It’s very easy for an outsider to say Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire after suffering four concussions in five years. The signal caller’s father, Galu, had the retirement conversation with Tagovailoa.
But while speaking to ESPN Honolulu, Galu said Tua just can’t give up football.
“One of the things that I talked to him when he was going through his concussion was, ‘What do you think?’ [Tua] is like, ‘Dad, I love this game, and I’ll die on the field for this game,'” said Galu.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Concussion History
Concussion side effects and the long-term impact of head injuries have been a popular topic around the NFL in recent seasons. Tagovailoa has been at the forefront of those conversations.
Tagovailoa has been diagnosed with a concussion four times since his final season at Alabama in 2019. Last August, he shared during an interview with “The Dan Le Batard Show” that his mother “asked him to reconsider his playing career” after his third concussion in 2022.
But he has continued to play. Galu revealed more about those hard conversations with his son and explained Tua’s reason for remaining in the NFL.
“Tua grew up in a way that everything is just so competitive,” said Galu. “He just don’t want to leave the game. [Tua] loves it.”
🎥 Tua Tagovailoa: "Dad, I love this game. And I'll die on the field for this game."
Galu Tagovailoa – father of Tua Tagovailoa – spoke to @ESPNHonolulu about Tua Tagovailoa's decision to not retire following his concussions and conversations they had as a family:
"One of the… pic.twitter.com/q37nrgBxge
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) January 17, 2025
Tagovailoa suffered his most recent diagnosed concussion during Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins placed him on injured reserve, which caused him to miss four games.
Tagovailoa sustained his first concussion in the NFL during Week 4 of 2022. That happened four days after Tagovailoa hit his head on the turf and was seen unable to stand up straight while walking to the sideline. But he returned to the field three plays later.
The Dolphins quarterback suffered three concussions over less than a two-year span. Tagovailoa sustained his second concussion with Miami at the end of Dec. 2022.
Tagovailoa’s Injury-Plagued 2024 Campaign
While completely healthy in 2023, Tagovailoa took the next step in his development. He led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards while averaging 8.3 yards per attempt. He also registered 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions on his way to earning his first Pro Bowl nomination.
The Dolphins went 11-6 in 2023 and played their first playoff game with Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback as well.
In 2024, Tagovailoa played well when available. He finished ranked eighth in PFN’s QB+ metric, with an 85.6 grade during the regular season. But he missed six contests.
Tagovailoa sat out four of Miami’s first six games because of his concussion. He then missed the final two contests due to a hip injury.
In those games, the Dolphins went 2-4.
When healthy, PFN’s QB+ metric indicates Tagovailoa was very consistent. But he also lacked a truly dominant performance. That could have been because of a change in Miami’s offense.
In 2022, Tagovailoa was second in the NFL in air yards per attempt. But last season, the Dolphins quarterback was last in the category.
As a result, Tagovailoa’s yards per attempt dropped from a league-high 8.9 in 2022 to 7.2 this past season. He experienced that drop despite leading the league with a 72.9% completion percentage.
The Dolphins would probably like to open up their passing game more often next season. But the real key to their offense experiencing more success is Tagovailoa staying on the field.