Fans fumed at Tua Tagovailoa after the Miami Dolphins quarterback admitted his head-first tackle versus the Los Angeles Rams was “pretty bad form.”
On Monday Night Football, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to a crucial 23-15 win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium. While the quarterback completed 20-of-28 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, he also threw an interception that led to him risking a serious concussion in a tackle.
Tagovialoa, who has a history of head injuries and only just returned from a concussion layoff after missing five weeks after going down versus the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, threw an interception when Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom picked off a pass intended for Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa attempted to make up for his mistake by tackling Rozeboom on the return but was kneed in the side of the head as a result.
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The 26-year-old fell to the turf, and after being evaluated, returned for the rest of the game. However, the incident left fans concerned – particularly after Tagovailoa appeared to see the lighter side of the incident and even insisted he would do it again.
“I wasn’t planning on using my head [to tackle him]. I didn’t feel any ill effects,” Tagovailoa told reporters, before offering a seven-word admission: “It was pretty bad tackling form though.”
After his latest issue, fans took aim at Tagovailoa for not taking proper care of himself. One fan posted: “Tua will probably suffer another concussion or two before he retires. He will most likely suffer from CTE later in life and end up suing the NFL for letting him play.”
Another wrote: “He’s a great player. But he’s going to have complications for life after his football career. The kid has no clue how to protect himself even after being taught over and over. He’s on the fast road to life-altering brain damage.”
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Tua Tagovailoa took a knee to the head bringing down Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom (
ESPN)
“I can understand him still wanting to play football. I don’t have a problem with him making that decision. But what I find really stupid is his refusal to wear a Guardian Cap. It’s not foolproof, but if it can reduce your chances of another concussion by 10 to 30 percent, why not wear it?” said one confused fan after Tagovailoa opted not to wear the Guardian Cap.
Other fans called on the Dolphins to sit Tagovailoa to demonstrate the gravity of his actions. But one fan took the other side of the argument: “Stop treating this guy with kid gloves. He’s a grown man able to make his own decisions and besides that, he’s not the only guy out there suffering from concussions yet you all act like he is.”
However, Tagovailoa has reiterated that no medical experts have advised him to retire. He declared: “If they were to tell me that I couldn’t play, I would have definitely taken that into consideration, but there were no talks like that. It never stuck in my mind that I was ever thinking of retiring. Whether the doctors told me that or not, it would’ve just been information for me. With what I was doing working out week-to-week, I’m in here everyday. It’s like a no-brainer, what am I working hard for then?”
Tagovailoa’s 3-6 Dolphins take on the 2-7 Las Vegas Raiders in their next game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 17.
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