In a gritty performance against the New York Jets on Black Friday, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa led his team to victory with 243 passing yards and one touchdown. The Dolphins secured a 34-13 victory over the Jets, advancing their season record to 8-3. However, in doing so, Tagovailoa suffered a gruesome injury.
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As fans tuned in for the Friday night game, they witnessed Tua leaving the field early in the first quarter with a cut on his right arm where he has his detailed arm-skin tattoo. On closer look, it became clear that the injury was no ordinary scratch. Tua had a deep cut on his right arm which exposed his muscle fibres beneath.
Despite the severity of the wound, the quarterback played with resilience with an arm wrap. When asked about the injury during his post-game presser, Tua said,
“I didn’t notice it happen until I came to the sideline. That’s probably due to adrenaline. But, getting to the sideline and one of the guys came up to me and said, ‘Dude, you’ve got a big gash on your arm.’”
“So we got Kyle [Johnston] to try to get it cleaned up and then patch it up so we could go back in. But, it’s what comes with the game. Everyone comes out of the game with nicks and bruises.”
Tua Tagovailoa speaks out on the deep cut on his arm:
He also added that he will have to probably get his tattoo touched up again😬#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/fPZlZAXOPQ pic.twitter.com/9FFAb4onyA
— Fins Up 🐬 (@FinsUp__) November 25, 2023
The wound sits right in the middle of the tattoo. Looks like Tua will have to wait for the flesh wound to heal before considering any retouching.
Fans Had a Range of Reactions To Tua Tagovailoa’s Injury
After the game, with images of Tua’s flesh wound going viral, and as always the reactions from fans on X were on point. Some highlighted the depth of the wound while others pointed out to the wound ruining Tua’s arm tattoo.
A fan said, “All the way to the white meat,” referring to the depth of the wound.
All the way to the white meat.😬
I know what that feels like. https://t.co/WfLvb3wfpq
— Joshua (@The_RoyalJoshua) November 25, 2023
Another fan expressed how the wound had ruined Tua’s tattoo.
Damn. That looked like an intricate tattoo. Little NuSkin and a band aid.
— Freak Show Barker, cannacaptain on bsky (@CannaCaptain) November 24, 2023
Another one wrote a long comment, just to applaud the quarterback’s tenacity even after getting wounded.
https://twitter.com/Christine_Anjel/status/1728225639860179433
A wild figment of imagination ran into another fan’s comment, who seemed upset about the QB’s injury.
It’s wild to think that a piece of skin from tua tagovailoa arm is just laying on the field somewhere😭
— Devin (@lor_dshawnj) November 24, 2023
Tua Tagovailoa was the pick of the players as the Dolphins made easy work of the Jets. Playing with an injury, the QB from Hawaii did not miss a single snap, and his connection with wide receiver Tyreek Hill was sublime as usual. The Miami Dolphins now prepare to face the Washington Commanders next week.
