The Miami Dolphins’ quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is consulting with “top experts” across the country as he works on recovering from a concussion he experienced on September 12, according to the NFL’s chief medical officer.

During a conference call with the media on Friday, Dr. Allen Sills stated that the league is not playing a role in Tagovailoa’s return process. He emphasized that the main focus for both the NFL and the NFL Players’ Association is to ensure that the concussion protocols they have established together are being adhered to by players and teams.

“It’s vital for patient autonomy and medical decision-making to be respected,” Sills remarked. “Ultimately, the decisions players make about their careers should stem from discussions with medical professionals, who provide the best medical advice available.”

“Decisions regarding whether a player is fully recovered from an injury or their long-term risks are individual matters between the player and their healthcare team.”

Tagovailoa previously faced a concussion while playing for the University of Alabama. As a member of the Dolphins, he was cleared of a potential head injury in Week 3 of 2022, only to experience a serious concussion just four days later against the Cincinnati Bengals. Although he returned to play that year, he suffered another concussion on Christmas Day, causing him to miss the last two games of the season.

Determining an individual’s future susceptibility to concussions is challenging for physicians, noted Sills, a neurosurgeon.

“Our approach involves examining the entire history of the patient’s concussions,” Sills explained. “Factors like the number of concussions, the time intervals between them, and the duration of symptoms they experienced afterward are all important variables, along with what the patient feels about their current situation, their career, age, and more.”

“Initially, our primary concern is to ensure that a patient has fully recovered from their acute injury as medical practitioners.”

The league has highlighted the notably low number of concussions (44) recorded during the preseason, which covers both practices and games.

Regarding the efficacy of the Guardian Cap, Sills mentioned that the league has submitted data on concussion rates to a medical journal, with the publication expected in the upcoming months.

“We’ve observed that there are no downsides to wearing a Guardian Cap,” Sills stated, adding that the intention behind this helmet enhancement is not solely to reduce concussions, but rather to lessen the impact on the brain during collisions.