After Tua injury, can NFL make progress on concussions?

One concussion is bad. Two are worse. Three? There might be a problem. That's the dilemma faced by Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, who suffered a concussion — at least his third in the NFL — this month in a nationally televised game. Now his football future is in question.

The most recent concussion "has prompted a dramatic response by fans and former players" urging Tagovailoa to retire, said NPR. "It's not worth it," said Antonio Pierce, coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. "If that was my son, I'd be like, 'it might be time,'" said Tony Gonzalez, the Hall of Fame former tight end. That's because concussions and lower-level blows to the head are "key factors" in the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition known to cause "early dementia and death" among retired players.

The NFL has worked in recent years to lower the risk of concussions, but it faces a big challenge: The game is all about hitting. "My opinion is the sport is specifically designed for these sorts of things to happen," John 'Jabo' Burrow, a former college football lineman, said to The Guardian. 

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What did the commentators say?

The reaction to Tagovailoa's latest head injury "shows the NFL has come a long way," Rob Maaddi said for The Associated Press. There is no more telling a player to "suck it up" when they're hit so hard they see stars. Instead, most observers are focusing on "Tagovailoa's long-term health." The league created "concussion protocols" in 2011, and two years later agreed to a billion-dollar settlement with former players who had suffered debilitating head injuries. Now, for Tagovailoa, "everyone agrees his health is the main priority." That's a good thing. "It's a different era for player safety in the NFL," Maaddi said.

"Tagovailoa has become something of a poster child for football's concussion problem," Yasmin Tayag said in The Atlantic. In addition to his three NFL concussions, he also suffered one during a college game, a pattern that caused him to consider retirement in 2022. "It's unclear what risks he faces by playing again," Tayag said. But there is "no question" that repeated concussions can take a toll. 

The challenge? The effects of a concussion — or repeated concussions — are "deeply individual" and depend on a player's own history and biology. Which means players like Tagovailoa are put in the position of "weighing their career against the rest of their life."

What next?

Concussions are very much on the minds of other players in the NFL. Some have started wearing "Guardian Caps" during games, said The New York Times. The caps add a "layer of foam to the outside of the helmet" — a sort of cushioning pillow — in hopes of "reducing brain injuries." This is the first year the league has allowed the caps to be worn during games, and several players are doing so. But even the Guardian Cap makers say no device can eliminate the risk of head injuries. "Football," said Guardian founder Erin Hanson, "is a dangerous collision sport,"

It will be some time — if ever — before Tagovailoa returns to the field. The Dolphins placed their quarterback on injured reserve, said NFL.com, meaning it will be at least four games before he is eligible to play. That gives him "ample time" to meet with neurologists and decide his future.