Latest Update: Tua Tagovailoa’s Injury

As NFL authorities announced an all-time low in preseason concussions on Friday, they ensured that the league will not dictate the outcome for its most prominent concussion patient. Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, who has been on injured reserve since September 17 following his third reported concussion in his professional career, is under the care of “leading experts” nationwide, according to NFL’s head medical officer Dr. Allen Sills.

NFL’s Stance on Tua Tagovailoa’s Return

While the league and the NFL Players Association enforce the concussion protocol, Sills emphasized that the NFL will not interfere in when or if Tagovailoa makes his return to the gridiron.

Patient Autonomy and Medical Decision-Making

Sills, who is also a neurosurgeon, expressed the importance of patient autonomy and medical decision-making. He argued that these principles should be respected in their concussion protocol as well. When players contemplate their careers, their choices should mirror the autonomy they have earned from discussions with medical professionals who provide them with the best medical advice.

Future Risk of Concussions

Dr. Sills further explained that there is no specific formula to predict future concussion risk. “We can’t simply input the number of concussions, the interval between them, your age, and a random constant to calculate risk”. Instead, he said that medical professionals must consider the entirety of the patient’s experience, including the number of concussions, the time between them, the symptom duration after each concussion, and the patient’s perspective on their career and age.

Update on Preseason Concussions

In other news, NFL players experienced a 25% drop in reported concussions this preseason, including practices and games. This marks the lowest total since the league started gathering such data in 2015, with only 44 reported concussions.

Preseason Concussions in 2017: A Closer Look

In 2017, there was a significant drop in reported preseason concussions. This decrease was attributed to several factors by Jeff Miller, the NFL’s Executive Vice President overseeing player health and safety, and Dr. Allen Sills. These factors include the introduction of new rules, changes to practice schedules, and the mandatory use of Guardian Caps helmet supplements.

The Role of Guardian Caps in Reducing Concussions

All players, with the exception of quarterbacks and specialists, are required to wear Guardian Caps in every practice. This “unqualified success,” as termed by Sills, was initially introduced by the NFL to reduce the impact force transferred between players during helmet-involved contacts. Over the past two summers, the gradual enforcement of this rule has consistently resulted in fewer concussions.

Top-Performing Helmets and Guardian Caps: An Option for Players

In 2024, the NFL presented players with a list of six high-performing helmets. Players who chose to use these were exempt from wearing Guardian Caps. Around 200 players tested these helmets, according to league reports. “The lower injury rates we’ve observed can be attributed to both these factors,” Sills expressed. Players have the choice to wear Guardian Caps during games, with 5-10 players opting to do so each week. However, Sills stated that there is insufficient data to consider making it mandatory for games.

Other NFL Health and Safety Updates

In other NFL health and safety updates, the overall injury rate on kickoffs during preseason games fell by 32% from 2023. This is a positive sign towards the league’s goal of redesigning the kickoff play. However, the number of concussions was higher than anticipated, with Miller stating they were in the “low single digits.”

In the first three weeks of the regular season, there were no reported concussions on kickoffs, according to the league.