Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a scary concussion during Thursday’s Week 4 contest that is generating a response from the NFL and NFLPA.
Tagovailoa, who was taken off the field on a stretcher after being brought down by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou in the second quarter, was quickly hospitalized and released following the 27-15 loss at Paycor Stadium. The 24-year-old Tagovailoa, delivered a statement Friday, thankful for the support across the league.
The injury sparked a debate of controversy though — despite Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel remaining adamant on his stance on starting Tagovailoa — among players who believe that Tagovailoa should’ve never been cleared to play after being seen struggling to stand on both feet during the Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills.
On Saturday, the NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement, which read:
“The NFL and NFLPA agree that modifications to the Concussion Protocol are needed to enhance player safety. The NFLPA’s Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee and the NFL’s Head Neck and Spine Committee have already begun conversations around the use of the term ‘Gross Motor Instability’ and we anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process,” the NFLPA tweeted as part of their full joint statement with the NFL on Saturday.
The NFL and NFLPA also stated the investigation into if the Dolphins followed concussion protocols correctly when Tagovailoa was injured against the Bills is still ongoing.
Nevertheless, the NFL acknowledging the necessity of modifying its current concussion protocols is certainly a progressive step forward in striving for player safety.
