Perspective: Tua Tagovailoa’s health is our concern, but his NFL future should be his choice.
against the New England Patriots, decides to rest this week, then clears the concussion protocol and reports back under center again this season, we may flinch, but should still respect his decision.
Football remains a violent sport often played by volunteers. Tagovailoa is just one of the millions who has raised his hand and rushed into the sport’s clutches. And he has kept coming back. In his documentary, “Tua,” he casually recalled the November 2019 injury he suffered while the star quarterback for Alabama. Though 'Bama led by 28 points, Tagovailoa was still on the field in the third quarter against Mississippi State when he was pressured out of the pocket and crushed by two tacklers.“I couldn’t tell what was going on. I think my body was just in so much shock that I can’t recall what was going on at the time,” Tagovailoa said..
I never want to see Tua Tagovailoa play football again. It would be great if he chooses to live a happy and healthy life, far removed from any more head trauma. But I’m trying to remind myself that his autonomy over his career matters more than my opinion. While I might hope that Tua walks away under his own power, he should be empowered to walk his own path.