Just days before Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was stretchered off of the field against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, the former Crimson Tide signal-caller took a hit that resulted in impact to his head and back.
Tagovailoa left the game with what was originally announced as a head injury (later changed to back), but he returned to action to start the second half, helping earn Miami’s third victory of the season.
With Tagovailoa suffering another injury as a result of head and back trauma against the Bengals, the conversation surrounding the original injury and clearance has come into question. The NFLPA had originally decided to investigate before Thursday’s game, but according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant and Dolphins’ physician wasn’t interviewed until Friday.
Now, according to Pro Football Talk, the NFLPA has “exercised its prerogative to terminate” the UNC who was involved in Sunday’s decision to allow Tagovailoa to return to action.
ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques added that the same UNC would’ve been the same one to perform the follow-up evaluations throughout the week.
It’s unclear if the team physician has suffered any consequences.
