Cris Collinsworth awkwardly changes tune on Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions after commercial break

After Cris Collinsworth clarified an innocuous comment during Sunday Night Football, it appeared blatantly obvious that the NFL keeps a watchful eye on its broadcast partners.

During NBC’s broadcast of the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins Sunday night, Collinsworth referenced concussions, which may have caught the NFL’s ear more than it did the ear of the viewer. Late in the third quarter, Collinsworth praised Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa as he fought through two defenders while scrambling for the first down.

“Watch this one, for a guy who’s been knocked out twice this season with concussions,” Collinsworth said of Tagovailoa. “He’s going to get to that spot, try and split these defenders, put his head down, and pick up a first down. That’s a guy who’s playing to put his team in a position to win a Super Bowl.”

Soon after, the broadcast went into a commercial break and when they returned, Collinsworth bumbled through an explanation of Tagovailoa’s reported injury history this season, clarifying that the Dolphins quarterback only suffered one concussion, officially.

And here's Cris and Mike Tirico after the commercial break (and presumably after a call from the NFL) clarifying that remark. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/y9G7GzBvgp

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 12, 2022

“I think earlier I said that Tua had been knocked out in two different games,” Collinsworth began. “He was knocked out of two different games, officially he was not knocked out of the first one, he was the second one in Cincinnati four days later.”

Clearly, Collinsworth didn’t decide to offer that clarification on his own during the commercial break, it was likely mandated from someone above. Without the clarification, Collinsworth’s innocuous comment about Tagovailoa’s concussions probably wouldn’t have been noticed. But even Collinsworth’s play-by-play partner Mike Tirico joined in to assist the NFL in saving face.

“Yeah, that was the Buffalo game, where he got hit at halftime and people were concerned with what happened,” Tirico said. “They said he was examined for the back. There was the investigation with the NFL and the medical situation, and the protocols that have changed going forward from that. That is the way it was officially diagnosed the first time, and then knocked out in the Cincinnati game you just referenced.”

During Miami’s Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa took a late hit and stumbled off the field after his head violently bounced against the turf. Tagovailoa, however, returned to the game after passing concussion protocol and was later diagnosed with a back injury. Four days later, Tagovailoa started for the Dolphins on Monday Night Football and the quarterback’s head smacked against the turf again, only this time he was stretchered off the field and diagnosed with a concussion.

Outrage ensued over the fact that Tagovailoa was able to start just four days after suffering an apparent head injury against the Bills. But the NFL and the Miami Dolphins have maintained that Tagovailoa only suffered a back injury against Buffalo, despite the fact that we visibly watched him stumble off the field after his head crashed into the ground. And more than two months later, Collinsworth appeared to get a stern reminder that Tagovailoa’s head incident against Buffalo resulted in a back injury, not a concussion.

In the wake of Tagovailoa’s injuries, the NFL adjusted league rules so that a player who demonstrates “gross motor instability” can no longer return to the game, even if they pass concussion protocol.

[Sunday Night Football]