
Several players have spoken about passing protocol even when they had concussions. Sills said Tagovailoa was evaluated every day leading up to the game, even though he wasn’t in concussion protocol. Team trainers, coaches or physicians, teammates, game officials, sideline UNCs or booth ATCs also can initiate the protocol.Īll players who undergo any concussion evaluation on game day must have a follow-up evaluation conducted the following day by a member of the medical staff. Independent certified athletic trainers (ATC spotters) sit in a booth and monitor the players on the field to have someone removed from the game if they see an impact to the head. They work in conjunction with team physicians to diagnose whether a player has a concussion. There are three UNCs, who are paid jointly by the NFL and NFLPA, at each game. He remained on the ground for several minutes until he was taken away on a stretcher and sent to a hospital.

Tagovailoa’s hands froze up and his fingers flexed awkwardly in front of his facemask for several seconds as he laid on the turf in Cincinnati, a scary scene witnessed by millions of viewers. The main question is why he was even playing just four days after he stumbled off the field and was unable to walk following a hit to his head during a home game against Buffalo. It would be difficult to prevent what happened to Tagovailoa when 6-foot-3, 340-pound Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou slammed him backward into the turf. That’s not happening, and the most effective means of protecting players remains enforcing strict concussion protocols, which players, fans and others are concerned didn’t happen with Tagovailoa.
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Still, football is a violent sport and injuries similar to the frightening one Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered Thursday night seem unavoidable unless the NFL bans tackling and turns the game into flag football like it did for the Pro Bowl. The league and the NFL Players Association have implemented extensive protocols and hired unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants (UNC) to work with team physicians at each game to diagnose concussions.

The NFL’s handling of concussions has evolved dramatically from the days when players were given smelling salts on the bench and sent back into the game.
