would join a list of NFL players who opted for early retirement in the interest of their long-term health and well-being.