Nick Saban’s ‘familial’ advice for former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa amidst retirement cries following concussion

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban believes Tua Tagovailoa’s retirement decision should be left to him and his family.


Nick Saban’s ‘familial’ advice for former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa amidst retirement cries following concussion

Bubble image: Nick Saban with Pat McAfee, In background: Tua Tagovailoa (Image via IMAGO/X)

Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion made former Alabama head coach Nick Saban worry about him. Saban wants Tua to think long and hard before making any decision about his future.

Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Bills ended on a somber note because Tagovailoa suffered his third possible concussion and most likely will miss a chunk of this season. Even though head coach Mike McDaniel wants everyone to stop stirring up retirement rumors, it’s certainly not out of the question.

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On Friday, before the start of another day of college football, Nick Saban joined Pat McAfee on his show. Without wasting time, McAfee asked the Hall of Fame coach whether he had the chance to speak with his former Bama quarterback.

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Saban replied that he hadn’t but would eventually get in touch. In his view, Tua is a ‘great competitor,’ but he should listen to the doctors and understand whether continuing to play football will compromise his health in the future.

McAfee asked Saban if he would advise Tagovailoa to retire like the rest of the football fandom, and the veteran coach said it was a medical decision.

I don't think that's something for me to speculate on. I know a lot of people are doing it and more power to them. But the family should not be influenced by that. Tua [Tagovailoa] should not be influenced by that. That should all be influenced by medical professionals.
Nick Saban told Pat McAfee

Should the Dolphins replace Tua Tagovailoa with another former Alabama quarterback?

Depending on Tua’s condition, he will most likely be out for a while. In the meantime, the Dolphins need a quarterback because they only have Skylar Thompson, who played the rest of the game against the Bills.

Nick Saban's advise for former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa amidst retirement cries following concussion
Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones (Image via People)

However, they still need more heads in the room. McDaniel revealed that they were looking at all options, including for veteran help, including 7x Super Bowl winner Tom Brady. The bad news is that Brady has several other commitments that he can’t let go so easily.

If Brady is not a viable option, then perhaps McDaniel and general manager Chris Grier should look to trade for Mac Jones from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones was traded to the Jaguars in the offseason after falling out of favor with the new regime at the New England Patriots.

Jones will not be the starter at Jacksonville despite inspiring performances in the pre-season. The former first-round pick is a good fit for the Dolphins job because of his connection with Tua Tagovailoa, as both played together in Alabama for a couple of years under Nick Saban.

Mac Jones, since entering the NFL in 2021, has an 18-24 record with one Pro Bowl appearance. He has completed 864 passes for 8918 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.