John Harbaugh: “I couldn’t believe what I saw” with Tua Tagovailoa injury

NFL: SEP 25 Ravens at Patriots
Getty Images

Like many people in football, Ravens coach John Harbaugh was stunned watching Tua Tagovailoa suffer a brain injury on the field.

Harbaugh said today that he was shocked not only by Tagovailoa’s injury on Thursday night against the Bengals, which saw him stretchered off the field, but also by the injury Tagovailoa suffered on Sunday against the Bills, when he staggered to the ground with what was announced as a back injury but many observers thought looked like a sign of a concussion.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw last night,” Harbaugh said. “I couldn’t believe what I saw last Sunday. It was just something that was astonishing to see. I’ve been coaching for 40 years now, college in the NFL, almost 40, and I’ve never seen anything like it before. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

Harbaugh said he is on the same page with the Ravens’ medical staff and ownership, all of whom are in agreement that if there’s any question about whether a player is ready to play, the answer is to hold them out. There’s now an investigation into whether the Dolphins failed to answer that question correctly with Tagovailoa.

21 responses to “John Harbaugh: “I couldn’t believe what I saw” with Tua Tagovailoa injury

  1. Although we all agree with him, its clear he would directly benefit from any punishment the Dolphins could receive

  2. The entire Dolphins coaching staff top down needs to be suspended for the season for their utter lack of leadership, sensitivity, empathy and greed. They were 3-0 and yet played a woozy QB

  3. All NFL players should be offered the option to retire an hour before every game. If they have any health concerns they should back out immediately and consider another career.

  4. Wait you mean the team that’s owner is suspended for tampering; is the defendant in a class action lawsuit of racism, has gotten caught up in a pay scheme to tank for the draft….. didn’t do something by the book?

  5. Tua is a good guy who loves the game. His team’s medical and coaching staff let him down and the long-term consequences, while unknown, could be devastating. I hope like hell that he recovers fully and then makes the best decision for HIMSELF long-term.

  6. When in doubt, Keep them out.
    How could you not have doubts after watching Tua get up in the Bills game ?

  7. Don Shula would have never let this happen. The Miami Dolphins in its heyday were awesome. They now have become a long term bad franchise.

  8. I sure hope he is okay. It’s the damage sustained in follow-up concussions when the brain isn’t fully healed that can cause lasting damage. So much potential short-sightedness by the Dolphins.

  9. redlikethepig says:
    September 30, 2022 at 2:02 pm

    All NFL players should be offered the option to retire an hour before every game. If they have any health concerns they should back out immediately and consider another career.

    ——————————

    They already have that option. A player can retire at any time.

  10. The problem last Sunday, which then led to what happened on TNF was that the medical people and coaches listened to the player. He told them it was his back and ankles. He may have actually believed it, because at the time of the injury Sunday, that is what was hurting. When you suffer a brain trauma injury you aren’t a reliable source of information, especially regarding info about your health. His will to play spoke louder in his head than his need to sit down. Every medical person knows this, and so should every coach. To listen to Tua and let him play was irresponsible and people should be help accountable.

  11. If I was a Tua family member, I would encourage him to retire. He’s a fantastic guy and player and yes, the money, attention & glory are enticing. But let’s face facts, not all of us are put together to withstand multiple head-on collisions every week. No amount of money is worth the health issues that lie ahead of anyone that has had head trauma events. He obviously has a close-knit family. That should mean more than the need to entertain a fan base.

  12. It’s being treated as a given that last night’s injury and Sunday’s are related, how do we know this?

  13. Oh stop with the over dramatics. This happens several times each season where players are knocked out and freeze up.

  14. jonathankrobinson424 says:
    September 30, 2022 at 2:35 pm
    Don Shula would have never let this happen. The Miami Dolphins in its heyday were awesome. They now have become a long term bad franchise.
    ___________________________

    Oh please. Do you know how many times Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris, Jim Kiick, Paul Warfield, etc… got their “bell rung” and were ecpected to shake it off & not miss a down. Those days are why we have the changes these days.

  15. What exactly was it that “he couldn’t believe” he saw? A person with a concussion? The nature of the head trauma? The opposition’s coaching staffs actions? What?

  16. Poor Johnny is still salty cause he’s been owned by 2 years in a row, I see… I wonder what happens to him when it turns out that the Dolphins followed every rule in the handling of Tua’s injury? Cause simple apologies won’t suffice, Whiney

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.