The NFL’s concussion protocol has been under scrutiny in regard to the Dolphins’ handling of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa‘s injuries after jarring hits against the Bills and Bengals.
That scrutiny continued Sunday night when Hall of Fame coach and NBC analyst Tony Dungy weighed on something he witnessed out on the field in the Buccaneers-Chiefs game.
Tampa Bay tight end Cameron Brate appeared dazed after a collision with teammate Chris Godwin, but he would reenter the game. However, he would be ruled out with a concussion at halftime.
Dungy, who was on the Buccaneers sideline during the game, later explained on Twitter that he witnessed a “broken system.”
“Broken system,” the retired coach said. “I was on the sideline very close to Brate-obvious he had his bell rung. There’s a league appointed spotter in the press box who should stop play & alert the referee. Brate shouldn’t have been allowed to return until after an evaluation. Why didn’t that happen???”
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The NFL is expected to make changes to its protocol that would keep a player out of a game if he demonstrates “instability.” That new policy is expected to begin in Week 5. The NFLPA’s investigation into Tagovailoa’s initial hit last Sunday is still ongoing.
Tagovailoa was taken out of Thursday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a head injury. He was tackled and slammed to the ground just days after taking a hard shot against the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL and the NFLPA said they have made no conclusions about “medical errors or protocol violations” while the investigation is still ongoing.
