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