Following Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entered concussion protocol.
Head coach Mike McDaniel released a statement that addressed his player’s injury, explaining that the 24-year-old athlete was exhibiting signs of concussion after being evaluated by a team doctor. “I care very deeply about each and every player,” the coach said during a news conference according to CNN. “I take that seriously, so I just want him to get healthy and have peace of mind in that regard. That’s first and foremost, and then whatever the circumstances are after, you deal with after. It’s about the human being and making sure he’s squared away.”
Despite exhibiting symptoms, NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills reported that Tagovailoa never experienced a blow during the game that would have triggered a concussion.
“What our spotters and our unaffiliated neuro(logy) doctors are looking for is any blow that transmits force to the head or neck area, followed by that injury behavior,” Sills stated. “So, many people can initiate the protocol and in this game on Sunday, none of those factors were present.”
“I think the focus here should be on kudos to the athlete for speaking up, for endorsing those symptoms and recognizing that there was a potential problem,” the doctor continued. “And then kudos to the team for immediately acting on that, putting the player in the concussion protocol and, again, behaving in what we would say is a very conservative manner.”
This season has been particularly difficult for Tagovailoa, especially in relation to concussions. During the September 25 game against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa was seen hitting his head but was later cleared to go back on the field. Less than a week later, his head was slammed to the ground during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, to which he seemed paralyzed and unable to use his fingers. Following these incidents, speculation about NFL concussion protocol began circulating.
Retired NFL stars discuss Tua Tagovailoa’s recent head injuries
“Tua Tagovailoa shouldn’t play anymore this season if the NFL is serious about health and safety and concussions,” said former NFL players and current game analyst Booger McFarland during ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown.
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In a similar manner, Robert Griffin III encouraged the quarterback to get rest and make the decision to sit out games in order to recover from head injuries.
Griffin expressed the sentiments, “When we talk about these head injuries, it’s nothing to play with. You’ve got to put the person ahead of the player. I’m more concerned about Tua and his longevity with life than I am about whether he’s gonna play on Sunday… He should not play for the rest of the season.”
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