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The NFL's concussion policies are sure to come under heavy scrutiny after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to suffer his second serious head injury in five days.
- Tua Tagovailoa was cleared of concussion five days ago, despite seeming to stumble after a head knock
- Many questioned whether he should have been allowed to play against the Bengals, when he was knocked out in a tackle
- Tagovailoa was taken to hospital after being stretchered from the field
The Dolphins confirmed Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground in Friday's (AEST) game against the Cincinnati Bengals and was stretchered from the field.
Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He was spun around and thrown to the turf.
While on the ground, his hands froze in front of his face. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded onto a back brace, stabilised and strapped to a stretcher after his helmet was removed.
The Dolphins later said Tagovailoa was conscious and had movement in all his extremities when he then was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation.
Dolphins players gathered around as Tagovailoa was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted "Tua! Tua!".
The reaction came swiftly from around the NFL. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Broncos QB Russell Wilson promptly tweeted with concern for Tagovailoa's well-being.
But many questioned if Tagovailoa should have been allowed to play in this game after appearing to suffer a concussion in the Dolphins' last game on Monday.
Tagovailoa briefly left that game against the Buffalo Bills after appearing to be disoriented by what the team originally said was a head injury after taking a hard hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half.
He missed just three snaps and returned after halftime, a decision that prompted a joint review by the NFL and National Football League Players Association of what went into the decision to allow him to return to the game.
The 24-year-old Tagovailoa was suffering from a sore back and was listed as questionable for most of the week ahead of the game.
In the wake of this second injury, many players and commentators criticised the Dolphins and league rules which allowed Tagovailoa to take the field so soon after an apparent head injury.
ABC/AP