I don’t know Tua Tagovailoa.

I’ve never met him.

By all accounts he is a very fine young man. He’s also, at age 26, so young and gifted he might be able to play football for another decade or so.

That’s if he stayed healthy.

I’m not in the business of telling people what they should do in their life.

But if it were me, and had suffered those concussions, I know what I’d do.

I’d quit the game for good.

Tua has suffered at LEAST three concussions on the NFL playing fields in the last two years.

He considered quitting the game 2 years ago, but decided not to.

Tua also had concussions and a dislocated hip when he played for Alabama.

But he had physical rehabilitation and he was drafted by Miami despite that long history of injuries.

It was a remarkable comeback story and he went on to play mostly well for Miami.

But with his concussion Thursday night, Tua needs to sit down with his wife of two years, Annah, and with his parents with whom he is very close, and consider making the painful decision to leave the game he loves.

Financially, he is already set for life.

He had just signed a massive 4 year, 212 million dollar contract in July.

Although $167.2 million is guaranteed in the contract, most of the guarantees are not absolute.

Tagovailoa can keep the entire package if he is never given the go-ahead to resume playing football.

Thus, the Dolphins would be responsible for $167.2 million, or almost eighty percent, of the total cost of the four-year contract.

I don’t know what the Dolphins will do, but I think they have a moral responsibility to tell Tua that if he resumes playing he runs the risk of having brain disease, CTE, before he is 40 years old.

I have a lot of friends who played football.

I was close friends with Nick Buoniconti for many years.

He was one of the sharpest people I knew in sports.

Until he wasn’t.

Over a few years later in life, Nick began to suffer blackouts where he could barely remember teammates names, and wept to his wife because he couldn’t even button his shirt getting dressed in the morning.

Nick had CTE.

So did my friend Junior Seau. Junior tried to kill himself by driving his car off a cliff. And then he succeeded I killing himself by shooting himself.

And other people I knew, like Mike Webster who once tried to swallow car anti-freeze because he wanted to kill himself because he was out of his head with brain disease.

Dave Duerson did kill himself, 14 years ago when he suffered from brain injury. He shot himself in the chest, not in the head, because he wanted his brain to be studied for CTE so that medicine and science might someday save another person’s life.

Tua Tagovailoa loves the game of football, and I’m sure this is a very difficult time for his family.

Football gave him so much, but the physical toll he has taken in the game take so much more away.

If he leaves at 26, following the lead of players like Andrew Luck, Luke Kuechly, Calvin Johnson, Robert Smith, and many more, Tua MAY have a chance to lead a relatively normal, healthy life.

The game is great, but living well is greater than any game, and any amount of money.

So, I hope Tua makes the hard decision to walk away.

I think holding his children, and hugging his wife, and remembering his friends and family’s name is far more valuable than any game, any career, and any championship.

Tua will make the difficult decision.

I just hope he makes the right one.

I don’t know Tua Tagovailoa.I’ve never met him.By all accounts he is a very fine young man. He’s also, at age
26, so young and gifted he might be able to play football for another decade or
so.That’s if he stayed healthy.I’m not in the business of telling people what they should do in
their life.But if it were me, and had suffered those concussions, I know
what I’d do.I’d quit the game for good.Tua has suffered at LEAST three concussions on the NFL playing
fields in the last two years.He considered quitting the game 2 years ago, but decided not to.Tua also had concussions and a dislocated hip when he played for
Alabama.But he had physical rehabilitation and he was drafted by Miami
despite that long history of injuries.It was a remarkable comeback story and he went on to play mostly
well for Miami.But with his concussion Thursday night, Tua needs to sit down
with his wife of two years, Annah, and with his parents with whom he is very
close, and consider making the painful decision to leave the game he loves.Financially, he is already set for life.He had just signed a massive 4 year, 212 million dollar contract
in July.Although $167.2 million is guaranteed in the contract, most of
the guarantees are not absolute.Tagovailoa can keep the entire package if he is never given the
go-ahead to resume playing football. Thus, the Dolphins would be responsible for $167.2 million, or
almost eighty percent, of the total cost of the four-year contract. I don’t know what the Dolphins will do, but I think they have a
moral responsibility to tell Tua that if he resumes playing he runs the risk of
having brain disease, CTE, before he is 40 years old.I have a lot of friends who played football. I was close friends with Nick Buoniconti for many years. He was one of the sharpest people I knew in sports.Until he wasn’t.Over a few years later in life, Nick began to suffer blackouts
where he could barely remember teammates names, and wept to his wife because he
couldn’t even button his shirt getting dressed in the morning. Nick had CTE. So did my friend Junior Seau. Junior tried to kill himself by
driving his car off a cliff. And then he succeeded I killing himself by
shooting himself.And other people I knew, like Mike Webster who once tried to
swallow car anti-freeze because he wanted to kill himself because he was out of
his head with brain disease.Dave Duerson did kill himself, 14 years ago when he suffered
from brain injury. He shot himself in the chest, not in the head, because he
wanted his brain to be studied for CTE so that medicine and science might
someday save another person’s life.Tua Tagovailoa loves the game of football, and I’m sure this is
a very difficult time for his family.Football gave him so much, but the physical toll he has taken in
the game take so much more away.If he leaves at 26, following the lead of players like Andrew
Luck, Luke Kuechly, Calvin Johnson, Robert Smith, and many more, Tua MAY have a
chance to lead a relatively normal, healthy life.The game is great, but living well is greater than any game, and
any amount of money.So, I hope Tua makes the hard decision to walk away.I think holding his children, and hugging his wife, and
remembering his friends and family’s name is far more valuable than any game,
any career, and any championship.Tua will make the difficult decision.I just hope he makes the right one.