First, let’s address the elephant in the room: the elephant in Tuscaloosa, the Stitch in Hawaii. If I were Tua Tagovailoa, I wouldn’t be in this position at all. Why? Because throughout my life, I played in every football game available to me. In high school, I had 44 straight starts. In college, I had 50 straight starts—yes, that’s right, a top 10 NCAA Division I career with 50 consecutive starts. Hendrix Johnson would never find himself in Tua’s shoes. Now that we’ve gotten that weird flex out of the way, let’s move on.
Second, let’s address another elephant in another room. If I were Tua, I wouldn’t be in this position. Why? Because I worked tirelessly to become a good quarterback. I remember being four games into my junior year of high school with an 0-4 record and only two touchdowns. I was not smart enough, strong enough, or skilled enough to be a successful high school quarterback. So, the notion of “If I were Tua” could never materialize, because I struggled immensely and was a dog water QB. Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s continue.
If I were Tua… would I keep playing?
Many people don’t know the full scope of Tua’s career. Believe it or not, Tua started as a true sophomore for the powerhouse St. Louis School in Hawaii. He won a state championship, set multiple major QB records, and left early for Alabama. This means Tua played only two full years in high school—just 20 games.
Now, onto his college career. He played for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning the title of Offensive MVP in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship during his freshman year. As a sophomore, he won the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards, leading to an appearance in the 2019 National Championship. After a hip injury cut his junior season short, he was selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. In total, Tua played 33 games in college. So, combining high school and college, he has played a total of 53 games.
Now, let’s look at the NFL. Over the last five seasons, Tua has played 55 games, attempting 1,700 passes for 13,122 yards. This brings his grand total of games played throughout his football career to 88.
At just 25 years old, Tua has had three documented concussions since 2022. A study published in the Journal of Neurotrauma found that individuals who reported three or more concussions exhibited significantly worse cognitive function, which declined further with each subsequent concussion. Key areas like attention and the ability to complete complex tasks were particularly impacted. So, while we may be asking whether he should continue playing, I think we should be questioning whether he can still play… good.
Tua has had a top 5 wide receiver in NFL history and done nothing with it. Imagine being a merchant of both penguins and cheetahs; Tua is practically the owner of the Miami zoo with its 2,000 animals, 750 archers, and 4 miles of walkways and no United States zoo playoff wins to show for it. In 2021, he ranked 27th, 27th, 23rd, and 18th in major passing categories. In 2022, he improved slightly, ranking 18th, 12th, 8th, and 20th. By 2023, he reached 9th, 1st, 5th, and 4th in the league. Despite these improvements, the real question arises: how does he perform in somewhat cold conditions?
In games played under 70 degrees, Tua has a record of 6-13. In contrast, he boasts a record of 23-4 in games at 70 degrees or higher. He has played three games in Miami when temperatures dipped below 40 degrees, completing 70 passes out of 121 attempts for 890 yards, with five touchdowns and five interceptions. The guy literally just cant be cold.
In my opinion Tua is an injury prone, Miami zoo keeper, who has played 2 less games from HS through the NFL then Hendrix Johnson who has never played an NFL game before.] Tua signed a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million in July 2024, the richest deal in Dolphins history, with $167 million guaranteed. However, if he retired today, how much would he actually receive? I don’t know—I didn’t look into it.
My final answer:
If I were Tua would I play? 100%. Why? Because there is some random ass white kid from anthem Arizona saying that you’re a trash can who can’t get cold. Get your money and prove him wrong.
Unless they make you wear the guardian cap. If they make you wear that then retire cause that’s just gay.
