NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said Tuesday that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa did not show symptoms of a concussion during Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
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The league representative clarified that the general behavior of the 24-year-old athlete that day did not warrant further investigation. However, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel revealed the next day that the center had undergone concussion protocol, saying the main concerned suffered symptoms after the 26-20 loss of his team. During it, Tagovailoa got into trouble, notably committing three interceptions in the second half.
“Our managers and associate neurologists are monitoring whether any contact to the neck or head is followed by behavior typical of this injury. […] If a player, teammate, referee, coach or anyone else identifies signs that may suggest concussion, the protocol is initiated. During Sunday’s game, none of the inciting factors were visible, although there was head contact. The player did not complain of any problem, even if he discussed with the medical staff during the meeting. Nothing appears to have violated current protocol,” Sills told the NFL Network.
Away on Sunday?
However, the fact remains that the state of health of Tagovailoa worries McDaniel enough to possibly encourage him to keep him away. Thus, Teddy Bridgewater could act as a starting quarterback on Sunday against the New England Patriots. The head coach confirmed to the media on Wednesday that his No. 1 pivot had indeed suffered a concussion on Sunday.
Tagovailoa has been rocked a few times this season. He was hospitalized with such an injury sustained in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 of the regular season. The whole thing followed another hard contact received during the previous game against the Buffalo Bills; he had returned to action after a short absence in that game, which raised several questions about the Dolphins’, league and Players’ Association handling of protocol.
“I care deeply about every player. I take this seriously, I want him to be healthy and at peace about it. It is the most important. We will deal with the circumstances afterwards,” McDaniel said earlier this week, as reported by NFL.com.