Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa discharged from hospital, initial tests negative for broken bones: report

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was released from the hospital Thursday night with head and neck injuries, and his initial test results came back "negative" after being slammed to the ground in a terrifying scene against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to a report. 

The Dolphins announced late Thursday that Tagovailoa would be flying home with the rest of the team after being discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. 

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, #1, is carted off the field during the first half in the game against the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 29, 2022, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A league source told CBS Sports on Friday that the third-year quarterback traveled back in a neck brace and that initial tests were "negative, nothing broken." He is reportedly set to undergo further MRI testing. 

NFLPA EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR TUA TAGOVAILOA AFTER DOLPHINS STAR’S INJURY

Tagovailoa, who was initially questionable for Thursday after hitting the ground hard during Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, was slammed to the ground by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou with just around six minutes left in the first half. 

Medical staff tend to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, #1 of the Miami Dolphins, after an injury during the 2nd quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sept. 29, 2022 in Cincinnati. (Andy Lyons/Getty Image)

He remained on the ground with his hands frozen in the air before being carted off the field in a stretcher. The Dolphins later said he was conscious and had movement in all his extremities, but the team caught serious backlash for allowing him to play after a previous hit in Sunday’s game left him stumbling on the field before being cleared to return in the second half.

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"Complete silence," backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said of the sideline’s reaction to Tagovailoa’s injury. "At the end of the day, football – it's a game, but we’re human beings outside of this game, and we all have feelings. In that moment, I think you saw how everyone felt about Tua. He’s captain on this team, a leader, and guys have so much respect for him."

Head coach Mike McDaniel defended their handling of Tagovailoa’s initial injury, saying there was no head injury coming into Thursday’s game. 

"Otherwise we would have reported a head injury," he said during his postgame presser. "That's why the NFL has these protocols, and there's not, like every single NFL game that is played, there's an independent specialist that specializes in specialty brain matter. For me, as long as I'm coaching here, I'm not gonna fudge that whole situation."

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, #1, is taken off the field after suffering a head injury following a sack by Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou (not pictured) in the second quarter at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati Sept. 29, 2022. (Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports)

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He continued: "If there's any sort of inclination that someone has a concussion, they go into concussion protocol, and it's very strict. People don't vary or stray. We don't mess with that. Never have, and as long as I'm the head coach, that will never be an issue you guys have to worry about."

The NFL Players Association expressed concern for Tagovailoa and said its investigation into Sunday’s game is still "ongoing." 

"Player health and safety is at the core of the union's mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing."