- Tua Tagovailoa suffered concussion.
- Tagovailoa was awake the entire time and had full use of his limbs.
- Tagovailoa was doubtful to participate.
Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, suffered head and neck injuries during Thursday night’s 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in the Cincinnati region.
Tagovailoa sustained a concussion during the game, according to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, but nothing “more serious.”
Tagovailoa, who was disqualified from the game, was awake the entire time and had full use of his limbs. He will likely leave the hospital after receiving his discharge and return to Miami with the team. As per McDaniel, he is in the concussion protocol.
Even if you know it’s possible in football to have something that requires you to be taken off on a stretcher, McDaniel said, “That was an emotional moment, that is not part of the bargain that anyone signs up for.” The best news that we could receive is that everything has been checked out, that he didn’t have anything more serious than a concussion, and that he will be going back with us here on the plane. “All of his teammates and I, we were all really concerned.
With about six minutes left in the first half, Cincinnati defensive tackle Josh Tupou sacked the quarterback, who was then thrown to the ground and seemed to hit the back of his head. This incident occurred in the second quarter. Tagovailoa was lying on the ground with his arms extended and his fingers twisted, looking much like a boxer or fighter after a knockdown in what is known as a fencing response.
Before being carried off the field on a stretcher, Tagovailoa lay on the ground for a while while trainers attended to him. A medical center at the University of Cincinnati was then his final destination.
Only four days have passed since Tagovailoa’s temporary absence from Sunday’s Dolphins victory against the Buffalo Bills. Tagovailoa left the game on Sunday due to what the team initially described as a head injury. When the game resumed in the second half, the quarterback came back to complete the victory. After the game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel claimed that Tagovailoa had hurt his back in the first half and that the hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano had made it worse.
The NFL Players Association then intended to look into whether the correct concussion protocol was adhered to. The NFL acknowledged a review on Wednesday, but all signs pointed to correct procedure being followed. In a statement Thursday night, the NFLPA said that while its investigation is ongoing, its “priority tonight is for Tua and we wish for a healthy and rapid recovery.”
McDaniel reiterated on Thursday that Tagovailoa had been evaluated by a third party expert on Sunday and that he had not tampered with the process in any way.
The NFL has certain protocols because of this, and not every single NFL game is played, he explained. “Since there is an independent specialist who focuses on speciality brain matter, I won’t lie about the condition as long as I’m coaching here. When there is even the slightest suspicion that someone may have suffered a concussion, they must follow very strict concussion protocol. People don’t deviate or wander; we don’t mess with it, and we never have while I’ve been the head coach, so you guys never have to be concerned about that.”
Due to a strained back and ankle going into Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa was doubtful to participate, but he started. Tagovailoa’s injuries from Sunday, in McDaniel’s opinion, had nothing to do with the events of Thursday. Furthermore, he emphasized that he would never put a player’s welfare ahead of the outcome of a game.
I don’t believe that a previous injury contributed to the player falling this week, but McDaniel said, “Yeah, I do not have any, like absolutely zero patience for, or will ever put a player in position for them to be in harm’s way.” That is not at all who I am, and I would never let the result of a game affect my responsibility in my role as a football team’s head coach.
Prior to leaving the game on Thursday, Tagavailoa was 8 of 14 for 110 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception. For the Dolphins, Teddy Bridgewater has taken over at quarterback.
Third season with Miami for the 24-year-old Tagovailoa, who was selected fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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