Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is speaking with investigators Tuesday as part of the NFL and NFLPA's inquiry into his concussion evaluation during and after a Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques.

Tagovailoa was allowed to return against Buffalo after halftime despite hitting his head on the turf in the second quarter and exhibiting signs of a concussion, including stumbling as he was trying to jog back to the huddle for the next play.

While the Dolphins have received plenty of criticism for allowing Tagovailoa to return to that game, the 24-year-old said that he passed concussion protocol.

The NFLPA quickly launched an investigation into his concussion evaluation during the game and recently announced the firing of the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant involved in that evaluation.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills also promised that the full results of the investigation would be made public, per Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio:

"We want to be as transparent and open about this as possible. We certainly want to learn, to improve, to get better. And we want to be the best in the world at diagnosing and managing these injuries. And so if we find that we fell short, or if we find that there are things that we need to change, we will certainly be up front about doing that. We’ve done that before, and we will certainly do that again, if that’s what's indicated."

The Dolphins were also criticized for allowing Tagovailoa to play in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals, just four days after the Buffalo game, after he was taken to the hospital on a stretcher following a scary hit that left him with head and neck injuries.

However, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa passed concussion protocol every day leading up to Week 4 and also on game day:

"I have 100 percent conviction in our process regarding our players. This is a player-friendly organization and I make it very clear from the onset that my job here is for the players. I take that very seriously. No one in the building strays from that ... If there would have been anything lingering with his head, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out there and put them in harm's way.

"This is a relationship that I have with this human being. I take that serious. I wouldn't have put him out there if there was any inclination given to me whatsoever that he was endangering himself from that previous game."

Tagovailoa has since been diagnosed with a concussion and ruled out for Week 5 against the New York Jets. There is no timetable for his return.

The NFL and NFLPA reportedly intends to change the league's concussion protocol. It will "rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability" regardless of any other contributing factors, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

There is not a timetable for return for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as he recovers from a concussion, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters on Monday, and he won't play in Week 5.

"He'll be out for this game against the [New York] Jets," McDaniel said.

Tagovailoa exited Thursday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals after taking a hit from Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou in the second quarter. He hit the ground hard before being stretchered off the field and taken to the hospital with head and neck injuries.

Tua was taken off the field on a stretcher after an apparent injury

Prayers up 🙏 pic.twitter.com/XNgf92WIXt

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 30, 2022

The 24-year-old was questionable for Thursday's game against the Bengals after suffering back and ankle injuries in the Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

However, Tagovailoa was also evaluated for a concussion during that game.

The Alabama product hit the back of his head on the field against the Bills, and as he was jogging back to the huddle, he stumbled and had to be propped up by teammates.

He was then examined for a concussion before being allowed to return to the game for the second half after he said he passed the NFL's mandated concussion protocol.

The NFLPA has launched an investigation into Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation during that game.

The young quarterback had been off to a stellar start this season, leading the Dolphins to a 3-1 record. He has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns against three interceptions.

With Tagovailoa sidelined, the Dolphins will turn to veteran Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback.

The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with Miami in March after spending the 2021 campaign with the Denver Broncos. In 14 starts last season, he completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards and 18 touchdowns against seven interceptions, in addition to rushing for 106 yards and two scores.

The Louisville product was a first-round pick for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2014 NFL draft. He has also spent time with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.

Bridgewater has appeared in 74 games and started 63 of those across eight seasons. While he's not the quarterback Dolphins fans had hoped they'd be watching, he's a solid replacement.

Amid the debate surrounding the Miami Dolphins' usage of Tua Tagovailoa, NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills explained the difficulty of diagnosing concussions, via Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated:

As a practicing neurosurgeon, I would tell you that we often struggle to identify whether or not a concussion has occurred because we lack objective tests for a concussion. And what I mean by that is, our diagnosis of concussion is still very much dependent on self-reported symptoms. We obviously do have some objective neurologic findings, where we'll check, for example, cranial nerves, and we'll check memory and we'll check balance. Those items, when they're abnormal, make the diagnosis easy. There are difficult situations where all of the objective neurologic findings are normal, and we have to rely on symptoms. And those are difficult situations for all clinicians.

Tagovailoa was cleared to return in his team's Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills despite seemingly displaying concussion symptoms on the field. He then suffered a concussion in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals and was carted off the field.

The unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant was fired after making several mistakes in the initial concussion test, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

The NFL and NFLPA have agreed on changes to the concussion protocol, which would "rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability," according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

It's clear there is still work to do with concussions being difficult to diagnose.

Stills explained the league is relying on players to self-report in many cases, with 40 percent of tests featuring players acknowledging their own symptoms or asking for an evaluation. This is considered an improvement compared to a decade ago when players wouldn't come forward with information.

