MIAMI GARDENS — In the days and weeks following the last football game he played, on a Christmas afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium, Tua Tagovailoa did consider giving up the sport he loves.

"I took that as a young athlete, you hear a bunch of noise, and you agree or disagree," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. "He digested that. He didn't necessarily tell me, but he really didn't have to, either."

Tagovailoa, the Dolphins' 25-year-old quarterback, had his third pro season end after what was at least a second concussion. He elected to continue playing and returns to the field on Sunday, in a season opener at the Chargers.

Tua would prefer to talk about the Los Angeles defense he'll try to solve better than Miami did last season.

But he does understand that the entire narrative of this offseason has been about whether Tua can stay healthy and all the time and energy he's put into giving himself the best chance to do just that.

Tua understands the fascination with his return to the field for the first time in 259 days.

"I think being appreciative of being able to continue to play," Tua said. "Yeah, the thing with that is, you just never can take it for granted... Some guys have the luxury of finishing whole seasons and other guys as myself, you know, I never had that luxury. So definitely cherishing the opportunity."

If Tua can play 14 or more regular-season games, and start in the playoffs, there is a much greater chance the Dolphins will reward him with a long-term extension prior to next season.

If he does not, there's no reason to believe it will happen.

Tua believes Miami has a roster worthy of Super Bowl discussion.

"Why not?" he said. "You have to believe."

But does Mike McDaniel believe Tua will stay healthy?

"You deal with whatever comes in front of you," McDaniel said. "I'm very confident because he hasn't wasted a day in getting ready for the season."

McDaniel added there are things he knows he can't control.

In college and the pros, Tua has sustained injuries that include: index finger, knee, quad, ankle, hip, thumb, ribs, back and head.

Will jiujitsu, strength training and added bulk solve all his issues?

Tua makes no promises. But, like you, he hopes.

"You try to prepare yourself for all the things that haven't gone right for you the previous season," Tua said.

Does he think he can play every game this season?

Tua's goal: Play every game

"Oh, I wouldn't like to," Tua said, "I would love to do that. Oh my gosh, I would love to do that."

Publicly and privately, Miami players express confidence in Tua's talent.

"I have a lot of confidence in that guy," veteran cornerback Xavien Howard says. "Just ready to see him ball.”

Since his arrival in the NFL, Tua has been extremely polarizing.

Miami Dolphins name Tua, six others as team captains

Should Miami have selected Justin Herbert instead of Tua?

Well, Tua looks that conversation starter in the face on Sunday.

ESPN analyst mocks Tua's stature

This week, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith called Tua "miniature" and said that Miami made a draft "mistake."

Meanwhile, ESPN's Shannon Sharpe said Tua will have a better game than Herbert on Sunday.

Sharpe said he believes Tua wants to out-duel Herbert.

On Sunday, all the talk and all the debate and all the polarization will be far less important than what happens after kickoff.

It is all a bit exhausting, though much of the discussion has been relevant and interesting.

What Tua needs to do is play well and win games.

As important, he needs to finish games, ideally all of them in 2023.

Sunday's game

Dolphins at Chargers

4:25 p.m., CBS and Fubo, NFL+ and YouTube by subscription

Joe Schad is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on social media platforms @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa considered retirement due to concussions.