Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field on a stretcher after he was slammed hard into the ground by Cincinnati Bengals’ Josh Tupou.
With a little over five minutes left in the second quarter, Tagovailoa was first corralled by Josh Tupou and then slammed hard into the field.
After making contact with the field Tagovailoa did not get back up and put his hands in front of his face as he waited on the training staff.
#Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa is still down on his back after taking a sack. Prayers to Tua🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻pic.twitter.com/Lg3d1uN3Ip
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 30, 2022
He was eventually placed on a stretcher and carted off the field as the entire Dolphins team surrounded him.
The entire #Dolphins team huddles around Tua Tagovailoa as he’s taken off on a stretcher after taking a vicious sack. Mike McDaniel was the last to leave his side. Wishing Tua the best. 🙏 Sad and Scary scene here. #tnf #whodey @B_Shousejr @DolphinsTalk @ian693 @wsvn pic.twitter.com/xNil1Lv0kh
— Josh Moser (@TheMozKnowz) September 30, 2022
The Miami Dolphins revealed on Twitter that Tagovailoa suffered “head and neck injuries.”
They went on to report he had “been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. He is conscious and has movement in all his extremities.”
In their most recent update they indicated he “is expected to be discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and will fly home with the team tonight.”
ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler claims that Tagovailoa is back at him in South Florida and he’s scheduled for an MRI and “possibly second opinion.” He also noted, “Initial tests showed no structural damage.”
The injury was the second in less than a week. In their game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Tagovailoa reportedly suffered a head injury after he was shoved to the ground by Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano.
After taking the hit he got up, shook his head, and then collapsed back to the ground.
TUA with a concussion. Definitely done. #dolphins #bills pic.twitter.com/aWKzXKesBM
— Browns Rally Possum (@BrownsRally) September 25, 2022
The Dolphins reported at the time he suffered a “head injury” and was “questionable to return.”
Tagovailoa would eventually return to the game against the Bills and lead them to a 21 to 19 win and a 3-0 record.
Following the game Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed it wasn’t a head injury, but a back injury. He explained, “Now, Tua, he went out with a lower back, and I hadn’t had that rep with him yet.”
McDaniel added, “He kind of got bent back pretty significantly on a quarterback sneak earlier. I was kind of with everyone else. When he hit his head on the ground, I assumed it was a head injury, but his legs got wobbly because his lower back was completely loose and as he described it, he said his lower back was like Gumby or something.”
Tagovailoa also addressed the media explaining it was a back and ankle issue, “I would say it was more the back than the ankle. The ankle was just, I would say, after the game soreness when my legs got caught up under whoever it was on the quarterback sneak.”
When asked about his head, he responded, “I’m fine.”
The Dolphins lost their first game of the season after Tagovailoa’s injury falling to the Bengals 27-15. Teddy Bridgewater came in as a backup and went 14-23 for 193 yards. He threw one touchdown and one interception.
It wasn’t a match to Joe Burrow’s 287 yards with 20 completions on 31 attempts and two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
What do you make of Tagovailoa’s injury?
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