Dolphins-Jaguars preseason game suspended after injury sends Miami receiver to hospital
The Dolphins’ preseason finale against the Jaguars on Saturday night ended early after rookie wide receiver Daewood Davis was taken off the field on a spine board and cart.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Davis was attempting to catch a pass from rookie quarterback James Blackman when he was wrapped up and swung to the ground by cornerback Kaleb Hayes, while linebacker Dequan Jackson appeared to deliver a blow to Davis’ back. Jackson was flagged for unnecessary roughness for the blow.
Davis lay motionless on his chest for several moments and the Dolphins’ trainers quickly came to the field, followed by coach Mike McDaniel. Minutes later, the entire Dolphins sideline was on the field, surrounding Davis while he was being attended to. Davis was then placed onto a spine board and carted off the field.
After Davis’ injury, McDaniel and Jaguars coach Doug Pederson began talking to the officials on the field. Defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and kicker Brandon McManus, the respective NFL players union representatives for the Dolphins and Jaguars, joined the coaches on the field. At around 9:50 p.m., an official announced that the game was being suspended with 8:32 remaining.
Shortly after the game ended, the Dolphins announced that Davis was conscious and had movement in all extremities. He was taken to Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville for further evaluation.
“The two teams agreed that football shouldn’t be played anymore tonight,” McDaniel said. “Without a shadow of a doubt, I know that was the right call. So, I’m proud of the collective group for doing the right thing. Our guys are hurting but relieved.”
He added: “The emotional roller coaster was real ... his teammates were pumped for him to be in the game and get opportunities to make plays. There’s not really a playbook for things of that nature. You could see in the collective faces of both teams, their mind wasn’t on playing football at all. So, we thought it was inappropriate to play football.”
McDaniel said he didn’t see the play in which Davis was injured but was soon notified by someone that Davis wasn’t moving. McDaniel said the league was being briefed on the situation through the referees’ headset while the coaches and player reps were talking.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill said Davis was shaking his head and speaking to trainers on the field, which put his teammates at ease.
“Each and every day, he has the same attitude and same mindset. And that’s to get better and help his team win games,” he said. “He’s a full ball of energy, I can tell you that. All fast guys are. I feel like I can speak for the whole [wide receiver] room when I say all of us enjoy being around Daewood. This is just a situation that we don’t wish upon anybody in this league. So, it’s not fun for the sport.”
An alum of Western Kentucky and Broward County native, Davis signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. He appeared in each of the Dolphins’ three preseason games.
McDaniel recounted how Davis’ personality shined during a rookie showcase in which he sang a song and told a story to the team.
“He’s magnetic. He’s got a cool personality to him,” McDaniel said. “Guys really saw that. The receivers already knew it but from then on, he was a guy that his teammates really root for. That tells you everything about a human being.”
McDaniel fought back tears as he was asked to describe Davis. “He’s a great spirit, first and foremost,” he said.
Said quarterback Tua Tagovailoa: “When something like this happens, it sometimes does bring guys closer. Because it’s more than just football. It’s about life. It’s about the person. It’s about the guys in the locker room, who they are outside the locker room. We’re all human, too. We go out there for the entertainment of those people watching and sometimes things happen unfortunately like that.”
This story may be updated.
This story was originally published August 26, 2023 at 11:36 PM.
