Could Tua Tagovailoa have left the football field for the last time on Thursday? The Dolphins QB suffered a brutal hit during the matchup against the Bills, leading to his third documented concussion.
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Many have pushed the QB to consider retirement as the risks associated with multiple concussions are just too dire. Nick Wright, too, thinks Tua should hang up his cleats.
But unlike the others who found themselves more concerned with the implications of Tua’s injury, Wright believes the QB is just not “built for the NFL.” Taking to the First Things First show, Wright said,
“If he were someone in my life I would say ‘Man it’s a cruel reality that the thing you have worked for your whole life your body doesn’t seem to be built for’ because that was not a brutal hit. No, it wasn’t.”
While sympathetic towards Tua, the analyst implied that the hit was not brutal enough for such a dire consequence, perhaps suggesting that the QB is simply not hardy enough for the sport.
He was positive about Tua’s recovery and possible return but cautioned the Dolphins QB not to make a rash decision by not factoring in the possibility of another head injury.
To drive home his point, Wright narrated a story of his childhood friend who aimed to join the Air Force and become a fighter pilot. Despite working hard and doing everything as planned, the friend couldn’t make it to the Air Force because he was “too tall‘ to meet the required physical standard.
In Wright’s opinion, Tua shares a similar fate as his body is not in sync with his career goals. Unlike in the Air Force, no rule or limit stops Tua from making a return and according to Wright, the decision to continue should be with the quarterback.
While some could find Wright’s claim shocking, co-host Chris Broussard seemed to agree.
Broussard didn’t think it was a big hit either
Broussard agreed to Wright’s claim that Tua’s concussion was not caused by an “incredible hit” but by a hit that offensive players get almost daily.
He added that the QB should consider the possibility of sustaining more such injuries in the future before deciding whether to come back or not.
If Tua plans to return, he will need to finish the NFL Concussion Protocol including a 5 Phase physical training program that will take at least a couple of weeks.
Broussard noted, similarly to Wright, that the league should not step in to prevent Tua from returning, and if he wants to return, he should be allowed to.
It’s interesting to note that neither of the analysts has ever played professional football, or taken a hit from Damar Hamlin.
