What questions does NFL face after latest concussion?

Concussion successful nan NFL is backmost successful nan spotlight aft Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa suffered different caput wounded connected Thursday.

After two concussions successful 2022, he stayed fresh past play and led Miami into nan play-offs to gain a caller semipermanent contract.

But nan 26-year-old from Hawaii suffered different concussion past week - his 3rd successful little than 2 years and 4th overall, including his assemblage career.

Many pundits and ex-players are now calling for him to discontinue - and immoderate person moreover said nan NFL should return nan determination retired of his hands.

So what questions must nan convention reply arsenic it faces losing 1 of its franchise quarterbacks astatine nan highest of his powers?

Tagovailoa will now beryllium assessed nether nan NFL's return-to-participation protocol, a five-step process players must clear earlier returning to action.

They are assessed by a squad expert and an independent neurological advisor (INC), who will besides see nan player's past exposures and aesculapian history.

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said nan timeline for Tagovailoa's imaginable return is "the furthest point from my mind" arsenic he is "caring astir nan quality being". But erstwhile nan subordinate is passed fit, it will past beryllium his determination whether to put himself backmost successful harm's way.

Tagovailoa admitted contemplating retirement, external aft nan 2 concussions successful 2022. At that point, he was still connected a rookie statement worthy $30m (£22.9m). However, he has since signed a four-year woody worthy $212m (£161m).

Fellow backmost Andrew Luck is nan astir high-profile illustration of a subordinate who retired early for nan liking of his health - aged 29 successful 2019.

Over nan past 10 years, Jordan Reed (30), Luke Kuechly (28), AJ Tarpley (23), Ali Marpet (28) and Chris Borland (24) person besides stopped playing because of aggregate concussions aliases concerns complete nan semipermanent effect of caput traumas.

Tagovailoa, though, has a acold much lucrative statement astatine stake.

The NFL addressed that mobility directly, external successful 2015, pinch a neuropsychologist saying simply "we don't know", arsenic location is nary definitive data.

The wide cognition is that 3 concussions tin person a lasting impact. That could good stem from a 1952 study, external that suggested players "should not beryllium exposed to further body-contact trauma" aft 3 concussions.

A 2023 study,, external led by teams astatine nan University of Oxford and University of Exeter, supported that proposal arsenic it revealed group who had 3 aliases much concussions "had importantly worse cognitive function".

The neuropsychologist penning for nan NFL successful 2015 cautioned against utilizing a 'three-concussion policy' - aliases immoderate circumstantial limit - arsenic it would discourage athletes from reporting symptoms.

That is why independent unit are now portion of nan protocol and they tin trigger it whenever they fishy a concussion.

But does nan NFL now request to revisit nan mobility it was incapable to reply successful 2015?

In December 2009, nan NFL acknowledged for nan first time, external that concussions tin person semipermanent consequences.

After reaching a colony worthy $1bn (£665m) successful 2015 to compensate erstwhile players, nan NFL pledged to walk $100m (£75m) connected aesculapian and engineering investigation successful 2016.

That has included respective invention challenges, wherever assistance backing has been awarded to companies and institutions for investigation into exertion which improves subordinate safety, including Cardiff University.

The inaugural winners successful 2017 were Guardian Innovations, who person developed Guardian Caps - padded, soft ammunition covers which fresh complete a player's helmet and are proven to trim nan effect of caput collisions.

After being mandated for usage successful pre-season believe 2 years ago, nan caps are now allowed to beryllium worn successful regular play games for nan first time.

Position-specific helmets person besides been developed, arsenic caput impacts are different for players successful different positions, and nan NFL has regularly tweaked nan game's rules.

This play nan kick-off rules person been changed again to trim nan consequence of high-speed collisions connected footwear returns aft information showed a disproportionate number of concussions connected those plays.

Since 2022, nan number of concussions among players wearing nan caps has fallen by astir 50%.

However, from 2020, nan full crossed each play has accrued each year. The latest data, external shows location were 219 cases past play aft 213 successful 2022.

Speaking to BBC Sport past year, nan NFL's main aesculapian serviceman Dr Allen Sills attributed nan summation partially to broadening nan concussion protocol and much assessments being carried out.

To thief combat nan continued rise, nan NFL tests helmets each twelvemonth and publishes nan results successful a ranking poster., external

Twelve caller models are disposable this play - 5 of which are nan champion rated ever - while six older models are now prohibited. There is besides much position-specific helmets disposable than ever before, pinch 8 being introduced.

And contempt nan use brought by nan caps, nan NFL has said six helmets supply "as overmuch – if not much – protection than a different helmet exemplary paired pinch a Guardian Cap".

Tagovailoa switched to a quarterback-specific helmet erstwhile they became disposable past year. He was not wearing a headdress connected Thursday and it is not known which helmet he was wearing.

But if it was 1 of those six models, and he was still concussed, nan NFL must inquire what much it tin do to forestall 1 of its astir breathtaking talents having to discontinue successful his prime.