Tua taken off field on stretcher
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was stretchered from the field after sustaining neck and head injuries from being slammed to the ground late in the first half of the Dolphins’ 27-15 loss to the Bengals on Thursday night.
The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious, had movement in all his extremities and was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation. They added after the game that Tagovailoa was expected to be released from the hospital and fly home with the team.
Josh Tupou, the Bengals’ 6-3, 340-pound nose tackle, chased down and sacked Tagovailoa, 24, with about six minutes left in the half, spinning him around and throwing him to the turf. While he was on the ground, his hands froze in front of his face. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard and strapped to a stretcher.
Reaction from around the NFL came swiftly. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Broncos QB Russell Wilson promptly tweeted concern for Tagovailoa’s well-being.
He already was suffering from a sore back and was listed as questionable for most of the week ahead of the game. He briefly left Sunday’s 21-19 win over the 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 in the first half. He missed just three snaps and returned after halftime; the team and Tagovailoa later said had a back injury and wasn’t in concussion protocol.
Favre’s charity helped S. Miss.
The stated purpose of Brett Favre’s charity, “Favre 4 Hope,” is to raise and distribute money to help “disadvantaged and disabled children and breast cancer patients,” according to a summary filed with the state of Mississippi.
From 2018 to 2020, however, the foundation gave nearly $133,000 to Southern Mississippi athletics.
Tax records obtained by USA Today Sports show that Favre’s charity donated five-figure sums to his alma mater in three consecutive fiscal years: $60,000 in 2018, $46,817 in 2019 and $26,175 in 2020.
Those numbers exceed the amounts given to other charities whose missions seem to more closely align with the stated purpose of Favre’s foundation.
The contributions from Favre’s organization to Southern Miss athletics have drawn scrutiny amid the former NFL quarterback’s role in a civil case in Mississippi, where the state has sued Favre and others in an attempt to recover more than $20 million in misspent welfare money. The lawsuit alleges welfare money was funneled through a nonprofit to Favre and later spent to construct a new volleyball facility at Southern Miss, where Favre’s daughter played.
Garrett issued citation
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was cited for “failure to control his motor vehicle” in the wake of his single-car crash Monday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a release to ESPN.
Garrett also was traveling at an “unsafe speed for the type of roadway” he was on, which contributed to the accident. According to the crash report released to ESPN, Garrett was driving 65 mph on a road with a 45 mph speed limit.
The star pass rusher suffered a sprained left shoulder and a strained right biceps, as well as cuts and bruises after his vehicle went off the side of the road and flipped over. He also complained of pain in his right hand while speaking with officers, according to body cam footage provided to ESPN.
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski hasn’t ruled Garrett out for Sunday against the Falcons.
Dalton may start for Winston
Saints quarterback Jameis Winston was held out of a second straight practice because of a back injury, raising questions about whether he’ll be able to play against the Vikings on Sunday in London. Backup Andy Dalton took first-team snaps again, and Taysom Hill also got reps.
Chiefs-Bucs staying in Tampa
The Chiefs-Buccaneers game Sunday will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, as scheduled. The Bucs made the call after assessing damage from Hurricane Ian. If there were problems, the game would have been moved to the Vikings’ stadium in Minneapolis.