NFL will not weigh in on Tua Tagovailoa's return date after Dolphins quarterback's third concussion

The NFL said it volition not mediate betwixt the Miami Dolphins and Tua Tagovailoa astir a imaginable instrumentality date. 

Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's main aesculapian officer, told reporters Tagovailoa "is seeing the apical expert," and the NFL volition not person a relation successful deciding his imaginable instrumentality date. 

"Patient autonomy and aesculapian decision-making truly matters," Sills said. 

"And I deliberation that's what we person to admit goes connected with our concussion protocol arsenic well. Ultimately, erstwhile patients marque decisions astir considering their careers, it has to bespeak that autonomy that's generated from discussions with aesculapian experts giving them the champion aesculapian advice," Sills said via ESPN.

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Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins earlier a crippled against the Buffalo Bills astatine Hard Rock Stadium Sept. 12, 2024, successful Miami Gardens, Fla.  (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

The Dolphins quarterback has been connected injured reserve since Sept. 17 aft suffering a scary concussion aft a collision with a defender successful Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills. The concussion against the Bills was the 3rd documented concussion of his pro career. 

During a league call, Sills and Jeff Miller, the NFL enforcement vice president overseeing subordinate wellness and safety, besides said that the NFL had its fewest fig of concussions successful the preseason since tracking started successful 2015. 

There were 44 concussions successful practices and games, a alteration of astir 24% from past year.

One of the reasons for the little fig of concussions is changes to equipment.

GIANTS STAR ROOKIE MALIK NABERS REMAINS IN CONCUSSION PROTOCOL, RULED OUT VS. SEATTLE

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) is helped disconnected the tract aft an wounded during the 4th fourth of a crippled against the Dallas Cowboys Sept. 26, 2024, successful East Rutherford, N.J.  (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

"The crushed for that alteration has surely to bash with changes to rules, changes to equipment, including the Guardian cap, arsenic good arsenic a big of different efforts we’ve made implicit the years to thrust the numbers down," Miller said. 

There was a astir 50% simplification successful concussions successful the preseason among players wearing the Guardian headdress successful mandated sessions versus the pre-mandate average.

In summation to the Guardian caps, astir 99% of players wore top-performing helmets, including much than 250 players wearing helmets that the league says supply arsenic overmuch — and successful immoderate cases much — extortion than a helmet paired with a Guardian cap.

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Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa suffers an evident concussion aft hitting his caput connected the crushed portion being tackled by Buffalo Bills information Damar Hamlin astatine Hard Rock Stadium. (Jasen Vinlove/Imagn Images)

The dynamic kickoff led to less injuries successful the preseason, but determination were inactive concussions connected the revamped play. 

"We saw a mates much concussions connected the dynamic kickoff than we thought we would see," Miller said. "We haven’t seen immoderate concussions successful the archetypal 3 weeks of the dynamic kickoff successful the regular season."

"While determination is nary decorativeness enactment successful our efforts to marque the crippled safer, the wounded information from this preseason is an illustration of however the league’s deliberate attack to subordinate information continues to present results," Sills said. "We’re committed to gathering a civilization of information astir the game, and this preseason was different affirmative measurement successful that direction."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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