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Nowinski, who has a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience and has been researching concussions for years, said he saw clear signs of a concussion during the hit during the Bills game, including loss of vision and balance.

\"This is absurd. He shouldn't be out there,\" Nowinski said referring to the Sept. 25 injury. \"And you never want to return a player because you can die from Second Impact Syndrome or you can get a second concussion that changes your life.\"

Nowinski said that Tagovailoa being carted off the field was the worst-case scenario.

\"In the second game, his head hit off the turf even harder. And what scared everybody was that Tua showed what's called decorticate posturing or his arms came clenched against his chest [and] his fingers were splayed and flexed,\" he said.

Nowinski criticized the NFL's current protocol for evaluating injured players. While he noted that there is no objective test or imaging for concussions, he contended medical professionals can easily screen the issue and be stricter about players returning to the field.

\"The 15-minute evaluation they do in the locker room is imperfect. We all know it's imperfect,\" he said. \"The brain has the magical ability to right itself after a big brain trauma. We've all seen people who've been knocked unconscious pop up and you test them and they're fine.\"

\"PHOTO:
Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports via Reuters
PHOTO: Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa throws a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium, on Sept. 29, 2022, in Cincinnati.
>

The NFL and the NFLPA released a joint statement Saturday saying that both parties agreed that, \"modifications to the concussion protocol are needed to enhance player safety.\"

\"The NFLPA’s Mackey-White Health & Safety Committee and the NFL’s Head Neck and Spine Committee have already begun conversations around the use of the term 'Gross Motor Instability' and we anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process,\" the organizations said in their statement.

Nowinski said that the move to fire the doctor that treated Tagovailoa after the Bills game was a sign that Tagovailoa's reutrn was a mistake.

\"I think we can all read between the lines here that something must have gone wrong if that doctor did not think that Tua should be held up,\" he said.

[

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