During a teleconference on Friday, NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills emphasized that the league will not dictate when Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can return to play following his latest concussion. Instead, the decision will be left entirely up to Tagovailoa and his doctors, with no involvement from the league in determining his return date. Tagovailoa, who suffered his third NFL concussion during a Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills and was placed on injured reserve on September 17th, is currently seeking opinions from top medical experts across the United States to evaluate his condition and potential comeback options.
Dr. Sills highlighted the importance of patient autonomy in medical decision-making, particularly in cases involving concussions. He explained that while medical professionals provide their best advice, the final decision rests with the player based on consultations with experts. “Patient autonomy and medical decision-making really matters,” Sills said. He further noted that players like Tagovailoa must have the freedom to make informed decisions about their careers after thoroughly discussing their health status with medical experts. The NFL’s role in the concussion protocol is to ensure that players are receiving the best possible medical advice, but ultimately, the decision to return is in the hands of the player and their healthcare providers.
Sills, who is a trained neurosurgeon, acknowledged the challenges in predicting the risk of future concussions for players like Tagovailoa. According to him, there is no clear formula or precise way to predict how many concussions a player might suffer or what their long-term risks might be. “It’s not like we can put in your number of concussions and how long between them and your age and some unusual constant…and come up with a risk,” Sills explained. Instead, the evaluation process involves looking at the player’s overall medical history, including the number of concussions they’ve sustained, the time intervals between those concussions, and how long symptoms have lasted after each incident. This, coupled with the player’s own perspective on their health and career, helps medical professionals make an educated guess about their future risk of concussions.
In essence, while medical experts can provide insight and advice, the complexity and unpredictability of concussions make it difficult to offer concrete answers about future risks. Sills reiterated that Tagovailoa’s return to the field will be determined by his discussions with medical experts, taking into account his health, career goals, and personal well-being.
