After clearing concussion protocol, Tua Tagovailoa is expected to make his return against the Pittsburgh. There is a time and a place for it. Tua Tagovailoa will make his return to the football field on Sunday night when the Dolphins play the PittsburghSteelers. Just over three weeks after sustaining a concussion, and in the wake of an NFL investigation that produced swift policy change. Tagovailoa lost consciousness when he hit his head on the ground at the end of the first half of the game. He doesn't recall being carted off the field. Tagovailoa was taken to the hospital for a concussion, but was released the next day. He was not allowed to play football for a couple of weeks. Four days earlier, Tagovailoa hit his head on the ground when he was shoved after throwing a pass. He stumbled on his way back to the huddle and was evaluated for a concussion at halftime, but he was allowed to return to the game after it was determined he had injured his back. The concussion protocol was changed after a review. The Dolphins lost three in a row after opening the season with three straight victories. There are things that can be done in the locker room to keep the guys motivated. It's not good. I would like to be out there with the guys. I would like to help our guys win games. I was only able to watch from the sideline. Tua is coming back.
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The Dolphins lost three in a row when Tagovailoa missed three games because of a rib injury. He learned a lesson from that situation.
I need to be myself. Tagovailoa said he was not the team's salvation. I don't just come in and win games. The deal is a team one.
The defense gets us stops, the offense goes and puts points on the board, and the defense can help put points on the board. I just look at it as coming into this week and being myself. Don't try to make things happen. Don't try to make plays that aren't there, just give our players the ball and let them do their job.
Throwing the ball away to avoid a hit is not something Tagovailoa has done well in the past. When to concede a play and move on to the next has been a topic of conversation with Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa will return to a league that has changed as a result of his injuries on Sunday night. If the Dolphins are to stay in contention, he needs to regain his early-season form, and his teammates have been encouraged by what they've seen over the past couple of weeks. The return of Tagovailoa is more than just wins and losses, it's also about the concussion policy that has changed.
After sustaining a concussion, Tagovailoa went through a five step process. This is what it looks like from the return to play portion of the protocol.
If physical and cognitive activities cause symptoms, they should be limited or stopped. The introduction of limited stretching and balance work.
Phase 2 includes cardiovascular exercise, stretching and balance work. Balance and cognitive tests can be done. Phase 2 is satisfied if the results are seen as returning to baseline levels.
Increased cardio exercise to mimic sport specific activity. The player can do sports-specific exercises for a short time with the team.
The player can progress to non-contact football activities such as throwing and catching. A new round of testing is done to make sure the results stay the same.
The doctor must clear the player for full football activity. An independent neurological consultant assigned to the team must agree with the team physician that the concussion has been solved. The player is ready to play in the next game.
On October 12th, Tagovailoa was cleared to participate in football-specific activities. In the three practices before he was cleared, Tagovailoa took individual reps during position drills but gave starter and backup reps to other players. Despite his hands-off role, Tagovailoa was able to focus on the task at hand.
Tagovailoa came back to the starter's workload.
For the past two weeks, Tagovailoa has been at the Dolphins' facility, where teammates say he has been his normal self.
"Just to have him back out there, his energy, his leadership, the way that he's able to have fun playing this game throughout it all, man, it's just amazing." It's great to have your brother on the field.
When Tagovailoa came back to practice, he took a lot of mental reps, according to tight end Mike Gesicki.
Tua Tagovailoa throwing at Dolphins practice for the first time in two weeks
He also did some downfield throwing during the portion of practice open to the media - roughly 25-30 yards pic.twitter.com/6ivEYaGLKE
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) October 12, 2022
During his time away from the field, Tagovailoa didn't start throwing with his right hand, but he did start throwing with his left one. While the rest of the AFC East kept winning, the Dolphins couldn't afford to ease him back in with a simple game plan.
The Dolphins' path to victory will likely include Tagovailoa throwing the ball frequently.
The protocol that allowed Tagovailoa to return to the field after he stumbled against the Bills in Week 3 was targeted by the league and the players' union. A player who shows uncoordinated body movement caused by an injury to the brain will not be allowed to return to the game.
When a player suffers a concussion, they must pass through all phases of the protocol before being cleared to play.
The players who stumbled the way Tagovailoa did against the Bills would be examined to find out why. The player wouldn't be able to return if the source was neurological. Multiple doctors attributed Tagovailoa's injuries to back and ankle injuries he had sustained earlier in the game.
There is no requirement for game doctors to distinguish between neurological or other causes. All such instances are stopped immediately.
That would be a serious and worrisome situation, but in terms of the protocol of the league and the players' union, nothing would change. In order to return to the field, he would have to pass through all of the same phases.
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