Dolphins ‘DID follow concussion protocol with QB Tua Tagovailoa’s head injury’, review finds

The NFL’s concussion protocol was followed after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury against the Buffalo Bills last month, the NFL and NFL Players Association concluded in a joint investigation.

The parties released a joint statement on their findings on Saturday.

“The outcome in this case was not what was intended when the protocol was drafted,” the statement said.

As a result, the NFL and NFLPA agreed to modify the competition’s concussion protocol to include the term “ataxia.” In the statement, they defined ataxia as “aberration of balance/stability, motor coordination, or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological problem.”

Ataxia has replaced the term “gross motor instability” and has been added to the list of symptoms that prevent a player from returning to the game. The others are confusion, amnesia, and loss of consciousness.

In the first half of the September 25 game against Buffalo, Tagovailoa was hit by Bills linebacker Matt Milano, knocking him to the ground. He then seemed disoriented and tripped as he tried to get up.

Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room and put through NFL concussion protocol, after which he was cleared of any head injuries. He started the third quarter and received criticism from viewers about why he was allowed to return to the game.

After the Sept. 25 game, Tagovailoa and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel (pictured) said the quarterback suffered a back injury during a quarterback sneak earlier in the game. The review said Tagovailoa told the medical staff that his back injury worsened during the game in question and that his back injury was tripping him. It also said medical staff had determined the gross motor instability was not due to a concussion

The NFLPA later announced it would launch an investigation into the situation.

“The protocol is there to set a high standard of concussion for every player,” the union and union said, “with every medical professional engaging in meaningful and rigorous examination of the player’s patent.” To that end, the parties remain committed to continuing to evaluate our Protocol to ensure it reflects the intended conservative approach to evaluating player patients for potential head injuries.”

On October 1, the union fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma counselor who handled Tagovailoa’s situation during the match.

Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president who oversees health and safety, said in a virtual news conference Saturday that he believes this is the first time a UNC has been fired, and that the NFL’s decision to fire him did not support.

The NFL and NFLPA said they watched the video and jointly interviewed members of the Dolphins’ medical staff, the chief athletic coach, the Booth ATC Spotter, the UNC and Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa was allowed to return on Sunday despite stumbling to the ground and continuing to struggle even after getting back on his feet. Teammates had to help keep the 24-year-old Hawaiian upright before he was taken out of the game just before half time

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is reportedly in ‘good mood’ back in Florida after being released from a Cincinnati hospital on Thursday night after suffering concussion after losing the Dolphins to the Bengals

They found that Tagovailoa showed no signs or symptoms of a concussion during his locker room exam, for the remainder of the game, or for the following week. But right after he took the blow from Milan, there was gross motor instability.

After the game, Tagovailoa and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the quarterback suffered a back injury during a quarterback sneak earlier in the game.

The review said Tagovailoa told the medical staff that his back injury worsened during the game in question and that his back injury was tripping him. It also said the medical staff had determined that the gross motor instability was not due to a concussion.

Initial tests have revealed no structural damage, a source told ESPN, but he has been diagnosed with a concussion. The good news is that he never lost feeling in his limbs.

“When I talk to him this morning, he still feels some of those headaches, he’s on his MRI now and we’ll find the results of that — it’s an extra precaution on top of CT scans and X-rays,” McDaniel said at 1 October.

Members of the Miami Dolphins surround quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) as he is carted off the field after a first-half hit against the Cincinnati Bengals

McDaniel declined to provide a timetable for Tagovailoa’s return.

“What’s lost in all of this is human relationships,” McDaniel said. “These are not just any players, they are people we invest in together, someone with whom I have grown very, very close. When it comes to head injuries and concussions, things that serve, the only thing I worry about is the person. I’m concerned that he will be healthy, that all the tests will be done and that we will work with him and that we will feel good where the injury is. We still have a long way to go, but we haven’t thought about that yet.’

McDaniel’s comments came as he and team doctors received criticism over Tagovailoa’s inclusion in the Thursday Night Football game in Cincinnati.

McDaniel was asked if Tagovailoa would return this year, but the Dolphin Coach again declined to offer a timetable: “I would feel irresponsible there – even if I think about it.”