Since being chosen with the No. 5 general choose in the 2020 NFL Draft, former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has skilled an uneven begin to his profession however appeared to flourish beneath coach Mike McDaniel in 2022. The 26-year-old demonstrated the potential to be Miami’s first franchise quarterback since Dan Marino.

However, simply two video games into the 2024 season, his profession is now in query. Tagovailoa sustained a concussion throughout Miami’s loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, prompting discussions about whether or not he ought to take into account retirement.

Here’s every thing we find out about how the subject of retirement impacts his contract and what the remainder of his season with the workforce would possibly appear like.

A Look Inside Tagovailoa’s Contract

This offseason, Dolphins normal supervisor Chris Grier rewarded Tagovailoa’s enhancements with a four-year, $212.4 million contract extension. Of this, $167.1 million is assured, with roughly $42 million already paid out this 12 months.

According to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac, if Tagovailoa is cleared to play however opts to retire, he would forfeit the remaining $124 million until he negotiates a settlement to recuperate it. However, if he’s pressured to retire as a result of medical causes, he could be entitled to that $124 million.

Ginnitti famous on X, “The other side of this equation gets a little tougher. If Tua passes a physical next March, the Dolphins could release him, with only his $50 million of 2025 compensation remaining on the books.”

He added that the $54 million the Dolphins owe Tagovailoa for 2026 will turn out to be assured on March 14. Releasing him after June would end in $83.6 million in useless cap over the last two years of his contract.

Ginnitti commented, “My assumption is that players want to play. It’s all they’ve done in life to date. Despite this being the fourth major head injury, I would guess that Tua will be cleared by next March. This situation puts pressure on the Dolphins to either move forward (knowing that another $54 million will become guaranteed) or release him. Another option could be renegotiating the contract to provide the team with more protection if Tua wants to continue his career.”

Has Tagovailoa Considered Retirement?

Last 12 months, Tagovailoa revealed to reporters that he had thought of retiring after experiencing a collection of concussions in 2022.

“I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations,” he mentioned. “But, really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game. With how old I am; with my son — I always dreamed of playing as long as I could, to where my son knew exactly what he was watching his dad do.”

Tagovailoa added, “It’s my health. It’s my body. I feel like this is what’s best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn’t, I would have quit a long time ago.”

Has Anyone Else Experienced a Similar Situation?

Ginnitti informed Front Office Sports that no participant with a contract like Tagovailoa’s has confronted a scenario fairly like this earlier than. The closest comparability is Andrew Luck, who retired quite than signing a considerable new deal however nonetheless walked away with over $16 million from the Colts.

Luck, the former quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, retired from the NFL unexpectedly in August 2019. His resolution got here after coping with a collection of accidents and setbacks over the years, together with a very troublesome calf-ankle damage that had plagued him throughout the 2018 season and lingered into 2019.

Upon his retirement, Luck walked away from a considerable sum of money. However, his resolution—pushed by the bodily and emotional toll of fixed rehabilitation and accidents—sparked discussions about participant well being, the pressures {of professional} sports activities, and the broader psychological and bodily challenges athletes face.