Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was stretchered off the field during Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering head and neck injuries, the team said.
The Dolphins later said Tagovailoa is hospitalized, conscious and has movement in all his extremities.
Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. His head hit the turf hard. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and removed via stretcher.
The Amazon Prime broadcast reported Tagovailoa was being taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
After the hit, Tagovailoa raised his hands and spread out his fingers. Amazon Prime play-by-play broadcaster Al Michaels said that their medical expert reported that it was a “neurological response to head trauma.”
Dolphins players gathered around as he was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted “Tua! Tua!.”
Tagovailoa was briefly removed from last Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills after he was wobbly on his feet when his head hit the ground following a late hit from Matt Milano.
The team said he was dealing with a back injury and that he cleared concussion protocol, allowing him to return to the game.
The NFLPA has since said it will be doing an investigation of how concussion protocol was handled by the Dolphins.
The 24-year-old Tagovailoa was suffering from a sore back ahead of the Cincinnati game, the team said, and was listed as questionable for most of the week ahead of the game.
Teddy Bridgewater replaced Tagovailoa on Thursday.
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