There were reportedly 187 diagnosed concussions during the 2021 season, a drop from over 200 in each year from 2015-19, per Peter King of NBC Sports.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Tua Tagovailoa's concussion this week is expected to last "another week or two," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The results are expected to be announced "almost immediately after."

The Miami Dolphins quarterback appeared to display concussion symptoms in his team's Week 3 win over the Buffalo Bills, but he was allowed to return to the game. Four days later, Tagovailoa suffered another big hit in a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals and was carted off the field.

The NFL and NFL Players' Association are conducting a joint investigation, which will include an interview with Tagovailoa.

The NFLPA has already found that the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant made "several mistakes" during Tagovailoa's initial concussion test and the person has been fired, per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network.

The NFL and NFLPA have also agreed to parameters on changes to the concussion protocol that could take effect as soon as Week 5, according to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The changes would "rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability."

Tagovailoa, meanwhile, provided a positive update on his own status Friday.

"I'm feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates," he said in a statement.

The NFL and NFLPA announced Saturday that they have plans to change the league's concussion protocol following the head and neck injuries suffered by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The new parameters reportedly "will rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability," per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, "regardless of any possible contributing factors." The agreement could take effect by Week 5.

The NFL said in a statement, via Pelissero:

"The NFL and the 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."

My understanding is the new NFL-NFLPA concussion protocols are effectively agreed to, pending the formal approval process.

The announcement now puts everyone on notice for Week 4 Sunday (if they weren’t already): If there’s any doubt, get the player out. https://t.co/CtpoOVnK6C

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 1, 2022

Tagovailoa suffered injuries to his head and neck during a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old took a huge hit from Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou and hit his head on the turf before being stretchered off the field and taken to a Cincinnati hospital for further evaluation.

Tagovailoa was diagnosed with a concussion and doesn't have a timetable for his return to the field. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is expected to play in his place.

The injury occurred just four days after Tagovailoa was allowed to return to a Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills after being evaluated for a concussion.

After hitting his head on the turf in the first half against the Bills, Tagovailoa struggled to stay on his feet while jogging back to the huddle. He had to be helped up by teammates and was removed from the game. Tagovailoa said he passed concussion protocol during halftime, which is why he was allowed to finish the game.

The NFLPA has since announced that it has fired the independent neurotrauma consultant who cleared the quarterback to return to that matchup. An investigation by the NFLPA found that the consultant made "several mistakes" with the quarterback's concussion test, per NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe.

The investigation into Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation during that game is still ongoing, but the NFL's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, told NFL Media's Judy Battista earlier this week that the results of that investigation would be made public (h/t ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio):

“We want to be as transparent and open about this as possible. We certainly want to learn, to improve, to get better. And we want to be the best in the world at diagnosing and managing these injuries. And so if we find that we fell short, or if we find that there are things that we need to change, we will certainly be up front about doing that. We’ve done that before, and we will certainly do that again, if that’s what’s indicated.”

Sills added there would be "very serious consequences" if the investigation finds concussion protocol wasn't followed.

The Dolphins have faced plenty of criticism for allowing Tagovailoa to play in Thursday's game against the Bengals. However, head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters earlier this week that the signal-caller passed concussion protocol every day leading up to the game and on game day.

It's unclear exactly what the new concussion protocol will look like, but it's reasonable to believe it will be more extensive than what is currently in place.

The NFL Players Association has fired the independent doctor who cleared Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to return in last Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills.

Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on Saturday, the NFLPA exercised its "prerogative to terminate" the doctor.

NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe the NFLPA's investigation found "several mistakes" made by the neurotrauma consultant with Tagovailoa's concussion test.

Tagovailoa was removed from the game against the Bills in the second quarter after taking a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano. He got back to his feet following the hit but got wobbly and fell to one knee momentarily.

The Dolphins announced Tagovailoa was questionable to return due to a head injury. The third-year quarterback returned at the start of the third quarter and finished the game, leading Miami to a 21-19 victory.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Tagovailoa's injury was a back issue that occurred in the first quarter on a quarterback sneak and worsened when it "locked up" following the hit from Milano, leading to him being wobbly.

Rapoport also noted Tagovailoa was fully cleared after undergoing a concussion check in the locker room.

The NFLPA announced in the aftermath of the situation last Sunday that it would investigate the handling of the concussion check during the game.

Tagovailoa was removed from Miami's game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday after his head hit the ground following a sack by Josh Tupou. His arms and fingers appeared to seize up as he was down on the field, leading to him being taken off on a stretcher.

After being diagnosed with a concussion at a Cincinnati hospital, Tagovailoa was discharged and allowed to fly back to Miami with the team.

