Tua Tagovailoa's path to return after concussion: Dolphins QB must go through this five-step NFL protocol

Tua must complete these steps before being cleared to return to play

By John Breech Sep 13, 2024 at 11:00 am ET• 3 min read

If Tua Tagovailoa wants to return to the field this year after suffering a concussion on Thursday night, he's going to have to go through the NFL's five-step process before he can be even think about being cleared. 

For Tua, this could take weeks or even months and that's because this is the third concussion that he's suffered in his NFL career. When a player is trying to return from a concussion, there's no set timetable for when that return might happen. The team's medical staff will take into account the player's concussion history as part of the process for possibly clearing the player for football activities. 

Tua actually thought about retiring in April 2023 after suffering two concussions during the 2022 season, so it's impossible to know what his mindset might be about his future after suffering this third concussion in two years. The injury happened during the third quarter of Miami's 31-10 loss to the Bills. 

If Tua does want to keep playing, he'll have to go through the league's five-step process, which looks like this: