Neuropathologist Bennett Omalu Says It’s Time For Miami Dolphins Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa To Quit Football After On-Field Injuries: ‘$20 Billion Is Not Worth More Than Your Brain’

A concussion doctor says Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa needs to put an end to his football career after suffering a concussion.

The conversation around football players and their well-being and mental health is somewhat finally coming to the forefront after being neglected and looked over for years. The topic is now fresh in our minds following 24-year-old Tua Tagovailoa’s tragic injury when the back of his head hit the ground on a sack by Cincinnati nose tackle Josh Tupou.

The video of Tagovailoa going into a “fencing response,” in which his fingers and arms were flexed in a fixed position, which is usually a result of a concussion or brain injury. He was immediately taken off the filed and hospitalized. That incident came just four days after he seemed unstable after a tackle during a game against the Buffalo Bills.

Now, Bennet Omalu — a well-known neuropathologist with a history of finding chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former football players — is calling for Tagovailoa to give up the game permanently for the sake of his health.

“Tua, my brother. I love you,” said Omalu in a conversation with TMZ. “I love you as much as I love my son. Stop playing. Stop. Hang your helmet and gallantly walk away.”

He continued: “My advice to him is, look, it’s time. You’ve suffered severe, long-term permanent brain damage. He seized. … If you love your life. If you love your family, you love your kids, if you have kids, it’s time to gallantly walk away. Go find something else to do.”

He ended his comments by saying: “He should stop. Sometimes money is not more valuable than human life. $20 billion is not worth more than your brain.”