NFL and players union agree to updated concussion protocol in wake of Tua Tagovailoa incident

ByKevin Dotson, CNNWire
Saturday, October 8, 2022
NFL and players union agree to updated concussion protocol in wake of Tua Tagovailoa incident
The National Football League and the NFL Players Association agreed to update the league's concussion protocol on Saturday.

The National Football League and the NFL Players Association agreed to update the league's concussion protocol on Saturday.

The video featured is from a previous report.

The decision follows the review of the incident on September 25 in which Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an apparent head injury and was later allowed to re-enter the game. The league and union jointly announced the findings of the review on Saturday.

Under the new protocols, players will be unable to compete if they are experiencing ataxia.

The joint announcement described the conclusion and findings of their review of Tagovailoa's injury as follows:

"While the investigation determined that the team medical staff and unaffiliated medical professionals followed the steps of the Protocol as written, the NFL and NFLPA agree that the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the Protocols were drafted."

"As such, as has been done in previous cases, based on the advice of the parties' respective medical experts, the Protocol will be modified to enhance the safety of the players. Specifically, the term 'ataxia' has been added to the mandatory 'no-go' symptoms. 'Ataxia' is defined as abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue. In other words, if a player is diagnosed with 'ataxia' by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol."

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