Culture Corner

In just the second week of the NFL season, Miami Dolphins star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, has suffered yet another concussion. This makes it his third concussion in just two years, totalling four spanning over his professional and collegiate career.

The Dolphins’ leading man just secured a $212.4 million contract extension over four years, guaranteeing Tagovaiola $167.1 million, making it the second-highest four-year extension in NFL history, coming in slightly lower than Jordan Love’s of the Green Bay Packers. If Tua is cleared to return to football, but decides to retire, he will lose out on a huge $124 million, according to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac.

The 26 year old is set to meet with neurologists to discuss his future in the NFL, according to ESPN, and is not looking to retire off his own back. The NFL doesn’t have a rule as to how many concussions a player can sustain before they must medically retire, however Tua’s safety must be individually assessed before he is cleared to play another game.

There have been tons studies on the affects of concussions, taking into consideration time between concussions, the individual’s recovery, and the presence of persistent symptoms. The truth is, there is no answer as to how many concussions an individual can sustain before it is too dangerous for them to continue playing the sport, as it differs between cases, but the question still remains for Tua as to whether it is a detriment to his long term health to continue playing in the NFL in the future. Tua has not only a wife, but two children he must consider when making a decision on his professional career, and whether he should hang up the cleats.

The Dolphins are set to face the Seattle Seahawks, in Seattle, this coming Sunday, and will roll with backup QB Skylar Thompson until/if Tua returns.