NFL Power Rankings: Chargers clinch, Broncos hit rock bottom
USA TODAY Sports’ Tony Anderson recaps NFL Week 16 action and tells us where teams landed in the latest power rankings.
SportsPulse, USA TODAY
With Tua Tagovailoa back in concussion protocol – the third incident in 13 weeks for the Miami Dolphins quarterback that involves an apparent head injury – the sentiment is gaining steam: Shut it down for the rest of the season. Playoffs or not.
Dr. Thom Mayer, chief medical adviser for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), isn’t at the point – at least not yet — of recommending that Tagovailoa should be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
“But I fully understand the logic of people saying, ‘Hey, he should sit out the rest of the year,’ ” Mayer told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday as the NFLPA began reviewing the concussion that Tagovailoa suffered during a loss against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
“There will be people who say he should retire. That’s a whole spectrum of options. That’s kind of Chapter 24. We’re on Chapter 1 now. So, we’re just going to logically move through the chapters and advise the player, who ultimately makes the decision.”
OPINION: Tua, Dolphins unravel vs. Packers, putting playoff hopes in jeopardy
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Packers’ playoff bid no longer farfetched
Mayer said the union began reviewing Tagovailoa’s injury independently of the NFL, which involved footage from the league beyond the network TV video that showed the back of the quarterback’s head violently hitting the turf, in addition to reports from the three unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants (UNCs) on hand.
Mayer said it is likely the NFLPA would also reach out to speak to Tagovailoa, and it’s possible the union will call for a joint investigation by the NFL and NFLPA that would examine whether protocols – revised after Tagovailoa suffered the second of two apparent head injuries when his helmet hit the turf at Cincinnati on Sept. 29 – were properly followed.
Tagovailoa apparently suffered his latest injury late in the second quarter vs. Green Bay but finished the game. The Dolphins (8-7) placed the quarterback in concussion protocol on Monday after Tagovailoa reported symptoms of a concussion.
“We just want to make sure that No. 1, everything is done right and No. 2, everything is going to be done right when it comes to his return to participation, or for our guys, return to work,” Mayer said. “As always, we’re diligent, watching it, between me and the player directors, making sure that we’re all over it. If the protocol is working, fine. If not, we’ll change it if we need to, for the good of the player.”
As of early Tuesday afternoon, Mayer wasn’t sure what happened after Tagovailoa’s head hit the turf shortly before halftime. He will be interested to see whether the quarterback stumbled as he got to his feet, whether he demonstrated signs of ataxia and whether Tagovailoa grabbed his head.
Over many years, experts on concussions have generally maintained that a player who has suffered a concussion becomes more susceptible to suffering additional concussions.
Mayer hasn’t drawn any conclusions yet about how the revised protocols factored into Tagovailoa’s latest case. It should also be noted that after a sharp first-half performance against the Packers (229 yards passing and a 144.4 efficiency rating), Tagovailoa threw all three of his interceptions in the second half.
“We’re moving at a logical sequence to review and see what’s there,” Mayer said.
As for additional tweaking to protocols, Mayer added, “As you know, if there’s reason to pull the trigger, we’ll pull the trigger.”
Many pundits, fans and followers on broadcast and social media have already suggested what should be next for Tagovailoa – regardless of how quickly he is cleared to return.
With Tagovailoa suffering multiple head injuries in such a short time frame, the sentiment that he should sit for the rest of the season is gaining momentum. The optics don’t look good, considering the player who sparked a policy change (ataxia was added to the in-game protocols) is injured again with a concussion.
After suffering the concussion at Cincinnati that occurred five days after a hit against the Buffalo Bills left him stumbling to regain his balance (he insisted that he was bothered by a neck injury), Tagovailoa returned just over three weeks later.
“This is always an individual player decision,” Mayer said, “made in conjunction with his family, his doctor and with Dr. Sid Himes (the NFLPA’s chief health equity officer).
“At any rate, he’s going to have to see how it progresses. Do his symptoms clear? How does he progress through the protocol? To us, health and safety comes first, last and always. Whole player. Whole life. Whole family. So, to the extent that Tua wants us involved, we’ll talk to him, advise him and go through that.”
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
