The Tragic Case of Tua

How does one deal with loving something for your entire life that doesn’t seem to love you back? How would it feel when the thing you love is also the thing that hurts you the most? “No matter how I think we grow, you always seem to let me know, it ain’t working. And when I try to walk away, you hurt yourself to make me stay, this is crazy.” The career track of Tua Tagovailoa since he became a professional NFL player, and the history of Dolfans since Marino retired in 2000 has played out like the lyrics of Lauryn Hill’s tragic ballad “Ex Factor.” Football in this Miami Dolphins organization feels like it could all be so simple, but some outside forces would rather make it hard.

Every time Tua sets foot on the football field it’s as if I can hear him singing to himself, “tell me who I have to be, to gain some reciprocity? See no one loves you more than me, and no one ever will.” Why won’t the football gods love him back? In the world of professional sports, few narratives are as compelling or as heartbreaking as that of a talented player grappling with a significant injury. For Miami Dolphins fans, the story of Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion issues represents a poignant chapter in a long and often painful saga of dashed hopes and tragically unfulfilled promises.

 

A Star Shrouded in Uncertainty

Tua Tagovailoa’s arrival in the 2020 pandemic season of the NFL was met with immense optimism. Tua was the highest drafted player at the quarterback position in the history of the franchise (Rick Norton does not count) and signaled that the Dolphins were ready to move on from an era of trying to go cheap on quarterbacks in free agency or drafting receivers that were recently converted to triggermen. As a college standout with a history of remarkable performances, Tagovailoa was heralded as a potential game-changer for the Miami Dolphins. However, the excitement was soon tempered by the reality of his ongoing struggles with concussions.

In the 2022 NFL season, Tagovailoa’s concussion issues came to the forefront, particularly after a series of high-profile incidents that drew widespread concern. The Dolphins were off to a flying 2-0 start in which Tua had performed as the top-rated signal caller in the league. Mike McDaniel’s offense blasted off like a rocket with quantum fuel.  However, the diminutive quarterback suffered a significant head injury against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, which was compounded by a potential previous concussion earlier in that week and nothing was the same from that point forward. The impact on Tagovailoa’s health was immediate and severe, raising national media alarms about the long-term implications of repeated concussions on his career and well-being.

The medical and emotional ramifications for Tagovailoa suffering multiple concussions are profound. Concussions, particularly repeated ones, pose serious risks, including cognitive impairment, memory issues, and even chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The information that we have on concussions is significantly less than what we don’t know about concussions. The uncertainty surrounding Tagovailoa’s ability to return to peak performance, or even continue playing at all, casts a shadow over what could have been and still may end up being a stellar career. More importantly, Tua is a young 26-year-old man with his whole life ahead of him.

Tua is a new husband and a new father of two young children. His health and being quarterback of his family is more important than winning football games on Sundays. Seeing Tua’s hand and arm freeze in the fencing response after taking a hit from Demar Hamlin was gut wrenching. Watching the back of Tua’s custom made helmet bounce off the natural grass in Hard Rock stadium was a worst-case scenario for the team and for the fanbase that we hoped we would be lucky enough to not have to witness. However, those of us who are tragically aware of our status as Dolfans, knew that another Tua concussion was an imminent inevitability. “Is this just a silly game that forces you to act this way? Forces you to scream my name, then pretend that you can’t stay.”

 

A Fanbase’s Lingering Pain

For Dolphins fans, the pain extends beyond individual players and into the collective psyche of a fanbase that has endured a protracted period of underachievement. Since the turn of the millennium, Miami has experienced a rollercoaster of seasons, marked by fleeting glimpses of hope followed by inevitable disappointments. The Dolphins have struggled to secure a playoff berth with any consistency when they used to have a permanent residency in the postseason. Even when the Fins have made it to the postseason knockout round, success has been elusive. The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000, and we are all desperate to remember what winning an elimination game in January feels like again.

The 2000s and 2010s were particularly tough. From the departures of key players and coaching changes to the near-misses and outright failures, Dolfans have witnessed a series of frustrating near-misses and have had to endure many single digit winning seasons and endless rebuilds under new regimes. The era of Dan Marino feels like a distant memory, and with each passing year, the gap between past glories and present frustrations widens. Is this the penance we must pay for forcing #13 to retire before he was ready to and going with Fiedler? It’s been 24 years. This persistent pain has been payment enough, has it not? “I keep letting you back in, how can I explain myself? As painful as this thing has been, I just can’t be with no one else. Because no one has hurt me more than you, and no one ever will.”

In the midst of this turmoil, Tagovailoa’s injury situation adds a layer of tragic irony. The quarterback who was supposed to be the cornerstone of the Dolphins’ resurgence is now, at times, a symbol of the franchise’s ongoing struggle. Each game he misses due to injury is a reminder of the perennial question: When will the Dolphins finally break free from their cycle of disappointment? When will we end our 20-year wandering in the wilderness and get to the land of milk and honey?

 

Hope Amidst Adversity

Despite the challenges, there is room for hope! The Dolphins have made significant strides in recent years, and the team’s management continues to seek ways to build a competitive roster around their talented quarterback. For Tagovailoa, the focus must be on ensuring his health and safety, even if it means taking a cautious approach to his return. Modern medicine and advancements in concussion protocols offer some reassurance, but the journey remains fraught with difficulty. As ugly as the guardian cap is (it looks like a deconstructed egg carton salvaged from your homeboy’s home studio), wearing it during games should be necessary for Tua, lest we repeat the same tragedies over and over again. Also, the Dolphins must move on from Grier and bring in a general manager who is serious about building an offensive line to protect the franchise quarterback that was just signed to a $212 million extension.

For the fans, the road ahead is about managing expectations while holding onto hope. The Dolphins’ struggles are not just a series of unfortunate events but a testament to the resilience of a fanbase that refuses to give up. As Tagovailoa works toward recovery and the team seeks stability, Miami fans can draw strength from their shared passion and their unwavering support. It is clear that Tua does not intend to retire from the game that he loves despite the pressure on him to do so. I believe the fact that the Dolphins have not put Tua on injured reserve yet is quite telling. Tua is a grown autonomous man, and no one can force him to leave the game he loves. Just like no Dolfan will quit on this team despite the failures and frustration and temptation to do so. We just have to hope and pray that this tragic love story that Tua has had with football since he was a child does not end up tragically affecting his quality of life.

In the grand narrative of sports, stories of struggle and redemption are as common as they are compelling. For Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins, the present moment is one of navigating through adversity. Yet, within this challenge lies the potential for a new chapter—one where perseverance and hope could eventually lead to the triumph that Dolphins fans have longed for.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) looks to pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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2 Responses

  1. Good points made! Hopefully Tua recovers well and is more cautious when he’s running and slides more. I was surprised he didn’t start the season with the guardian cap, it’s telling that he received a concussion from what I perceived to be not such a strong hit from a defender who isn’t the biggest guy in the room. I hope our season changes for the better. In my lifetime we’ve never had a wr and rb room with this much talent. I’m just hoping what looks good on paper translates to the field.

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