Report: NFLPA Reviewing Handling of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's Latest Concussion

The Miami Dolphins are once again under fire for another questionable situation involving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after he was placed in concussion protocol for the second time this season on Monday.

According to The Athletic's Mike Jones, the NFL Players Association is "looking into the handling" of Tagovailoa, who played the entirety of Sunday's 26-20 home loss against the Green Bay Packers without being evaluated for a concussion during the game. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel raised some eyebrows when he said Monday he was unsure of when exactly Tagovailoa would have suffered the concussion.

Jones added that the NFLPA has not yet ordered an official investigation into the matter and union officials are awaiting the details of an incident report before determining how to move forward. Jones described Tagovailoa's status for Miami's Week 17 game against the New England Patriots as "unclear," noting that he must pass the five-step return-to-play protocol before he can be cleared to play.

On Tuesday, NFL chief medical officer Allen Sills told NFL.com's Judy Battista that Tagovailoa will be allowed "to have a voice in the decision-making" regarding his status after consulting with doctors.

"Our protocol is to make sure the athlete appears to be recovered, but we still, with today's technology, can't really estimate that risk of future injury," Sills said, adding, "We have to make sure the athlete is fully recovered and then make sure their voice and their autonomy is respected in this decision-making process."

The Dolphins had already been the subject of a joint investigation by the NFL and NFLPA earlier this season after the mishandling of Tagovailoa's health. He hit his head on the turf during a Week 3 game against the Buffalo Bills but missed only three snaps before being allowed to complete the game. Just four days later on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, the 24-year-old was stretchered off the field and briefly hospitalized after his head hit the ground once again.

Tagovailoa was placed in the protocol and missed the next two games while recovering from concussion symptoms. The league amended its concussion protocol to help better identify players who need to be removed from games. The initial investigation resulted in the firing of an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who was supposed to be monitoring players for signs of concussions.

Against the Packers, video showed Tagovailoa's head striking the ground in the second quarter. While he wasn't checked for a concussion, his play seemed to suffer as he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter during the loss.

If Tagovailoa is unable to play on Sunday, the Dolphins will be led by veteran backup Teddy Bridgewater against the Patriots in a crucial AFC East matchup.