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Despite suffering multiple concussions that have threatened both his NFL career and his future health, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa says he will not wear a guardian cap over his traditional helmet when he returns to action next week.
The caps, which were approved for use in NFL games ahead of this season, have been shown to reduce impacts on players’ heads from anywhere between 30 and 40 percent.
But despite the numbers, Tagovailoa is still refusing to wear one.
Tua Tagovailoa says he won’t wear a guardian cap on his helmet because of personal choice. He says he needs to be more available for his team. pic.twitter.com/qDolvRjKnV
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) October 21, 2024
“Nope, personal choice,” Tagovailoa answered when asked both if he’d wear a guardian cap and why he wouldn’t.
Tagovailoa’s teammate Devon Achane wore a guardian cap on Sunday after his own return from a concussion.
Ultimately, it’s Tagovailoa’s choice to make. Nobody can for him to wear one. But it seems like an entirely bizarre decision.
At worst, the guardian caps do nothing to tell. But they also do nothing to hurt. At best, they make him significantly safer and allow him to extend his career.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel expressed his concern for his star quarterback’s health after his last traumatic brain injury.
“This is heavy stuff that you have to be diligent and deliberate and coaching up Tua, ‘Hey, your job is to be a dad and to communicate daily’ – and we’ll have daily assessments with experts in the field and handle that,” he said. “And that is the only thing that matters because you don’t make matters worse by trying to – he would be able to feel if I was trying to vibe out and diminishing what this was based upon some symptoms … the best way to be as healthy as fast as possible is to not focus on anything but being present; for him with Ace and Maizy and Annah and that’s it.”
Ultimately, that’s all fans are worried about right now. Nobody wants to see Tagovailoa injured again, or worse. We all want him to lead a long, healthy life after football.
It seems as if a guardian cap could help him to do. But hey, nobody can force his hand.