Raiders’ Pierce on Tua Tagovailoa: ‘I’d tell him to retire’

During a news conference Friday, Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire after suffering his third diagnosed concussion in as many seasons.

Tagovailoa left Miami’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night after a hit to the helmet prompted a fencing response — a term used to describe a person’s arms going into an unnatural position — in the fifth-year quarterback. He was able to exit the field under his own power and was immediately placed into the concussion protocol. Tagovailoa missed five games during the 2022 season because of two other diagnosed concussions, plus a third hit to the head that led to the NFL altering its concussion policy.

When asked for his reaction to Tagovailoa’s recent injury, Pierce, who played nine seasons in the NFL, suggested Tagovailoa prioritize his health and family.

“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” Pierce said. “Playing the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like what’s happened to him three times. Scary — you could see right away; the players’ faces on the field. You could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point — he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”

Pierce wasn’t the only NFL coach to opine on the matter Friday.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, whose team played the Dolphins in Week 1, said he doesn’t know the whole situation but emphasized that the player’s health must be prioritized in these scenarios.

“If it was one of our guys, you have to be very careful and do the right thing for the player. I think that’s the most important thing,” Pederson said. “It’s part of the game that obviously we’re trying to remove; I just don’t know if we can fully remove it because of the nature of these hits. I think you just have to continue to think about the player and the health and safety of the player and making sure they’re 1,000 percent healthy. Those are just decisions that I think, personally, as a player you have to consider as you think about your career.

“Everybody wants to play, and they love this game so much and they give so much to it that, when things like this happen, reality kind of hits a little bit, and it shows the human side of our sport.”

Pederson is also an NFL veteran, having played seven seasons before retiring in 2004.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel spoke to the media Friday morning and said he is not focused on Tagovailoa’s return to football. As his quarterback left the field Thursday night, McDaniel told Tagovailoa to focus on his family for the time being.

McDaniel also implored fans and media to allow Tagovailoa to focus on his health before discussing the possibility of his return or retirement.

“You’re talking about his career — his career is his,” he said. “I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care that that should be the last thing on your mind.”

McDaniel did not appear to be responding to anyone specific; he spoke before Pederson or Pierce made their comments. He said he does not see Tagovailoa playing in the Dolphins game next week against the Seattle Seahawks, but added that the only opinions that matter are Tagovailoa’s and that of any doctor who evaluates him.