Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will speak with representatives from the NFL and the NFL Players Association on Tuesday as part of the joint investigation into his Sept. 25 concussion evaluation, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
Pelissero added that the hope is the joint investigation will conclude within the week. The NFL has said the findings of the investigation will be released publicly.
Tagovailoa briefly exited the Sept. 25 game against Buffalo in the first half with what the team initially announced as a head injury he sustained following a hit from linebacker Matt Milano, who was flagged for roughing the passer on the play. Once getting up on his feet, Tagovailoa shook his head and stumbled as he began to trot forward before getting taken out of the game. Tagovailoa later returned to play following halftime.
Following the Dolphins' 21-19 win, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Tagovailoa suffered a lower-back injury in the first half, which was exacerbated by the hit from Milano, and was the cause of Tagovailoa's stumble.
The NFLPA initiated an investigation into the handling of Tagovailoa's concussion evaluation following the Dolphins' Week 3 win. On Saturday, the NFLPA terminated the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) involved in Tagovailoa's concussion check during the Week 3 game against Buffalo, citing a failure to understand his role as the UNC and hostility during the investigation process among the factors contributing to his dismissal.
Tagovailoa then endured a scary collision during last Thursday's game, in which he was slung to the ground by Bengals defensive tackle Josh Tupou. Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground and his arms and hands locked in a fencing response. Tagovailoa remained on the turf for several minutes as trainers attended to him before being taken off the field on a stretcher and then by ambulance to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to be treated for head and neck injuries.
McDaniel ruled out Tagovailoa on Monday for the team's Week 5 game against the New York Jets due to the concussion that Tagovailoa sustained against the Bengals.
NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday that the league and the NFL Players Association had agreed to parameters of an updated concussion protocol that will rule out players who exhibit gross motor instability as Tagovailoa did during the Dolphins' game against the Bills, regardless of any possible contributing factors.
