Source: Eric Espada / Getty
Last night’s Thursday Night Football featuring the Miami Dolphins against the Cincinnati Bengals was played until the final minute but it was all but over after what we saw in the second quarter.
Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher with a neckbrace after he was pushed down during a seemingly innocuous play and immediately began to seize up uncontrollably. The fall might not typically have resulted in such a horrific scene however just four days ago during a game against the Buffalo Bills, Tua lost complete control of his legs after bouncing his head off the ground after being tackled.
Despite his momentary inability to walk, Tua came back into the game and lead his team to victory. After the game, the Dolphins publically reported the injury as back and neck related. Tua is not Khia and we are not stupid. You don’t need a medical degree and $250,000 in student debt to see that the man was suffering from a head injury. However, on a short week, the Dolphins penciled in #1 as QB1 for last night’s game against the Bengals when this happened…
Even hours prior to the game, medical professionals on social media were expressing concern about Tua playing last night…
If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL.
If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right https://t.co/vxpaOif5rh
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 29, 2022
It’s sad that he was so right but even more sad that the Dolphins can’t be trusted to tell the truth about their player’s health.
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
When all was said and done, Tua flew back to Miami with the team last night and later tweeted a thank you for all the prayers and outpouring of support he has received over the last 20 hours.
Appreciate all the support!