Appreciate all the support! 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/jWBYyvbbwg

— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tua) September 30, 2022

NFL vice president of communications Jeff Miller told Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson that "every indication" the league received about the situation was the concussion protocol "was followed" properly.

Per the NFL's official concussion protocols, once a player is suspected to have suffered a head injury, they are immediately removed from a game and sent to a medical tent for assessment.

Players are only allowed to return to the game if they clear a five-step evaluation process. If a player demonstrates "gross motor instability" caused by neurological reasons, the NFL's guidelines say the player should be taken out of the game.

Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa suffered injuries to his head and neck on a scary hit in the second quarter of Thursday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the quarterback provided a positive update on his condition Friday.

"I want to thank everyone for all of their prayers and support since the game last night," Tagovailoa said in a statement. "It was difficult to not be able to finish the game and be there with my teammates, but I am grateful for the support and care I've received from the Dolphins, my friends and family, and all the people who have reached out.

"I'm feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates."

Tagovailoa was taken to a Cincinnati hospital on a stretcher after hitting his head on the turf on a sack by Bengals nose tackle Josh Tupou. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and there is no timetable for his return.

The injury occurred just four days after Tagovailoa was evaluated for a concussion in a Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. After hitting his head on the turf in the second quarter of that game, Tagovailoa could barely stay on his feet as he tried to walk back to the huddle.

Tagovailoa was removed from the game and evaluated for a concussion before being allowed to return for the second half. He said he passed concussion protocol during that game.

However, the NFL and NFLPA are now investigating Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation, and the league's chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills, promised to make the results of that investigation public, per NFL Media (h/t ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio):

“We want to be as transparent and open about this as possible. We certainly want to learn, to improve, to get better. And we want to be the best in the world at diagnosing and managing these injuries. And so if we find that we fell short, or if we find that there are things that we need to change, we will certainly be up front about doing that. We’ve done that before, and we will certainly do that again, if that’s what’s indicated.”

Sills added that there will be "very serious consequences" if the concussion protocol was not followed.

The Dolphins have faced immense criticism for allowing Tagovailoa to play against the Bengals on Thursday night, but head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that he passed concussion protocol every day leading up to the game:

"I have 100 percent conviction in our process regarding our players. This is a player-friendly organization and I make it very clear from the onset that my job here is for the players. I take that very seriously. No one in the building strays from that ... If there would have been anything lingering with his head, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I prematurely put someone out there and put them in harm's way.

"This is a relationship that I have with this human being. I take that serious. I wouldn't have put him out there if there was any inclination given to me whatsoever that he was endangering himself from that previous game."

With Tagovailoa expected to be sidelined indefinitely, the Dolphins will likely turn to Teddy Bridgewater until he can return.

Miami is first in the AFC East with a 3-1 record and will play the New York Jets next weekend.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said on the NFL Network Friday that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was checked for concussion symptoms every day this week.

Speaking with @judybattista on @nflnetwork, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills says Tua Tagovailoa was checked for concussion symptoms every day since Sunday. Points out independent neuro expert had to clear him. Once review is done, full results will be released publicly.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 30, 2022

Our interview with NFL CMO Dr. Allen Sills on why Tua Tagovailoa was allowed to fly home, what happened last Sunday and on the subsequent concussion checks during the week, and on whether the concussion protocol could be changed as a result. pic.twitter.com/Q5N9TLBYgt

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) September 30, 2022

Tagovailoa, 24, left Thursday night's 27-15 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter after appearing to be knocked unconscious following a sack. He was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital with head and neck injuries, though he was released from the hospital and flew back with the team to South Florida.

Tagovailoa was being monitored ahead of Thursday's game after suffering an injury last weekend and returning to the game. Following a hit in a win over the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa stumbled after he got back to his feet and he was listed as questionable to return to that game with a head injury.

However, after undergoing tests, the team determined a back injury, not a head injury, had caused the stumble, and he was permitted to return to the game.

The NFLPA promptly opened an investigation into the Dolphins' handling of that injury. And after Tagovailoa's injury on Thursday night, the NFLPA released the following statement:

Player health and safety is at the core of the union's mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) September 30, 2022

NFLPA president JC Tretter followed up with a statement of his own:

pic.twitter.com/fMf8qLOJWA

— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) September 30, 2022

Sills, meanwhile, also made an appearance on CNN and offered more information on the situation and the NFL's concussion protocols:

(Sills cont.) "... And your immediate thought goes to that patient, to their family, to everyone involved, and to making in the moment we do everything we can to provide the most expert and timely care."

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 30, 2022

NFL CMO Allen Sills tells @drsanjaygupta the league will be critical of its own protocols, and transparent on its findings. "I am our harshest critic. I look at all of our data, all of our outcomes through the most critical lens to try and see how we can improve."

