When Tua Tagovailoa’s Concussion Probe by NFLPA Could End, per Report

The NFLPA’s investigation into how the Dolphins handled Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion check during their Week 3 game against the Bills could conclude as soon as Thursday, according to ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. 

The quarterback took a hard hit in the second quarter of that game and appeared to hit his head on the ground. He stood up and shook off the hit, only to then stumble shortly after getting back on his feet. Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol and returned to the game, later saying he suffered a back injury. 

In connection to this probe, the players association recently fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who was involved in his evaluation after it was found the doctor made “several mistakes,” a source told Louis-Jacques. Multiple reasons were noted for the termination, including a “failure to understand his role as UNC and hostility during the investigation process,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported.

Four days after he returned to action against the Bills, Tagovailoa endured another injury during last week’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Bengals. He hit the ground hard on a sack and was taken to the hospital but was discharged later that night, flying home with the team. He has remained in concussion protocol since, and the quarterback’s timeline to return to the field is unknown.

The franchise continues to face scrutiny and outside noise, but coach Mike McDaniel has remained firm about prioritizing the person throughout the situation. He said on Tagovailoa remaining in concussion protocol, “It’s all about the only thing it’s about and that’s the health of the human being.”

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