When asked questions during his interviews, Las Vegas Raiders' head coach Antonio Pierce usually only has to deal with questions about his own team.
However, he was asked a question about a different team on Friday. During a press conference, Pierce was asked about advice he would give to Tua Tagovailoa, quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, regarding his latest concussion:
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) September 13, 2024When asked about Tua Tagovailoa suffering another concussion and how it should be handled, #Raiders HC Antonio Pierce said he would advise him to retire.
"He's going to live longer than he's going to play football," Pierce said. "Take care of your family."
Tagovailoa was injured late in the Dolphins loss to the Buffalo Bills on 'Thursday Night Football' last night. The injury happened on a rush, where Tagovailoa picked up a first down with his legs, then was it by Damar Hamlin.
The injury looked serious, as Tagovailoa seemed to tense up a bit immediately after being hit. Tagovailoa did end up walking off the field under his own power, which was a good sign.
While he walked off, this isn't the first time we've seen Tagovailoa suffer a brutal injury. He made it through the 2023 season healthy, but the 2022 season saw multiple concussions, in which he seized up in a similar way.
Pierce is making a very important point here, but he's not the only one making that. A lot of people in the media have brought up the idea of retirement regarding Tagovailoa, with this latest concussion being yet another brutal injury in something that's becoming too common for him.
Still, the only player that can make that decision is Tagovailoa himself. Retiring this early in his career is something he certainly wouldn't like to do. But, as Pierce alludes to, life is more important than football.