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 30, 2022

It remains unclear when, or if, Tagovailoa will play again this season.

"I'm not even thinking about timetables as a player," head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters when asked if the Dolphins were considering an IR stint for Tagovailoa. "It's about Tua as a person. We're just worried about him getting healthy and getting all of the testing done. We'll cross the bridge on timetables."

"You wanna win the game but obviously you wanna make sure that your brother is all right," wide receiver Tyreek Hill added on Thursday night, saying players had been asking for updates on Tagovailoa's during the second half. "Football is just our part-time job, but that brotherhood is something that'll last forever."

The Miami Dolphins are under intense scrutiny after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a head and neck injury that appeared to cause his arm to seize up in the second quarter of Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

On Friday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Adam Schefter noted he spoke to multiple teams that said their medical and training staffs "would not have allowed" Tagovailoa to play on a short week after the injury he sustained in Miami's Week 3 win over the Buffalo Bills:

"Now he did play, and every team has a different medical staff and different standards, but again I come back to 'gross motor instability.' It's the phrase that's in the protocols, it's the phrase that people are using. People have said he has a concussion, the Dolphins said he didn't have a concussion. We don't know whether he did or he didn't. What we do know is that when he walked off that field on Sunday, something did not look right. Something was wrong, and Tua was allowed to re-enter the game after being cleared by the doctors leading up to the circumstances last night that left everybody with a deep, disturbed feeling about how the system had failed."

The Dolphins announced Tagovailoa was taken to a local hospital in Cincinnati for further examination and he has movement in all of his extremities.

After the game, the Dolphins announced Tagovailoa was "expected to be discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center" and fly home with the team.

There was a lot of controversy stemming from Tagovailoa being allowed to return to play in the second half against the Bills on Sunday.

After taking a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano that caused his head to hit the turf late in in the second quarter, Tagovailoa got up wobbly and fell to a knee before being taken out.

The Dolphins originally announced Tagovailoa was questionable to return with a head injury. He was back on the field with the offense at the start of the third quarter.

Following Miami's 21-19 victory, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tagovailoa's injury stemmed from a back issue that occurred early in the game and his back "locked up" after the hit from Milano.

According to Rapoport, Tagovailoa went through a concussion check in the locker room and was fully cleared.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the NFL Players Association initiated an investigation into the handling of Tagovailoa's concussion check.

The Dolphins' official injury report leading up to Thursday's game noted Tagovailoa didn't participate in practice on Monday and was limited on Tuesday and Wednesday because of back/ankle injuries.

The NFLPA tweeted on Thursday the investigation into a potential concussion protocol violation involving the Dolphins and Tagovailoa is ongoing.

Teddy Bridgewater replaced Tagovailoa for the remainder of the game against the Bengals. Miami's next game is on Oct. 9 against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.

NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith said the union will consider legal remedies as it investigates whether Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa should have played in Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Smith sent a statement to two members of the Amazon broadcast team, Andrew Whitworth and Richard Sherman, after Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher and transported to the hospital for evaluation of head and neck injuries, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

"We insisted on these rules to avoid exactly this scenario," Smith said. "We will pursue every legal option, including making referrals against the doctors to licensing agencies and the team that is obligated to keep our players safe."

The NFLPA previously launched an investigation into whether Tagovailoa should have returned to Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills after going through concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa stumbled to his feet and struggled to maintain balance after hitting his head on the field during the Week 3 game against Buffalo.

He briefly left the contest but returned after halftime. NFL vice president of communications Jeff Miller said Wednesday the league was confident proper protocols were followed.

"Every indication from our perspective is that it was [followed]," Miller said. "I know that the player, the coach and others have spoken to this."

Chris Nowinski, the CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said hours before Thursday's kickoff the Dolphins quarterback shouldn't be allowed to play:

If Tua takes the field tonight, it's a massive step back for #concussion care in the NFL.

If he has a 2nd concussion that destroys his season or career, everyone involved will be sued & should lose their jobs, coaches included. We all saw it, even they must know this isn't right https://t.co/vxpaOif5rh

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) September 29, 2022

Tagovailoa remained down for several minutes after a hard tackle Thursday night, leading to outrage on social media about how his situation was handled.

The Dolphins later announced he was expected to travel with the team back to Miami after being discharged from the hospital:

QB Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be discharged from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and will fly home with the team tonight.

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 30, 2022

Miami has announced no further updates about his status as of Friday morning.

The NFLPA didn't provide a timetable for its investigation into the Dolphins' handling of last week's concussion protocol enforcement.

Their next game is scheduled for Oct. 9 against the New York Jets.