Sept. 13—Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was playing during the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in Miami Gardens, Florida. He was shot in the head in the third quarter.
This is Tagovailoa’s third confirmed injury in five career seasons.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniels said after the loss that Tagovailoa would be tested on Friday. He said Tagovailoa was in a “good spirit” after the game and should have gone home instead of going to the hospital.
“That’s the least of my concerns, what the timeline is. We just have to evaluate and worry about our guys like everybody else,” McDaniels said about when his quarterback will return to the field.
Tagovailoa ran up the middle and gained a first down on fourth-and-4 in the red zone, but instead of sliding, he collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, hitting his head on Hamlin’s arm.
Under the supervision of trainers and coaches, Tagovailoa walked off the court with 4 minutes and 24 seconds remaining in the quarter and was taken directly to the locker room. Skylar Thompson started at quarterback for Miami.
The Dolphins later announced that Tagovailoa had suffered a head injury and would not return to the game.
The 2020 fifth overall pick has two known injuries ahead of the 2022 season. He was injured in Week 3 against the Bills but is believed to have cleared concussion protocols and was selected by the Dolphins due to a back injury.
Four days later, when the Dolphins faced the Cincinnati Bengals on “Thursday Night Football,” Tagovailoa displayed a fumble-like reaction — an unnatural, involuntary arm movement after a hit — as he lay on the ground — and was removed on a stretcher.
The incident led to the firing of the NFL Players Association’s independent neurotrauma consultant and changes to concussion policies by the league and union.
——Visual-level media
