Tua Tagovailoa sustained sickening neck and head injuries during the Miami Dolphins ' 27-15 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
The quarterback was stretchered off in visible distress after being hit by a crunching tackle from Bengals player Josh Tupou. Upon hitting the deck, Tagovailoa's arms appeared to go into the fencing response, an unnatural position after a concussion.
He needed prolonged treatment from medical staff before going off on a stretcher and heading to hospital at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. The 24-year-old was discharged laster in the evening and flew home to Miami with the rest of the team.
According to the Daily Mail , Tagovailoa, 24, had head and neck injuries but that he was able to communicate to coach Mike McDaniel before leaving the venue, and asked about the play which led to his injuries. Replays showed how his head crashed against the deck at speed.
The whole Dolphins team congregated in midfield while their team-mate was being seen to, as the crowd chanted repeatedly chanted his name. The franchise later released a statement which read: "Tua Tagovailoa has been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. He is conscious and has movement in all his extremities."
However, debate over whether he should have been cleared to play in the first place has since raged. He was controversially selected by the Dolphins for Thursday, just four days after appearing to struggle with concussion in Sunday's win over the Buffalo Bills.
Chris Nowinski, who has been a vociferous critic of how the NFL handle concussion issues, outlined his disgust on Twitter : "This is a disaster. Pray for Tua," wrote the Harvard-educated neuroscientist.
" 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 NFL Players' Association tweeted to confirm they were looking into the matter: "Player health and safety is at the core of the union's mission," they said. "Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing."
