Tua Tagovailoa recently signed a four-year contract extension with the Miami Dolphins – but his recent head injury has sparked concern that the 26-year-old could hang his helmet up early
Tua Tagovailoa has just signed a four-year contract extension with the Miami Dolphins worth $212.4 million (£161.5m) – but now some are suggesting he should retire after his latest ‘traumatic injury’.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback secured a huge payday with the Florida-based team, generating significant financial security for his family with $167.7m (£127.5m) guaranteed – meaning if he is cut, released or injured, then he will still receive this amount for his services.
This deal – which included a $42m (£31.9m) signing bonus – made Tagovailoa one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL, with the likes of Green Bay Packers star Jordan Love and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow.
However, a new head injury sustained in a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night has sparked concern among fans, as the 26-year-old looked to have developed a concussion after a collision with safety Damar Hamlin.
Mirror Sport has all the details on Tagovailoa’s previous injuries, his thoughts on a premature retirement and how much money he’d rake in if he did decide to hang up the cleats.
Multiple concussions spark fresh concern for Tua
Tagovailoa’s first official concussion recorded by the NFL came in week four of the 2022 regular season, on another Thursday Night Football match-up. The Dolphins were playing against the Bengals when Tagovailoa was tackled by defensive tackle Josh Tupou in the first half.
His head slammed into the turf and fans watched on as his hands curled upwards in an unnatural position – a clear sign of brain trauma caused by his head hitting the ground. Tagovailoa was down on the field for more than seven minutes, before being stretchered off and taken to a hospital with reported head and neck issues.
However, this wasn’t the first time that the now-26-year-old had reported a head injury – as just four days prior to the Bengals game, the quarterback left the field with an apparent head issue as reported by the Dolphins at the time.
This occurred after a hard hit by Bills linebacker Matt Milano in week three, which left Tagovailoa stumbling back to the huddle – prompting head coach Mike McDaniel to order him off the field. However, the injury was later determined to be a back issue, and the quarterback returned to the game against the Bills.
This decision to allow Tagovailoa back into the game resulted in the NFLPA firing the independent neurologist who participated in the clearing of the athlete back onto the field, as per USA Today Sports.
Just weeks later, in the regular season, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion against the Green Bay Packers. This head injury in week 16 led to the quarterback missing the final two games of the season – one of which was a play-off game against the Bills.
These two reported concussions – plus the most recent injury on Thursday, September 12 – means that Tagovailoa has now dealt with three serious head injuries across his career with the Dolphins, all resulting in missed game time.
Rumours of retirement
Following these serious injuries, Tagovailoa has previously spoken out about his thoughts on retirement – claiming he will play as long as he is able to.
Speaking to the media in April 2023, the 26-year-old said: “I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. Yeah, it’s my health, it’s my body. I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would’ve quit a long time [ago].”
However, not everyone agrees with the quarterback’s wishes of having a long career in the sport. Fox Sports star Nick Wright urged Tagovailoa to think of hanging up his boots for the safety of his health after the head injury on Thursday night.
Wright said: “Tua gets 93M no questions asked and probably 167M if he has to retire due to injury. He fought back from absolutely horrifying concussions to lead the league in passing and earn that contract from the Dolphins. He has to really consider hanging it up after tonight.”
Tagovailoa’s mega contract and how much he’d get to retire
Even if Tagovailoa decided to retire following this severe head injury, there wouldn’t be much money he’d be losing out on – given how well-structured his contract is with the Dolphins.
Currently, Salary Sport reports that Tagovailoa’s 2024 salary is a whopping $23.1m (£17.6m) – a massive jump from his 2023 salary of $1.01m (£768K).
With a reported net worth of $30m (£22.8m), the Florida-based quarterback wouldn’t be missing out on much money should he decide to prematurely retire. Alongside the money he has made so far in the league, Tagovailoa also has $167.7m (£127.5m) guaranteed to come into his bank, even if he never plays another snap of football again.
So, with pundits clamouring for retirement, and potential concerns over his safety, only time will tell on what decision Tagovailoa will make for his NFL career.
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