Dolphins 'happy to comply' with NFLPA probe into Tua Tagovailoa's return, his status for Bengals game in doubt

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The Miami Dolphins will comply with the NFLPA’s investigation into the league’s concussion protocols after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was cleared to return to Sunday’s game despite hitting his head on the ground late in the second half, head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday, adding that Tagovailoa is not in concussion protocol. 

McDaniel told reporters Monday that he felt confident with the team’s process of clearing Tagovailoa after his head hit the ground in the final two minutes of the half after a hard shove from Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano. 

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins sits on the turf during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida.  (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

"I think when you saw it, you assumed one thing. But that's why there's also an independent neurologist that clears him. We have to clear him. You're talking to the player and — listen, the one thing I think our players know more than anybody, there's certain things that I'm very sensitive to. I've been called emotional from time to time, and one of those things is player health," McDaniel explained.  

DOLPHINS' DECISION TO PUT TUA TAGOVAILOA BACK INTO GAME TO BE REVIEWED: REPORTS

"So I don't mess around with that at all. And so it was above and beyond. Tua was pretty annoyed with me in the game when I was talking to him, because he knew what hurt and didn't understand why people kept talking to him about what we were talking to him about. I think watching replays, he probably could. But yeah, that's something that I think, the paramount or the pillar of importance for all of it is player safety. That's why the protocols are in place, so we're happy to comply and feel fine about that whole process, really."

Tagovailoa said after the game that he felt like he "hyperextended" his back on a previous play and then while hitting the ground on the next play caused his back to "lock up," leading to him to stumble on the field. 

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) is assisted off the field after he was injured during the first half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

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"Everyone was so worried about trying to talk to him through the lens of, 'Hey, is there something wrong with your head' and he was (like), 'No, I'm fine.' And he was dealing with his back. He knew that he was losing his balance a little bit when he was getting up, but it was a completely different source of issue from what everyone else was really looking at from that prism," McDaniel said Monday.

"If he had a head issue, he wouldn't have been back out there."

A source told the Associated Press that there will be a joint review by the NFL and the National Football League Players Association of what went into the decision to allow Tagovailoa to return to the game.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins lays on the turf during the first half of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

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McDaniel said there is still a concern that Tagovailoa could miss Thursday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals with back and ankle soreness, but they feel comfortable with Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson’s capabilities to take over if needed. 

"As far as me being able to access my crystal ball, it's broken right now. That's one of the reasons why you have a roster of capable people."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.