Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals after getting thrown to the ground amid a vicious sack by Josh Tupou.
Tagovailoa’s head and back slammed into the turf at Paycor Stadium, leaving him on his back with the fingers of both hands in a rigid position. Players from both teams gathered at midfield as he was evaluated and ultimately loaded onto the stretcher. He was taken to a local hospital in Cincinnati and ruled out of the game with head and neck injuries, according to the Dolphins.
The Dolphins announced shortly after Tagovailoa’s departure that “he is conscious and has movement in all his extremities.”
Tagovailoa was replaced by veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater.
At halftime, Prime Video analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick, a teammate of Tagovailoa’s in 2020, tried to hold back his emotions.
“As an announcer and analyst, I’m having a tough time right now,” Fitzpatrick said.
A potentially devastating for the unbeaten Dolphins in any context, Tagovailoa’s latest physical setback will likely come under further scrutiny after he briefly left Week 3’s win against the Buffalo Bills for what appeared to be a head injury but was later characterized by the quarterback and rookie coach Mike McDaniel as a back injury. The NFL Players Association initiated an investigation into the handling of Tagovailoa’s injuries against Buffalo and whether the concussion protocol was properly followed. The case remains ongoing.
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Heading into the game in Cincinnati, Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft, seemed to be in the midst of a breakout season under McDaniel’s guidance. The Alabama product was uncharacteristically challenging defenses deep with speedy wideouts Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at his disposal. Tagovailoa threw a franchise record-tying six TD passes in a Week 2 comeback win at Baltimore.
No stranger to injuries, Tagovailoa entered the league while recovering from a fractured hip suffered during his final game at Alabama. He played 23 of a possible 33 games in his first two NFL seasons.
The Dolphins began Thursday night as one of two 3-0 teams in the league, the Philadelphia Eagles being the other.
