Tua Tagovailoa Says He Was Unconscious At One Point After Being Concussed Vs Bengals
LOJSports
|
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has his eyes set on the near future, as the Dolphins prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday for week seven of NFL football. However, the quarterback says he only remembers parts of the past when asked about the concussion he sustained during a Thursday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While speaking to the media on Wednesday, Tagovailoa recalled what he knew about the incident where he was tackled by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou.
“There was a point I was unconscious. I remember the entire night up until the point I got tackled,” Tagovailoa said. “I don’t remember being carted off…I do remember some things from the ambulance and the hospital.”
Tagovailoa’s head bounced off the turf after taking Tupou’s sack in the second quarter. He was lying motionless on the turf for close to twelve minutes, before being lifted off the field on a stretcher and taken to a local medical facility at the University of Cincinnati. He was soon medically cleared to join his teammates and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel on the plane ride back to Miami, Florida.
Tagovailoa was placed in concussion protocol, and was officially cleared last week ahead of week six’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. ESPN’s Adam Schefter went on to explain how the quarterback underwent more than just the NFL’s concussion protocols in order to be cleared to return.
“He (Tua) received four outside opinions, in addition to team doctors, who unanimously cleared him from protocol and all agreed that his scans showed no signs of long-term impact to the brain,” Schefter said. “This is a best-case scenario for the QB who was off to a impressive start to the 2022 season and is expected to return to action next week.”
League officials have reported that the independent neurotrauma consultant who was involved in clearing Tagovailoa to return to action against the Buffalo Bills has been fired. The NFL Players Association reportedly found that “several mistakes” were made in the consultant’s evaluation after it launched its investigation into the Dolphins organization on Sunday. The NFL and NFLPA both hold the rights to terminate contracts with a UNC without an established agreement from the other party. In this case, the NFLPA did not require the NFL’s consent to fire the consultant.
Since then, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to update the league’s concussion protocols to emphasize player safety and cut down on the number of concussions happening around the league. In the updated protocols, it states that players that display instability in mobility will be officially ruled out regardless of any other potential factors. The league and the NFLPA released a joint statement on the changes.
“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.”
The New York Post has more HERE.
Categorized:NFL The Latest
