Gonzalez, a Hall of Famer, was broadcasting the Bills vs. Dolphins game ... so he got a first-hand view of all that went down in the 3rd quarter, when Tagovailoa seemed to lose consciousness after a hard collision with Damar Hamlin.

Tagovailoa, 26, was taken off the field with help from the training staff and was ruled out for the rest of the game.

It's at least Tua's third concussion since his NFL debut in 2020 ... and even before last night, many called on TT to hang up his cleats, fearing he was jeopardizing his long-term health by playing football.

Now, those voices have grown even louder.

"I’m thinking retirement," Gonzalez said of Tua during Amazon Prime Video's postgame show. "This is something that can affect you long term. For me, it’s time to move on.”

Sharpe, also a legendary NFL tight end, echoed Tony's sentiments.

"He’s gotta seriously think about shutting it down. I H8 saying this. His concussions are getting worse and worse and he’s a young man with his entire life ahead of him," Sharpe said.

AB also chimed in ... jokes aside, he said, "In all seriousness, Tua may want to rethink playing football in the future depending on severity. Concussions not something to mess with."

Other athletes chimed in, too ... including Dez Bryant, Torrey Smith, and NFL safety Adrian Amos ... who said Tua's health should be the priority, not the game of football.

"Man time to just hang up the cleats and be with your fam," Amos said. "It ain’t worth it man. That’s tough to see. Praying for a fast recovery."

Tua's battled head injuries since arriving in the league, but he's been plagued by serious injuries going back to his college days at Alabama.

During his junior season, Tagovailoa dislocated his hip, fractured the posterior wall of his acetabulum, and had a broken nose.