DolphinsMike McDaniel, head coach, vehemently defended his decision to play quarterback Tua TagovailoaOn Thursday night, his quarterback was ejected from the game. He had a head injury and was able to walk on a stretcher to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
“Absolutely not,” McDaniel said when asked if there was anything he could have, or should have, done differently after Tagovailoa was seen shaking his head, staggering and falling following a hit four days earlier in a home win against the Bills.
“That would be irresponsible in the first place, and I shouldn’t be in this position,” McDaniel added. “I do not have any — absolutely zero — patience for, or will ever put a player in position for them to be in harm’s way. That is not what I’m about at all, and no outcome of a game will ever influence me being irresponsible as the head coach of the football team.”
McDaniel said Tagovailoa was about to be discharged from the hospital and would fly home with the team, but the scrutiny is going to follow the Dolphins home and won’t be going away any time soon.
The NFLPA opened an investigation into the team’s handling of Tagovailoa’s injury Sunday, specifically allowing him to return to the game and with what they labeled a back injury.
Thursday night was a nationally televised defeat of 27-15 by the United States to the.
