Rob Ninkovich on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: 'You have to protect the player from the player'

Former Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich, now serving as an ESPN analyst, told NBC Sports' Peter King that Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and other young players have to be protected from themselves when it comes to head injuries.

"Twenty-four-year-olds think they’re indestructible. A football player is made to never want to come off the field. He never wants to surrender," Ninkovich said after Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in a Thursday night loss to the Bengals. 

The Dolphins have come under fire after Tagovailoa appeared to hit the back of his head against the Bills four days earlier and stumbled off the field, only to be cleared to return with what was labeled a back injury. The NFL Players Association recently fired the independent neurotrauma consultant that cleared Tagovailoa to return. 

Ninkovich also took issue with what he feels is a lack of attention to player safety by the NFL.

“The league preaches safety all the time. But then they add a 17th game, and one game a year for every team on three days’ rest, the Thursday night game," Ninkovich told King. 

Ninkovich said what "really bothers" him is that a similar situation might not have received the same level of attention if it involved "an offensive lineman or lesser-known players." 

Ninkovich played 11 seasons in the NFL, emerging as a starter with the Patriots. He told King he turned down an opportunity to return for a 12th season in 2017 because the risk of a head injury "wasn't worth it."