Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra gave his take on the scary injury suffered by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Thursday night.
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in the Dolphins’ loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and he was taken off the field on a stretcher.
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. pic.twitter.com/D8S8eEbgda
— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 30, 2022
The Dolphins did get positive news on Tagovailoa after the game, as he was talking and smiling outside the team’s locker room, but the injury still has led to many people questioning the Dolphins’ decision to let him play against the Bengals in Week 4.
The reason for that is because Tagovailoa suffered an injury in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, as he stumbled following a hit.
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. pic.twitter.com/1OV8Sq8ocj
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 25, 2022
Tagovailoa did end up returning to the game, and he revealed that it was a back injury, not a concussion, that caused him to lose his footing in that game.
Tua Tagovailoa explains from his perspective what happened on play where he was wobbly trying to leave the field: pic.twitter.com/wm0Ft9dv8d
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) September 25, 2022
“Kind of got my legs caught under someone, and then they were trying to push back, and then it kind of felt like I hyperextended my back or something,” Tagovailoa said after Week 3.
“And then on the next play, I kind of hit my back and kind of hurt it, and then I got up, and then that’s kind of why I stumbled. My back kind of locked up on me. But for the most part, I’m good, passed whatever concussion protocol they had.”
Spoelstra stood up for the Dolphins’ medical staff, even though many people are questioning why the team let Tagovailoa suit up on Thursday night.
“That’s the world we live in right now,” Spoelstra said. “Everybody is looking to blame immediately when something happens. We don’t have all the information. I don’t think that’s fair to jump to all these different conclusions. Teams and medical staffs are very responsible. Not every situation is the exact same thing. So there are protocols in both of our leagues that you have to adhere to. It’s really about being able to compete at the highest level, but also be safe about it.”
The Dolphins and head coach Mike McDaniel have been adamant that Tagovailoa didn’t suffer a concussion in Week 3, which is why he was allowed to play in Thursday night’s game.
Mike McDaniel explains why Tua was cleared to play. Says he got all checkups, including independent doctor clearing. They didn’t misreport injury.
“We don’t mess with that. Never have. As long as I’m the head coach that’ll never be an issue you guys will have to worry about.” pic.twitter.com/TjTcIPWLFF
— Will Manso (@WillManso) September 30, 2022
With the decision to play Tagovailoa already in the past, the Dolphins now need to focus on protecting their quarterback and making sure he stays healthy going forward. So far this season, Tagovailoa has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns.
