NFLPA executive reiterates 'player care above all' after Tua Tagovailoa injury

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Tua Tagovailoa’s exit from Thursday night’s game prompted an outpouring of support from around the NFL community of those wishing the Miami Dolphins quarterback a speedy recovery. It also sparked a conversation about the handling of concussions in the NFL.

Tagovailoa’s first-half exit was his second in just five days. On Sunday, he stumbled on the field after struggling to get up following a hard shove to the ground from Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano. 

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

Despite concern that he had a concussion, he was cleared and allowed to return to the game. The NFL Players Association later announced it was investigating the league’s concussion protocols and how well they were followed. 

Following Thursday’s incident, the NFLPA said its probe was "ongoing." 

DOLPHINS’ TUA TAGOVAILOA DISCHARGED FROM HOSPITAL, INITIAL TESTS NEGATIVE FOR BROKEN BONES: REPORT

George Atallah, assistant executive director of external affairs at the NFLPA, took to Twitter Friday to post a lengthy statement reiterating a focus on "player care above all" 

"The whole point of our advocacy for more than a decade on the issue of concussions is to shift the culture of our game from one that was previously focused on the fastest path back to the field, to one that emphasized player care above all," Atallah began.

"When the first set of protocols were implemented in 2011, they were designed with that goal in mind and every year since we have improved on those protocols