Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will not play Sunday against the New York Jets after suffering a shocking head injury last week.
Mike McDaniel, Dolphins coach announced the news on Monday, told the media that Tagovailoa remained under “concussion protocol” following his injury Thursday at a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When a reporter asked McDaniel if he and Dolphins general manager Chris Grier would consider putting Tagovailoa, 24, On injured reserve for four weeks, he said “it’s too early to give a definite timetable” for the quarterback’s return.
The Dolphins coach also said that while Tagovailoa has had “a couple of good days,” he’s trying to “follow the proper procedure and protocol to get him feeling 100 percent.”
During Thursday’s game against the Bengals, Tagovailoa was sacked by defensive tackle Josh Tupou. The gruesome hit sent Tagovailoa’s head bouncing onto the turf, which left him frozen flat on the field, fingers stuck out of control, for several minutes.
His finger movements were a “fencing response,” which occurs when a person is hit with a significant impact to the head during contact sports, according to an article on the medical news site. Health linewhich was checked by a doctor.
Team doctors and other emergency personnel put Tagovailoa on a stretcher and sent him to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center by ambulance, he said. CBS Sports. He was diagnosed with a concussion and had suffered back and neck injuries as a result of the impact.
Tagovailoa thanked fans and supporters for their concern after the game Twittersaying he is “focused on recovering so I can get back on the field with my teammates.”
After Tagovailoa’s injury, ventilators i members of the media began to wonder if Tagovailoa’s reaction to being fired Thursday had anything to do with being hit in the back of the head four days before a game against the Buffalo Bills.
During the Sept. 25 Bills game, Tagovailoa appeared to “exhibit concussion-like symptoms” after being hit in the back by linebacker Matt Milano, he said. ESPN. As Tagovailoa fell backwards, his head hit the turf. As Tagovailoa tried to undo the hit, he stumbled and struggled to regain his balance before being helped by teammates. He was initially removed from the field for evaluation in the locker room, but was later cleared to return to the game by a team physician and an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant..
After the conclusion of that game, the Dolphins said Tagovailoa he fought in the field due to a back injury.
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) launched an investigation immediately after the Bengals game to determine whether the Dolphins followed the league’s concussion protocol during the Bills game, allowing him to return to play after ‘such a short period of time.
According to the NFL Concussion Protocolgross motor instability means a player cannot return to the game if the “team physician, in consultation with the UNC fullback [unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant]determines the instability to be neurologically caused.”
Tagovailoa was listed on the Dolphins’ injury report as “questionable” before the Bengals game, according to CBS Sports.
As a result of its ongoing investigation, the NFLPA fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who evaluated Tagovailoa after the Bills game on Sept. 25, according to reports. The Associated Press.
The NFL and the NFLPA jointly said statement on Saturday that there will be “modifications to the concussion protocol” that are needed to “enhance player safety” following Tagovailoa’s injury.
“The NFLPA’s Mackey-White Health and Safety Committee and the NFL Neck and Spine Committee have already begun discussions regarding the use of the term ‘gross motor instability,’ and we anticipate protocol changes to be made in the coming days based on what has been learned so far in the review process,” the statement said.
