Ex-NFL Player Recalls Patriots Story After Tua Tagovailoa Incident

Watching the frightening Tua Tagovailoa incident Thursday night made Rich Ohrnberger feel fortunate for the care he received for a head injury of his own.

Tagovailoa was stretched off the Paycor Stadium field after he sustained head and neck injuries in the first half of the Dolphins’ eventual Week 4 loss to the Bengals. One can argue Miami’s quarterback shouldn’t have even played in Cincinnati in the first place, as it sure looked like Tagovailoa sustained a concussion in Week 3 despite the Dolphins claiming it was a back injury.

Miami understandably caught a ton of heat online for the way the organization handled its franchise signal-caller. Ohrnberger, a retired offensive lineman who played six NFL seasons, instead used the moment to praise the New England Patriots for how they treated a head injury he took on 11 years ago.

“Very thankful today for the Patriots’ trainers/medical staff for the way they handled my concussion in 2011,” Ohrnberger tweeted. “I was out on my feet, they took it seriously, and I spent the year on IR. They saved me from myself. I would’ve rushed back if they let me. They didn’t. Prayers for Tua.”

Ohrnberger wasn’t the only person with Patriots ties who spoke out after Tagovailoa went down. In addition to current players who reacted in real time, former New England linebacker Rob Ninkovich delivered a powerful message on the NFL’s concussion problem.