Sports
Stop the Tua Tagovailoa retirement talk, Dolphins coach urges after latest concussion
In the hours since Tua Tagovailoa suffered his third diagnosed concussion in two years, many people — including the Las Vegas Raiders’ coach and a number of former players — suggested that the Miami Dolphins quarterback would be best off calling it a career at age 26.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel wishes they would stop talking about Tagovailoa’s future, even though he understands that such comments are made with the best of intentions.
“I totally understand it, and it’s not misplaced. I totally get how that’s where people want to go to,” McDaniel told reporters Friday, the day after Tagovailoa suffered a concussion after running into Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the third quarter of the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss on “Thursday Night Football.”
“I just wish that people would for a second hear what I’m saying, that bringing up his future is not in the best interest of him. So, I’m gonna plead with everybody that does genuinely care that, that should be the last thing on your mind.”
McDaniel said he tried calling Tagovailoa around 9 a.m., but the player still was asleep. The third-year coach said he hasn’t even begun to think about how long Tagovailoa will be out or what that means for his team.
“All the science behind concussions tells you … how delicate the time is right after an injury and how important it is that you don’t institute extra sources of anxiety,” McDaniel said. “So from my vantage point, I feel it’s supremely important that … I’m not giving off any sort of vibes, I’m not trying to even look at, OK, well how serious is this relative to his past ones?
“I know the facts are that it’s important that he gets healthy day by day. And in that, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint.”
McDaniel was then asked how realistic he thinks it would be for Tagovailoa to consider retirement.
“It would be so wrong of me to even sniff that subject,” McDaniel said, “and it’s more in line of actually caring about the human being. You’re talking about his career, right? His career is his, you know?”
He added: “If I were to answer that question, I’d be, ‘All right, these are my thoughts on his career,’ and he read it — if he agreed with it or he disagreed with it, either way I just made him worse. I don’t think it’s appropriate. … When you’re talking about somebody’s career, it probably is only fair that their career should be decided by them.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told reporters “I’ll be honest, I’d tell him to retire. It’s not worth it,” and other former players offered similarly strong opinions.
Retired quarterback Robert Griffin III agreed with McDaniels’ thoughts. He posted a portion of the Miami coach’s comments on social media and wrote: “Mike McDaniel GETS IT. His response on whether Tua Tagovailoa should retire is worth 2 min of your time.”
Manti Te’o, a former NFL linebacker and friend of Tagovailoa’s, said Friday during an emotional discussion on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football”: “I just hope that he makes the right decision…. I’m not going to make the decision for you. I’m not saying to step away from the game. As a brother, I just want the best for you and whatever that looks like for Tua and the Tagovailoa family, that’s what I want for him.”
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If the Super Bowl marks the end of the NFL season, WrestleMania is when WWE’s year is over.
There is no offseason in WWE, and when waves of departures hit the company, it hits harder than a Gunther knife-edge chop.
Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, Joe Gacy, and Nikki Cross appear during SmackDown at First Horizon Center in Savannah, Ga., on May 23, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Fightful and BodySlam both reported several superstars who left WWE on Friday ahead of “Friday Night SmackDown.” Some wrestlers confirmed their departures on social media.
Those who left included: Alba Fyre, Aleister Black, Alex Shelley, Andre Chase, Apollo Crews, Bo Dallas, Chris Island, Chris Sabin, Dante Chen, Dexter Lumis, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Kairi Sane, Luca Crusifino, Malik Blade, Nikki Cross, Santos Escobar, Sirena Linton, Trill London, Tyra Mae Steele, Tyriek Igwe, Tyson Dupont, Zelina Vegas and Zoey Stark.
The WWE roster is loaded as it is with several NXT stars getting called up this week.
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Sol Ruca made her presence felt on Raw on Monday when she challenged women’s champion Liv Morgan. The Fatal Influence faction of Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley took aim at the women’s tag team division on SmackDown on Friday. Ricky Saints and Blake Monroe also had vignettes for their upcoming appearances.
Meanwhile, former NXT champion Oba Femi has been on main WWE programming for the last few weeks and beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42.
Kairi Sane enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on April 13, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
Aleister Black and Zelina Vega make their way to the ring during SmackDown at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 3, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
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It’s not the end of the road for any of the recent departures. Several former WWE stars have made waves elsewhere. Some have even returned over the course of time.
Pitching coach Gus Rico was having dinner on Thursday when head coach Matt Mowry of Birmingham High complimented him on closer Aidan Martinez recording all seven of his outs on strikeouts.
“I had no idea,” Rico said. “Everything is a blur when I’m calling pitches.”
Martinez is throwing some blurs these days after returning this season following Tommy John surgery in June 2024. He touched 92 mph with his fastball and has been improving each week, getting better command and walking fewer batters. He has 28 strikeouts in 15 innings and three saves.
Birmingham is one game behind El Camino Real in the West Valley League standings going into showdown week, playing El Camino Real on Wednesday at on the road and Friday at home. The Patriots need a sweep to have a chance at their first league title under Mowry, who prefers winning City titles.
With Martinez throwing so well, it would be a good strategy for opposing teams to make sure they are leading going into the last two innings.
“He’s got a bright future,” Rico said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Earlier this month, Michigan defeated UConn in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game.
Shortly after the Wolverines captured the program’s first title since 1989, Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. announced he would enter the NBA Draft.
Despite declaring for the NBA Draft, Johnson has maintained his NCAA eligibility throughout the process. However, he has until May 27 to withdraw if he plans to return for his junior season.
Johnson played for Illinois during the 2024-25 season before transferring to Michigan last offseason.
Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. walks on the court against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated)
After joining Michigan, Johnson quickly emerged as a key contributor, averaging the second-most points on the team. He also led the Wolverines in rebounding, averaging 7.3 per game.
Michigan head coach Dusty May eventually dubbed Johnson “The Enforcer” and “Junkyard Dog,” a nod to his tenacity on the defensive end. Johnson was named to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive Team.
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But Johnson’s offensive prowess didn’t take a back seat to his defensive strengths. His shooting from beyond the 3-point line showed improvement as the season progressed.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines cuts down the net after defeating the UConn Huskies 69-63 in the 2026 NCAA national championship game in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Many early NBA projections gave Johnson a first-round grade. It’s unclear how much name, image and likeness (NIL) compensation he would command if he returns to Michigan or transfers elsewhere.
Johnson has been active on social media, interacting with teammates as they consider returning to Michigan for another championship push.
Morez Johnson Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after scoring in the second half against the UConn Huskies during the 2026 NCAA national championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis April 6, 2026. (Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Michigan added a key piece this week, with Jalen Reed transferring from LSU, On3 reported. Reed was limited during the 2025-26 season by an Achilles injury.
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