The N.F.L. and its players’ union said Saturday that doctors followed the concussion protocol in treating Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he hit his head in a Sept. 25 game, but that the protocol will be changed because Tagovailoa’s return to the field was not what was intended by the rules covering the evaluation of brain injuries.
In the second quarter of a game against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa hit the back of his head against the turf after a late hit by a defender, then he grabbed his helmet, struggled to get up and fell again. He returned to the game in the second half. The players’ union — the N.F.L. Players Association — initiated a joint investigation with the league into how the episode was handled by the Dolphins team medical staff and an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant on the sideline.
That review showed that the protocol was followed and that Tagovailoa did not display concussion-like symptoms during a locker room evaluation or in the days after. Instead, he said that he aggravated a back injury, which led him to stumble and fall. The scene of Tagovailoa wobbling as teammates held him up after the hit led many people to assume that he had sustained a concussion. The team physician and the consultant did not examine Tagovailoa’s back before concluding that the back injury caused his instability and sending him back into the game, the review showed.
Tagovailoa also played four days later against the Cincinnati Bengals and again hit his head when he was slammed to the field after a tackle. He was taken to the hospital and released that night. Tagovailoa is now in the concussion protocol, which requires concussed players to complete a five-phase recovery process before they can be cleared to play. Tagovailoa has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Jets.