What we know about Tua Tagovailoa’s head and neck injuries

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals on a stretcher and was taken to a local hospital after he suffered head and neck injuries on a second-quarter sack.

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said after the game that Tagovailoa suffered a concussion and is in the NFL’s concussion protocol. The third-year quarterback was conscious and had movement in all his extremities at the hospital, the team announced.

“That was an emotional moment, that is not part of the deal that anyone signs up for, even though you know it’s a possibility in football to have something that you have to get taken off on a stretcher,” McDaniel told reporters, per NFL.com. 

“All of his teammates and myself, we were all very concerned, so the best news that we could get is that everything’s checked out, that he didn’t have anything more serious than a concussion.”

Was Tua Tagovailoa released from the hospital?

Tagovailoa stayed on the ground for several minutes before being taken off on a stretcher when he was sacked by Cincinnati’s Josh Tupou with around six minutes left in the second quarter.

The Dolphins said Tagovailoa left the Cincinnati-area hospital and flew home with his team. 

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Friday morning that Tagovailoa is at his South Florida home  and that initial tests showed there was no structural damage. An MRI is to come, with possibly a second opinion, per Fowler.

Was Tua Tagovailoa already evaluated for a concussion before this?

This happened four days after Tagovailoa underwent concussion evaluations during halftime of Miami’s game against the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. In that game, he hit his head on the ground and then stumbled while trying to return to action. 

Miami initially listed Tagovailoa as questionable to return with a head injury, though the team later said it was a back injury that caused the stumble, and he returned to the game. 

The NFL Players Association has requested a review of the NFL’s concussion protocols after that incident, according to ESPN. 

“Player health and safety is at the core of the union’s mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing,” the NFLPA said in a statement on Thursday, per ESPN.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport provided further details on the investigation, reporting that the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, said the full details of the investigation would be released to the public once it is finished.

““We want to be as transparent as possible,” Sills said.