Tua Tagovailoa, the talented young quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, suffered a devastating hit during a recent game that left fans and fellow players concerned for his well-being. The impact forced Tagovailoa to leave the game, sparking a wave of reactions from across the football world.
Support poured in from players such as Patrick Mahomes and Antonio Brown, who expressed their hopes for Tagovailoa’s quick recovery. However, former NFL stars Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson took a more critical stance, questioning Tua’s judgment during the play on their Nightcap podcast.
“Knowing his history, I don’t know why. He had already had the first down-why didn’t he go down and slide? That’s my thing…The last thing you wanna do is get hit on it,” Sharpe said. “I would turn up the shoulder, let you hit me on the shoulder, that’s good. But I’m not gonna let you hit me if I know, you know, I’ve had head trauma, like three or four blows. I’m not taking that; I’m gonna just slide. That’s what the protection is for, for the quarterback.”
Sharpe was critical of Tagovailoa for not sliding after gaining the first down, despite his history with concussions. He argued that with Tagovailoa’s injury background, avoiding hits should be second nature, especially when a simple slide could have protected him from further harm.
Johnson added to the conversation, pointing out that quarterbacks are taught to slide safely to avoid injury, emphasizing the dangers of a head-first slide. He suggested that Tagovailoa may have lost track of the first down marker, which delayed his reaction and ultimately left him vulnerable to the hit from Hamlin.
Johnson also noted that after missing four games in 2022 due to concussions, Tua should have been more mindful of the risks he was taking by not sliding when he had the chance.
“Really hope Tua is ok, but he’s gotta seriously think about shutting it down,” Sharpe wrote on X. “I hate saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him.”
As the football world waits for updates on Tagovailoa’s condition, the incident has sparked important conversations about player safety and the need for quarterbacks to prioritize their well-being on the field.
