Tua Tagovailoa’s future in the NFL is under much debate after he suffered his third concussion in 24 months and his fourth overall on Thursday night.

Tagovailoa collapsed to the turf in pain, showing signs of a traumatic brain injury, according to multiple experts, after being hit by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa’s history of brain injuries includes two in a one-month period during the 2022 season.

Tagovailoa later admitted that he had discussed with his family whether he should continue playing football after that. But he came back for more.

His latest injury has led to calls from professional sports colleagues, former NFL players, media pundits and concerned fans and observers to leave the sport.

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa receives an assist on the field during the second half of a game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, September 12, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Tagovailoa will undergo the NFL’s concussion protocols over the next few days. It’s possible that the team’s coaches and doctors will eventually clear Tagovailoa to return to the field. If that happens, he’ll have to decide if he wants to keep playing. There’s also a chance that doctors won’t clear him to return.

If Tagovailoa cannot clear concussion protocols for the third time in his NFL career, he could be forced to retire. If he does retire, the Dolphins would have to pay out a large portion of his $212.4 million contract.

The contract, signed in July by Dolphins general manager Chris Grier, includes $167 million in guarantees. Tagovailoa has already earned $43 million of that salary and, if he is medically forced to retire, he has the right to collect the remaining $124 million.

However, if he is allowed to return and decides to retire, he will lose that guaranteed money, in which case he and the team will have to come to a settlement.

The contract was signed well after his three previous concussions and even after he admitted he had considered retirement during the previous offseason. But Grier said during a team press conference on Feb. 28 that he was not concerned about the quarterback’s concussion history.

During discussions about Tagovailoa’s contract extension several months before the deal was signed, Grier was asked whether the quarterback’s past concussions played a role in the team’s evaluation of the offer.

DOLPHINS’ TUA TAGOVAILOA GETS CALLED TO QUIT NFL AFTER LATEST CONCUSSION: ‘IT’S NOT WORTH IT’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) suffers a concussion after hitting his head on the ground while being tackled by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., Sept. 12, 2024. (Jasen Vinlove/Imagn Images)

“No,” Grier said. “I think for us, every player is dealing with certain things. Even as you’ve seen this year, you look at all the quarterback injuries around the league, and there are other quarterbacks and really good players who have had multiple season-ending injuries as well.”

Grier cited offseason jiu-jitsu training as a solution to the quarterback’s concerns about his concussion.

“All Tua did was take the offseason to prove he could stay healthy. Spending time learning how to fall, with jiu-jitsu and all that, it paid off for him,” he said.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said he and the team were also “pleased” that jiu-jitsu was the solution to preventing concussions for their quarterback.

“It’s something we had several ideas, some of which I won’t repeat because they weren’t as good as that one. We were willing to push it to the limit,” McDaniel said during a team press conference that also took place on Feb. 28.

“But now that he’s invested in it and really talking to him and hearing how the coach is invested in him and how he’s really getting into it and getting good residuals out of it, we feel very comfortable in terms of that this is preparing him the best for things that he wouldn’t have been able to prepare for otherwise. It’s something, like a follow-through throwing motion, it’s something that we try to coach, and he’s going for it 100 percent, he’s attacking it with power and exuberance.”

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after the loss to the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on January 7, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Tagovailoa has been training with jiu-jitsu expert Ricardo Liborio since the 2023 off-season. The goal was to train him to control his body and control his movements when falling to the ground to avoid hitting his head too hard on the grass.

Jiu-jitsu is a martial art that focuses on self-defense tactics against opponents. However, the form originates from Brazil and started as a variation of Japanese judoka. It doesn’t take into account that it is being tackled by a group of NFL players.

In Tagovailoa’s case, jiu-jitsu training wasn’t a factor during a solo tackle by the 200-pound Hamlin. Tagovailoa’s injury occurred when he lunged forward to gain yards and his head collided with Hamlin’s body.

Tagovailoa’s arms froze as a result of what neurologists call the “fencing response,” a sign of head trauma.

Tagovailoa now has 10 days to complete the league’s concussion protocol.

If Tagovailoa fails to clear protocol in the next 10 days, the team could be forced to place him on the injured list, which would keep him out for at least four games. It could prompt the front office to prepare for a future without its star quarterback, and potentially without that $124 million.

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