On September 12, 2024, the Miami Dolphins’ star quarterback, Tua Tagovaiola, suffered his third major concussion in his NFL Career. This sparked numerous debates on whether the player was stable enough to continue his career.
Born and raised in ‘Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa, also known as Tua, started playing football at a young age. At Saint Louis School, Tagovailoa quickly established himself as one of the best players on his varsity football team, finishing his first season with more than 2,500 passing yards. By the end of high school, Tua received 17 football scholarship offers for college. In 2017, Tua decided to attend the University of Alabama. During his college career, Tagovailoa broke several Alabama records, including passing yards per attempt and total yards per play. In 2020, Tua was ranked fifth overall in the NFL Draft and was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
In his first NFL season, Tagovailoa served as a backup quarterback to Ryan Fitzpatrick and scored several touchdowns. In 2021, Tua started the season strong but was sidelined by several rib fractures. Fortunately, he recovered quickly and ended the season with over 2,600 passing yards. In 2022, Tua rose to popularity and set many Dolphins records. Unfortunately, during Week 4, the rising star hit the ground hard and was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple neck and head injuries. As a result, this prompted the NFL to quickly revise its concussion policies. In Week 7, Tagovailoa returned, but not for long; he suffered a second major concussion, raising concerns about his future in the NFL. In 2023, the Dolphins proposed a fifth-year contract; however, Tagovailoa considered retiring early due to his numerous injuries. This year, Tua signed a contract to stay with the Dolphins until 2028. Suddenly, early in the season, the athlete experienced a third concussion in two years. This tragic event left fans speechless. The severity of the situation raised concerns for the athlete’s future. Despite this shock, a few days later, the quarterback announced he would continue playing for the Dolphins but was currently on injury reserve.
Tagovailoa’s medical conditions and frequent injuries sparked debates about whether the quarterback should retire early or continue his NFL career. Many scientific studies have shown that football players are prone to brain injuries and conditions. For instance, the Boston University CTE Center found that approximately 345 of 376 former football players suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a neurodegenerative disease that worsens over time and is often linked to repetitive brain damage from blunt trauma and impacts on the head. Other neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia and Parkinson's disease, have also been found early in many former football players. For instance, while the average person is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in their 60s, a former quarterback was recently diagnosed with the disease at just 54 years old. This raises concerns about the early health conditions of professional football athletes.
There have been many efforts to prevent head trauma during football games. For example, in September of this year, the NFL encouraged players to add extra padding to their helmets by using Guardian Caps, which have been proven to reduce concussions and head trauma by ten to fifteen percent. However, some studies have shown otherwise. For instance, a study by scientists from the Journal of Athletic Training concluded that Guardian Caps were unsuccessful in mitigating impact forces.
As the 2024-2025 season progresses, the fate of many football players such as Tua Tagovailoa remains uncertain. One more concussion may end the Miami quarterback’s career at just twenty-six years old and could lead to future neurological issues. This begs the question: does the NFL need to update its concussion policies even further to prevent the early retirement of athletes?