On Thursday night, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took another hard shot to the head and suffered the third concussion of his young NFL career.
Seeing Tua lying on the ground, his right arm involuntarily extended up in the air was a scary sight for both Bills and Dolphins players, who immediately waved to the sidelines for help.
Afterward, the number one topic in sports media has been about the next steps in Tua’s career.
Some feel that the Dolphins’ QB needs time to heal before making a decision. Others quickly expressed their belief that he should retire from the game.
Time is needed for any decision he makes. But if he were to retire, his contract includes $167 million in injury guarantees. While some of the money might be disputed/in jeopardy depending on whether he’s cleared or not, the fact remains that he would still retain millions.
After he feels well enough, Tua and his family will need to sit down and make a decision. To make that decision, they should examine the history of past NFL players to decide on his future.
There are many examples of players who suffered concussions and continued to play, but there are also heartbreaking examples of players who continued to play after suffering multiple concussions that were never the same again.
That includes many who suffered the debilitating effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Hall of Fame QB Steve Young suffered seven diagnosed concussions before he finally retired in 1999. Former Jets receiver Al Toon retired at age 29 after his ninth diagnosed concussion. Jahvid Best, a former star running back at Cal, was rumored to have suffered five concussions in college (including this scary play in which he was knocked out and carted off the field), and three in the pros, including two in three months.
All of those former players are, fortunately, still alive.
