On Thursday night, it was the worst of possible worst case scenarios, with Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffering his third concussion since 2022.
It happened in the third quarter, with the Dolphins in the red zone and Tua scrambling for a first down. After crossing the marker, instead of sliding feet first, he dove head first, going right into the chest of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin – a man who knows all too well about the randomness of football hits and the injuries that can result.
The injury was obvious immediately, and the Dolphins team all took a knee while the medical staff tended to Tua. He eventually walked off the field under his own power. But the question was being asked before he was even standing upright. When will we see him play football again, and should we see him play football again?
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant went online to call for Tua’s retirement. Bryant suffered a concussion during the 2016 preseason. Dr. Jesse Morse, a sports medicine specialist based in Miami and one of the more prominent online doctors who comments on the NFL, said that Tua faces significant risks for more concussions in the future, and possibly CTE – chronic traumatic encephalopathy – which is a progressive degenerative disease affecting people who have suffered repeated concussions.
Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez is one of the commentators on Amazon Prime’s coverage of Thursday Night Football, and he said during the postgame, “I’m thinking retirement here. To me, it seems like a no-brainer. The brain, this is something that can affect you long-term. For me, it’s time to move on.”
Tua has talked about how he considered retirement in 2022, after he suffered his second concussion that season. Less than two months ago, he signed a $212 million contract with the Dolphins, with $132 million guaranteed, and injury guarantees that push that total to $167 million. Subtracting the $42 million signing bonus that was already paid, if Tua decides to retire because of this concussion, he will still receive another $125 million.
Dolphins Season Outlook
Taking a backseat to the health of their quarterback is what lies ahead for the Dolphins. In August, they were just behind the Bills and New York Jets as betting favorites to make the playoffs and win the AFC East. The Bills and Jets were paying +180 to win the division, and Miami was right behind them at +200. The morning after the loss of Tua and the 31-10 loss to Buffalo, those odds are +500.
Miami was +1100 to win the AFC, and now that number is +1700. Winning Super Bowl LIX has gone from +2200 to +4000, which now ranks the Dolphins behind the Chicago Bears.
With backup Skylar Thompson throwing him the football, Tyreek Hill dropped from being the favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year prior to kickoff on Thursday, to now being second behind Saquon Barkley. Hill is paying +850, and Barkley is +475.
Thompson has played admirably in place of Tua in the past. But he’s the only active quarterback on the roster, and Miami will add a quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is currently unsigned, and he has played with the Dolphins in the past. He is 36 now, and well past the prime of his career when he was a playoff quarterback. But he is available immediately.
Jimmy Garoppolo was with the San Francisco 49ers when Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel was there, and he is currently a backup with the Los Angeles Rams. Josh Dobbs filled in for Kirk Cousins last season with the Minnesota Vikings, and as the No. 3 quarterback in San Francisco this season, he wouldn’t cost that much in a trade. C.J. Beathard is a free agent. He was with the 49ers with McDaniel from 2017 to 2020, and in his one start last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars, he beat the Carolina Panthers, 26-0.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
