Editor’s note: This article contains graphic images.
Although injuries may be a formality for athletes, many NFL fans couldn’t believe their eyes during Friday’s Dolphins-Jets game courtesy of a gnarly arm injury to Miami star Tua Tagovailoa.
Viewers eagerly tuning in for a rare Friday dose of NFL action soon found themselves cringing in disbelief after cameras caught Tagovailoa walking off the field with a nasty cut on his recently-tatooed right arm early in the first quarter.
Given the quarterback’s nonchalant reaction to the injury, the gash didn’t appear to be all that bad. However, a gruesomely clear close-up of his arm showed just how brutal it was, making for an unfortunately memorable moment for the NFL’s first Black Friday game.
Thankfully, Tagovailoa only required a patch job to continue playing, but as the image of the QB’s injury went viral, it became apparent that it would likely take more than a bandage to help the scarred viewers:
Tua looks like he got in a fight with a shark. Holy crap. A chunk is missing out of his arm.
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) November 24, 2023
There's a chunk of Tua available somewhere on MetLife's turf fyi pic.twitter.com/t0i1Tf26Wd
— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) November 24, 2023
That’s gotta hurt for Tua Tagovailoa 😱 pic.twitter.com/8pd0qSf19G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 24, 2023
#Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has a pretty nasty gash on his right arm 🤢 pic.twitter.com/bTMIQjRjoV
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) November 24, 2023
#TuaTagovailoa
— David J. Chao - ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) November 24, 2023
"Just a flesh wound" pic.twitter.com/jLN0aqf3oK
Tua Tagovailoa got a chunk ripped out of his arm. 😬 pic.twitter.com/1rHUu3oRN0
— Savage (@SavageSports_) November 24, 2023
looks like one of the d linemen took a bite out of tua. pic.twitter.com/p0oSyTOT4W
— josh houtz (@houtz) November 24, 2023
This cut on Tua’s arm 😳 pic.twitter.com/Jes5gJGOAn
— PFF (@PFF) November 24, 2023
That is a ugly looking cut on #Dolphins Tua's right arm 👀https://t.co/4c99y4eFXM pic.twitter.com/gj2Vc577xO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 24, 2023