NFL commissioner says league to make ‘change or two’ to concussion protocol

The NFL is prepared "to marque a alteration oregon two" to its concussion protocol, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said astatine a instrumentality forum successful London connected Saturday arsenic the league faces questions about however the Miami Dolphins handled backmost Tua Tagovailoa's caller injuries.

Responding to a fan's question astir concussions and "recent incidents," Goodell outlined the league's "intensive focus" connected the contented implicit the past 15 years and said its aesculapian protocols person served arsenic templates for different sports.

"Our occupation truly is to proceed to modify those arsenic aesculapian experts oregon different experiences archer you this is thing you tin bash differently,'" helium said.

The commissioner took questions lone from fans successful London up of Sunday's crippled betwixt the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He wasn't made disposable to the media Saturday. The league did not elaborate connected what the imaginable protocol changes are oregon erstwhile they could travel into effect.

Earlier this week, the NFL Players Association fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma advisor who evaluated Tagovailoa aft helium stumbled disconnected the tract against Buffalo connected Sept. 25 pursuing a hit. The backmost was evaluated for a concussion, but helium rapidly returned to the crippled and the Dolphins said a backmost injury had caused his wobbly gait.

The backmost subsequently suffered a concussion 4 days aboriginal astatine Cincinnati and is retired indefinitely.

Goodell, without citing Tagovailoa by name, said there's "more chatter now" astir concussions.

"We recognize immoderate of that chatter, but the world is the protocols are truly important. We travel that strictly. We spot nary denotation that that didn't hap successful this case. There's an ongoing investigation, " helium said. "We're truly focused connected doing that. But we're besides prepared to marque a alteration oregon 2 successful the protocols due to the fact that we deliberation we tin really adhd different constituent that would marque it adjacent safer."

On Friday, the NFL Players Association urged the league to instrumentality changes successful clip to support players successful this weekend's games. In its ain statement, the NFL said it was moving connected updates to the protocol but did not perpetrate to implementing them earlier Sunday's games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers choky extremity Cameron Brate' was besides injured last Sunday erstwhile he collided with a teammate near the extremity of the archetypal fractional against the Kansas City Chiefs and was initially allowed to re-enter the game. He past sat retired the 2nd fractional with a concussion.

NFL players "are getting the astir bonzer attraction and amended than they ever person successful the past of the NFL, but they merit that, and that's our obligation, and that's what we request to do," Goodell said.