NFL chief medical officer says Tua Tagovailoa showed “nothing that would trigger” concussion protocol

Toa TagovailoaThe concussion protocol visit sparked a lot of controversy — and history seems to be repeating itself.

the Miami Dolphin The quarterback suffered a concussion for the second time this season after Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers — however, the league says he showed no signs of such an injury during the game.

Tagovailoa reported symptoms the day after the game, but the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sales, said Tuesday in an interview with NFL Network that he showed nothing “that would trigger the protocol” during the game.

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Miami Dolphins linebacker Tua Tagovailoa looks at the sidelines during the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Cincinnati. Tagovailoa suffered a second gruesome injury in five days when he was carted off the field on Thursday.
(AP Photo/Jeff Dean)

“What our blood controllers and unaffiliated neurologists are looking for is any blow that transfers force to the head or neck area, followed by whipping behavior,” Sills explained. “And so, there are many hits to the head that happen during a match. We’re always looking for the hit as well as injury behavior, and obviously if we see any injury behavior, there’s a recall made to evaluate that player. Also, if a player identifies any symptoms or develops A teammate or a coach or an official or someone else identifying the symptoms, that also starts a protocol. So many people could start the protocol and in this game on Sunday, there were none of those factors. There were no visible signs present, over Although there was a blow to the head and the player did not report any symptoms, despite being in contact with the medical staff throughout the match. Therefore, there was nothing that would trigger the protocol at the moment.”

Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins takes the field before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida.
(Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers thinks Dolphins should consider closing TUA Tagovailoa for season rest

It is not known exactly when Tagovailoa suffered a concussion, but it is widely believed that he suffered it after he made a pass to stop Durham Smith and was tackled from behind in the second quarter, resulting in his head being slapped on the turf at Hard Rock Stadium on Christmas Day. Birth. .

Tagovailoa stayed in the game but it wasn’t pretty, throwing three straight interceptions over Miami’s last three drives as the Packers scored 16 unanswered points for a 26-20 win on the road to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The tackle was eerily similar to his hit in Week 3, wobbly after hit but played just three days later, then suffered a concussion that sent him to the hospital and forced the NFL to make changes to its protocol.

The blow to the head was so bad that Tagovailoa’s hands were twisted on the court. Many have speculated that he must have been in concussion protocol after being hit against the Bills.

Instead, he was practicing normally before the first game of the week.

It looks like Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins will pass against the Detroit Lions during the first quarter at Ford Field on October 30, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan.
(Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

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Tagovailoa finished Sunday’s loss to the Packers 16 of 25 for 310 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He passed 200 yards in the first half alone after some long completions, including an 84-yard touchdown run to Jaylen Waddle.

The 8-7 Dolphins are currently ranked seventh in the AFC playoff picture, but have lost each of their last four games.

Fox News’ Scott Thompson contributed to this report.