Video: Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Talks About Concussion, Won’t Be ‘Poster Boy’ | News, results, highlights, stats and rumours

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 11: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on November 11, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa opened up about the multiple concussions he’s suffered and his process to return to the field ahead of Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

“It never crossed my mind that I ever thought about retiring,” he told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (3:45). “Whether the doctors told me or not, it would have just been information for me. With what I trained week to week, I’m here every day and it’s a no-brainer, like what am I working hard for so ?”

He also said the doctors never told him to retire.

“I can tell you what I don’t want to be,” Tagovailoa added. “The poster boy for concussions. That’s for sure.”

Jeff Darlington @Jeff Darlington

In his first extensive one-on-one interview since suffering his latest concussion, Tua opens up about the Dolphins season and the factors that played into his return to football.
From ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown: pic.twitter.com/oE538GvEDl

Tagovailoa suffered a concussion during Miami’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills and went on to miss the next four contests before returning for a Week 8 game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Dolphins went 1-3 without him and entered Monday’s game against the Rams with a 2-6 record, yet given his history, the quarterback’s health was a bigger concern than the overall record.

He suffered two confirmed concussions in 2022, one of which came against the Cincinnati Bengals and forced him to leave the field on a stretcher. That hit came just four days after he remained in the game following a hard hit against the Bills.

What’s more, he suffered a concussion during a Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers but remained in the contest. The extent of the damage was not revealed until the aftermath of the game, and he missed the rest of the season.

Tagovailoa played in all 17 games last season, but his health was again a major concern early in the 2024 campaign.

Despite those concerns, he explained that he was never told to retire and is now back on the field looking to lead the Dolphins to a better performance during the season.