A discussion over Tua Tagovailoa‘s concussion and future in the NFL took a serious turn on ESPN’s First Take on Friday as Stephen A. Smith and Elle Duncan got into gender roles and sacrifices.
On Thursday, Tagovailoa suffered his third NFL concussion after colliding with Damar Hamlin in the Miami Dolphins‘ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in their second game this season.
The 26-year-old’s recent scare sparked conversations about whether he should retire early. While discussing the matter, Smith dove into the difference between men and women making sacrifices.
‘Molly [Qerim] and Elle, I can say this: As men, our mentality a lot of the time is different,’ Smith began. ‘You’re willing to put it all on the line to secure the well-being of your family in perpetuity, even in the event you’re not around.
‘There are sacrifices that I make as a father all the time. I’m not around my daughters as much as I would like to be. I’m not with my family as much as I would like to be. Sometimes they resent it and what have you. I don’t care. And you know why I don’t care? Because I grew up starving,’ Smith added.
Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion sparked a discussion over gender roles on ESPN’s First Take
‘And as a result of that, anything that I do to ensure the well-being of my family moving forward, even in the event that I’m not around — as selfish as that may be — I’m willing to do it because I knew what it was like to grow up with nothing, he continued.
‘These football players make those decisions every single day as men. Provide, protect. That’s our No. 1 priority. That’s how most of us think. And that plays a role in the kind of decisions that men make.’
Duncan responded to her colleague by highlighting the sacrifices she made for her family.
‘As someone who is a woman who has two scars that go from hip to hip because I’ve had two C-sections in an effort to provide for my family and create a family for my family, I understand sacrifice,’ Duncan said.
‘A Black woman in this country, whose mortality rates are incredibly high, I understand making sacrifices and trying to mitigate risk when it comes to your family, expanding your family, and protecting your family.’
While Duncan’s stance was met with nods, she added how Tagovailoa’s loved ones should have a ‘real conversation with him.’
‘All I am simply imploring is that anyone in Tua’s corner, someone that truly believes and loves Tua, is having a real conversation with him right now about what quality of life looks like,’ Duncan said. ‘We all face an existential crisis at some point in our lives.’
The quarterback led with his head into a tackle with the Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin on TNF
Tagovailoa may be shut down for the entire season by the Dolphins after his concussion
Duncan then turned her attention to ex-NFL player and fellow panelist Ryan Clark, saying: ‘You host a podcast called ‘The Pivot,’ and all of us at some point have got to make a turn from the thing that we were defined by for our entire lives.
‘I’m hoping someone in that family, someone in his corner that truly loves him, is asking him to sit down and think long and hard about whether he wants to keep doing this.’
Shortly after he was removed from Thursday’s game, personalities in and around the NFL called for Tagovailoa to retire on social media. Ex-NFL star Dez Bryant led the charge, while Shannon Sharpe, Nick Wright, and Patrick Mahomes showed concern.
On Friday, a source told DailyMail.com that the Dolphins are considering keeping the quarterback on the sideline for the rest of the season while he figures out what to do moving forward.
‘It is looking like the Dolphins may shut Tua down for the entire season to give him time to consider retiring from the NFL,’ the source told DailyMail.com.
‘The healing and the emotions are at a high right now and no immediate decisions are going to be made but after this latest concussion the likelihood that the NFL and the Miami Dolphins are going to recommend highly for him to retire is almost definite.’
The Dolphins quarterback exited the game with 145 yards and a touchdown after completing 17 of 25 passes.
The Hawaiian star’s first head injury was a grade 1 concussion that came in September 2022 against the Bengals. In December that year, Tagovailoa suffered a grade 3 concussion that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
With the win, Buffalo emerged victorious in 12 of the last 13 games against Miami. The Bills are now 2-0 this season, while the Dolphins are 1-1.
