In their Week 2 fixture against the Bills, the Miami Dolphins suffered a severe blow as QB Tua Tagovailoa sustained his third concussion in the last 24 months. The visuals of Tua colliding head-first into Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s chest, followed by the troubling sight of the QB’s hands seizing involuntarily, sent shockwaves across the NFL.
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Since then, many NFL pundits have advised Tua to contemplate hanging up his cleats for good. Ben Roethlisberger, however, feels differently. As per the veteran Steelers QB, Tua should take the call based on what he feels about his body.
Ben, therefore, advised the Dolphins star not to pay heed to the retirement chatter surrounding him. Instead, he should make the best decision based on how he and his family feel. If that means continuing to play, so be it, Ben argued in the latest episode of ‘Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.’
However, the veteran QB did have a piece of wisdom for Tua. Ben urged the 26-year-old to make use of his lucrative new contract and invest heavily in securing the best medical practitioners as advisors. He said:
“I would say not as a professional, [but] I have had concussions, [so] I would tell him to do what he feels right but like I just said, seek the best help you can find… you got paid a lot of money and you have teams that have a lot of money, so go get the best doctors in the world.”
As someone who has had concussions in the past, Ben suggested Tua consider the doctor’s advice before making the decision that suits him best. Last but not least, Roethlisberger urged him not to rush into his comeback, something he would end up regretting.
“I think he should take time. Not a week, not two weeks, like maybe the rest of the season, you know… give yourself some time to really evaluate.”
As an athlete who just received a 4-year, $212 million contract, it would be difficult to prioritize yourself and face an anti-climactic end to your career. So it wouldn’t be surprising if Tua risks his health and returns to the field.
But in this case, the onus lies on the NFL and the NFLPA to make the best call for the player’s well-being. The question, however, is do they have the power to do so? Well, Roethlisberger doesn’t think so.
The NFL cannot force Tagovailoa into retirement, argues Roethlisberger
The brain is perhaps the only body part that cannot be replaced. Hence, it’s important to take head injuries with the utmost seriousness. Thus, if Tua takes a decision that risks his health, fans believe the league should forcefully go against it.
Netizens also want the league to develop their metrics to determine the fitness levels of a player in Tua’s situation. If the player fails the metrics, the league should forcefully disallow him to play. But as of now, there is no legal mandate that allows the NFL to forcefully retire a player against his will.
Thus, Roethlisberger revealed that he would be shocked if the NFL could force Tua into retirement: “I don’t think that can happen, but if it can, I’m mind blown by that.”
With that said, it will be really intriguing to see how Tua tackles this situation. For now, the AFC East team has signed QB Tyler Huntley, who might assume the QB1 role next week against the Seahawks.
