Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins have a big question to face once again after the nation held their breath on Thursday Night Football

The Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa tied the knot last month on a new four-year, $212.4 million contract extension.  Now, the two sides might need to get together and have a very serious conversation. 

For the second season in the last three, QB Tua Tagovailoa lay on the turf with a concussion, his arms and fingers in an unnatural position in what appeared to possibly be a fencing position.  This time, it came at the hands of a collision with, of all people, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, a player who had to be revived on the field on January 2, 2023 and miraculously recovered and returned to football himself. 

Tagovailoa and Hamlin came together early in the fourth quarter with the Bills leading 31-10 (which would eventually become the final score) and the Dolphins driving in the red zone.  On fourth down, Tagovailoa scrambled up the middle for a first down.  With Hamlin approaching, Tagovailoa didn't roll down or slide.  He ducked his head and went full speed ahead into Hamlin's chest.  

The aftermath was far too similar to what we saw in 2022, when Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground in Cincinnati and suffered a concussion in a very visible manner, lying on the ground with his fingers frozen and crossed.  It was a direct and immediate look to the past, with Tua in a similar position again.  Fortunately, he was able to get up and walk off the field, although WFOR radio's Kim Bokamper reportedly observed Tua walking unsteadily on the way to the locker room.

It's a far too familiar sight once again.  And one that now should have everyone around Tagovailoa worried.  His family, his teammates, his coaches, and franchise ownership.  While hard hits and concussions happen, these are not the kinds of physical responses that you see very often in the league, particularly among quarterbacks. 

Tua talked previously about how he considered retirement after the 2022 season.  One has to wonder if that's back on the table again for him. 

Concussions are a very serious thing, as scientific research has demonstratively proven in the 21st century.  Tua has had three of them diagnosed (Cincinnati, Green Bay, and tonight), and he had what looked like another one against Buffalo in 2022 that was, for some reason, diagnosed controversially as a back issue. 

How much more can he take?  At what point is enough?  

And, moreover, provided he's cleared to return by physicians in the upcoming days, weeks, etc., can he avoid this from happening again?  

Miami's offensive line did him absolutely no favors on Thursday night, yielding pressure time and again against Buffalo's relentless pass rush.  And that was the starting offensive line, which could look very different next week.  Left tackle Terron Armstead left the game with a shoulder injury.  So did left guard Robert Jones.  

But enough about logic and the football circumstances.  Tua and his family really should decide if this is what they want for their lives.  Some players are more prone to injuries.  And some players are more prone to those that affect their brains.  Tua is clearly one of the latter types of players.  How much more fire does he want to play with in that regard?  How much more of a risk can he take after this many scares?  

Those are questions that very well could be facing the Dolphins' signal caller.  That should be, actually.  And while the Dolphins' quarterback situation on the field matters, the health and well-being of their star matters far more.  

It's time for Tua and his family to take on those questions and decide what's the right answer for him.  It's an answer that's becoming more and more obvious, unfortunately.