A discussion about Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion and his NFL future took a serious turn on ESPN’s First Take on Friday when Stephen A. Smith and Elle Duncan talked about gender roles and sacrifice.
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 of the season.
The 26-year-old’s recent scare sparked conversations about whether he should retire early. While discussing the topic, Smith dove into the difference between the sacrifices men and women make.
‘Molly (Qerim) and Elle, I can tell you this: As men, our mindsets are often different,’ Smith began. ‘You’re willing to risk everything to ensure the well-being of your family in perpetuity, even if you’re not around.
“As a father, I make sacrifices all the time. I’m not with my daughters as much as I’d like to be. I’m not with my family as much as I’d like to be. Sometimes they get resentful and all that. I don’t care. And you know why I don’t care? Because I grew up hungry,” Smith added.
Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion sparked discussion about gender roles on ESPN’s First Take
“And as a result of that, anything I can do to ensure the well-being of my family in the future, even if I’m not around, as selfish as it may seem, I’m willing to do it because I know what it’s like to grow up with nothing,” he continued.
“These football players make those decisions every day as men. Provide, protect. That’s our number one priority. That’s how most of us think. And that plays a role in the type of decisions that men make.”
Duncan responded to his colleague by highlighting the sacrifices he made for his family.
“As a woman who has two scars that run 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 the sacrifice,” Duncan said.
‘As a black woman in this country, where mortality rates are incredibly high, I understand that you have to make sacrifices and try to mitigate risk when it comes to your family, expanding your family and protecting your family.’
While Duncan’s stance was met with nods of agreement, she added that Tagovailoa’s loved ones should have a “real conversation with him.”
“All I ask is that anyone who is on Tua’s side, anyone who truly believes in him and loves him, has a real conversation with him right now about what quality of life is like,” Duncan said. “We all face an existential crisis at some point in our lives.”
The quarterback headed toward Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin on TNF.
Tagovailoa could be out for the season for the Dolphins after his concussion
Duncan then turned his attention to former NFL player and fellow panelist Ryan Clark and said, ‘You host a podcast called ‘The Pivot,’ and all of us at some point have to pivot from the thing that’s defined us our entire lives.
“I hope that someone in that family, someone close to him who really loves him, asks him to sit down and think carefully about whether he wants to continue doing this.”
Shortly after he was pulled from Thursday’s game, NFL figures and those close to him took to social media to call for Tagovailoa to retire. Former NFL star Dez Bryant led the call, while Shannon Sharpe, Nick Wright and Patrick Mahomes voiced their concerns.
On Friday, a source told DailyMail.com that the Dolphins are considering keeping the quarterback off the field for the remainder of the season while they decide what to do moving forward.
“It appears the Dolphins could sit out Tua for the entire season to give him time to consider retiring from the NFL,” the source told DailyMail.com.
‘Recovery and emotions are at an all-time high right now and no immediate decisions will be made, but after this latest concussion, the likelihood of the NFL and the Miami Dolphins strongly recommending he retire is almost definite.’
The Dolphins quarterback left 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 he suffered in September 2022 against the Bengals. In December of that year, Tagovailoa suffered a Grade 3 concussion that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
With this win, Buffalo has now won 12 of the last 13 games against Miami. The Bills now have a 2-0 record this season, while the Dolphins have a 1-1 record.