Have Tua Tagovailoa’s retirement comments panicked Dolphins? NFL insider provides latest update
Tua Tagovailoa was one of the biggest stories of the 2022 NFL season for all the wrong reasons.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback's concussions and, more specifically, the team's response to them, drew fire from the public. The traumatic events that unfolded over the course of the season for Tagovailoa even drove him to think about retirement, even if for just a second.
Tua Tagovailoa says he discussed the idea of retiring from football after the season with family but he decided to keep playing. He says this is his health and life. He thinks this is what’s best for him & his family. https://t.co/6LfHd1RxwA
However, was that enough to make the Dolphins panic? Speaking on "Get Up," NFL insider Dianna Russini revealed that there was little stress inside the team's walls. Here's how she put it:
"There's a human element here where, of course, he had to take the time and talk to his family and think, is this the right thing for me? But from a football perspective, I can tell you I spoke to sources in Miami.
Russini went on to explain just how quickly the thought passed within the franchise's walls:
"There was no panic when Tua said that. This isn't like their quarterback took three weeks, a month, two months contemplating, 'Do I want to play this game anymore?' He was at the Super Bowl in Arizona talking to the media about how he can't wait for this season."
Will the Dolphins finish with double-digit wins in 2023?
Tua Tagovailoa hopes to avoid odd three-peat accomplishment in 2023
In the first two years that the NFL has featured a 17-game season, the Dolphins managed to finish with the exact same record despite enduring contrasting starts.
In 2021, they started 1-7 and surged back to get to 9-8, while in 2022, they started 8-3 and fell to 9-8.
With both routes to the edge of .500 established, Tua Tagovailoa will be hoping to find a way to combine the late success of 2021 with the early success of 2022. Of course, the first step will be to make sure he can be available for all 17 games.
It won't be easy, though. Aaron Rodgers is seemingly on the way up north, the Buffalo Bills look set to serve as a perennial roadblock, and Bill Belichick's history means he cannot be fully counted out.
All this in turn means the Dolphins will have their hands full in a spicy division race in 2023.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda.