The investigation into how and why Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was cleared from concussion protocol after taking a scary hit in opposition to the Buffalo Payments in Week 3, and was allowed to play earlier than one other terrifying head damage 4 days later in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, continues to be ongoing. Now the primary shoe has dropped: the NFLPA has fired the impartial neurologist who initially cleared Tagovailoa from protocol.
The Gamers Affiliation has the power to terminate the Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Guide in these conditions, and it exercised that proper on Saturday.
When a participant shows “gross motor instability,” after an damage, the participant is dominated out till cleared by each a staff doctor and an unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor. Tagovailoa was cleared by each, and allowed to return in opposition to the Payments after the hit after which play in opposition to the Bengals. The medical doctors decided Tagovailoa’s damage was not “neurologically precipitated.” The staff mentioned he had a again damage after the sport.
The NFLPA interviewed the unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor and the Dolphins’ medical doctors on Friday, and now the UNC has been let go. The unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor was decided to have “made a number of errors” in clearing Tua.
The NFL Gamers Affiliation has terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor concerned in Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion test final Sunday, as @ProFootballTalk mentioned.
Each the UNC and the #Dolphins staff doctor had been interviewed Friday, per supply. Investigation ongoing.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 1, 2022
The NFLPA’s choice to terminate the unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor involving in clearing Tua Tagovailoa got here after the union’s discovery of “a number of errors” made by the physician in its view, per supply.
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 1, 2022
As our Mark Schofield wrote, the Dolphins have extra inquiries to reply about why Tua was allowed to play. We’re monitoring Tagovailoa’s well being updates and the fallout from the continuing union investigation right here.
The Dolphins face the New York Jets in Week 5. Tagovailoa is presently listed as questionable, and stays in concussion protocol. We’ll be following this story because it develops.