Teddy Bridgewater tried not to think about it.
The Dolphins backup quarterback watched from the sidelines as starter Tua Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher at Paycor Stadium Thursday night after sustaining head and neck injuries toward the end of the first half against the Bengals.
Bridgewater, whose 2021 season was ended by a concussion, had to go play. Despite having “a lot going through my mind” after seeing Tagovailoa suffer a second serious injury in a week, the 29-year-old threw for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the 27-15 loss in Cincinnati.
“I knew that I had to just snap (out of it) and try to lead this team to victory,” said Bridgewater. “Knowing that so many guys were counting on not only myself but us to just go out there and finish that game and trying to get a win. Ultimately, we came up short.”
Bridgewater, then playing for the Broncos, suffered a concussion against the Bengals on Dec. 19, 2021, weeks after sustaining one against the Ravens. On Thursday, he was unable to give any insight into what Tagovailoa had gone through.
“I can’t answer that because I didn’t remember anything until I woke up at the hospital,” he said. “They said I woke up in the back of the truck, but I don’t remember anything. I got my CAT scan and MRI.”
Tagovailoa was discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center, a welcome update to his concerned teammates.
“You could see guys’ spirits lifted,” Bridgewater said. “That was some great news. Especially after the results of the game. It was great news.”
Tagovailoa, the Dolphins and the NFL must now deal with the aftermath of the scary scene, with some expecting legal repercussions and demanding an outside investigation into the QB’s Thursday start and subsequent injury. Tagovailoa suffered what appeared to be a head injury in Sunday’s Week 3 win over the Bills, but the said it was a back injury and insisted he passed all concussion tests.
As Bridgwater knows, head injuries aren’t something to be taken lightly.
“It’s very scary,” Bridgewater said of the situation. “That’s a part of the game that sucks. It’s fun to score touchdowns and make plays, but it’s one side of the game that really sucks.”
