Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has entered concussion protocol after getting injured in a helmet-to-helmet hit on Sunday in the 24-17 win over the New England Patriots.
Miami’s head coach Mike McDaniel announced to reporters during his press conference on Monday. McDaniel also said that Waddle is “already started progressing” through said protocol.
Waddle took a hit by Patriots linebacker Marte Mapu after an incompleted pass by QB Tua Tagovailoa was intended for Waddle. Mapu was penalized, flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct following the hit.
The Dolphins then announced that Waddle was being “evaluated pursuant to the concussion protocol” before he was officially declared out for the remainder of the game.
Waddle has been downgraded to out. https://t.co/d4Y7iZ8Y3u
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 18, 2023
Prior to the injury, Waddle had four catches on a team-high 86 yards prior to exiting Sunday’s game. So far in the regular season, he has eight catches for 164 yards.
“Any time one of your guys goes down, definitely always concerned,” said Tagovailoa when asked about Waddle. “But I got to see him, seems as if he’s in good spirits. So hoping the best for him.”
Concussion Protocol Steps
Concussions need to be taken very seriously, no matter the severity of the head injury.
Typically, there are medical experts assigned to each game to ensure that the protocol enforced by the NFL is followed. When a player gets hit in the head, they receive medical attention if symptoms are reported or someone else – this could be a trainer, official, coach, or teammate – initiates said protocol.
The steps the NFL takes are pretty similar to the ones laid out by the CDC. The team physician will evaluate the player on the sideline, checking their speech, eyes, and cervical spine. The play where the player was hit is also reviewed to determine how severe the impact was. If it’s determined that the sideline check reveals symptoms, the player is then escorted to the locker room to be further examined for anymore neurological symptoms.
Symptoms where players absolutely cannot return are things such as loss of consciousness, gross motor instabiliy, amnesia, impact seizure and ataxia.
Ataxia is defined as an “abnormality of balance/stability, motor coordination or dysfunctional speech caused by a neurological issue.” If a player displays ataxia, they cannot be cleared to return to the game under the new concussion protocols.
These revised protocols come in the wake of Miami’s quarterback Tua Vagovailoa, who suffered three concussions last season.
Step 1: Symptom limited activity – Let’s say a player suffers a concussion on Sunday, their day 1 is technically on Monday. Start off with daily activities that don’t invoke any symptoms, gradually reintroducing themselves to work/school activities. In order to move to Day 2/Step 2, they need to clear Day 1.
Step 2: Slight aerobic exercise- At this stage, you can start slowly increasing your heart rate. This can be done by walking or riding a stationary bike, but nothing that requires resistance training.
Step 3: Moderate Activity- The athlete should continue with activities that increase their heart rate with body or head movement. This can include jogging, brief running, moderate-intensity workouts (biking or weight-lifting).
Step 4: Heavy, non-contact activity- Athletes can start adding non-contact physical activity such as sprinting/running, regular weightlifting, and non-contact sport specific drills.
Step 5: Practice & Full Contact: Athlete may return to practice and full contact in a controlled practice setting.
Step 6: Competition- The athlete can return to competition, in this case, return to the game.
A player may not return to action until they complete the return-to-participation protocol.
What Does This Mean for the Miami Dolphins Home Opener?
There’s no set timeline for players in concussion protocol. It all depends on the player’s medical history, and how they progress through the steps of protocol. It could be another week or so until Waddle is allowed to return to action.
If Waddle is unable to play for their home opener, things point towards Tyreek Hill being the primary wide receiver for Tua against the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins also have Cedrick Wilson, who’s been a scratch in the last two games, or even Robbie Chosen who’s on the team’s practice squad.
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