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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

Mike D. Sykes, II

Tua Tagovailoa should probably retire from the NFL after his latest concussion

Tua Tagovailoa NFL AJ Griffin Blake Schuster Dolphins Charles Curtis Christian DAndrea Elon Musk Iron Man Tom Brady

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with me today. Appreciate you coming through.

Thursday Night Football was a tough watch, even before Tua Tagovailoa’s extremely unfortunate concussion. After it? My heart sank into the deepest pit of my stomach. We’d seen this movie before.

Tagovailoa just ran into Damar Hamlin head-first. He dropped to the ground and his hands seemed to lock up. The immediate signs of a concussion were there. As soon as it happened, you just knew he wasn’t coming back — at least, not in this one.

The lingering question here is whether he should come back at all. Ever.

Personally, I think the answer is no. He shouldn’t come back. Many other people agree with me, including some former NFL players.

The reality is that this is the third known concussion Tagovailoa has had since the 2022 NFL season. Each one has been a bit more brutal than the last. Tua has given us some real scares when he’s gone down in his career and, naturally, we’re all left to wonder what his life after football might be like because of these injuries. That’s what we’re all worried about in the end.

But we may end up in a situation where the NFL and the Dolphins must save Tagovailoa from himself because it’s become pretty clear to me that he’s not walking away from the game that easily.

Maybe this concussion changes things — it absolutely should. But, if we’re being honest, he probably should’ve walked away from the game after being carted off the field in Cincinnati. That incident was so bad that the league had to change its concussion protocol after it. He also legitimately questioned his own future in the NFL after it.

And, honestly, if you have to ask those questions, it’s probably time to hang it up.

But Tagovailoa is only 26 years old. He’s playing on one of the best teams in the NFL with a legitimate chance to win a Super Bowl. He’s also one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. None of those things are easy to walk away from.

He’s also a competitor. All he knows is football. Walking away from the game right now when he should be entering his prime as an athlete will not be easy.

Plus, I’m sure the Dolphins won’t tell him to hang it up after any of this. The team is on the hook for $212 million with just over $167 million guarantees on the new deal he signed over the summer. I’m certain they’d like a better return on investment.

But Tua isn’t just an investment — he’s a human being. Tagovailoa has more life left to live than football left to play. That should be the biggest consideration here for all sides.

If he has to sacrifice the game to ensure that he lives healthier on the backend, then so be it. At least, that’s how the rest of us see it. Let’s hope Tua sees it the same way.

Five teams the Pac-12 should add to shake things up

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Blake Schuster cooked up a list of five teams that the Pac-12 should consider adding to make the conference whole again officially and — let me tell you — our boy put togeth er quite the list.

It includes the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, who I did not know existed until Blake wrote this.

“Ok, now, can I interest you in a program that’s actually a joint venture by two schools: Pomona College and Pitzer College? Yes, the Sagehens are currently D-III. We’ll worry about that later. Their program clearly knows how to produce winners.

Gregg Popovich coached the basketball team from 1979-86 and won three straight SCIAC titles. Mike Budenholzer also came through Pomona College.

But this all goes back to the Sagehens mascot, Cecil. He’s got one eye on the field of play, and one eye on the enemies all around. He never sleeps. You will never catch him off-guard. Stealing from him is a death sentence.”

The mascot alone is a sell. Add the Sagehens, Pac-12. Nobody will ever steal a team from your conference again.

READ MORE: Here’s Blake’s full list

AJ Griffin may be moving on

AJ Griffin was drafted as the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Now, two years later, he may be leaving the NBA altogether, according to the latest from Shams Charania.

Bryan Kalbrosky has more on Griffin’s credentials here:

“Once one of the top prospects in the entire world, AJ Griffin is reportedly considering stepping away from the game of basketball.

Griffin, who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and the top-rated player in the state of New York, was a McDonald’s All-American. He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils and was named ACC All-Freshman in 2022.

While he missed part of his one-and-done season due to injuries, he was then selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.”

This is so jarring. And, honestly, it makes you wonder what’s going on in the background. Occam’s Razor says injuries may be the problem — he’s had leg and ankle injuries throughout his career. Maybe things have just reached a tipping point.

I won’t further speculate here. Either way, it’s just sad to see him potentially walking away from the game so young. As long as he does what’s best for him, though, that should be a decision he’s happy with.