NFL circles the wagons on latest Tua Tagovailoa head injury

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People who paid to discover potential head injuries during NFL games couldn’t (again) do their jobs.The NFL (again) told fans and media that all was well I’m going around the wagon to persuade

Appeared on the NFL Network (i.e.a league-owned outlet that doesn’t tend to ask tough questions of his in-house colleagues), NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills has taken the handling of Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s recent concussion. defended.

Because of course he did.

“What our spotters and unaffiliated neurologists are looking for is a blow that transfers force to the head or neck area, followed by that damaging action,” Sills said via Yahoo Sports’ Jason Owens. , a blow to the head is common during the match . but there were no visible signs.

This is a clever way of circumventing the reality that a player/patient’s specific medical history should have compelled a concussion evaluation during the game after Tua hits his head on the lawn. Whether or not you notice symptoms is one thing. Whether or not someone noticed the blow to the head is another matter.

Frankly, Dr. Sills juggles a minefield that can lurk after a situation like this happens. He can say anything that needs to be said with confidence and authority, making it sound as if everything was handled properly… even if it wasn’t.

In this case, the question is not whether Tua should have been on the protocol. Should I have made a fair assessment based on the fact that I hit my head?

Clearly something happened to Tua. A day later he showed enough symptoms to land on protocol. It masks the simple reality that Tua should have been taken a closer look inside.