NFL’s concussion protocol modified after review

The MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. —

NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to make changes to the league’s concussion protocol following a joint investigation into the procedures after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered what was described as a back injury against the Buffalo Bills last month.

The league and players’ union said in a joint statement Saturday that while the

Dolphins followed protocol after the injury, the outcome of the Tagovailoa case “was not what was intended when the Protocol was drafted.” As a result, language addressing abnormality of balance/stability was added to the league’s protocol list of symptoms that would keep a player from returning to the game.

In the first half Sept. 25 against Buffalo, Tagovailoa took a hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano, which caused him to slam to the ground. He appeared disoriented afterward and stumbled as he tried to get to his feet.

Tagovailoa was immediately taken to the locker room and to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol, after which he was cleared of any head injury. He started the third quarter, drawing widespread criticism as to why he was allowed to return to the game.

The NFL and NFLPA said they reviewed video and jointly interviewed members of the Dolphins’ medical staff, the head athletic trainer, the Booth ATC Spotter, the now-terminated Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant and Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa did not show any signs or symptoms of a concussion during the locker room exam, the rest of the game, or throughout the following week, the league and union said. But immediately after he took the hit from Milano, gross motor instability was present as Tagovailoa was visibly disoriented.

After the game, Tagovailoa and Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the player had suffered a back injury earlier in the contest on a quarterback sneak.

The investigation found that Tagovailoa told the medical staff he aggravated his back injury when he was hit by Milano and that his back injury caused him to stumble. The review also said the medical staff determined that the gross motor instability was not due to a concussion.

In their statement Saturday, the NFL and players’ union said there was not an examination of the QB’s back during the check for a concussion, but medical personnel “instead relied on the earlier examination conducted by other members of the medical staff.” The conclusion then was that the back injury was the cause of Tagovailoa’s instability.

As a result of the joint investigation, the league and union agreed to change the league’s concussion protocol to include the term “ataxia.” In the statement, ataxia is defined as “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.”