Last week, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told his team that Tua Tagovailoa is expected to practice this week. As long as there are no setbacks, Tagovailoa will start against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. According to team sources, he has not had any lingering issues after being diagnosed with a concussion for the third time in two years.
On Tuesday’s episode of the “Scoop City” podcast, we had a lengthy conversation on what’s become a difficult situation in Miami — for the quarterback, the team, and the fans.
The partial transcript below has been edited for clarity. The full interview is available now in The “Scoop City” podcast feed.
Dianna: As we reported over the weekend, Tua is going to be back out on the practice field. His practice window opens up on Wednesday. Obviously, he was listening to doctors and he saw plenty of them, but he wants to be out there. And I just think this is one of these stories that’s — you have to admire his commitment to his teammates and to wanting to be there for the Miami Dolphins. But I think there’s a lot of people right now, including us, that have concern about Tua the man. What do you think this is like for him right now?
Chase: I mean, dad, father, football player, husband, you name it, right? He’s got a lot of people in his life that he needs to be there for. And I look at it from two separate arenas. First, as a former player: When you play the game of football, you are blind to a lot of different things that happen outside of your little space in the NFL. And you’re one of 32 people in the world that get a chance to start at quarterback for a National Football League team. It’s really easy for anyone who hasn’t played the game to say, “What is he doing? He’s an idiot. Stop playing.” It is not even remotely easy to say that when you have played in the game. I’ve sat in that position. I’ve been injured, but I know when I was playing, how much the game meant to me and how blind I was to anyone else saying anything about what I should do. I was so focused on the task at hand. And I think that’s what Tua is going through. He likens it to, how much risk do we take when we get up in the morning and drive to work? And I’m thinking, you can’t liken it to driving to work because you’re willingly putting yourself out there for a risk of further damage, for a risk of CTE, for a risk of not being there for your kids, for your wife, for your dad, for your family, for your community. And then I look at it from a media standpoint. I’m thinking, “What the heck are you doing?” Like, just take a full year off. Figure it out and go on to the next one. And if you aren’t completely healed and cleared and everything, there’s so much more to life than football. And it’s almost impossible to see that as a football player, because that’s all you know, and it takes so much effort, time, sacrifice to be playing the game.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.
Sign Up
Dianna: He made that analogy of, people are driving to work everyday. Well, I’m not driving to work on the wrong side of traffic, where I’m going to crash. He’s going to crash. That is what football is, a very physical contact sport. I think this entire situation is so challenging for not just the football player, but even the Dolphins organization. Because their doctors have to be on board with this. Mike McDaniel was extraordinary in dealing with the media since this happened after the Bills game — really empathetic, sympathetic, trying to take all the pressure off Tua having to make this decision, giving him space, giving him time to do this and really trying to, I thought, protect him. So for the Dolphins, who just paid him a lot of money to be their quarterback, they’re in the business of winning and Tua gives them the best opportunity to win. This offense is horrendous without Tua. But it has to be difficult for them to sit there and say, “The best thing for this team is also perhaps putting someone’s life in danger as well.”
Chase: Last time he played, it was a bad concussion. What happens the next time it happens, because he’s going to get hit. How do you feel if you’re the defender going against him and you’re like, “Do I not hit him, because I’m worried that he’s going to get a concussion?” For Tua, what kind of helmet situation is this? And, just, my thing is: How many concussions is too many? When do you eventually walk away from the game? And I know you got a lot of money tied to it, but if this happens again, we’re just back at square one, and we’re all going to be saying, “Well, you shouldn’t play again.” Where do you draw the line? I’m sure he’s had conversations with his family about it. His family probably gave him their blessing, or else he wouldn’t have returned. But if my wife told me, I’m really, really, really, worried about you, you do not need to go play, I’d have to seriously consider it.
Dianna: I don’t think this is an easy situation that the Dolphins are dealing with. And people are so quick to get on TV and say, you should play or you shouldn’t play, and write about it. But, look, I think for his health and his overall future, I don’t necessarily agree with what he’s doing. I think we know enough about the player. I think we’ve seen enough to know that this is going to happen again. And it’s going to be on TV — we’re going to watch this, and we’re all going to feel uncomfortable, including, I’m sure, his family.
(Top photo: Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
