Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban knows Tua Tagovailoa better than most in the sports world and that includes Mike McDaniel. With Tua's future in question, Saban has his own thoughts on the matter after speaking to his former quarterback.
Saban was on the Pat McAfee Show recently and spoke about Tagovailoa. He acknowledged that the Miami Dolphins quarterback is doing good and that he also spoke with him right after his fourth career concussion. He said that Tua wants to play, but his future may depend on a medical decision.
"He really wants to play. Whether he can ever play or get the opportunity to again, I guess that’s a medical decision somebody has to make."
- Nick Saban
Wanting to play and being able to play are two different things, but the biggest question is whether or not any medical professional will lay out the facts on the table with Tagovailoa and tell him he should retire.
The truth is, it's always easier to stay in the gray area of medical advice that lays out the worst-case possibilities, while also laying out the good. Ultimately, this leaves the decision firmly in the hands of the injured individual and absolves the medical professionals.
Tua Tagovailoa is hoping to return to the Dolphins in Week 8
Indications are that Tagovailoa will not step away from the sport. At least not yet. Another serious concussion could be the catalyst to him ending his career, but there is far too much money on the table for him to simply walk away from the sport and his passion for the game is also keeping him from hanging up his cleats.
Tua is still guaranteed around $124 million on the contract he signed this offseason. If he is forced to retire due to medical reasons, that money is given to him. If he's cleared to play and chooses to retire, he could lose that money.
Saban said that he "hates" what Tua is going through and hopes that he will overcome it, but he doesn't say whether or not the signal-caller should continue playing or call it a career. Again, no one but the loud media personalities who believe they are experts are calling for him to quit.
In reality, those who know the quarterback and the situation want only the best for him, while also knowing that the best decision that can and will be made will come from Tua, his wife, and his family because, in the end, they are the ones who will make the final decision. For now, it's looking like Tagovailoa will be back in action soon, as Week 8 is his targeted return date.
