Jason Kelce calls on the NFL to do more research into the long-term effects of concussions
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa could return for the team's next game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday after missing the team’s last four games with a concussion.
Tagovailoa suffered a scary concussion against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career.
Jason and Travis Kelce were talking about Tagovailoa’s potential return to play during a recent episode of "New Heights," and it sparked a conversation about the long-term effects of concussions.
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Former NFL player Jason Kelce prior to a game between the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
"We were talking about this on the ‘Monday Night Countdown,’ Ryan Clark, like every single neurologist that they talked to did not say [conclusively] that he should stop playing football, and they all don’t know to what extent continuing to play football or continuing to get concussions is doing to long-term affect him," Jason Kelce said.
"Whether anybody else wants to talk about it, I guess I will right now. Like this has been the big shadow in distance in the NFL for the last decade, ever since that concussion movie came out. Like the reality is, nobody knows. It is scary to watch a guy go out and have the amount of concussions and the type of concussions Tua’s had and think that he is not doing something long-term here, but the neurologists clearly don’t know that he is."
Tagovailoa faced calls from former players and coaches telling him to retire following his latest concussion, as the risk of playing football and suffering another concussion are too great for his long-term future.
Jason Kelce has called on the NFL to do more research on the long-term effects of concussions.
DOLPHINS' TUA TAGOVAILOA SET TO PRACTICE THIS WEEK, RETURN FROM CONCUSSION
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attends an NFL International Series game between the Chicago Bears and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
"This is one of the things that I think the NFL really needs to do. Like I know we are doing the Guardian Caps, they’re doing a great job of instituting rules and procedures in place that limit helmet to helmet contact, and protocols that allow for safer return to play. I really think there should be more research done into the longevity and effects that concussions have and ways to mitigate the potential symptoms," Kelce said.
"Because, like, I don’t know it feels like something the NFL can be pioneering, especially with the amount of money that it makes and the amount of resources and attention that it gets. That it can be a part of potentially developing treatments, protocols, lifestyle factors that can mitigate the potential long-term ramifications of some of these things that I think is in the background of NFL players’ minds."
During a conference call in October, Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, and Jeff Miller, the NFL executive vice president overseeing player health and safety, said that the NFL had its lowest number of concussions in the preseason since tracking started in 2015.
There were 44 concussions in practices and games, a decrease of about 24% from last year.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa talks on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Travis Kelce gave a message to the Dolphins quarterback ahead of his return.
"I just want to tell Tua, ‘Man, we’re all supporting you brotha. Go out there and just play healthy man, play the game you love, and wish you the best of luck brotha,’" Kelce said.
The Dolphins are currently 2-4, and their offense has been stagnant in the absence of Tagovailoa, as Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley have both struggled to replace him.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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