The NFL and NFL Players Association had hoped to announce the results of the Tua Tagovailoa concussion protocol investigation before the start of Thursday night’s game between the Colts and Broncos. That hasn’t happened.
As explained by Michael Smith during the Amazon pregame show, it hasn’t happened because the NFL and NFLPA don’t agree on what happened, or on what needs to be done.
Richard Sherman, who continues to be a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee after his retirement from the NFL, said that the union believes the concussion protocols were not followed after Tua struck his head during the Week Three game against the Bills.
The NFL apparently believes otherwise. Per Sherman, the NFL’s medical director, Allen Sills, says an “abundance of caution” was utilized. Said Sherman, “If an abundance of caution is putting him back in the ballgame, what does an aggressive approach look like?”
Sherman also reiterated something that was said during Sunday’s Football Night in America. The union wants the players to be treated like patients, not like football players who are intent on being cleared to play football as quickly a possible.
So we’ll see where this goes. If the NFL and NFLPA can’t come to an agreement as to what happened in Tua’s case, the union would be able to file a grievance, with a potential arbitration resolving the case.