The NFL’s chief medical officer says the league will play no part in determining when or if Tua Tagovailoa returns to the Dolphins.
Dr. Allen Sills said on a media conference call today that Tagovailoa ultimately needs to make his own decisions based on the information he gets from the doctors he consults with, and that the league does not step into decisions made by club medical staffs and individual players.
“Patient autonomy in medical decision-making really matters,” Sills said.
Sills said that in addition to working with the Dolphins’ medical staff, Tagovailoa has consulted with top neurological experts from around the country to get the best advice he can get about how to deal with the repeated concussions that have affected his career and currently have him on injured reserve.
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Week Two against the Bills and is eligible to return from injured reserve as soon as Week Eight against the Cardinals.
Sills said there is no formula involving a specific number of concussions that determines whether a player can be cleared to continue playing football. Every player’s case is assessed based on that player’s own needs, and the league leaves that to the player and the doctors who treat him.
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