Aaron Rodgers Cautions Dolphins To Shut Down Tua Tagovailoa For Remainder of the Season

It's a mystery whether Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa will play for the remainder of the season (and postseason) after suffering an apparent head injury on Christmas Day when the back of his helmet hit the turf, landing him in the concussion protocol. The play came in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers gave his two cents on the matter during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Tuesday, saying the Dolphins need to think of the larger picture and shut down Tua.

"Now it’s probably time to maybe consider shutting it down when you’ve had some episodes," Rodgers said.

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With the concern of shutting down Tagovailoa comes the realization that Tua will always compete to stay on the field. A decision to let him recover until next season may be a choice from the higher-ups in Miami that they'll have to make against their QB's wish.

Rodgers expanded on resting Tua.

"I don’t know if that’s going to be in the thought process," Rodgers added, "but as competitors, that’s the last thing you want, but at some point, you do have to start thinking about your cognitive function later in life, and the after-effects you might be dealing with.

“I wish him all the healing necessary for his brain and just the patience just to deal with this, which will be a difficult time, I’m sure, dealing with all the attention.”

What Should The Dolphins Do With Tua?

The support to rest Tua has been greater than calls to watch him return.

As relayed by OutKick's Mark Harris, ESPN analyst and former NFL QB RGIII pleaded with Fins brass to make the healthier choice by resting the QB.

RELATED: ROBERT GRIFFIN III CALLS FOR TUA TAGOVAILOA TO SIT OUT THE REST OF THE SEASON AFTER THIRD CONCUSSION SCARE

Tua has not been officially diagnosed with a concussion, but the apparent hit on Christmas Day against Rodgers' Packers was all too familiar to viewers that have witnessed concussion injuries in real time.

The Dolphins lost to the Packers, 26-20, and head to Foxborough this week to maintain their wild card postseason bid at 8-7. Tagovailoa finished the game without missing a snap.

Tagovailoa reported concussion-like symptoms Monday, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said. He entered the NFL's concussion protocol.

This will be Tua's second trip to the protocol amid a flurry of injuries that have made viewers and fans hesitant to let the 24-year-old play another snap of football. At least for this season.

Will Tua Call It A Year Or Career?

When PMS host AJ Hawk asked Rodgers whether Tua should retire to preserve his long-term cognitive wellness, Rodgers delivered his case on Tua's ability to still play the game and maintain his health.

"There’s been certain guys who’ve done that, a few guys over the years," Rodgers said. "I think that there’s so much more research now about healing your brain and things you could do to combat gray matter and different long-term concussion symptoms."

The Fins may have a solid shot at making the postseason, but all signs point to it going on without Tua. With a player-first coach like McDaniel at the helm, there's no doubt the coaching staff will be vying for Tua to sit out the year.

After Sunday's win against Miami, Rodgers shared in a postgame session that he spoke with Tua and gave him counsel on handling the head injury.

"I told him to take care of himself, too. He’s had some pretty vicious hits this year. But he’s a good kid. He’s got a long career in the league to look forward to," Rodgers told reporters.