Raiders' Pierce on Tua Tagovailoa: 'I'd tell him to retire' - ESPN

During a news conference Friday, Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire after suffering his third diagnosed concussion in as many seasons.

Tagovailoa left Miami's loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night after a hit to the helmet prompted a fencing response — a term used to describe a person's arms going into an unnatural position — in the fifth-year quarterback. He was able to exit the field under his own power and was immediately placed into concussion protocol. Tagovailoa missed five games during the 2022 season because of two more diagnosed concussions, and a third hit to the head that led to the NFL altering its concussion policy.

When asked for his reaction to Tagovailoa's recent injury, Pierce, who played nine seasons in the NFL, suggested Tagovailoa prioritize his health and family.

«I'll be honest, I'd tell him to retire. It's not worth it,» Pierce said. «Playing the game, I haven't witnessed anything like what's happened to him three times. Scary — you could see right away; the players' faces on the field. You could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point — he's going to live longer than he's going to play football. Take care of your family.»

Pierce wasn't the only NFL coach to opine on the matter Friday.

Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, whose team played the Dolphins in Week 1, said he doesn't know the whole situation but emphasized that the player's health must be prioritized in these scenarios.

«If it was one of our guys, you have to be very careful and do the right thing for the player. I think that's the most important thing,» Pederson said. «It's part of the game that obviously we're trying