NEWSLETTER
Following his latest concussion, Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce believes that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should retire from football — that and more in today’s NFL Notes.
Tua Tagovailoa Suffers Another Concussion
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another blow to the head during a game against the Buffalo Bills, prompting concerns given his history of concussions. After the collision, Tagovailoa was helped off the field, with coach Mike McDaniel offering support before he was taken to the locker room for evaluation.
The Dolphins now face a tough decision regarding Tagovailoa’s future and recovery, with plans to assess his condition “one day at a time.” The incident has sparked widespread concern among fans and players about his health and safety moving forward.
At least one person believes that Tagovailoa shouldn’t play football ever again. Here’s what Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce said today at the Raiders training facility:
“I’ll be honest, I’d just tell him to retire,” Pierce said. “It’s not worth it. It’s not worth it to play the game. I haven’t witnessed anything like what I’ve seen happen to him three times. It’s scary; you could see right away the player’s faces on the field, you could see the sense of urgency from everybody to get Tua help. I just think at some point, you know, he’s going to live longer than he’s going to play football. Take care of your family.”
It’s hard to tell someone they should give up their dream, but the Tua situation is scary. With everything that we know, and more importantly, still don’t know, about traumatic brain injuries and the long-term effects on the recipient’s life, the conversation isn’t without warrant.
Hollywood Brown to IR After Shoulder Surgery
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown is set to miss most of the regular season after it was decided he will need surgery to repair a dislocated sternoclavicular joint, an injury he sustained during the team’s first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite initial hopes that Brown could avoid surgery and return to the field within four to six weeks, follow-up evaluations revealed his collarbone wasn’t healing correctly. As a result, he is expected to be placed on injured reserve, which could happen as soon as Friday.
Brown, the Chiefs’ top free-agent acquisition, signed a one-year deal worth up to $11 million in March to strengthen the team’s receiving corps. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound receiver previously played for the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted 1,283 yards on 118 catches over the last two seasons. Brown had quickly built a strong connection with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and his absence leaves the Chiefs without their projected No. 1 receiver for a significant portion of the season.
If Brown’s recovery progresses smoothly, he could return to action in December, potentially playing a few regular-season games to regain his rhythm before the playoffs. Head Coach Andy Reid and Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy had high hopes for Brown’s contributions this season, and his absence presents a challenge for the team as they adjust their offensive strategy moving forward.
The Athletic’s NFL Playoff Projections
Yeah, yeah, it’s only Week 2. I’m still a sucker for a good projection model, and I was curious to see where The Athletic’s model had the Bears after one week of the Caleb Williams experience in Chicago. I wouldn’t say I like the answer.
The Athletic has the Bears at a 23 percent chance to make the playoffs after their Week 1 win over Tennessee. In fact, they dropped four percent with that win. I get it; it wasn’t pretty, but it was a win nonetheless.
If you’re curious about the math behind the model:
“The projections are based on 100,000 simulations of the remainder of the season, which factors in each team’s projected strength, current health, as well as its remaining schedule. All projections and probabilities are rounded to the nearest whole number.”
Here’s what the top ten looks like, and I suggest reading it if you have time this weekend.
Interesting Read: Greg Olson Speaks on Life as FOX’s No. 2
Greg Olsen is in an unusual situation despite his proven success as a top NFL analyst, highlighted by his stellar 2023 season, which included calling the Super Bowl. Even though Olsen excelled, he finds himself on Fox’s No. 2 broadcast team due to the network’s massive investment in Tom Brady, who signed a 10-year, $375 million deal.
Although Olsen aimed to make the decision challenging for Fox executives, Brady’s status guaranteed him the top spot. Olsen, however, continues to impress with his expert analysis, focusing on elements away from the ball.
Olson spoke with Richard Deitsch recently about the new role and his thoughts on Brady taking his old job. You can read that here.
