Miami, Florida - The Miami Dolphins still view Tua Tagovailoa as their long-term answer at quarterback, though the former first-round pick admitted that he seriously contemplated retirement after only three NFL seasons.

Speaking on Wednesday at the Dolphin's pre-draft press conference, Tagovailoa revealed the two known concussions he sustained during the 2022 season had him thinking of walking away from the game at age 25.

Tagovailoa said his love of football ultimately led to his decision to continue playing, as did his desire for the opportunity of having his young son watch him play when he gets older.

"I think I considered it for a time," he admitted. "Having sat down with my family, having sat down with my wife and having those kinds of conversations," he stated.

"I always dreamed of playing as long as I could to where my son knew exactly [what he did] and [would be] watching his dad do."

"It's my health, it's my body. I feel like this is what's best for me and my family. I love the game of football. If I didn't, I would have quit a long time ago."

Two separate head injuries caused Tagovailoa to miss five games in 2022 in addition to raising questions about his future.

The most concerning one occurred in a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals in September, when the former University of Alabama star was knocked out on a sack and removed from the field on a stretcher before being transported to a local hospital.

That scary incident took place five days after Tagovailoa temporarily exited a game against the Buffalo Bills after displaying possible concussion symptoms, though he was later cleared to return and the Dolphins announced he had a back injury.

An NFL investigation into the Dolphins’ handling of that situation resulted in the firing of the independent doctor who examined Tagovailoa, and the league later revised its concussion protocol policy following his injury against Cincinnati.

Tagovailoa suffered another concussion against Green Bay in Week 16, causing him to miss Miami’s final two regular-season games as well as its loss to the Bills in the first round of the AFC playoffs.

The quarterback has since been fully cleared, and told reporters Wednesday that he believes his enrollment in a jujitsu program this offseason can help him stay healthy and on the field in 2023.

"I learned how to fall, some grappling techniques, and some other things that I don’t want to disclose," he said. "For the most part, learning how to fall."

"You think it's easy, 'just don't fall and hit your head,' but there's a lot more to it."