A regrettable incident raised the ire of football fans on Thursday when Tua Tagovailoa suffered what looked like a second concussion in four days. He left the field lying on a stretcher, in front of the horrified gaze of teammates and opponents.
Updated yesterday at 10:18 p.m.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback was injured after a sack by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the second quarter.
He remained on the ground for more than seven minutes; once stabilized, he left the field on a stretcher.
The Dolphins announced a few minutes later that their star player would not return to the game due to a neck and head injury. According to the latest information, the Hawaiian was conscious during his transfer to the hospital.
His mere presence at this match was already highly contested, which makes the incident all the more tragic. Last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was thrown to the ground by Matt Milano at the end of a sequence. The quarterback fell backwards and his back hit the ground. He got up and after a few steps, collapsed twice, visibly stunned.
After halftime reviews, Tagovailoa returned to complete the second half.
PHOTO KATIE STRATMAN, USA TODAY SPORTS
Tua Tagovailoa
At that time, several netizens and football stakeholders criticized the Dolphins and the NFL for sending the 24-year-old back into the fray despite apparent and glaring symptoms of concussion. The Players Association immediately announced its intention to investigate the application of the return to play protocol.
However, Thursday night, the Dolphins were back in action against the Cincinnati Bengals and Tagovailoa started the game as if nothing had happened.
Unfortunately, what had to happen happened. The quarterback was again thrown to the ground and the images that followed are to give goosebumps. After his head hit the ground, his arms and fingers twisted and twitched, as if paralyzed.
Ahead of the game, renowned concussion expert and activist Chris Nowinski wrote on Twitter that “If Tua was on the court tonight it would be a huge setback for the NFL when it comes to concussions. He added that “if Tua had a second concussion that ended his season or his career, everyone involved in his return to play would have to be prosecuted or lose their jobs.” »
After the fact, Nowinski, founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, called for the officials to be fired. ” What a disaster. We pray for Tua. I predicted it and I hate to be right. Two concussions in five days can kill someone. It can end careers. How can we be so stupid in 2022.”
