Miami Dolphins

The NFL and NFLPA are in agreement that concussion protocols were properly applied in regard to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa during his team's 21-19 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25.

However, the league and players' union agreed that the protocols needed modifying, specifically stating that "the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the protocols were drafted."

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network relayed the entire statement:

NFL.com recapped the scene that took place in the Bills game, in which Tagovailoa was seen stumbling to the ground before exiting the game and then returning.

"Tagovailoa briefly exited the Sept. 25 game against Buffalo in the first half with what the team initially announced as a head injury he sustained following a hit from linebacker Matt Milano, who was flagged for roughing the passer on the play. Once getting up on his feet, Tagovailoa shook his head and stumbled as he began to trot forward before getting taken out of the game. Tagovailoa later returned to play following halftime."

Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters postgame that Tagovailoa was dealing with back and ankle injuries. The quarterback said his back "locked up" on him, and that's what caused the fall.

As noted by Pelissero, the report itself states that the quarterback "did not report or exhibit any signs or symptoms of concussion during his locker room exam, during the remainder of the game, or throughout the following week."

However, the doctors did not examine Tagovailoa's back during the concussion test and instead relied on earlier tests for those results.

Modifications to the protocols now include players being taken out for signs of ataxia, per the report (h/t Pelissero).

"(T)he term 'ataxia' has been added to the mandatory 'no-go' symptoms," the report states. "'Ataxia' is defined as abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue."

NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said Tagovailoa would not have been allowed back into the Bills game under the revised protocols.

Tagovailoa was cleared to play four days after the Bills game for a road matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. He left that game with a concussion and a neck injury after his head hit the turf following a sack.

Tagovailoa has already been ruled out for his team's matchup with the New York Jets on Sunday. Teddy Bridgewater will start in his place.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Friday quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains in the NFL's concussion protocol and won't travel with the team for Sunday's Week 5 road game against the New York Jets.

McDaniel added the third-year QB has been "seeing several outside specialists" during his recovery but there are no imminent plans to place him on injured reserve, which would require a minimum of a four-game absence.

Tagovailoa was carted off the field in the team's Week 4 win against the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering a concussion.

His head injury raised red flags after appearing to display symptoms in the team's previous game against the Buffalo Bills. He remained in that game and started for the Dolphins four days later.

The situation led to an investigation by the NFL and NFLPA, while the two sides agreed to rule changes to the concussion protocol.

Tagovailoa, 24, was initially taken to the hospital after the Bengals game, but he was released later that night and provided a positive update on his Twitter account:

The quarterback was previously ruled out of the Week 5 game against the Jets and there doesn't appear to be a timeline for his return.

Teddy Bridgewater will remain the Dolphins' starting quarterback with Tagovailoa unavailable. The veteran is one of the league's most experienced backups, entering the year with 63 starts across four different franchises, including 14 with the Denver Broncos last season.

In two appearances this year with the Dolphins, Bridgewater has 193 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception on 25 passing attempts.

Rookie Skylar Thompson will take over the backup role.

The Miami Dolphins are still facing criticism for their handling of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he suffered an apparent head injury against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25 and a concussion against Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 29.

However, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel isn't letting people's opinions keep him up at night.

"Everything's reactionary anyway," he said Wednesday, per ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "So if people want to [give their opinion], whatever."

Many ripped the Dolphins for allowing Tagovailoa to play against the Cincinnati Bengals just four days after his apparent head injury against the Bills. In the second quarter against Cincinnati, Tagovailoa was stretchered off the field after hitting his head on the turf when he was sacked. He was motionless on the field for quite some time in a scary scene.

McDaniel said it would be "crumbling" to him if the criticisms were coming from within the Miami organization, but he doesn't concern himself with what outside voices have to say.

"If I'm spending time thinking about that, let's say Monday night for five seconds—that's five seconds that I'm not thinking about all the other things that relate to the team and the upcoming game," he said.

The Dolphins are under investigation by the NFL and NFLPA over how they handled Tagovailoa's head injury. The team said he cleared concussion protocol at halftime prior to returning to the game against Buffalo, and later said it was a back injury that caused him to stumble to the ground. After his injury against Cincinnati, the 24-year-old was examined in a hospital before being allowed to travel back to Miami with the team.

McDaniel maintains that there were no indications that Tagovailoa had any concussion symptoms leading up to the Bengals game.

"I'm in steady communication with this guy day in and day out," McDaniel said. "We're talking about high-level football conversations about progressions and defenses and recalling stuff from two weeks previous and then him having to reiterate a 15-word play call. All things, absolutely no signs. There was no medical indication, from all resources, that there was anything regarding the head."

Tagovailoa has already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater will start in his place. McDaniel said there is no timetable for Tagovailoa's return while he's in concussion protocol.

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.

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.

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is appealing his $13,261 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after allegedly grabbing near the groin of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen last week.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Wilkins denies the allegation that led to the fine. Allen and Wilkins were involved in a skirmish during the fourth quarter of the Dolphins' 21-19 win over their division rival last week, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for Buffalo when Allen ripped off Wilkins' helmet.

While Allen was penalized on the field, the NFL did not issue him a fine, indicating an investigation found Wilkins' initial transgression caused the fracas.

While Allen was penalized on the field, the NFL did not issue him a fine, indicating an investigation found Wilkins' initial transgression caused the fracas.

"It is what it is. He is a competitor. He's been known for that, going back to college. I should know that and shouldn't let it get the best of me, but sometimes you see red and things like that happen," Allen said on the Kyle Brandt's Basement podcast. "I'm not here to make any claims or throw anybody under the bus, but I shouldn't have let the emotions get the best of me."

Wilkins was involved in a similar incident during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl while at Clemson. Cameras showed him grabbing the behind and putting his hand between the legs of Ohio State receiver Curtis Samuel. After the game, Wilkins said he was "just being silly."

Wilkins is denying the behavior this time, but the fact that the NFL fined him indicates it has some sort of hard evidence of him grabbing Allen; the league does not typically fine based on hearsay. If the fine is upheld, Wilkins will again have to answer questions about behavior some previously felt bordered on assault.

Bills Mafia rallied en masse to donate money to the charity of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he suffered a concussion Thursday night.

Burt Trembly, executive director for the Tua Foundation, told the Buffalo News the charity has received more than 1,000 donations since Thursday night.

Trembly added he and the other foundation officials are "just grateful for all the support" from fans of the Buffalo Bills, who have a reputation for donating to the charities of players from other teams.

Tagovailoa exited Miami's 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday after his head hit the turf during a sack.

Concern for the 24-year-old was heightened because he appeared to be suffering from concussion-like symptoms less than one week earlier in a 21-19 victory over the Bills. The Dolphins classified it as a back injury.

ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques reported the NFL Players Association fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who cleared the Dolphins quarterback to return against Buffalo, citing "several mistakes" by the consultant.

Tagovailoa said Friday he's "feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates."