Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose was injured and carted off the field during the team’s 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. DuBose took a hit to the head after attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter. The hit, which was helmet-to-helmet, came from Texans rookie safety Calen Bullock. Following the collision, DuBose was taken to the hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The Dolphins stated that he will undergo further evaluation.
Grant DuBose was down on the field for over 10 minutes after taking a hit, with medical staff cutting off his jersey, removing his facemask, and placing a neck brace on him before he was carted off at NRG Stadium in Houston. Players from both teams gathered around, with some seen praying as DuBose received treatment on the field. According to the CBS broadcast, DuBose was still being attended to by Harris County emergency medical personnel as he was loaded into an ambulance.
After the game, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa shared that DuBose was “doing well” and “recovering.” Tagovailoa also reflected on the pass he threw to DuBose, expressing concern over whether he could have done something differently. “I’m my toughest critic when it comes to ball placement,” he said. “I just feel bad that I even put him in that situation to have gotten hit.”
Tagovailoa acknowledged how difficult it was to continue playing after the incident, mentioning his own past experiences with similar situations. He added, “You never want to be put in any of those situations, but you also understand that this is a physical sport.”
DuBose is currently at Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston, according to CBS.
After the game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel provided an update on Grant DuBose’s condition. “There’s been some positive feedback from the head and neck imaging,” McDaniel said. “He will stay here overnight, and we should have more information by Monday.”
Texans rookie safety Calen Bullock, who was responsible for the hit on DuBose, expressed that he never intended to harm DuBose or any player. “Prayers to him and his family. I hope he is okay,” Bullock said. He explained that he was simply focused on the ball and made a play on it. “It just happened to be one of those types of plays,” he added.
Bullock also discussed the difficulty for defensive players, noting the challenge of balancing protection for the opposing player while also protecting themselves. “It’s angles. You think too much about trying to protect everyone on the field, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s still a violent game.”
The Dolphins had just activated DuBose, 23, for the game after he had been on the injured list with a shoulder injury.
