NFL, NFLPA Agree Tua Tagovailoa's Head Injury Was Not Handled Correctly and Modify Protocols

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The National Football League and the NFL Players Association have agreed to update the NFL's concussion protocol following a review of the response to Tua Tagovailoa's apparent head injury on Sept. 25.

In a joint statement released on Saturday afternoon, both organizations ultimately agreed that "the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the Protocols were drafted."

The new concussion protocols mean that players will not be able to play if they are experiencing ataxia, or a lack of coordination caused by poor muscle control.

Ataxia was present in Tagovailoa's case during the Miami Dolphins' match-up against the Buffalo Bills late last month, the league's chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said during a Saturday press conference.

RELATED: Bengals' Joe Burrow Talks Concussions, Says He's 'Been Hit and Forgot the Rest of the Game'

Jeff Moreland/Icon Sportswire via Getty Tua Tagovailoa

"As such, as has been done in previous cases, based on the advice of the parties' respective medical experts, the Protocol will be modified to enhance the safety of the players," the joint statement read. "Specifically, the term 'ataxia' has been added to the mandatory 'no-go' symptoms. 'Ataxia' is defined as abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue. In other words, if a player is diagnosed with 'ataxia' by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol."

Before he was temporarily removed from the Sept. 25 game for concussion protocols, Tagovailoa was spotted stumbling on the field. He then returned in the second half of the game after team doctors announced that he had a back injury.

The NFL and NFLPA statement revealed that those who cleared Tagovailoa concluded that a back injury was the cause of his instability, but the team physician and UNC "did not conduct an examination of Mr. Tagovailoa's back during the concussion examination." Instead, they relied on an "earlier examination" conducted by other medical staff, the statement added.

RELATED: Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa Suffers Second Head Injury in a Week During Game Against Bengals

The move to put him back in the game was called "absurd" by Dr. Chris Nowinski, a neuroscientist and the CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, who told PEOPLE previously that Tagovailoa showed five distinct signs of a concussion.

"First he grabbed his head when he hit the ground, which is usually a sign your head hurts," Nowinski said. "Then when he stood up he took two bad steps sideways and backwards because balance was clearly off. Then he shook his head side to side in a classic clearing up the cobwebs, meaning he had a visual disturbance. Then he fell to the ground in a very awkward way, and then when he stood up, the only reason didn't fall again is because his teammates held him up."

On Oct. 3, the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant (UNC) involved in clearing the athlete following his apparent head injury was fired, and a league source confirmed to PEOPLE that the NFLPA exercised its right to fire the doctor.

Sills previously called the firing of the UNC involved in clearing Tagovaiola "extremely unfortunate," with NFL executive vice president Jeff Miller telling reporters, per ESPN, that it was not something they "would have done."

"We never supported terminating him," Miller said.

Andy Lyons/Getty Tua Tagovailoa

After his Bills match-up, Tagovailoa went ahead and faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals five days later, when he was sacked in the second quarter, again hitting his head into the ground. He was then spotted holding up his hands on the field, with his fingers frozen in place, which Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University's CTE Center, called "a clear sign of a brain injury with brain stem dysfunction."

The NFL and NFLPA shared in its Saturday statement that the Protocol "exists to establish a high standard of concussion care for each player whereby every medical professional engages in a meaningful and rigorous examination of the player-patent."

"To that end, the parties remain committed to continuing to evaluate our Protocol to ensure it reflects the intended conservative approach to evaluating player-patients for potential head injuries," the league wrote.

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After his injury against the Bengals, Tagovailoa revealed on Twitter that he was grateful for the "prayers and support" that came his way following the game. The QB is now in concussion protocol and will not play Sunday's game against New York Jets, with Teddy Bridgewater instead starting for Miami.

"It was difficult to not be able to finish the game and be there with my teammates, but I am grateful for the support and care I received from the Dolphins, my friends and family, and all the people who have reached out," he wrote. "I'm feeling much better and focused on recovering so I can get back out on the field with my teammates."

As for Nowinski's thoughts on the updated protocol, the neuroscientist tweeted Saturday that the move by the NFL was "great news."

"Besides making NFL players safer, this will influence protocols in other sports and at other levels," he tweeted. " It's a great teaching moment for everyone, and it's why you make noise when mistakes are made."