NFL fans are worried for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after a concerning announcement about his plans, with a return to football just around the corner.

Tua Tagovailoa has been sidelined since suffering a concussion in Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. Per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday that Tagovailoa will return to practice this week and should be good to go for Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Tagovailoa has now had three confirmed concussions in his career, a concerning number for a 26-year-old QB. The 2020 first-round pick missed five games in 2022 (including Miami’s Wild Card Round playoff game) because of concussion/head-related injuries.

Fans and medical experts have called for Tua Tagovailoa to wear a Guardian Cap to reduce the chance of getting additional concussions. But during his press conference on Monday, Tagovailoa said he doesn’t plan to wear one.

“I appreciate your concern,” he said, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “I really do. I love this game. And I love it to the death of me. That’s it.”

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Tagovailoa’s announcement left many fans worried about his long-term health:

As Tua Tagovailoa said, it’s a personal choice on his end, and nobody can force him to wear the Guardian Cap if he doesn’t want to. But it’s also fair for fans to be concerned about his choice, because scientific data and research have shown that Guardian Caps drastically reduce the chances of a concussion.

Dolphins Have Struggled Without Tua Tagovailoa

The Dolphins offense has been a high-flying juggernaut with Tagovailoa on the field. But the unit has been a total disaster without him, putting up point totals (from Weeks 3 to 7) of 3, 12, 15 and 10.

Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins have lost three of the four games without Tagovailoa, the only victory coming against the one-win New England Patriots in Week 6. These next few weeks are now must-win for a Miami team that’s 2-4 with a difficult second-half schedule.