All Dolphins

Tua's Injury a Concern And a Mystery

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was injured in the first half of the team's victory against the Buffalo Bills

Alain Poupart

Rich Storry - USA Today Sports
In this story:

Tua Tagovailoa's injury at first was really scary. It also was a bit mysterious. And now it's definitely a concern for the Miami Dolphins with their next game just four days away.

Tagovailoa missed the end of the first half of the Dolphpins' 21-19 victory against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium after he was shoved to the ground after a completion by linebacker Matt Milano, and both head coach Mike McDaniel and Tagovailoa himself said after the game the issue was a back injury he first sustained on a quarterback sneak that was aggravated by the shove from Milano.

"On the quarterback sneak, I kind of got my legs caught under someone and then they were trying to push back and then kind of felt like I hyperextended my back or something," Tua said after the game. "And then on the next play I kind of hit my back and then I got back up and then that's kind of like why stumbled. My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, you know, I'm good, past whatever concussion protocol they had."

TV replays showed Tagovailoa's head hitting the field at Hard Rock Stadium pretty violently after he went down and he was taken out of the game after being wobbly trying to get back to the huddle, and the team first announced his status as a head injury with his return questionable.

Longtime NFL tight end Ben Watson tweeted that, from experience, he wasn't buying the reports coming out of halftime that Tagovailoa was dealing with a back injury.

Then after the game, multiple reports indicated the NFLPA wasn't happy with how his concussion check was handled and would launch an investigation.

TUA'S STATUS FOR CINCINNATI

Regardless of exactly what happened to Tagovailoa, the immediate concern now turns to his availability for the game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

Tua said at the end of his postgame media session that was up in the air.

"Well, we'll have to see," Tua said. "I don't want to say that I'm a genie and I'm gonna feel good tomorrow. We'll see. We'll go get some tests and then we'll come back tomorrow."

Veteran Teddy Bridgewater replaced Tagovailoa for three plays near the end of the first half and things didn't go well for the offense.

He was 0-for-2, including a bad misfire on a short throw to Tyreek Hill and also was sacked.

The game against the Bengals, who defeated the New York Jets 27-12 on Sunday for their first victory of the season, will be challenging enough for the Dolphins.

It will be even more so if they have to go without Tagovailoa.

Published
Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

Home/News