The National Football League and the NFL Players Association released a new statement on Sunday addressing Tua Tagovailoa's head injury.

Weeks after the dreaded accident happened, the NFL and NFLPA found out that "the outcome in this case is not what was intended when the Protocols were drafted." The mentioned concussion protocols will keep the players from playing if they are experiencing ataxia.

The condition, according to the National Ataxia Foundation, is a rare neurological disease that affects a person's mobility due to damage to the cerebellum. Poor muscle control leads to a lack of coordination, as well.

Tagovailoa reportedly had the case during the September match, and it was confirmed by the league's chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills.


"If a player is diagnosed with 'ataxia' by any club or neutral physician involved in the application of the Concussion Protocol, he will be prohibited from returning to the game, and will receive the follow-up care required by the Protocol," according to the joint statement.

After the September 25 game, the league temporarily removed Tagovailoa before returning to the field as the doctors said he had a back injury.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the athlete showed five clear signs of a concussion. Tagovailoa already grabbed his head when he hit the ground, a definite sign that his head hurt. He also stepped sideways and backward soon after he stood up due to balance issues.

He also shook his head which was reportedly a sign of visual disturbance, before falling again.

Is Tua Tagovailoa Retiring?

Following the incident, Tagovailoa is urged by a concussion doctor to retire from NFL already.

In an interview with a news outlet, Dr. Bennet Omalu - who discovered CTE - said the athlete should retire as soon as possible and avoid taking another hit.

The expert said he should find something else to do if he still wants to be with his family as it could worsen his health issue since he believed Tagovailoa "suffered severe, long-term permanent brain damage."

CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), which Dr. Omalu discovered, is the result of sustaining repeated head injuries. Per the Centers for Disease Control, traumatic injuries can eventually lead to memory loss or even death. This is common in football and boxing.

This has been one of the leading causes of NFL players' deaths, with 110 out of 111 players in Boston University's research statistics database diagnosed with it.

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