Why the NFL/NFLPA’s concussion protocol modifications won’t work on the field

The NFL and NFLPA have released the findings of their Tua Tagovailoa investigation, with protocol modifications that won’t work. Here’s why.

On Saturday, the NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement following an investigation into the protocol followed in the matter of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa following his injury in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills.

“The NFL-NFLPA Concussion Evaluation and Management Protocol was formalized and adopted in 2013,” the two parties said in a statement. “Since that time, the parties’ medical experts have recommended and the parties have agreed to numerous modifications of the protocols to improve the health and safety of players (e.g., the creation of the ATC spotter program, Booth UNCs, Emergency Action Plans, mandatory post-game reports, and improved video surveillance). Rather than being simply a “check the box” process, the Protocol was designed to ensure that highly credentialed and experienced physicians – approved and paid for by the NFL and NFLPA – are available on game day and to create a standardized approach to concussion evaluation where competitive decisions never usurp quality care.

“If a concern arises over compliance with the Protocol, either the NFLPA or the NFL can request an investigation into the actions of the medical staff which will be conducted jointly. The NFL-NFLPA CBA limits the scope of the parties’ review to an objective assessment of whether each step required by the protocol was undertaken when a potential head injury is identified.”

Here’s what they were investigating.

With 2:28 left in the first half of that game, Tagovailoa was hit hard by Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano, and his head hit the turn equally hard. Tagovailoa was wobbly and shaking his head as he got up, and this looked for all the world to be a prototypical concussion.

Tagovailoa was taken into the NFL’s concussion protocol, and came out to play for the entire second half. As the game progressed, news leaked regarding the supposed source of Tagovailoa’s malady.

Given the NFL’s highly specious history regarding head trauma, this was met with massive suspicion, and rightly so. After the game, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel echoed this diagnosis.

“That was live-speed action,” McDaniel said. “Now, Tua, he went out with a lower back, and I hadn’t had that rep with him yet. He kind of got bent back pretty significantly on a quarterback sneak earlier. I was kind of with everyone else. When he hit his head on the ground, I assumed it was a head injury, but his legs got wobbly because his lower back was completely loose and as he described it, he said his lower back was like Gumby or something. That is a challenge.

“That happens all the time in NFL games. It was kind of fast and furious. We had some skill position players get dinged. We had some linemen fight through it, but those are things that you just have to be able to adjust on the fly. Your whole staff better be in concert. You better have contingencies, and you better know some plays you want to go to if things happen. We were able to do the best we could, but it was a lot better when we had everyone back. That’s for sure.”

Tagovailoa really wanted everybody to know that he’s good.

“On the quarterback sneak [the play before], I kind of got my legs caught under someone, and then they were trying to push back and then kind of felt like I hyper-extended my back or something. Then on the next play I kind of hit my back and kind of hurt. Then I got up and then that’s kind of why I stumbled – my back kind of locked up on me. For the most part, I’m good. I passed whatever concussion protocol they had, so I’m good.”

Tagovailoa was not good, as it turned out, and we’ll get into that in a minute. But here’s what the NFL and the NFLPA found in their internal investigation, which is the first problem right off the bat.