Tua Tagovailoa suffered a frightening head injury last night and it was one that certainly had fans praying for his health. Last week, Tua had been cleared after undergoing concussion protocol, however, there were many throughout the league who felt like this was a hasty decision that didn't make a lot of sense.
These fears were ultimately confirmed last night as Tua was taken down to the ground by a Bengals lineman. It seemed like your typical hit, although Tagovailoa eventually went into a fencing position which is when your hands and fingers freeze in place. This is a neurological response to brain trauma, and the Amazon broadcast continued to show close-ups.
In the aftermath of this hit, Tua was taken to the hospital and was subsequently discharged. He was allowed to travel home with his teammates, although the Miami Dolphins are not looking good in the eyes of football fans and analysts right now.
Many took to Twitter to criticize the Dolphins, and for the most part, fans want to see some sort of punishment. "The Miami Dolphins should be severely punished the way they mishandled the Tua Tagovailoa injury. At a minimum, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should take away a 1st Rd draft pick. A clear message needs to be sent to a rogue organization like the Dolphins. Someone could die!!" one fan wrote.
One reporter from Canada wrote "Anyone who didn’t think Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion last week was either incredibly naive, incompetent or just plain stupid. It was huge negligence on behalf of the Miami Dolphins which was confirmed tonight once & for all in front of everyone to see. Very, very sad."
No matter what, this is a very sad situation, and we wish Tua nothing but the best, moving forward.