Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has suggested that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should consider retiring after suffering another concussion in Week 2 of the NFL season.
Pierce commented on the situation, stating, “He’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.” He further emphasized, “It’s not worth it. I haven’t witnessed anything like I’ve seen that’s happened to him three times. Scary. You can see right away the players’ faces on the field.”
Tagovailoa exited the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday during the third quarter and did not return. This incident adds to his history of concussions, including two sustained during the 2022 season. Following those injuries, Tagovailoa had contemplated retiring from the NFL.
In the 2023 season, the 26-year-old quarterback played a full season for the first time, leading the NFL with 4,624 passing yards and setting a career-high with 29 touchdown passes. He signed a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension in July, which includes $167 million guaranteed for injury. To date, $43 million of this amount has been paid. Should Tagovailoa be medically compelled to retire, he would be entitled to the remaining $124 million on his contract. However, if he is cleared to return but decides to retire, he would forfeit the remaining guaranteed sum, unless a settlement is reached.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stated on Friday that the team is focusing on Tagovailoa’s health and that discussing his future is “not in the best interest for him.”
With Tagovailoa unavailable, the Dolphins will start Skylar Thompson as quarterback and plan to add further depth to the position. The Dolphins are scheduled to host the Raiders in Week 11.
