Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL for passing yards last season [Getty Images]
Tua Tagovailoa is set to return to NFL action this weekend after recovering from his latest concussion.
Six weeks ago the Miami Dolphins quarterback suffered his third concussion in less than two years – and fourth overall, including his college career.
Many pundits and ex-players called for the 26-year-old from Hawaii to retire. Some even said the NFL should take the decision out of his hands.
BBC Sport looks at why Tagovailoa has chosen to keep playing and Dr Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, explains the league’s stance.
Will Tagovailoa return to play against the Cardinals?
After last month’s concussion Tagovailoa was immediately put on Miami’s injured reserve list (IR), meaning he must miss a minimum of four games.
Having done so, he returned to practice on Wednesday and has cleared the final step of the NFL’s concussion protocol – a session involving contact – so he can play in Sunday’s home game with the Arizona Cardinals (17:00 GMT).
During his absence Tagovailoa consulted medical experts across the US. He said that, after two concussions in 2022, he considered retiring following discussions with his wife and family.
On Monday he told reporters that this time “no-one’s [medical] advice affected anything that I thought in terms of returning” and he “had some conversations with my wife but that was it”.
What is the NFL’s concussion protocol?
The concussion protocol is a means of assessing players after they appear to show concussion symptoms.
It involves a series of neurological checks, conducted by a team physician and an independent neurological consultant.
During a game, it is known as a ‘game day checklist’, and players must clear each step to return to the field.
Outside of games, players must clear a five-step ‘return-to-participation protocol’, which Tagovailoa has been following this week.
How many concussions are too many?
Tagovailoa has already had four concussions and…
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