Ex-NFL stars Dez Bryant and Shannon Sharpe call for Tua Tagovailoa’s retirement after third concussion

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA: Calls for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to retire early are growing louder.

The 26-year-old quarterback, who has a history of head injuries, suffered his third concussion after a collision with Damar Hamlin in the third quarter of the Dolphins' 31-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills on September 12.

The troubling scene has sparked widespread concern from NFL legends such as Dez Bryant, Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Mike McDaniel, who are all urging Tagovailoa to seriously evaluate his future in the sport for his health's sake.

Tua Tagovailoa faces third concussion in third quarter game

Tua Tagovailoa, who signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July, was seeking a first down when he collided forcefully with Bills defender Damar Hamlin. As Tagovailoa charged through the Bills' defensive line, he lowered his head, and Hamlin's arm made contact with significant force.

The Dolphins' medical team and coach Mike McDaniel swiftly attended to Tagovailoa on the field. Despite the severe impact, Tagovailoa walked off under his power and headed to the locker room. His arms tensed up in a manner reminiscent of a 2022 incident, underscoring his persistent concussion problems.

Tagovailoa had previously suffered two concussions during the 2022 season and faced another scare in Week 3 when he hit his head hard on the ground and staggered.

In his post-game press conference, McDaniel described the incident as “not something you ever want to be a part of.” He expressed concern for Tagovailoa, saying, “My thought was concern. I was just worried about my guy. It’s not something that you ever want to be a part of, you hope not to.”

McDaniel added that he spoke with Tagovailoa on the field and in the locker room, where the quarterback was in good spirits before heading home, as per Fox Sports.

The Dolphins coach declined to speculate about Tagovailoa’s future, focusing instead on supporting his player, saying, "Right now, it’s more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time. The furthest thing from my mind is what is the timeline, we just need to evaluate, I’m just worried about my teammate like the rest of the guys are. We’ll get more information tomorrow and take it day by day from there."

He further explained the situation, “It’s important to approach each and every situation, much like you approach every injury which is basically, alright we’re going to handle this particular situation with this particular player. Every situation is unique to its own."

"I’m not worried about anything that’s out of my hands – I’m just worried about the human being. He’ll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information but it’s day by day health. We try to approach all the stuff that way, particularly with concussions,” he concluded.

Ex-NFL legends call for Tua Tagovailos' retirement

In the wake of the troubling incident, former NFL legends are advocating for Tagovailoa's early retirement, as this marks his third concussion in his NFL career. Former Cowboys star Dez Bryant tweeted on X (formerly Twitter), "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." 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe echoed same concerns, writing, "Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it dwn I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him."

On the Prime Video postgame show, former tight end Tony Gonzalez suggested that Tagovailoa should seriously contemplate retirement. Gonzalez said, “To me, it seems like a no-brainer, honestly. I try to put myself in that situation, that’s what we do as players. Injuries, it’s an unfortunate part of this game. This is something that can affect you long-term. For me, it’s one of those, ‘I had a great career, time to move on.'”

Former defensive back Richard Sherman also weighed in during the postgame show, advising Tagovailoa to have discussions about his future with his wife and family, as per the New York Post.

Internet reacts to NFL legends' call for Tua Tagovailoa’s retirement

Following the NFL legends' calls for Tua's retirement, many internet users have echoed this stance, urging him to consider retiring for his health and the sake of his family, given this is his third concussion.

One user commented, "He needs to step away for the sake of him, his future kids, his future wife, and his current family. In 10-20 years nobody wants to see him with CTE…"

Another user added, "Health before anything."

A third commented, "This has to happen!!!" 

A fourth said, "He need to really think this one through too many concussions in such a short time."

Another wrote, "Yep. I don’t want to see Tua on another football field again. Not only is he fragile, he doesn’t have the instincts to protect himself. Good kid, football just isn’t for him." 

One user said, "Most definitely just join the dolphins coaching staff and live a happy life."

One fan on X claimed, "It should be MANDATORY after X amount of concussions to retire, not up to the player,you gotta look at long term health, and family! Prayers 🙏."

Another user stated, "His family, friends, the NFL, & the Dolphins need to force him out. It's time for his own good." 

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