Sunday’s games will feature an updated concussion protocol, agreed to by the league and the players’ union after the ugly incident involving Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa last week.
An agreement today ensures that the new protocol will be in effect for Sunday’s games.
The change in the protocol is that any player diagnoses with ataxia -- abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue -- will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the concussion protocol.
Tagovailoa stumbled to the ground after taking a hit in the Dolphins’ game against the Bills, but the doctors on the scene said it was caused by a back injury, not a concussion, so Tagovailoa was allowed to keep playing in the game.
Four days later, Tagovailoa suffered a concussion against the Bengals, and the NFL Players Association argued that the medical professionals had failed to adequately protect him. That led to a review of the situation and the new protocol announced today.