Tua Tagovailoa Expands on ‘Heartbreak’ video
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had an uproar in his team’s win over Cincinnati, drawing criticism for the decision to leave the Dolphins star running back a day after his back injury was evaluated.
Tagovailoa was carted off the field after a rough tackle in the second quarter at Cincinnati.
His head was stuck in the turf after he tackled Josh Tupou of the Bengals. A replay of the incident showed Tagovailoa’s fingers twisted in an unnatural position, a symptom known as the “fencing reaction” and associated with head injuries.
The Dolphins later said in a brief statement that Tagovailoa “is smart and has movement on all ends.”
He was released from the hospital and will return to Florida with his team.
The incident brought new attention to the NFL’s injury record problem. On Monday, Tagovailoa left the field in the Dolphins’ win over the Buffalo Bills after a concussion in the first quarter.
Tagovailoa appeared on his feet and was stable on his feet after the incident and was later evaluated for concussion.
However, he was cleared to return to action after the Dolphins coaching staff said he suffered a lower back injury.
The 24-year-old was kept in the game for about 10 minutes before being taken off on a stretcher as worried Dolphins staff gathered at centre. He was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for evaluation of head and neck injuries.
However, Sunday’s verdict on Tagovailoa’s injury prompted many to comment after the NFL team said it would launch an investigation into the incident.
