Dolphins' Tagovailoa injures head, stumbles, returns anyway

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa briefly left Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, returning despite appearing to be disoriented by a head injury.

Tagovailoa hit his head on the turf and missed the Dolphins' last three offensive snaps of the first half, then was back on the field for the start of the second half after evaluation for what the team announced as a head injury.

Tagovailoa was facing a third-and-3 play from the Miami 21 when he scrambled and found Jaylen Waddle for an 8-yard gain. After releasing the ball, Tagovailoa got hit — a two-hand push in the chest — by Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano, who was flagged for roughing the passer.

Tagovailoa fell backward, the back of his helmet bouncing off the grass. He remained down for a few seconds, then rolled to his feet, jogged forward a few steps and stumbled to the ground again briefly.

A pair of offensive linemen held him up at that point, ensuring he wouldn’t fall again, and Dolphins’ medical personnel ran onto the field to check him further. They walked him off the field, directly into the tunnel leading to the Miami locker room area.

On the first play of the second half, Tagovailoa found Tyreek Hill for a 22-yard gain and showed no ill effects from the hit.

Tagovailoa was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater for the three plays he missed. Bridgewater attempted two passes, both falling incomplete.

Tagovailoa was 8 for 10 for 76 yards and a touchdown when he left the game.

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