The latest head injury suffered by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is once again roiling the NFL community.
Tua was placed in the league's concussion protocol on Monday after displaying and admitting to feeling symptoms with team doctors, coach Mike McDaniel said.
The scary development marks at least the second time Tua has dealt with a concussion this season, and likely the third.
In Week 4, Tua was stretchered off the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. That terrifying scene came just four days after the former Alabama star displayed gross motor instability in a game against the Buffalo Bills, though he was cleared to return to that game following a brief exit.
The latter incident prompted a change in the league's concussion protocol such that any player exhibiting gross motor instability is automatically ruled out for the remainder of the game.
At the time, there were calls for Tua to seriously reconsider his future in football.
After the latest episode, those calls are being renewed.
On Monday, at least three prominent former NFL players-turned-analysts publicly advised Tua against playing again this season, despite his team being in the thick of the playoff hunt.
On ESPN, Robert Griffin III and Booger McFarland both said it was time for Tua to sit out and get an early start on his offseason in order to heal up.
"There shouldn't be any question," McFarland said on ESPN's "Monday Night Countdown" ahead of the Chargers-Colts game. "There's been three incidents -- Buffalo, Cincinnati, and yesterday. If we're serious about healthy and safety in the NFL, if we're serious coming a few years off the concussion lawsuit, if we're serious about protecting our players, then Tua Tagovailoa shouldn't play any more this season.
"We can clearly state three that we know of -- three that we saw some visible signs where this young man was impaired. And for us to even have a conversation about should he play Sunday, let alone the rest of the season. Come on, guys. Let's get serious about this."
Griffin agreed.
"I think they are serious about these head injuries," he said. "I'm more concerned about the person than the player. For him to play an entire half of football with a concussion and it be unnoticed, I mean that's just really concerning. It's frightening.
"We've seen guys retire due to head injuries, whether it be Luke Keuchly, I had a teammate -- Jordan Reed -- who was on pace to be one of the greatest tight ends ever, who had to retire because of concussions. So, when I think about this with Tua, I agree with Booger, he shouldn't play anymore this season. ... I just hope they do right by Tua in this situation. You know he's going to want to play, because as players we want to play. But take care of the person over the player. Do what's right for his family for the long-term future."
Acho, speaking separately on FS1's "Speak," voiced similar sentiments.
"You got to shut Tua down for the season, period," Acho said. "No conversation. No discussion. No second thoughts. You've got to shut him down for the season. Whether or not he ends up having a concussion based upon last game, shut him down for the season. Remember we did not know if he had a concussion against the Buffalo Bills. But what we all knew was on Thursday, with the whole world watching, he was immobilized, paralyzed, carted off the field, as all of our hearts stopped. He has to be shut down for the season.
"Luke Keuchly retired at age 28. Why? Because he had three concussions in one year. Luke Keuchly a five-time All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowler. You have to shut Tua down for the season because ... you cannot take the violence out of the sport, but you can take the athlete out of the sport."
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