There are few more hated words in professional football than concussion. Unlike most injuries endured in the physical game, concussions affect far more than a player’s physical skills and carry a far less determinant path to recovery – both in football and life. Better put, while physical injuries have long been accepted as part of the game, concussions are a far more existential threat.
That became clear in the mishandling of what may be two consecutive concussions endured by Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who left last Thursday’s game against the Bengals on a stretcher after being thrown to the turf and hitting the back of his head with brute force. The injury looked especially troublesome given Tua’s inability to move and that he seemingly held his fingers in a position that indicated brain trauma. To be clear, there is little time in television that moves more slowly than when a football player lays on the field motionless surrounded by doctors.
This scene was even more disturbing because Tua had been removed from the previous weekend’s game for, you guessed it, hitting his head on the turf. In that game, Tua returned in the second half despite looking shaky after the initial hit. Yet the Dolphins’ medical staff cleared him to play in the next game, which came only four days later. This, perhaps more than anything, has raised the ire of anyone concerned about the long-term health risk of football and concussions, and more specifically the NFL’s wavering concern. Regardless of the current policy, procedures, and personnel, this sequence of events involving a high-profile NFL quarterback is, to be blunt, a PR nightmare.
Which is why the NFL quickly fired the independent neurotrauma consultant who said Tua was okay to play on Thursday. Whom we should realize did not have decision making authority over whether Tua would play – that authority remained with the Dolphins’ medical staff, who are still employed. The NFL has also said it was considering a revised concussion protocol policy, one that would likely add layers of review and increase the time between trauma, something at the core of this particular case given the exponential risk of permanent damage from multiple concussions in quick succession. When this might happen and who’s in charge remains to be seen, particularly given the short attention span of the American sports fan in the middle of an NFL season crowded in an election year with the World Cup in November. So I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Which is one of two never-ending stories here. First, a few years ago, a whole lot of sports experts, including myself, predicted that rising concern in CTE from concussions would inevitably be the demise of the sport. Some said that would come quickly, others expected a much slower death. That football would eventually become boxing, a dangerous and diminished sport rarely played by middle and upper class America. And yet here we are several years later, and football is as popular as ever while CTE discussions are a faint static. Even youth football, once assumed to be a dead man walking, has remained vibrant. So anyone who expects this incident to be the spark that lights the fire should probably curb their enthusiasm. As always, let history be your guide.
Second, I do believe that the NFL will create some new rules and guidelines that will probably walk some fine line between increasing safety and making sure athletes aren’t sidelined for months at a time. That, along with the ongoing quest for better helmets will likely make the game marginally safer than it is now, which is safer than when football was one step from a scene from a Mad Max movie. That should make some difference, both actual and for public perception, which is where the NFL lives. But always remember that football is an inherently dangerous and violent game, and that is much of its massive appeal. There is virtually nothing anyone can do to make sure quarterbacks – or other position players – don’t hit their heads against the turf repeatedly, even as the League has largely outlawed other hits to the head. Meaningful football will always come with the prospect of head trauma, whether or not the NFL remains as culpable as it seems in this case. That is the football fan’s dilemma, one we often ignore except during moments like this of blatant disregard.
Should the NFL change concussion protocols? Yes. Will that solve the problem? Probably not. Which is why concussion will remain the most hated word in the sport.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him on twitter at @KeithStrudler
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