GettyA former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver has a strong message for the NFL following Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffering a concussion.
The Miami Dolphins took on the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, September 12, and they lost 31-10, but the score wasn’t the worst part of the evening. Dolphins franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was injured during the game. He was later diagnosed with the third concussion of his NFL career. Now, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is sending a strong message when it comes to Tagovalioa’s future with the NFL.
On September 12, Bryant took to X to state, “That’s it…. NFL go ahead and do the right thing Tua has had entirely way too many concussions. He need to retire for his longevity health concerns.”
Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 season, which caused the Dolphins to eventually take him out for the season.
In a September 13 article for USA Today’s Touchdown Wire, John Dillon stated that, “Though it seems unlikely that he will take Bryant’s advice and retire, Tagovailoa will be under the microscope of fans and the media moving forward as debates about the ethics of his ongoing participation continue through the rest of the season.”
Former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe also took to social media with similar concerns.
“Tua, just slide bro,” Sharpe wrote on X on September 12. He also added, “Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it (down). I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.”
Following his 2023 season, Miami worked out a deal with Tagovailoa for a four-year, $212.4 million extension with $167.1 million guaranteed.
Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel: ‘He’s the Starting Quarterback of His Family’
During a press conference following the game, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was asked what he said to Tagovailoa as the player was walking off the field.
“I told him he’s the starting quarterback of his family and to go in the locker room, take a deep breath and I’ll see you soon,” he said.
When asked if he’s “super concerned” about where Tagovailoa is right now “from a human aspect,” McDaniel said, “My energy is coming from my supreme care and concern for him, and quite honestly, it’s probably misguided that I wasn’t projecting that energy out on you.”
McDaniel added, “But, I totally hear what you’re saying, and it’s because you hear the outpouring that you want to say as loud as you possibly can that it is absolutely imperative that he is assessing nothing to football right now and in terms of – I guess there was no discussion of him not walking off the field, and he was highly communicative in the locker room with the trainers and the doctors, so I think relative to some other times you could black-and-white assess that. There’s just so much – the people that matter the most, and their opinions are Tua and the doctors, the experts.”
The head coach added that, “I called him about an hour ago. He was still asleep, so I haven’t talked to him yet, and they should be meeting here shortly for the first after-action time spent with experts. But, I get it, and I appreciate that, and I wasn’t triggered at you. It’s obviously something that there’s a lot of emotional tie to.”