“Can we stop the narrative” - Former NFL QB ready to cast Tua Tagovailoa’s injury aside
Tua Tagovailoa's concussion left the NFL world stunned in early 2022 when he lay still on the ground amid tens of thousands of viewers. Since then, the quarterback has popped up in the news repeatedly.
Speaking on Get Up, NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky appears to have hit his fill of talk about the injury. He didn't mince words when speaking about the quarterback on Thursday:
Will Tua Tagovailoa play in more games in 2023 than in 2022?
"Two-thirds of the NFL last year played multiple quarterbacks. Can we stop the narrative [acting] like Tua is the only one who got hurt? I understand that he has a history of it. I'm hopeful he plays all the games this year, but we talk about it like Tua is the only one who missed games."
In 2022, the quarterback played in 13 games, going 8-5 and throwing for 25 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Will Tua Tagovailoa play in 2023?
After suffering injuries over the course of the 2022 season and now having revealed that he considered retirement, the quarterback has left fans nervous. It was not so long ago that Andrew Luck called it quits, citing injury concerns.
However, it appears that the quarterback is all-in for the 2023 season. Reports have circulated that he has taken steps to protect himself better this season. That said, fans remain nervous that at any time between September and February, the floor could fall out from under the quarterback.
Even if it doesn't, others are nervous that Tua Tagovailoa could develop a shyness to get hit, damaging his ability to throw accurately. Typically, older quarterbacks suffer from this, often ducking before releasing the ball. When that happens, the ball could go anywhere and end up as an easy interception.
At just 25 years old, Tua could still be 15 years away from meeting such a fate. However, he could also be just a few months apart from this. What version of the quarterback will the league see in 2023? Will it be enough to overcome the Buffalo Bills, Aaron Rodgers' Jets, and Bill Belichick's no-nonsense coaching?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda.