Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with a series of concussions over the past 24 months.
The latest head injury happened during the Dolphins' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first "Thursday Night Football" game of the season. Tagovailoa collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the second half, resulting in the third confirmed concussion the quarterback has been diagnosed with since he entered the NFL.
Thursday's health scare again sparked debates about whether the 26-year-old quarterback should step away from football. Neuroscientists Chris Nowinski, a former professional wrestler who also played college football at Harvard, weighed in on Tagovailoa's situation.
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Nowinski said he believed the contact during the play in question on Thursday left the Dolphins signal caller with a traumatic brain injury.
"Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question," Nowinski wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "His right arm shows the "fencing posture" indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the #concussion spectrum. He is done for the night and must miss the next game."
DOLPHINS' TUA TAGOVAILOA FACES CALLS TO RETIRE FROM NFL AFTER LATEST CONCUSSION: 'IT'S NOT WORTH IT'
Nowinski last competed in the WWE in 2003 under the ring name Chris Harvard. Since stepping away from professional competition, Nowinski has become one of the more prominent voices for concussion awareness.
He also holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Boston University.
Elsewhere, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant called for Tagovailoa to retire from the NFL, citing "his longevity" and "health concerns."
Other former players chimed in following the recent head injury, including three-time Super Bowl winner Shannon Sharpe. "Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it dwn. I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him [sic]," Sharpe wrote in a social media post.
Nowinski stopped short of calling for Tagovailoa to immediately bring his competitive football career to a close. He instead highlighted the importance of the quarterback's recovery from his most recent head injury.
"There is no magic number of concussions to require retirement," he said. "It all depends on how he recovers from this one, but having too many concussions can lead to chronic symptoms and mental health disorders. He’s in a very tough spot."
Nowinski also pointed to the predicament a doctor could end up in if they advised Tagovailoa to call it quits.
"Here is a difficult truth," said Nowinski. "Doctors who advise star athletes to retire – in the absence of symptoms lasting >1 year, brain bleeds or gross MRI changes – can get blacklisted. Many docs may advise Tua to retire based on his frequent concussions alone. Tua may not see those doctors."
Tagovailoa was running with the football seeking a first down in the third quarter of Thursday's game and lowered his shoulder instead of sliding as Hamlin approached. The 26-year-old signal-caller stayed on the turf for a few minutes as medical personnel attended to him. Tagovailoa was eventually able to walk to the Dolphins' sideline.
The Dolphins plan to add another quarterback to their roster while Tagovailoa works through his latest concussion. However, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel made it clear Tagovailoa's health was everyone's primary focus.
Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson will likely step into the starting role for Miami's game against the Seattle Seahawks Sept. 22.
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