Tua Tagovailoa, the standout Alabama quarterback who the Miami Dolphins will evaluate further later this month, received some encouraging news in his road to recovery from a severe hip injury two months before the 2020 NFL draft.
NFL Network reported Monday, citing sources, that Tagovailoa’s three-month CT scan on his hip “was as positive as possible.” His hip fracture has healed, and his range of motion is good, according to the report.
“It’ll likely be another month before he’s cleared for football activities,” the report also stated on Tagovailoa’s hip, which he dislocated and suffered a posterior wall fracture in mid-November.
The injury update bodes well for Tagovailoa, who hopes to perform a pro day workout for NFL teams in either late March or early April before the draft, which begins on April 23 in Las Vegas.
The Dolphins, like many other NFL teams, have not formally met with Tagovailoa despite the dynamic quarterback spending much of Super Bowl week in Miami two weeks ago, where he and Dolphins owner Steve Ross attended an event together.
The next step for Tagovailoa will come at the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis, where he will undergo another series of health evaluations for team doctors while meeting with teams in a formal setting as the introduction stage of the draft process gets underway.
If Tagovailoa continues to improve and eases the mind of some NFL executives, Tagovailoa could see himself firmly in position to be drafted as one of the first five picks.
The Dolphins own the No. 5 selection and have been linked to Tagovailoa in many mock drafts by football writers nationally. To land a player like Tagovailoa, the Dolphins may need to make a draft-day move into the Top 3.
The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick. With the second pick, the Washington Redskins likely will take Ohio State defensive end Chase Young.
The Detroit Lions and New York Giants also pick ahead of the Dolphins, while the Los Angeles Chargers have the sixth pick.
Along with the Dolphins, the Chargers and Lions could also be in the mix for a quarterback.
The Chargers on Monday officially parted ways with longtime quarterback Philip Rivers, who is now a free agent. While Los Angeles has Tyrod Taylor on its roster, it could also make a move into the Top 5 to land its next potential starting quarterback where players like Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert could be in play.
The Lions, who may be the most enticing trade partner for the Dolphins or another team looking to draft a quarterback early, could also be in the mix for a player at the position. Detroit could elect to move on from longtime starter Matthew Stafford this offseason. The Lions could easily use their No. 3 pick, or another pick received in a trade for the third pick, to draft a quarterback.
The new NFL league year will begin in March, where free agency and trades will likely settle some of the quarterback chatter involving quarterbacks like Rivers, Stafford, and New England Patriots star Tom Brady before April’s draft.
The Dolphins, with quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick, 37, and Josh Rosen on the roster, could make several significant moves this offseason as Miami continues its extensive rebuild.
