Tua Tagovailoa has been formally listed as "questionable" for the Miami Dolphins' Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Suffering with back and ankle problems, Tagovailoa has only been able to play a limited part in preparation this week.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel asserted on Monday it was the 24-year-old Tagovailoa's injured back that caused him to stumble to the ground in Sunday's 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, amid fears of a concussion.
Tagovailoa took a hard hit in that game, as Bills linebacker Matt Milano pushed him to the ground. Tagovailoa's helmet slammed into the turf, but he rose to his feet quickly. However, he then shook his head, appeared woozy and lost balance as he stumbled back to the ground.
The 24-year-old quarterback went to the locker room to be assessed by the team's medical staff, with the Dolphins announcing a head injury.
He returned for the start of the third quarter – a move that prompted the NFL and National Football League Players Association to conduct a joint review of how the decision was made to allow Tagovailoa to return.
McDaniel maintained, however, that proper protocols were followed and Tagovailoa was cleared by the team and the independent neurologist.
Tagovailoa said after the game that it felt like he hyper-extended his back earlier in the contest, which was why his back locked up on him after the hit from Milano, causing the stumble.
The Dolphins have Teddy Bridgewater on standby to start on Thursday.
McDaniel was hoping to make a decision on Wednesday about his starting quarterback, but said it might have to come down to an early call on Thursday instead, stressing he would back 29-year-old Bridgewater to come good if called upon.
"We have a bunch of faith in him. So we're walking through in general, anyway," McDaniel said on Tuesday. "So Teddy has to take reps each and every play in terms of calling the play and visualising everything as it stands.
"We'll probably just take it as long as we have to before we can be convicted. But at some point there has to be [a decision] – it won't be five minutes before kick-off, I know that. Probably some time on Wednesday, but if we have to, we'll move it to Thursday morning."
Eagles lock up wide receiver Smith through 2028
The Philadelphia Eagles locked up wide receiver DeVonta Smith through the 2028 season on Monday.
Philadelphia exercised its fifth-year option on Smith for the 2025 season and agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension that runs through 2028.
Smith’s extension is reportedly worth $75million, including $51million in guaranteed money.
Philadelphia selected Smith with the 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft after he won the Heisman Trophy with Alabama in 2020.
Smith was the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991 and first non-quarterback or running back to capture the honour since cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.
Smith has caught 240 passes for 3,178 yards and 19 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games while adding 27 receptions for 405 yards and a TD catch in five postseason contests.
OJ Simpson: Cherished star whose fall from grace was seen live by millions on TV
From cherished American superstar to villain whose murder trial captivated a global audience, OJ Simpson’s fall from grace was startling.
Simpson, nicknamed ‘The Juice’, has died at the age of 76 after losing his battle with prostate cancer, leaving behind four children.
Before the low-speed car chase by police and ‘Trial of the Century’ that began the unravelling of his reputation, Simpson was a darling of American sport who had also carved out a successful acting career.
He was raised in a low income neighbourhood in San Francisco and joined a local gang but his athleticism offered a route out and he found his purpose in gridiron.
A prolific running back, he starred for USC and in 1968 won the Heisman Trophy awarded to the outstanding player in college football. Inevitably, he was first overall draught pick the following year.
Progress in his first couple of seasons at the Buffalo Bills was slow but his impact grew and he went on to become one of the most successful operators in his position, winning the NFL’s most valuable player in 1973 and being inducted into the hall of fame in 1985.
He became the game’s highest paid player and lucrative commercial deals also followed as companies looked to leverage his charisma and popularity, while his acting career included parts in blockbusters ‘Towering Inferno’ and ‘The Naked Gun’.
For all his film presence he was little known outside the United States but that changed for all the wrong reasons when he was arrested in 1994 for the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Brown and Goldman had been found stabbed to death in LA and once police had filed charges, Simpson refused to turn himself in and was pursued in an extraordinary car chase that was at low speed because he had a gun pointed to his head.
The event was televised live to millions and projected his notoriety worldwide, with the broadcasting of his subsequent murder trial only intensifying interest in this fallen star.
He was acquitted the following year but a civil lawsuit found him liable for the deaths, resulting in an order to pay £26.7million pounds to the victims of the families. Only a fraction of that amount was actually paid.
Arrests followed for a variety of offences in the early 2000s and his lowest point eventually came in 2007 when he was charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.
He served nine of a 33-year jail sentence and upon his release he continued to live in Las Vegas, looking increasingly frail when in public but active on social media. Simpson always maintained his innocence of the murders.
OJ Simpson dies aged 76
OJ Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76.
Simpson was a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, before being acquitted of murder in a trial in the mid-1990s.
News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on his X account.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family”
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