Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel brushes off NFL fans' 'Is Tua Tagovailoa retiring' question
Tua Tagovailoa's concussion was the ugly byproduct of Week 2's Thursday Night Football after the Dolphins quarterback hit the ground hard late in the game.
Tagovailoa took a hit from Damar Hamlin and was immediately evaluated for a concussion. After the game, several NFL personalities and a host of fans urged Tagovailoa to call it a day in what was his fourth diagnosed concussion in the last five years going back to his days in Alabama.
On Friday morning, McDaniel addressed reporters and came out fighting against suggestions his quarterback should retire.
"You're talking aobut his career. 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," McDaniel told reporters.
"I'm gonna plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that that should be the last thing on your mind."
Everything we know about Tua Tagovailoa's concussion
Late in the third quarter, Tagovailoa lowered his shoulder and initiated contact with Bills safety Damar Hamlin in his way. The quarterback's helmet hit Hamlin hard and he immediately hit the ground.
Per ESPN, Tagovailoa went into a fencing response, a medical term used to describe a person's arms going into an unnatural position after a hit.
Soon after, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant tweeted, asking the NFL to make a decision on Tua's potential retirement.
"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," Bryant wrote.
Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe echoed Bryant's thoughts on Tua's retirement, saying:
"Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it dwn. I hate saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him."
The Dolphins have 10 days to prep for their Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks. However, Tua Tagovailoa will now have to enter the NFL's concussion protocol. Regardless of how he progresses through the league's regulations, the Dolphins could still rule him out for the next few weeks. Another possibility is Tua being placed on Injured Reserve, though the franchise has seemingly not come close to making a decision on that just yet.
The NFL's concussion protocol will, however, be the first port of call. Tagovailoa will have to progress through the five-step process which ends with a team physician and an independent neurological consultant clearing him for action. The final step of the protocol is when the doctors can clear him to return to contact training.
The Dolphins will turn to Tua's backup Skylar White and are reportedly looking to add a QB to the depth chart after Thursday night.