Cincinnati – Miami Dolphins quarterback Toa Tagoviloa sustained neck and head injuries after hitting the ground Thursday night in front of the Cincinnati Bengals, and was removed from the field.
The dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his limbs and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation. After losing 27-15 to the Bengals, the Dolphins said Tagovailoa is expected to be discharged from the hospital and go home with the team.
Tagoviloa chased and sacked 6-foot-3, 340-pound Josh Topo about six minutes before halftime. It was rotated and thrown into the grass. While he was on the ground, his hands froze in front of his face. He remained in place for more than seven minutes before being loaded onto a backboard, stabilizing and resting on a stretcher after removing his face mask.
The dolphins gathered as Tagovailoa walked off the field and the crowd chanted “Twa! Tua!”
Miami coach Mike McDaniel said Tagoviloa called him when he fell.
“I can tell he wasn’t the same person I used to see,” McDaniel said. “It was a scary moment. He was evaluated for a concussion. He’s on concussion protocol, but he’s out.
“It’s an emotional moment. It’s not part of the deal I signed up for. My colleagues and I were very worried, but it got checked out and it wasn’t anything more serious than a concussion.”
Teddy Bridgewater, who replaced the injured Tagovailoa, said the touchline in Miami was calm when the starting QB was on the grass.
Complete silence, Bridgewater said. “He’s one of us. At the end of the day, it’s just a football game. In that moment, I saw how we feel about Tua. He’s our captain. He’s our captain. It was great to see the doctors handling the situation.”
Bengals coach Zach Taylor reacted emotionally to Tagoviloa’s relegation, saying: “It’s a tough moment. You hate seeing that happen. It’s a tough moment for everyone.”
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is hoping Tagoviloa will make a quick comeback.
“It’s always scary when someone goes out like that,” Burrow said. “It’s a dangerous game and something like this can happen at any time, but it’s always scary when it happens. … I hope he recovers quickly. I’ll text him in a bit and see how he does.”
Reaction came quickly from all over the NFL. Leaders Patrick Mahomes and Broncos QB Russell Wilson immediately tweeted with concern for Tagovailoa’s welfare.
“I pray for you, Tua,” Wilson wrote.
The 24-year-old had back pain and was listed as suspect for most of the week before the match.
Tagovailoa briefly left Sunday’s 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills after looking disoriented over what the team originally said was a head injury after being hit by a heavy blow from Bills midfielder Matt Milan late in the first half. He missed only three shots and came back after the first half, a decision that prompted the NFL and the NFL Players Association to jointly review what came in the decision to allow him back into the game.
The team and Tagovailoa said after Sunday’s game that the midfielder suffered a back injury that caused him to stumble and fall after hitting the grass in the second quarter. The team said, Monday, that Tagovailoa did not enter into the concussion protocol.
He said he “excessively extended” his back after his legs got stuck under someone while the midfielder was offside.
McDaniel said Thursday he doesn’t think an injury from last week made him fall the same way this week.
Following Tagovailoa’s injury on Thursday, the NFLPA tweeted: “Player health and safety are at the heart of the federation’s mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into a potential protocol violation continues.”
Some criticized the decision to play for Tagovailoa shortly after he was injured in Sunday’s game.
Hall of Famer Shannon Sharp tweeted: “This is a serious injury. Tua shouldn’t have been there with Sunday turned around. Sometimes players need to protect themselves. Tua’s dolphins failed.”
Before leaving Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa was 8 for 14 for 100 yards and an interception. Bridgewater threw a touchdown pass to Chase Edmonds 15 seconds before the break.
Tagovailoa, who won a national championship in Alabama, played a key role in the Dolphins 3-0. He entered the game as second in the NFL with 925 yards.
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