Tua Tagovailoa Gets Good News About Draft Stock Following Surgery
By Michael Luciano
Alabama Crimson Tide fans and Draft Twitter alike can take a sigh of relief, as the latest news surrounding the Tua Tagovailoa situation is positive.
After his scary hip injury against Mississippi State, Tagovailoa's surgeon assured us all that this is not as serious as the hip injury that ended Bo Jackson's career. Even with this injury, Tua is expected to be picked in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft according to Ian Rapoport.
Could #Bama QB Tua Tagovailoa suffer the same fate as Bo Jackson? His surgeon Dr. Chip Routt told the family: Tua is more likely to get mauled by a bear than get AVN ... My in-depth story on the future Round 1 pick: https://t.co/vHqfKmifVD
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2019
Tagovailoa, who tossed 33 touchdowns against just three picks this year, will not play for the rest of the season because of his hip injury. However, the abundance of NFL teams who need a quarterback coupled with the generally weak class this year could lead Tua to declare early.
If that is the path Tua takes, he can start throwing for teams around February, which should be more than enough time to prove he can sling it at an NFL level.
Based on his rehab program, there is a chance Tua Tagovailoa could actually throw for teams before the draft, if he comes out. He can resume football activities in three months. https://t.co/BL48KecASW
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2019
With Tua, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert looking like the only quarterbacks slated to go in the first round, Tagovailoa declaring for the NFL draft early makes a lot of sense. However, going back to Bama for a year and proving yourself post-injury is a good way to rehabilitate his stock.