ESPN stars shift Tua Tagovailoa's health discussion into talk on gender roles

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has dealt with a series of concussions over the past 24 months.

The latest head injury happened during the Dolphins' 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the first "Thursday Night Football" game of the season. Tagovailoa collided with Bills safety Damar Hamlin in the second half, resulting in the third concussion the quarterback has been diagnosed with since he entered the NFL.

Tagovailoa's most recent scare sparked conversation about whether the 2023 NFL passing yards leader should consider stepping away from the game to better preserve himself for his family and protect his long-term health. 

Tagovailoa's football future was discussed during Friday's edition of ESPN's "First Take," with Stephen A. Smith and "SportsCenter" anchor Elle Duncan delving into an exchange about an individual's willingness to sacrifice for family.

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After "First Take" moderator Molly Qerim raised a question about whether Tagovailoa should end his NFL career, Smith shared his views on the mental makeup of men and suggested a man's mentality is often different from a woman's.

"Molly 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.

DOLPHINS' TUA TAGOVAILOA FACES CALLS TO RETIRE FROM NFL AFTER LATEST CONCUSSION: 'IT'S NOT WORTH IT'

"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 said. 

"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. 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 Smith by highlighting some of the sacrifices she has 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."

Duncan added that she hoped Tagovailoa's loved ones would step in and 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."

Duncan then turned her attention to former NFL player Ryan Clark, who was part of the panel discussion. 

"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," she said. "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."

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Tagovailoa was running with the football seeking a first down in the third quarter of Thursday's game and lowered his shoulder instead of sliding as Hamlin approached. The 26-year-old signal-caller stayed on the turf for a few minutes as medical personnel attended to him. Tagovailoa was eventually able to walk to the Dolphins' sideline.

The Dolphins plan to add another quarterback to their roster while Tagovailoa works through his latest concussion. However, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel made it clear Tagovailoa's health was everyone's primary focus.

Backup quarterback Skylar Thompson will likely step into the starting role for Miami's game against the Seattle Seahawks Sept. 22. McDaniel voiced his support for Thompson, saying, "The team and the organization are very confident in Skylar." 

McDaniel also noted the team has yet to reach a decision about whether to add Tagovailoa to the injured reserve list. The quarterback is expected to undergo further evaluation Friday in Miami.

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