Tua Tagovailoa left Thursday’s primetime showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals with a head and neck injury that forced him to be stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital. It was the second time in five days Tagovailoa was forced out of a game thanks to symptoms listed on the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The third-year quarterback left Week 3’s win over the Buffalo Bills after a shove from linebacker Matt Milano forced his head to snap into the turf at Hard Rock Stadium. Tagovailoa appeared to shake his head as if trying to regain his thoughts, then stumbled and eventually had to be propped up by his offensive linemen before exiting the game.
He suffered what was originally classified as a head injury but later explained away as a back injury after he returned to the field following halftime. In all, he missed just three offensive snaps.
That put the young passer in a tough spot four days later when the Dolphins and Bengals kicked off Week 4. Tagovailoa was once against slung to the turf. This time, he wouldn’t return.
Injury Update | Tua Tagovailoa is out of the game with head and neck injuries.
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 30, 2022
This led a frustrated football landscape to question the efficacy of a concussion protocol that failed to protect Tagovailoa on a national stage. While fans and pundits alike expressed disgust, the loudest voices may have been NFL veterans past and present let down by a league that’s made it a point to advertise just how much it cares about player safety.