Former Falcons coach buries Tua Tagovailoa: "He's retired and hasn't told anybody yet"
Todd Haley believes the Atlanta quarterback may already be mentally finished with football despite still trying to play.
Tua Tagovailoa has been hit with a brutal assessment from former NFL coach Todd Haley , who believes the Atlanta Falcons quarterback may already be effectively retired even though he hasn't officially stepped away from the game.
Tagovailoa joined Atlanta after being released by the Miami Dolphins and won the starting job over Michael Penix Jr. , but his latest chapter has already been disrupted by injury.
He’s currently sidelined with a back problem suffered in practice before Week 1, adding another concern to a career already shaped by repeated health issues.
"I think we're seeing it with Tua last year and what we're seeing with this progression into the regular season for the Falcons," Haley said.
"I feel like this is my opinion. I don't know that I'm right. But I feel like Tua has retired and hasn't told anybody yet. He wants to be out there but he really doesn't."
Haley questions whether Tua still wants to play
Haley 's criticism was clearly presented as his own opinion rather than evidence that Tagovailoa is actually planning to retire.
Still, the former coach suggested that the quarterback's body language and recent trajectory remind him of players who have already begun mentally checking out of football.
Haley compared the situation to Russell Wilson , who retired during the offseason and moved into broadcasting.
The comparison is especially striking because Tagovailoa is still trying to establish himself in Atlanta after the end of his Dolphins career.
Tagovailoa's health remains central
Tagovailoa 's history of traumatic brain injuries has followed him throughout his career and remains impossible to separate from any discussion about his future.
His latest back injury has only intensified questions about how much longer he can continue playing at the highest level.
Haley believes Tua may still want to be on the field, while no longer truly wanting everything that comes with continuing an NFL career.
Whether that judgment proves fair will depend on what Tagovailoa does once he’s healthy enough to play again.
