It’s one thing for analysts to chime in on whether Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire after suffering his latest concussion. It’s quite another for a head coach of another team to say Tua should walk away.
That’s what Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told reporters on Friday.
“I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire,” Pierce said. “It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it. Played the game, I haven’t witnessed anything like I’ve seen that’s happened to him three times. Scary. You can see right away, the players’ faces on the field. You can see the sense of urgency to get Tua help. I just think that at some point, he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
The comments raised eyebrows, primarily because coaches typically are careful not to talk about players under contract with other teams. Some readers and writers have raised the question of whether the Pierce comments amount to tampering.
Per the NFL, they don’t. Tampering only becomes an issue when a coach expresses a desire to acquire the rights to a player currently under contract with another team.
Still, it just didn’t feel entirely right. Especially after Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel basically urged everyone to not comment on whether Tua should retire.
“I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him,” McDaniel told reporters on Friday, “so I’m going to plead with everybody that does genuinely care, that that should be the last thing on your mind because — what do you think if I were to answer that question, I’d be like, ‘All right, this is my thoughts on his career’ and he read it? If he agreed with it or he disagreed with it, either way I’ve just made him worse. So I’m not taking this opportunity. I don’t think it’s appropriate simply because of my care and regard, and I don’t think those types of conversations when you’re talking about somebody’s career — it probably is only fair that their career should be decided by them.”
The Dolphins declined comment on Pierce’s remarks. But McDaniel’s comments make sense.
It’s one thing to assess the factors that will impact Tua’s decision. We have done that. It’s another to express an opinion as to what he should do. We haven’t done that, and we won’t.
It’s his decision, once he’s cleared to play. And everyone should respect and accept whatever decision he makes.