Mike McDaniel recaps initial moments after Tua Tagovailoa injury

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel watched from the sideline while his starting quarterback was sacked. As Tua Tagovailoa went down, his head hit the turf hard and he went stiff. During the scary injury, Tagovailoa’s hands appeared to twist unnaturally. Ultimately, he’d have to be taken to the hospital on a stretcher.

While speaking to the media, Mike McDaniel explained what happened in the initial moments following Tua Tagovailoa’s injury.

“I saw him lay down,” Mike McDaniel said. “I saw that it looked like he had some stressors going on with the impact of the hit and then once I got out to the field, I knew right away that this was at least a concussion.”

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“What I was worried about was other things on top of that. Obviously, I was very worried about his head. But you want to make sure that all things with relation to the spine and back and all that stuff, you want to make sure that’s OK. But it was very clear to me from the onset that he had — I didn’t really know the degree of, but I knew he had a concussion. He was asking for me, and then when he saw me, I could just tell that it wasn’t the same guy that I’m used to seeing”

The Miami Dolphins have been heavily criticized for allowing Tagovailoa to play in this game at all. That’s because he went down with an injury on Sunday, which appeared to be a head injury. However, the team said it was a back injury. The NFLPA, in turn, asked for a review of concussion protocol in the case.

For his part, Mike McDaniel doesn’t agree with this criticism, saying he would never put a player in harm’s way.

“I do not have any, absolutely zero, patience for or will ever put a player in a position for them to be in harm’s way. That is not what I’m about at all and no outcome of a game would ever influence me being irresponsible as the head coach of a football team.”

The NFLPA released a statement on the Tua Tagovailoa injury

In response to Tua Tagovailo’s injury and hospitalization, the NFLPA released a statement. With it, they made it clear where they stand. The NFLPA is concerned about both player safety and Tagovailoa’s health.

“Player health and safety is at the core of the union’s mission,” the NFLPA wrote via Twitter. “Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.”