During the Miami Dolphins’ Week 3 victory over the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appeared to be dealing with concussion-like symptoms.
Tagovailoa, on a third-and-3 play, hit wide receiver Jaylen Waddle for a first down, but after the ball was thrown he was knocked to the ground by Matt Milano. That hit, which was penalized for roughing the passer, caused Tagovailoa’s head to bounce off of the ground.
When Tagovailoa got to his feet, he stumbled and appeared to be unable to walk under his own power. He made it to the locker room with the help of trainers, but it didn’t look good, as Miami announced he was dealing with a head injury. Despite this, Tagovailoa missed only one series, returning after halftime.
After the game, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the NFLPA is initiating an investigation into the handling of the injury.
Under the 2020 CBA, the NFLPA, NFL Management Council or any player has the right (independently or collectively) to bring forward a complaint about an alleged failure to follow concussion protocol, to be investigated and resolved by the union and management council.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 25, 2022
It’s unclear how long the process of investigation could take and what the fallout would be. For now, Dolphins fans will wait.
