Tua Tagovailoa suffers scary head injury, leaves in ambulance originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a head injury and was taken off the field on a stretcher during Thursday Night Football against the Bengals.
The injury occurred in the second quarter after Tagovailoa was sacked by Josh Tupou. He was immediately ruled out for the game due to head and neck injuries.
After Tagovailoa hit the ground, he displayed a "fencing response" where he lifted his hands with stiffened fingers. According to the TNF broadcast crew, this motion is a neurological response to head trauma.
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Tagovailoa remained on the ground for several minutes as his teammates gathered around him. He was placed on a stabilizing board and loaded off the field on a stretcher. His helmet remained on to keep his head stabilized, but the facemask was removed.
The team later confirmed that Tagovailoa was conscious and has movement in all his extremities. He was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was examined and discharged before returning to the team for the flight home.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said postgame that Tagovailoa was evaluated for a concussion and entered the league's concussion protocol.
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With Tagovailoa out, backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took over for the Dolphins.
The Bengals went on to beat the Dolphins 27-15.
