Tua Tagovailoa makes statement on retiring after Miami Dolphins star's head injuries

Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa has suffered aggregate concussions during his five-year NFL career, but insists that status has not crossed his mind

Tua Tagovailoa insists quitting the NFL is not connected the cards, contempt a fig of worrying caput injuries during his career.

The Miami Dolphins quarterback, who has been plagued by concussions implicit his five-year stint, was sidelined for 5 weeks pursuing different during the Week 2 crippled against the Buffalo Bills.

In that match, the 26 twelvemonth aged chose not to descent and collided with Bills' Damar Hamlin, leaving him sprawled connected the ground. That has led to concerns that his days could beryllium numbered - but Tagovailoa has reassured fans he's not acceptable to locomotion distant conscionable yet.

Before taking connected the Los Angeles Rams, Tagovailoa told ESPN: "It ne'er stuck successful my caput that I was ever reasoning of retiring. Whether the doctors told maine that oregon not, it would person conscionable been accusation for me."

He acknowledged the important power of his household connected his determination to proceed playing, stating: "With what I was doing moving retired week-to-week, I'm successful present everyday. It's similar a no-brainer, what americium I moving hard for then?"

Reflecting connected the infinitesimal helium realised different concussion whitethorn person occurred, helium said: "I would accidental from the 2nd it happened, evidently not a bully feeling being retired connected the field, knowing the situation. Trying to bash each I tin to get a archetypal down, not knowing, tin I descent successful this situation? It was distant down. Can I slide? Do I person to spell for it? "

"If you look astatine that play again, I looked to the close earlier I scrambled to spot wherever the marker is earlier I spell for it and dive for it. So I'm benignant of re-tweaking everything."

Yet, contempt precocious voicing that helium didn't privation to go "the poster lad for concussions", Tagovailoa appeared to beryllium successful a precarious presumption aft going head-to-head with Rams' linebacker Christian Rozeboom.

Confronted with queries regarding his tackling technique, helium admitted to reporters, "I wasn't readying connected utilizing my caput [to tackle him]. I didn't consciousness immoderate ill-effects.."

The backmost did concede, however, "It was beauteous atrocious tackling signifier though. From the 2nd it happened, evidently [it was] not a bully feeling."

Reflecting connected the incident's repercussions, helium acknowledged: "I ended up making a determination that evidently everyone that has supported maine - and everyone that doesn't enactment maine that has been looking and watching that crippled - would beryllium like, 'Dude, what are you doing?'"