Tua Tagovailoa expected to start vs Bengals on Thursday Night Football

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is expected to start against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football, according to Armando Salguero. He was questionable all week after dealing with back and ankle injuries he suffered during the Dolphins’ victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. If something should happen to him in Thursday night’s matchup, Teddy Bridgewater is the backup quarterback for the Dolphins.

Mike McDaniel injury update on Tua Tagovailoa

A few days ago, Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel provided an injury update for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The update came after he left Sunday’s game with an apparent head injury but later returned. It was reported by Ian Rapoport that what looked like a head injury was actually a back injury for Tagovailoa.

Cameron Wolfe reported that according to Mike McDaniel, Tua Tagovailoa was still sore in his back and ankle. The team was still gathering more info from future tests.

Tua Tagovailoa’s ankle, which did not seem to be injured on the same play as his back, got banged up in “inter-trench warfare,” according to McDaniel.

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The injury to Tua Tagovailoa occurred early in the game. After he took a late hit from Matt Milano, Tagovailoa seemed to suffer from whiplash with the ground. When he got up, he stumbled as he tried to walk and was removed from the game.

Tua Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol and returned to the game, where Miami ultimately beat Buffalo. Over the course of the game, Tagovailoa went 13/18, threw for 186 yards, and threw one touchdown.

NFLPA asks for a review of protocols

What has since been described as a back injury looked to most fans like a head injury. So, when Tua Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocols and returned to the game, there was fear for his safety. Fans weren’t the only ones concerned, as the NFLPA asked for a review of concussion protocols following his return to the game.

“Required an evaluation for all players demonstrating gross motor instability (e.g., stumbling or falling to the ground when trying to stand) to determine the cause of the instability. If the team physician, in consultation with the sideline UNC, determines the instability to be neurologically caused, the player is designated a “No-Go” and may not return to play,” reads the NFL’s official Concussion Protocol guidelines.

On3’s Daniel Morrison also contributed to this article.