Tua Tagovailoa's 'traumatic brain injury', retirement claim and massive career earnings

Tua Tagovailoa recently signed a four-year contract extension worth a whopping $212.4 million (161.5m) - but now, the quarterback is considering retirement.

The star player secured a massive payday, ensuring significant financial security for his family with a guaranteed $167.7m (127.5m).

This means that even if he is cut, released or injured, he will still pocket this amount for his services.

This lucrative deal, which came with a $42m (31.9m) signing bonus, catapulted into the ranks of the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks, joining the likes of ' Jordan Love and ' Joe Burrow.

However, a recent head injury sustained during a 31-10 defeat to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night has raised concern among fans.

The 26-year-old developed a concussion after a head-on collision with the chest of safety Damar Hamlin.

Here, we have provided an in-depth look at Tagovailoa's past injuries, his views on premature retirement, and the potential earnings he could amass if he decided to hang up his cleats.

Tagovailoa's first official concussion, as recorded by the NFL, occurred in week four of the 2022 regular season during another Thursday Night Football match-up.

The incident happened when the Dolphins were playing against the Bengals, and Tagovailoa was tackled by defensive tackle Josh Tupou in the first half.

Tagovailoa's head hit the turf with a thud, and spectators watched in horror as his hands curled upwards in an unnatural position - a clear indication of brain trauma caused by the impact.

The quarterback was down on the field for over seven minutes before being stretchered off and rushed to a hospital with reported head and neck injuries.

Interestingly, this wasn't the first time the 26-year-old had suffered a head injury.

Just four days before the Bengals game, he left the field with what appeared to be a head issue, according to reports from the Dolphins at the time.

This incident followed a hard hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano in week three, which saw Tagovailoa stumbling back to the huddle.

Head coach Mike McDaniel promptly ordered him off the field.

However, the injury was later determined to be a back issue, and the quarterback returned to the game against the Bills.

The decision to let Tagovailoa back into the game led to the NFLPA firing the independent neurologist who had cleared the athlete to return to the field, as per .

Just weeks later, during the regular season, Tagovailoa suffered another concussion, this time against the Green Bay Packers.

This head injury in week 16 resulted in the quarterback missing the final two games of the season, including a playoff game against the Bills.

In light of sustaining three significant head injuries throughout his time with the Dolphins, including two reported concussions and the latest incident on Thursday, September 12, Tagovailoa has faced rumors circling about retirement.

Despite the injuries, the 26-year-old athlete has been vocal about his intentions to continue playing as long as possible.

Speaking to the media in April 2023, Tagovailoa said: "I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do.

Yeah, it's my health, it's my body.

I feel like this is what's best for me and my family.

I love the game of football.

If I didn't, I would've quit a long time [ago]." While Tagovailoa has a desire for a lengthened tenure in football, Fox Sports personality Nick Wright has urged the quarterback to consider early retirement for his health's sake - following the recent head injury.

Wright expressed: "Tua gets 93M no questions asked and probably 167M if he has to retire due to injury.

He fought back from absolutely horrifying concussions to lead the league in passing and earn that contract from the Dolphins.

He has to really consider hanging it up after tonight." So even if Tagovailoa chose to retire after this serious head injury, he wouldn't be missing out on much financially due to his well-structured contract with the Dolphins.

According to , Tagovailoa's 2024 salary is a staggering $23.1m (17.6m), a significant increase from his 2023 salary of $1.01m (768K).

With a net worth of $30m (22.8m), the Florida-based quarterback wouldn't be losing much should he decide to retire early.

In addition to his earnings in the league so far, Tagovailoa also has $167.7m (127.5m) guaranteed to come into his bank, even if he never plays another game of football.

So, with commentators calling for retirement and potential concerns about his safety, only time will tell what decision Tagovailoa will make regarding his NFL career..

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