On Sept. 12, Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another concussion while running into the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin. Tua, who has had a solid history of concussions in the NFL, ended up with his hands in the fencing position after his fall. That’s never a welcomed visual after a head injury. And with these head injuries having happened much more regularly, it’s having more people worry about Tua’s well-being.
His long-term quality of life is at risk — there’s no doubt about that. With this being his third serious concussion in three years, the Dolphins are proceeding with caution. Of course, this is the third that we know of, and the second in which his hands ended up in a fencing position. There’s a ton of perspectives on what Tua should do from players and fans alike. It’s really helpful to have former and current players’ thoughts on the matter.
What I’m learning is that football players grin in the face of logic every week. It’s a necessary evil for them to compete and provide an amazing future for their family. It’s the best way these guys know how to. So, when it comes to concussions, the vast majority of players in the NFL’s history have always played on after injury. Conversely, we have seen the horrors of what multiple head injuries can contribute to.
Look no further than Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. The story of how this diagnosis came to be is famously depicted by Will Smith in Concussion. And the film chronicles quite a few instances in which former NFL players had trouble acclimating to life at home after their careers due to so much head trauma during their career. Often, these players’ lives ended up ending on their own volition and in violent fashion. We have the proof, we have a sample size. And it’s exactly why people are so concerned for Tua.
From my vantage point, I think Tua can’t help but give it another shot. But I don’t see his career lasting too much longer. You can’t play football, and not get hit. It’s the nature of that beast. And head injuries aren’t like chronic ankle injuries that players like Steph Curry eventually overcame. The lasting effects of head injuries can literally affect your quality of life. For Tua, who isn’t even near 30, people want him to live long and comfortably. I know for a fact that his family and fand hope that he realizes how pivotal of a time this is for him. The last thing they’d want him to do is throw caution to the wind once more. But if he does, we have not seen the worst head injury in his career, and I hate to even profess that.
