Football fans are still thinking of Tua Tagovailoa after he was rushed to the hospital during the Miami Dolphins game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, September 29.
The 24-year-old quarterback was taken off the field on a stretcher during the second quarter after he was sacked. He was seen curling his fingers while he was on the ground after the play, sparking concerns about a concussion or traumatic brain injury.
“Tua Tagovailoa is out of the game with head and neck injuries,” the team tweeted on Thursday, later adding: “Tua Tagovailoa has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. He is conscious and has movement in all his extremities.”
The injury came four days after Tagovailoa appeared disoriented following a hit during the Dolphins game against Buffalo Bills on Sunday, September 25. After undergoing “concussion protocol,” he returned to the game. As a result of the back-to-back injuries, several athletes and sports personalities took to Twitter to voice concerns after the game.
“Truth be told Tua should probably never have been playing. He displayed neurological trauma last week, we disregarded it, labeled it a ‘back injury’ & let him back in the game,” former linebacker Emmanuel Acho tweeted. “Now, the whole world watch as he lay on the field helpless. When will we put player safety FIRST!”
Former Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman wrote, “Prayers up for TUA! That is heartbreaking to see.”
Robert Griffin III reposted his September 25 tweet which read: “You hate to see this for Tua. He has shut up the haters with his play and was battling toe to toe with the vaunted Buffalo Bills and MVP favorite Josh Allen. Praying for his health and for a full recovery from this.”
On Thursday, he added: “Tua 4 days ago. The Dolphins will have to answer for this.”
The following day, the former quarterback returned to the app with a message.
“The bottom line regarding Tua is LIFE is bigger than football. Teams should always put the person before the player,” RG3 tweeted. “Health before competitive advantage. Putting Tua out there isn’t just a player safety issue. It’s a quality of life issue.”
Concussion Legacy Foundation cofounder and neuroscientist Chris Nowinski, who expressed concerns about Tagovailoa before the Bengals game began, offered insight after the second injury.
“This is a disaster. Pray for Tua. Fire the medical staffs and coaches. I predicted this and I hate that I am right. Two concussions in 5 days can kill someone. This can end careers. How are we so stupid in 2022,” the doctor tweeted. “I take no pleasure in being right. Pray for Tua. We saw this coming. Get angry. Get involved with @ConcussionLF to make sure the @NFL can’t do this again.”
He also shared footage from Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel’s post-game conference.
“Mike McDaniel said it’s good Tua ‘doesn’t have anything more serious than a #concussion.’ I don’t think this guy gets it,” Nowinski wrote. “A concussion is a traumatic brain injury & posturing suggests brain stem injury. It’s pretty high on the list of serious medical consequences of football.”
The Dolphins lost the game — 27-15 — but Tagovailoa was discharged from the hospital. Scroll through for more: