NFLPA Fires Neurotrauma Consultant From Bills-Dolphins Game

The Buffalo Bills are set to play the Baltimore Ravens in tomorrow’s week 4 game.

However, many fans across Buffalo and the NFL landscape are still caught up in what transpired last Sunday between the Bills and Miami Dolphins.

Just before the end of the first half, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was pushed to the ground by Bills linebacker Matt Milano. Tua slammed his head on the turf and after standing back up, shaking his head, stumbled back down before being helped by teammates.

Tua was evaluated for a head injury, according to the Dolphins PR team but was cleared to return at the start of the second half against Buffalo. After the game, it was revealed that Tua has apparently wobbled because of a re-aggravated back injury.

Then on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tagovailoa was sacked before the end of the first half in a whipping motion and lied motionless. He was taken by ambulance for a head injury and discharged from the hospital in time to fly home with his Miami team. He’s now in concussion protocol with no timetable on a potential return.

NFL analysts, former players and fans were in outrage that Tua was cleared to come back into the game against the Bills and equally mad he was allowed to play against the Bengals.

The NFL Players Association said they would be investigating the situation and the first bit of fallout has happened.

Pro Football Talk is reporting that the NFLPA has decided to terminate the neurotrauma consultant who was directly involved with Tua’s concussion test in the Bills-Dolphins game.

Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network also says that the UNC and the Dolphins team physician were both interviewed on Friday.

Dolphins reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques reports that the investigation found the neurotrauma consultant made “several mistakes” in the evaluation of Tua’s concussion.

It still remains to be seen whether or not more fallout happens here. The problem lies with the video we have all seen of Tagovailoa stumbling and having to be attended to after his concussion. It was said by head coach Mike McDaniel after the game against the Bills it was a back injury.

That video should have been enough to make Tua miss the rest of the game. Fans and analysts are rightfully skeptical of what took place last Sunday and ultimately helped contribute to what happened to Tua on Thursday.