Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins quarterback, has suffered four concussions throughout his football career, causing a rising concern in football fans, doctors, and coaches for his future as a player in the NFL and his health.
Over the course of his football career, Tagovailoa has proven that he’s not afraid to put his head in the game (literally). In his most recent injury on Sep. 12, 2024, against the Bills, Tagovailoa sustained a concussion from initiating contact with safety Damar Hamlin. He “lowered his head and hit the right arm of Hamlin… struggled to immediately get up, with his arm contorted in an alarming fashion” reported Grant Gordon with the NFL.
The flailing reflex Tagovailoa experienced is classified as a fencing response. This occurs when an injury impacts the brain stem, momentarily reactivating the ATNR (asymmetrical tonic neck reflex), which is a reflex seen in newborn babies, in which they’re positioned with one arm flexed and the other extended. This was the third time Tagovailoa experienced the fencing response. Earlier in his career, he sustained his first one playing a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sep. 29, 2022, and a second one that same year in a game against the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 25, 2022.
Experiencing a fencing response not once, but in three separate incidents, alongside losing consciousness in some of these incidents, is undeniably alarming. Each of these symptoms points to severe, high-risk concussions. People have become increasingly worried about the long-term effects these injuries will cause Tagovailoa in the future. Many experts believe that he should put his health first before playing the sport and consider retirement.
Further heightening the concern, two of his last three concussions have been very minor hits. Health officials are concerned with how severe of a response his body has to seemingly slight hits. Fans worried about Tagovailoa’s well-being question why he chooses to lead with his head when, as a quarterback, he has the option to slide and mark himself down without having to be tackled. Rather than avoiding contact, he consistently makes the decision to engage in contact with the safety.
Having multiple concussions can affect Tagovailoa’s memory and emotions, cause nausea, dizziness, confusion, and fatigue, as well as increase his risk of many health conditions later in life. His health problems are not only affecting him, his family, and his team but also many avid fantasy football enjoyers. Tagovailoa should hang up his jersey and retire to protect his vitality and avoid any worse conditions in the future. Although his retirement would likely mean him voluntarily forfeiting the rest of his contract with the Dolphins, staying in a fit and healthy physical and mental state is far more important than any amount of money.
