Why Tua Tagovailoa Continuing to Play Football is Very, Very Risky

Here at the MedBook, I usually try to keep the tone very casual. I try to throw in jokes to make you guys laugh, and I use informal language to make reading the medical stuff easier. But this post won't have any of that. This is a serious topic. Simply put, Tua Tagovailoa shouldn't be playing football right now. Or ever.

Now, I am no medical expert- I'm not even remotely close. I'm just a high-schooler who does this for fun. But based on what I've read on the internet and from common knowledge about concussions, I know enough to say that Tua shouldn't be playing football. Now does that sound harsh? Absolutely. But just look at the facts: he sustained two bad concussions in the span of three months. In case you forgot, here's a brief overview of those concussions:

• September 29th, 2022- In a nationally-televised Thursday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tua Tagovailoa gets sacked by defensive tackle Josh Tupou. As he is being sacked, his head is slammed on the floor. After he is sacked, you could see his fingers curl up and his arms move close to his head. This is called a "fencing response" in medicine. When a fencing response occurs in an individual, this indicates trauma to the brainstem and a subsequent concussion. He had to be carted off the field, but in interviews after the injury, he states that he doesn't at all remember being carted off the field.

• December 25th, 2022- On a Christmas Day football game against the Green Bay Packers, Tua suffered a concussion on a tackle after he threw the ball. However, he never exited the game. He instead entered himself into concussion protocol in the following days and didn't clear concussion protocol until January 31st, 2023.

Two concussions in the span of three months are extremely bad. But two serious concussions in the span of three months? That's the type of situation that can negatively impact an athlete's life, forget their career. Repeated concussions, like what Tua suffered, can increase the chances of CTE, a progressive and fatal brain disease that can only be diagnosed after one's death. CTE is caused by repeated, traumatic hits to the head, like multiple concussions. CTE can make people take their lives, like in the case of Junior Seau, who fatally shot himself in the chest. Demaryius Thomas is another player who died due to CTE. In his case, he had a fatal seizure that was induced by CTE. So the fact that Tua suffered two severe concussions within the span of three months is not good news. Now, Tua has come on record to state that brain specialists told him he has no increased chance of CTE at this point, which is amazing news. But still, it isn't worth the risk.

Look, I understand that Tua loves football and wants to play for the Dolphins organization, but at what cost? Football is a great sport, but it isn't worth risking your life for. There is a serious chance that he could have long-term brain damage without further injury, playing the violent sport of football only increases the chance of having another concussion, and possibly more long-term brain damage. I love Tua as a player. I've been a supporter since day one. But I also want him, as a person, to be healthy and live a good life. I strongly believe him playing football is extremely risky, because I don't want to see him suffer another concussion. The best way to put it is playing with fire; you could either be perfectly fine or get hurt very, very badly. No in-between. I hope and pray that he doesn't get hurt and suffers another concussion, but we have to face the music. The risk is way too high.

Tua continuing to play football is a very, very risky decision. And in my unqualified, grain-of-salt opinion, he should retire to prevent himself from risking his health forever. But again, my opinion doesn't really matter, it's just my perspective. I wish Tua the absolute best in his football career, but more importantly, I wish him good health and good fortune.