(Miami) An investigation by the NFL and its players’ association has found the Miami Dolphins followed NFL concussion protocol after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury against the Buffalo Bills last month. .
Posted at 12:27 a.m.
The two sides released a joint statement on Saturday about their findings.
“The result in this case was not what was intended when the protocol was designed,” reads the statement.
For this reason, the NFL and the AJNFL agreed to modify the league’s concussion protocol, adding the term “ataxia” to the list of symptoms leading to mandatory retirement. In the release, ataxia is defined as “abnormal balance/stability, motor coordination, or verbal dysfunction caused by a neurological problem.”
If a player is diagnosed with ataxia by the team or a neutral doctor, the player must be removed from the game immediately and receive medical attention.
In the first half of the Sept. 25 game against the Bills, Tagovailoa took a tough tackle from linebacker Matt Milano. He appeared disoriented and had difficulty keeping his balance as he tried to get up.
Tagovailoa was sent to the locker room to follow NFL concussion protocol and he was given the all-clear to return to play. He was therefore back in his position at the start of the third quarter, which shocked several observers. .
Less than a week later, Tagovailoa got the start against the Cincinnati Bengals. He suffered a concussion in the first quarter and left the field on a stretcher. He stays away for this reason.
The neurotrauma consultant who handled Tagovailoa’s injury assessment against the Bills was fired by the AJNFL.
NFL vice president overseeing health and safety affairs, Jeff Miller, said in a video conference call on Saturday that the NFL does not endorse the consultant’s firing.
The NFL and AJNFL said they reviewed the video footage and jointly interviewed Dolphins medical staff, their chief physician, outside game observer, neurotrauma consultant and Tagovailoa.
They concluded that Tagovailoa did not immediately show signs or symptoms of a concussion in the examination room, for the rest of the game and during the week. However, he had demonstrated motor problems immediately after the Milano tackle.
After the game, Tagovailoa and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel claimed the quarterback suffered a back injury a few plays earlier on a sneak.
According to the investigation, Tagovailoa told medical staff that he aggravated a back injury on the game in question, which caused him to lose his balance.
She also concluded that medical personnel had determined that the motor problem was not caused by a concussion.
“The protocol exists to establish a high standard of concussion care,” the NFL and AJNFL said. The parties therefore remain committed to reviewing the protocol and ensuring that it reflects our intent to assess players for head injuries. »