9:50 p.m.: There were a number of updates throughout the first full day following Tagovailoa’s second in-game injury. Just after noon today, McDaniel informed the media that Tagovailoa had a headache and, as an added precaution, had to undergo another MRI, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. jackson updated their followers following the tests which revealed “nothing serious / alarming”. He went on to say that while every head injury is a serious concern, there was “nothing uncovered during testing that would create new concerns about whether he should return to football”, noting that, at the moment, the only obstacle to Tagovailoa’s return to the field is the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol.
Retired center and second NFLPA president J.-C. Tretter released a statement on Twitter around noon today. He explained that the Players Association launched its investigation because Tagovailoa had been allowed to return despite what Tretter called “non-participation symptoms”. He added that while there is admittedly no “objective, validated method” for diagnosing brain damage, the league should err on the side of caution and player safety and work to eliminate potential of human error.
NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills explained what he knew about Tagovailoa’s treatment ahead of Thursday night’s game, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista. He explained that Tagovailoa “was checked daily for concussion symptoms” from Sunday until Thursday’s game and that an “independent neuro-expert had to clear him”. The NFLPA will verify this information and use it to inform its decisions. Pelissero added that once the review is complete, “the results will be made public.”
8:58 a.m.: Tua Tagovailoa was at the heart of controversy and speculation ahead of last night’s game, and his condition remains a major talking point today. The Dolphins QB was sacked, then suffered a head injury that left him on the ground for several minutes. He was eventually dragged off the pitch and taken to a local hospital, where he was alert and had full movement in his extremities. 
The episode would have been remarkable on its own, but was doubly so considering the hit Tagovailoa received on Sunday which caused him to stumble and briefly leave the game. The team’s handling of his situation has since been the subject of an ongoing NFLPA investigation. Although it appears at this point that the Dolphins followed concussion protocol correctly in this case, the fact that the 24-year-old suffered a serious injury after playing for a short week has drawn the ire of the union. player.
NFLPA executive director ByMaurice Smith sent a message to current and former association members, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, which reads, “We insisted on these rules to avoid exactly this scenario. We will pursue all legal options, including referring doctors to licensing agencies and the team that is obligated to keep our players safe.
Asked about the potential link between the two injuries and the team’s decision to play against Tagovailoa despite the quick turnaround, the head coach Mike McDaniel reiterated his confidence in the Alabama product’s recovery after Sunday’s game and the team’s adherence to concussion-related procedures. He said, via NFL.com’s Grant Gordon, “I don’t think an injury last week brought him down the same way this week, but yeah, I don’t have any, like absolutely zero patience for, or I’ll ever put a player in position. for him to be in danger. way.
“There’s an independent specialist who specializes in specialized brain matter, so for me, as long as I’m coaching here, I’m not going to fake this whole thing… People don’t vary or stray. [from protocol]; we’re not kidding about that, we’ve never been as long as I’ve been a head coach, so that would never be an issue you would have to worry about.
Tagovailoa returned to Miami with the team while wearing a neck brace, according to CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson (Twitter link). She adds that initial scans showed nothing broken in his neck or spine, and that he will undergo an MRI after he arrives. While his short-term and long-term recovery timeline is worth watching, this situation will also be highlighted by other scenarios for the foreseeable future.
