EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left the game against the New York Jets on Sunday with what the team said was an elbow injury and he was also being evaluated for a concussion.
Bridgewater, starting in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, was hurt on the Dolphins’ first offensive play. Miami ruled Bridgewater out for the rest of the game early in the second quarter.
Jets rookie cornerback Ahmad Gardner blitzed and hit Bridgewater as he was about to throw. Bridgewater was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety and a 2-0 lead for New York.
Bridgewater headed to the blue injury tent to be examined and then walked with doctors and trainers into the locker room. He was replaced by third-stringer Skylar Thompson.
Bridgewater was starting after Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Miami’s previous game on Sept. 29 at Cincinnati. Tagovailoa took a hard sack in the first half and displayed the fencing response after the hit. He was stretchered off the field and immediately taken to the hospital. He remains in the concussion protocol.
That came four days after Tagovailoa took a hit from Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet.
Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room, went through the NFL’s concussion protocol — and cleared of any head injury. He started the third quarter, drawing wide-spread criticism as to why he was allowed to return.
On Saturday, the NFL and NFL Players Association agreed to make changes to the league’s concussion protocol following a joint investigation into the procedures after the back injury Tagovailoa suffered. The league and players’ union said in a joint statement that while the Dolphins followed protocol after the injury, the outcome of the Tagovailoa case “was not what was intended when the Protocol was drafted.”
As a result, language addressing abnormality of balance/stability was added to the league’s protocol list of symptoms that would keep a player from returning to the game.