Tua Tagovailoa is examined during the first half of the team's NFL football game
Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, is examined during the first half of their NFL matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 29, 2022, in Cincinnati. (AP PhotoJeff Dean) 

According to a person familiar with the decision, the NFL Players Association has fired the independent neurotrauma consultant who examined Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he fell off the field against Buffalo last weekend.

The individual who confirmed the dismissal, which was first reported by Pro Football Talk, spoke to the AP under the condition of anonymity because an investigation into Tagovailoa's quick return to Sunday's game by the NFL and its players' union is still ongoing.

Each game features three UNCs, or unaffiliated neurotrauma consultants. They collaborate with team doctors to diagnose concussions, and they are compensated jointly by the league and the players' union. The NFLPA is using its right to oust the UNC directly responsible for the choice to release Tagovailoa, who suffered a concussion after a terrifying hit just four days later at Cincinnati on Thursday night, from his suspension.

After taking a blow to the head during the home game against Buffalo, Tagovailoa initially appeared to have concussion symptoms, but he was given the all-clear by a team doctor and UNC to play again. Later, he and the team explained that his back injury caused his legs to be unsteady.

Josh Tupou, a defensive tackle for the Bengals who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 340 pounds, slammed him backward into the ground on Thursday and slammed him awkwardly in front of his facemask for a few seconds as he lay on the ground in Cincinnati. He was left on the ground for a while before being carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital. Hours after being discharged from the hospital, he boarded the team's flight back home.

If there is a connection between the two injuries, it is unknown. In the NFL, concussions are frequent, particularly when a player is thrown to the ground by a man Tupou's size and strikes the ground with his head.

When the quarterback appeared to hit the ground after taking a hit from linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half against the Bills, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel defended the team's handling of the situation. When Tagovailoa stood up, he stumbled. He was then taken to the locker room for evaluation before coming back into the game at the beginning of the third quarter.

Tagovailoa was cleared by multiple levels of medical personnel during that game, according to McDaniel, who reaffirmed this on Friday. The quarterback did not suffer a head injury, which is why he was not in the concussion protocol prior to Thursday's game. There is no set timetable for Tagovailoa's return, according to McDaniel on Friday.

Image Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer


Many observers questioned the decision to allow Tagovailoa to play again against the Bills.

In a joint statement, the NFLPA and the league said they had not drawn any conclusions about "medical errors or protocol violations" because the investigation was still ongoing. However, the two went on to say that "modifications are needed... to improve player safety" and that they anticipate "changes to the (concussion) protocol" to happen "in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process."