Tagovailoa was taken off the field on a stretcher during a Dolphins game in Cincinnati Thursday night and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. According to the Dolphins, he suffered a concussion. Tagovailoa was released from the University of Cincinnati Medical Center that night and traveled with the team on a plane back to Miami. He underwent further tests on Friday.
Last Sunday, Tagovailoa was cleared to play again in a game against the Buffalo Bills in Miami Gardens, Florida, after being evaluated for a possible head injury. Tagovailoa staggered after getting up after a play that saw him knocked to the ground and seemingly slamming his head into the turf. He and coach Mike McDaniel said after the game that Tagovailoa suffered a back injury, not his head injury.
The NFL and the NFLPA announced Saturday that they have agreed to change the concussion protocol in connection with an exception to the clause addressing “significant athletic instability” that allowed Tagovailoa to return to last Sunday’s game. This comes after the NFLPA exercised its right to dismiss an independent neurological expert involved in the decision to clear Tagovailoa last Sunday.
In a joint statement late Saturday, the league and unions said their investigation was “ongoing” and had not reached “a conclusion about medical malpractice or protocol violations.” We share a strong appreciation for the unrelated neurotrauma consultants who are contributing their time and expertise to the game just for the sake of it.”
Featuring Zack Wilson, Andy Dalton and Brian Hoyer
Quarterback changes take place on Sunday of Week 4 of the NFL season. Zach Wilson returns to the New York Jets. His two backups, Andy Dalton of the New Orleans Saints and Brian Hoyer of the New England Patriots, made replacement starts after the team’s starter was injured.
Dalton will be the first to take the field when the Saints face the Minnesota Vikings in London at 9:30 a.m. ET in their first overseas game of the season. This is his 100th game outside the United States in NFL history, including a preseason game.
The Saints ruled out starter Jameis Winston on Saturday due to back and ankle injuries. They originally said that after Winston missed Wednesday’s practice, he was scheduled to practice on Thursday, instead he didn’t practice all week. He has reportedly been playing for the past few weeks with four fractures in his back.
Dalton signed with the Saints as a free agent in March. He has three Pro Bowl selections, Cincinnati for the Bengals, Dallas for the Cowboys and Chicago for the Bears where he has started 148 games. However, this is his fourth team in his four of his seasons. After spending his first nine his seasons with the Bengals, he became his NFL Nomad. He will try to help the Saints rebound from his 1-2 start. However, wide receiver Michael Thomas, who is out with a foot injury, will also be absent.
Wilson, the No. 2 pick in last year’s NFL Draft, got his first start of his second professional season in the Jets’ afternoon game in Pittsburgh.
He underwent surgery after suffering a torn meniscus and a bone bruise in his right knee during the Jets’ preseason opener scramble. Wilson has only participated in full practice three times since then.
The Jets went 1-2 with veteran backup Joe Flacco taking his place. They should expect to be with Wilson, who struggled last season as a rookie with nine touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and an unsightly 69.7 passer rating.
Hoyer is trying to prevent another Patriots season from falling apart. But his job is daunting, and he’ll be playing quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in Green Bay in the late afternoon.
New England’s second-year starter Mac Jones could miss multiple games after suffering an ankle sprain in last Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens in Foxborough, Massachusetts. did. Jones returned to the practice range on Friday. But it was never realistic for him to try to play in this game.The Patriots officially ruled him out on Friday.
Hoyer had 39 starts in his journeyman career that included stints with seven teams. He has at least one start in each of his seven. This is his second start with the Patriots. The last time he led a team to victory was in 2016 when he started with the Bears.
If Hoyer is struggling, it will be interesting to see if manager Bill Belichick considers turning to fourth-round draft pick Bailey Zappe from Western Kentucky. The Patriots need an offensive boost. They rank 10th in the league in total offense, but 25th in scoring offense. They have a record of 1-2.