Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa reportedly flies home with team after being discharged from hospital for head and neck injuries
For the second time in five days, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a scary looking injury. This time he was taken off on a stretcher and transported to the hospital.
In the second quarter of Miami's 27-15 loss to the Bengals, Tagovailoa went back to pass and Cincinnati defensive lineman Josh Tupou got to him. Tupou flung Tagovailoa down and he hit the ground hard. Tagovailoa stayed down and the Amazon Prime Video cameras showed his fingers were locked in what looked like a fencing response.
Tagovailoa hit the ground with his left elbow, back and back of his helmet. He stayed down for minutes with players from both teams showing concern. A stretcher was brought out for him, and he was immobilized on a stretcher before being taken off.
This did not look good. T’s and P’s for Tua🙏 pic.twitter.com/Ydd4bioDZy
— Bussin' With The Boys 🐺 (@BussinWTB) September 30, 2022
Amazon Prime Video reported during the game that the Dolphins said Tagovailoa suffered head and neck injuries and he was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Tua Tagovailoa has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. He is conscious and has movement in all his extremities.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 30, 2022
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Friday morning that Tagovailoa flew back with the team and is home.
On Sunday, Tagovailoa briefly left a game against the Buffalo Bills when he collapsed after a hard hit. The team said it was a back injury and Tagovailoa played the entire second half, though the NFLPA initiated a concussion investigation.
Tagovailoa, who was off to a great start this season in leading the Dolphins to a 3-0 record before Thursday's loss, was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater.
"I've never seen anything like that, the way the hands went," former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez said on the set of the Amazon Prime Video broadcast at halftime.
"We've all played a lot of football and that's one of the toughest scenes I think I've ever seen," said Ryan Fitzpatrick, a longtime NFL quarterback who was also on the Amazon halftime set.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game that he was relieved Tagovailoa "didn't have anything more serious than a concussion."
McDaniel said his initial concern was beyond a concussion, "in relation to the spine and back. ... I knew he had a concussion. He was asking for me. When he saw me, I could tell it wasn't the same guy that I'm used to seeing."
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 30, 2022