Bengals DT Josh Tupou on Tua Tagovailoa injury: 'I never want to hurt anybody in the NFL'
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou recorded his first career NFL sack in the team's Week 4 "Thursday Night Football" game against the Miami Dolphins. That's the good news.
The bad news, of course, is that his achievement resulted in another scary-looking scene involving an injury to Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Following the second-quarter sack, Tagovailoa seized up and laid on the field for roughly 10 minutes, before being stretchered off and taken to Cincinnati Medical Center via ambulance.
Miami has been under fire all week long since the lefthander's Week 3 injury against the Buffalo Bills, where his helmet slammed to the ground in similar fashion and he staggered off the field, seemingly concussed. Tagovailoa later re-entered the contest and led the Dolphins to their third win in as many tries on Sunday, before being labeled questionable the last few days with a back and ankle injury.
The former Alabama quarterback got the starting nod on the short week against the Bengals and in the aftermath of his second frightening injury of the week, Twitter both erupted in criticism of Miami for allowing him to play and flooded the internet with thoughts and prayers for Tagovailoa's well-being. It's been reported that the NFLPA is going to "pursue every legal option" as to whether the 24-year-old should've been cleared to play.
Earlier in the week, NFL senior vice president Jeff Miller said that "every indication" was that the Dolphins followed the proper concussion protocols. It was reported Friday morning that Tagovailoa had been discharged from the hospital and flew home with the rest of his teammates.
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