Tua Tagovailoa Returning to NFL 1 Month After Third Concussion: ‘I Love This Game...to the Death of Me’

Mar. 15, 2025

Tua Tagovailoais returning to football.The Miami Dolphins quarterback, 26, is set to return to practice on Wednesday, Oct. 23 for the first time since suffering his third concussion in three seasons in September.In apress conferenceheld on Monday, Oct. 21, Tagovailoa shared his appreciation over concerns for his health as he shared his plans to hopefully rejoin his team for their game against the Arizona Cardinals in Miami on Sunday, Oct. 27.“I appreciate your concern, I really do. I love this game and I love it to the death of me. That’s it,” Tagovailoa said.Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDanielconfirmed to reportersthat medical experts “deemed it safe” for him to return to football.Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion during a game on Sept. 12.Megan Briggs/Getty“No one’s sort of advice affected anything that I thought in terms of returning,” Tagovailoa shared. “… I had some conversations with my wife but that was it.”The NFL star also shared that he willnot be wearing a guardian cap— an extra layer of padding that players are now allowed to wear over their helmets for added protection — while playing as a “personal choice,” stating, “I’m willing to play the odds.”Tua Tagovailoa.Megan Briggs/GettyTagovailoa was put on injured reserve after he suffered his third diagnosed concussion during the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12. The frightening incident took place with seconds left in the third quarter as Tagovailoa collided with Buffalo Bills safetyDamar Hamlin.When asked how he felt about being put on injured reserve, Tagovailoa responded to reporters, “I think the team did what was best in the interest of me, knowing that I’m a competitor.“Tagovailoa is set to return to football practice after missing four games on Oct. 23.Megan Briggs/Getty“And, given what the doctors have told me, that having a substantial amount of time to rest and recover would have been good for me, I think they did what was best in terms of protecting myself from myself,” he explained.Tagovailoa was firstdiagnosed with a concussionin the NFL during a game against the Bills in September 2022, causing him to miss five games. He then suffered a second concussion while facing the Green Bay Packers three months later, on Dec. 25.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Sharing his thoughts on the dangers of developing further brain injury on the field, Tagovailoa said on Monday, “there’s just a gray area when it comes to that.”“For me this is what I love to do, this is what makes me happy and I’m gonna do it. That’s it,” he added.McDaniels said of Tagovailoa, “I think he has a better understanding of his responsibility towards the entire organization at this point … part of that is protecting yourself. He has to be able to protect himself … he needs to be smart about how he engages in contact.”

Tua Tagovailoais returning to football.

The Miami Dolphins quarterback, 26, is set to return to practice on Wednesday, Oct. 23 for the first time since suffering his third concussion in three seasons in September.

In apress conferenceheld on Monday, Oct. 21, Tagovailoa shared his appreciation over concerns for his health as he shared his plans to hopefully rejoin his team for their game against the Arizona Cardinals in Miami on Sunday, Oct. 27.

“I appreciate your concern, I really do. I love this game and I love it to the death of me. That’s it,” Tagovailoa said.

Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDanielconfirmed to reportersthat medical experts “deemed it safe” for him to return to football.

Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion during a game on Sept. 12.Megan Briggs/Getty

Megan Briggs/Getty

“No one’s sort of advice affected anything that I thought in terms of returning,” Tagovailoa shared. “… I had some conversations with my wife but that was it.”

The NFL star also shared that he willnot be wearing a guardian cap— an extra layer of padding that players are now allowed to wear over their helmets for added protection — while playing as a “personal choice,” stating, “I’m willing to play the odds.”

Tua Tagovailoa.Megan Briggs/Getty

Tagovailoa was put on injured reserve after he suffered his third diagnosed concussion during the Dolphins’ game against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 12. The frightening incident took place with seconds left in the third quarter as Tagovailoa collided with Buffalo Bills safetyDamar Hamlin.

When asked how he felt about being put on injured reserve, Tagovailoa responded to reporters, “I think the team did what was best in the interest of me, knowing that I’m a competitor.”

Tagovailoa is set to return to football practice after missing four games on Oct. 23.Megan Briggs/Getty

“And, given what the doctors have told me, that having a substantial amount of time to rest and recover would have been good for me, I think they did what was best in terms of protecting myself from myself,” he explained.

Tagovailoa was firstdiagnosed with a concussionin the NFL during a game against the Bills in September 2022, causing him to miss five games. He then suffered a second concussion while facing the Green Bay Packers three months later, on Dec. 25.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Sharing his thoughts on the dangers of developing further brain injury on the field, Tagovailoa said on Monday, “there’s just a gray area when it comes to that.”

“For me this is what I love to do, this is what makes me happy and I’m gonna do it. That’s it,” he added.

McDaniels said of Tagovailoa, “I think he has a better understanding of his responsibility towards the entire organization at this point … part of that is protecting yourself. He has to be able to protect himself … he needs to be smart about how he engages in contact.”

source: people.com