(Reuters) – Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whose clearance to return to a recent game after his head slammed into the field put the NFL’s concussion protocol under scrutiny, will not play this week, the team said on Monday.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa has had a couple of good days but would miss Sunday’s game at the New York Jets and there is no “definite timeline” for when the former first round draft pick will return.
“He’s had a couple of good days, but he’s just trying to go through with the proper procedure and protocol so that he’s feeling 100%,” McDaniel told reporters.
“I know he’s going to be diligent with it. And if there’s obviously any things that are giving him issues in terms of light and those things, then we will shut that down.”
Tagovailoa looked disoriented after hitting his head on the ground during a game against the Buffalo Bills eight days ago, which he briefly left so that he could be evaluated for a concussion by an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant.
According to reports, the doctor who cleared Tagovailoa to return to the game against Buffalo has since been fired by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) after having made “several mistakes.”
Four days later, in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher after he again hit the back of his head on the ground when he was chased down and thrown to the turf.
Tagovailoa’s arms appeared to seize up almost immediately after that hit and he remained on the field for about seven minutes before being taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with a concussion.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have since said in a joint statement that modifications to the concussion protocol are needed to enhance player safety.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
