NFLPA wants NFL concussion protocol changes regarding 'gross motor instability' in effect by Sunday

Although Week 5 has already started, the NFL Players’ Association is "immediately" seeking the institution of changes to the joint NFL-NFLPA concussion protocols a player who experiences a head injury must undergo.

The process has been heavily scrutinized since Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion that left him momentarily limp against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 25, four days after he endured another brutal hit against the Buffalo Bills.

The NFLPA board and executive committee pressed the issue once again Friday.

"Our union has agreed to change the concussion protocols to protect players from returning to play in the case of any similar incident to what we saw on September 25," the statement said. "We would like these changes to go into effect before this weekend’s games to immediately protect the players and hope the NFL accepts the changes before then as well."

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The key change the players seek concerns "gross motor instability" – the type of reaction displayed by Tagovailoa and Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines on Thursday. If a player shows gross motor instability, they cannot return to the game at all. Previously, they could return if the cause was because of something other than a head injury; Tagovailoa and the Dolphins said the first injury he suffered against the Bills was to his back.

In a statement, the NFL called the upcoming changes “likely,” but did not provide a timeline for when they would go into effect.

“As we have discussed with the NFLPA, we agree that changes to the joint NFL-NFLPA protocols are necessary to further enhance player safety,” the statement said. “We have already spoken to members of the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the leadership of the Unaffiliated Neurotrama Consultants and Independent Certified Athletic Trainers who serve as spotters to discuss these likely changes.”

The Week 5 Sunday slate of games begins at 9:30 a.m. ET when the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants square off in London.

Contributing: Safid Deen

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tua Tagovailoa's case has concussion protocol changes likely, NFL says