“You’re a legend, bro.” These words, spoken by Buffalo Bills’ offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, cut through the usual NFL bravado like a hot knife through butter. They weren’t aimed at a teammate or a retiring veteran but at Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa – a fierce rival who’d just suffered his third concussion in the NFL.

Thursday night’s game between the Dolphins and Bills took a dark turn in the third quarter. Tagovailoa, scrambling for a first down on fourth-and-four, lowered his shoulder and collided with Bills’ defender Damar Hamlin. The sickening thud echoed through the stadium, followed by an eerie silence as Tua lay motionless, his arms stiff in a classic “fencing response” – a telltale sign of head trauma.

For Dawkins, watching from the sidelines, it was a gut-punch moment. “I promise you, it is the saddest thing,” he said, his voice heavy with concern. “We’re all watching him like, sly bro… if you slid a few inches before, it’s just a sad thing.” But Dawkins didn’t stop at lamenting the play. He dug deeper, offering words that transcended team colors and touched on something far more important than football.

“Tua, just know that the world loves you,” Dawkins said, his voice thick with emotion. “We’ve seen you in college, we’ve seen you in the NFL. We’ve seen what you can and what you cannot do, and we more so seen what you can do.” It was a reminder of Tagovailoa’s journey – from Alabama standout to the NFL’s rising star, a journey now clouded by the specter of repeated head injuries.

But it was Dawkins’ next words that hit home. “There’s more life to football,” he said, urging Tua to “talk to God” and “get around your family and your loved ones and just cherish those moments.” In a sport where toughness is often equated with playing through pain, Dawkins’ message was a stark reminder of what’s really at stake.

Tua Tagovailoa at crossroads with a $212 million decision

Dion’s words touch the soul but they are a wake-up call for the cold reality Tagovailoa is now facing. As a 26-year-old player, Tua has suffered three confirmed concussions since he entered the NFL (with a fourth reportedly occurring when he was still at college). Now the Dolphins’ star quarterback is at a crossroads. The numbers count. Tua signed a $212.4 million extension to his contract this offseason, including $125 million in guarantees.

If he opts to retire, the Miami club still owes him $90 million. That is Andrew Luck country, folks, but with a far heftier price tag. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Tua was “in good spirits” but still undergoing tests. If he can’t suit up against the Seahawks in ten days, third-year QB Skylar Thompson is waiting in the wings. There’s also practice squad arm Tim Boyle, and whispers of veteran Ryan Tannehill as a potential backup plan.

But as neuroscientist Chris Nowinski pointed out, “Tua suffered a traumatic brain injury on this play, no question,” Nowinski tweeted “His right arm shows the ‘fencing posture’ indicating loss of consciousness & is on the severe end on the #concussion spectrum.”

As calls for Tagovailoa’s retirement grow louder, Dawkins’ words resonate even more. “We respect this game and you’re a part of this game forever,” he said. “But my heart, my soul, my mind, my relationship with God goes to you and I will forever pray whether you touch that field again or whether you don’t.”

In the end, it’s a call only Tua can make himself. As Dawkins so eloquently phrased it: “There’s more to life than football.” Sometimes, the bravest move a football player can make is to walk away with dignity, with the best years of his life still lying ahead of him!