Dolphins' Tagovailoa in concussion protocol again

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is in concussion protocol, head coach Mike McDaniel announced Monday.

The 24-year-old's status for Sunday's game against the New England Patriots is in question.

McDaniel said he's unsure when Tagovailoa got injured and that no one recognized issues during the Dolphins' 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon. The quarterback self-reported to team doctors after beginning to experience symptoms Monday.

Tagovailoa previously entered concussion protocol in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He missed the team's next two games with the injury.

That came a few days after Tagovailoa took a hard hit against the Buffalo Bills on Sept. 25, causing the Dolphins signal-caller to appear disoriented and stumble while trying to stand. Tagovailoa was evaluated for a concussion but was cleared and returned to the game.

The hit led the NFL and NFLPA to update the concussion protocol policy and include the term ataxia, which was defined as "abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination, or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue." If an NFL player displays ataxia, they are automatically removed from the game.

Head injuries have been a hot topic around the NFL this season, with Tagovailoa, Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker, and others dealing with issues related to concussions and concussion spotting.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.