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John Harbaugh couldn’t believe Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa treatment: ‘Astonishing’

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Social Links for Max Weisman
Published Sep. 30, 2022
Updated Sep. 30, 2022, 8:07 p.m. ET

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh couldn’t believe what he saw on Thursday.

Harbaugh, in his 14th season as an NFL coach, all with the Ravens, said he’d never seen anything like what occurred in the past week with the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who was taken off the field against the Bengals on a stretcher following his second injury in five days.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw last night,” he told reporters on Friday. “I couldn’t believe what I saw last Sunday. It was just something that was astonishing to see.”

On Sunday against the Bills, Tagovailoa slammed his head against the ground late in the second quarter by Bills pass rusher Matt Milano. Tagovailoa initially got back to his feet before falling back to the ground. Dolphins trainers immediately rushed to him and helped him off the field. Miami ruled him questionable to return with a head injury.

He returned to the game after he cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol. The Dolphins ended up winning the game, but afterward, the NFLPA initiated an investigation into his return to the game.

John Harbaugh speaks to reporters
John Harbaugh reacted to Tua Tagovailoa’s injury, calling the treatment the QB received from the Dolphins ‘astonishing.’ Kimberley A. Martin
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 September 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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 September 29, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Getty Images

Tagovailoa was cleared to play for Thursday matchup against the Bengals. Late in the second quarter the third-year quarterback was sacked by Josh Tupou and went down to the ground, slamming his head into the turf once again. The QB was seen laying motionless on the ground and his hands appeared frozen, a physical response to neurological shock, according to the Thursday Night Football broadcast on Amazon Prime.

“I’ve been coaching for 40 years,” Harbaugh said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing.” 

After the Thursday injury, NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith texted a statement to Amazon analyst Andrew Whitworth.

“We insisted on these rules to avoid exactly this scenario,” Smith wrote. “We will pursue every legal option, including making referrals against the doctors to licensing agencies and the team that is obligated to keep our players safe.”

On Friday, Tagovailoa was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and flew home to Florida. According to ESPN, was in “good spirits” upon his return.