Tua Tagovailoa entered the Dolphins’ “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the Bengals nursing two injuries. He is now dealing with another injury.
Tagovailoa was knocked out of the contest in Cincinnati after being sacked by Josh Tupou with 5:43 remaining in the second quarter. The third-year quarterback’s head hit the turf as he was slung to the ground.
The game was stopped for several minutes as medical personnel tended to Tagovailoa. His head and neck were immobilized before he was placed on a stretcher and wheeled off the field. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
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The Dolphins initially announced that Tagovailoa had suffered head and neck injuries. They later said that he was conscious and had movement in his extremities.
Miami coach Mike McDaniel told reporters after the game that Tagovailoa had suffered a concussion. The team announced that the quarterback return to South Florida with the team Thursday night.
QB Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and will fly home with the team tonight.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 30, 2022
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McDaniel said that Tagovailoa is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. He was evaluated for a concussion in Week 3 after hitting his head on the turf and staggering while trying to walk — a sequence that prompted an NFL investigation. This time, he appeared to have what is known as a “fencing response,” during which his arms came up to his face and his hands went rigid.
A fencing response is considered a “no-go symptom” within the league’s concussion protocol.
The fencing response is an immediate “no-go” symptom under leagues concussion protocols. The NFL-NFLPA are already investigating how the concussion protocol was handled last week, after Tua staggered (another, in theory, no-go symptom).
— Lindsay Jones (@bylindsayhjones) September 30, 2022
The Dolphins entered Thursday night’s game prepared for the possibility that Tagovailoa would not be able to finish the contest because of the back and ankle injuries he suffered Sunday. They had three quarterbacks active on the game-day roster — Tagovailoa, Teddy Bridgewater and rookie Skylar Thompson.
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Bridgewater entered the game in place of Tagovailoa. The veteran was the Broncos’ primary starter last season and has a career record of 33-30-1.
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