Saturday night’s Dolphins-Jaguars game was called off early after Dolphins rookie receiver Daewood Davis suffered a head and neck injury that had him taken off the field on a stretcher and brought to a hospital by ambulance. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said there was no question that ending the game was the right call.
McDaniel said he, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, and the two teams’ NFL Players Association representatives had a brief meeting and all agreed to stop playing.
“The collection of the two NFLPA representatives, Doug and myself made the right call,” McDaniel said. “The two teams agreed that football shouldn’t be played any more tonight. 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.”
Davis has movement in all his extremities and McDaniel said the initial news from the medical staff was good, which is a relief to players who were visibly shaken by the seriousness of his injury.
“Our guys are hurting but relieved,” McDaniel said. “You could see in the collective faces of both teams, their mind wasn’t on football at all. So I thought it was inappropriate to play football.”
It was the second time this preseason that a game ended early because of an injury. The Packers and Patriots also agreed to end their preseason game in the fourth quarter after Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden was taken off the field on a stretcher. Bolden was treated and released at a local hospital.
