Tua Tagovailoa should talk to Kevin Kolb
Everything changed for the former NFL quarterback after his fourth concussion.
After Concussion No. 4, Kevin Kolb knew his NFL career was finished. Inside the visitor’s locker room at FedEx Field, he laid out his blue No. 4 jersey, took a picture and told his wife he’s coming home.
I couldn’t help but think back to that scene watching last night’s football game.
Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion since 2022. A tally that doesn’t include the scary scene four days before the first concussion, when the QB banged the back of his head against the ground and stumbled his way back to the huddle.
The Buffalo Bills earned a 31-10 statement win on Thursday Night Football, but the national conversation will understandably focus around the Dolphins quarterback.
Should Tagovailoa retire?
What happens after a fifth, sixth, seventh blow to the head?
As he recovers and weighs his next step, it’d be smart for the 26-year-old to have an honest conversation with former NFL pro Kevin Kolb. Four concussions rocked his world more than anyone knew.
I’m driving back to Western New York after a few days with the Detroit Lions. Also: Keep an eye out for our Friday Feature later on one player slaying Father Time for Minnesota Vikings.
In the meantime, I figured we’d share our piece on Kolb for anyone who might’ve missed it. His voice is a very important one:
What happened to Kevin Kolb?
Part I He set the internal timer at five minutes. Kevin Kolb knew he had all of five minutes at FedEx Field to decide whether or not his football career was over.
I wonder if we will ever see the concussion protocol advance to the point where there is a "three strikes" rule or something similar. Not all concussions are equal in severity, and I have no medical training, and I would love to see people that do have training provide some kind of guidelines.
If the NFL actually cared about player safety, they would drive this research and set the standard. I am not holding my breath.
Great point here. And, in the grand scheme, if he retires today having collected $43 million fully guaranteed, that’s by most measures generational wealth.