Tua Tagovailoa Considered Retirement, Von Miller Hints at “Big Time” Bills Acquisition Coming, and Other NFL Bullets
Last season is one that Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa would like to put behind him. However, a pair of concussions that resulted in him missing five games and Miami’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills was almost enough for him to put football, in general, behind him.
- Speaking to the media for the first time this offseason on Wednesday, Tua Tagovailoa said that he seriously considered retirement after a scary 2022 season: “I considered it for a time, having sat down with my family and my wife and having those conservations. But really, it would be hard for me to walk away from this game with how old I am and with my son. It’s my health. My body. I feel like this is what’s best for me.”
- Ultimately Tua decided to continue playing. The Dolphins committed to him being their quarterback by exercising his fifth-year option this offseason. Tua said on Wednesday that he has spent the offseason training himself to fall more safely when taking a hit.
“It’s actually a lot cooler than you think, learning how to fall. You continue to train it, work at that it becomes second nature.
“You think it’s easy. Just don’t fall and hit your head. We use crash pads to land on first. We’re trying to fall with tucking your chin….it’s about the technique to disburse your energy when you fall.”
- Before the first concussion in Week 4, Tua Tagovailoa had taken the NFL headline machine hostage as everyone was writing and talking about his incredible year-two to year-three jump as a passer that was unfolding before our eyes. Still, Tagovailoa finished 2022 with 3,548 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, along with a league-leading 105.5 quarterback rating in 13 starts.
- While Tua is cleared to resume football activities and Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins are confident in Tua’s health and prospects this season, the scariness of 2022 still exists. I’ll never forget the quote from last season after he was stretchered off the field in Cincinnati. He said that he didn’t even remember that happening …
“There was a point I was unconscious. I remember the entire night up until the point I got tackled,” said Tagovailoa to reporters in October. “I don’t remember being carted off. I do remember some things from the ambulance and the hospital.”
- So, Vonn Miller shared some Buffalo Bills news on Wednesday’s installment of The Pat McAfee Show. Miller revealed that Bills head coach Sean McDermott will act as the Bills’ defensive coordinator and play-caller in 2023. On February 28, the Bills announced that Frazier would not be returning to the defensive coordinator position in 2023 and that he intended to return to coaching in 2024, not necessarily with the Bills.
- McDermott was the defensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers from 2011-16 before taking the Bills’ head coaching job. As the Panthers’ defensive coordinator, McDermott led the team to finish in the top ten in overall defense from 2012–2015.
- However, that wasn’t the most interesting thing that Miller revealed to McAfee and company. Miller said that the team has a “big-time” addition coming to the offense sometime soon. Miller wouldn’t name the player.
- Miller noted that the Bills “missed out on OBJ,” which makes me think he’s possibly talking about DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins has been shopped by the Cardinals this offseason, and the Bills need another weapon for Josh Allen in the receiving game. Of course, this is purely speculation on my part, but it tracks. We shall see.
- Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon was in court on Wednesday for an aggravated menacing charge in Hamilton County, Ohio. Mixon pleaded not guilty to the charges. Mixon is accused of pointing a gun at a woman and threatening her in January 2022.
- As a potential future Las Vegas resident, this is exciting news!
- Max Scherzer has found himself in a sticky situation …
