Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to the field after sustaining head and neck injuries in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
With just under six minutes to go until halftime, Tagovailoa was carted off the field after a sack left his fingers unnaturally extended in various directions.
The former Alabama signal-caller was rushed via ambulance to a nearby hospital, where it was reported that he was conscious and had movement in all extremities.
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In his first public comments since the injury, Tagovailoa said he was unconscious for a period of time after being hit.
“I wouldn’t say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn’t really tell what was going on,” said Tagovailoa. “When I did come to and kind of realized what was going on and what was happening, I didn’t think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened.”
“I remember the entire night up to the point where I got tackled. After I got tackled, I don’t remember much there — getting carted off, I don’t remember that,” he said. “But I do remember things that were going on in the ambulance and then when I arrived at the hospital.”
Prior to being sidelined, Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing efficiency. Since his injury, the Dolphins have experienced a three-game losing streak.
Miami looks to end its winning drought as its first-string quarterback is on track to play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tagovailoa has been “laser focused” in preparation for his return to normal activities, according to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
For Tagovailoa, not being able to compete with his teammates has been a “terrible feeling.”
“There’s things you can do in the locker room to keep the guys encouraged, to keep the guys going motivated,” he said. “But it sucks. As a competitor, I want to be out there with the guys. I want to be able to go out there and help our guys win games. And that’s a terrible feeling that I could only watch from the sidelines.”
Dylan Smith is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL
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