In news no one wanted to hear, former Alabama Crimson Tide star and current Miami Dolphins quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, suffered another concussion during Miami’s Thursday night matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Late in the third quarter, during an already difficult game for Tagovailoa, he attempted to make a play on fourth down. After securing a first down and running two yards past the sticks, he lowered his head instead of sliding, colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s chest:

Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question. 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.pic.twitter.com/3Ur62QfBLH

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 13, 2024

Tagovailoa was out for the rest of the game shortly after, with the team announcing he had suffered a concussion. Buffalo went on to win 31-10. Now, attention shifts to what’s next for Tua, with growing questions about whether he should continue playing football.

“I’m thinking retirement here,” said NFL Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez on the postgame show. “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.”

Gonzalez’s perspective was echoed by others, including former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant and Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. The take from Gonzalez was not unique to him, with former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant offering a similar sentiment along with Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe:

That’s it….

NFL go ahead and do the right thing

Tua has had entirely way too many concussions

He need to retire for his longevity health concerns

— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) September 13, 2024

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. #BillsFins #ThursdayNightFootball.

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) September 13, 2024

In 2023, Tagovailoa openly admitted he had considered retirement after a frightening concussion in September 2022. However, he ultimately chose to continue playing for several reasons.

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“Yeah, I think I considered it for a time,” Tagovailoa said at time time in an article from Nick Shook of NFL.com. “Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kind of conversations, but, really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am, with my son — I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do. It’s my health, it’s my body, and 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.”

What happens next remains uncertain. Tagovailoa recently signed a massive four-year, $212.4 million contract, with $167 million guaranteed. This deal ensures that no matter what decision he makes, his financial future is secure.

While no one wants to see a young, talented quarterback forced to retire due to injury, Tagovailoa must weigh his long-term health and family’s well-being as he considers his future.