Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Says He's 'Feeling Much Better' After Suffering Concussion

Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa suffered injuries to his head and neck on a scary hit in the second quarter of Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the quarterback provided a positive update on his condition Friday.

"I want to thank everyone for all of their prayers and support since the game last night," Tagovailoa said in a statement. "It was difficult to not be able to finish the game and be there with my teammates, but I am grateful for the support and care I've received from the Dolphins, my friends and family, and all the people who have reached out.

"I'm feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates."

Tagovailoa was taken to a Cincinnati hospital on a stretcher after hitting his head on the turf on a sack by Bengals nose tackle Josh Tupou. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and there is no timetable for his return.

The injury occurred just four days after Tagovailoa was evaluated for a concussion in a Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. After hitting his head on the turf in the second quarter of that game, Tagovailoa could barely stay on his feet as he tried to walk back to the huddle.

Tagovailoa was removed from the game and evaluated for a concussion before being allowed to return for the second half. He said he passed concussion protocol during that game.

However, the NFL and NFLPA are now investigating Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation, and the league's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, promised to make the results of that investigation public, per NFL Media (h/t ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio):

“We want to be as transparent and open about this as possible. We certainly want to learn, to improve, to get better. And we want to be the best in the world at diagnosing and managing these injuries. And so if we find that we fell short, or if we find that there are things that we need to change, we will certainly be up front about doing that. We’ve done that before, and we will certainly do that again, if that’s what’s indicated.”

Sills added that there will be "very serious consequences" if the concussion protocol was not followed.

The Dolphins have faced immense criticism for allowing Tagovailoa to play against the Bengals on Thursday night, but head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that he passed concussion protocol every day leading up to the game:

"I have 100 percent conviction in our process regarding our players. This is a player-friendly organization and I make it very clear from the onset that my job here is for the players. I take that very seriously. No one in the building strays from that ... If there would have been anything lingering with his head, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out there and put them in harm's way.

"This is a relationship that I have with this human being. I take that serious. I wouldn't have put him out there if there was any inclination given to me whatsoever that he was endangering himself from that previous game."

With Tagovailoa expected to be sidelined indefinitely, the Dolphins will likely turn to Teddy Bridgewater until he can return.

Miami is first in the AFC East with a 3-1 record and will play the New York Jets next weekend.