So much for #TankForTua...
According to several reports, Alabama starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a major hip injury during Saturday’s game against Mississippi State. Tagovailoa, who has still been recovering from mid-season ankle surgery, was taken to the ground hard by a pair of Bulldogs defenders and was left writhing in pain on the turf. He was helped to a cart by Alabama medical staff, after which he was driven off the field. Tagovailoa was then airlifted to a local hospital for evaluation.
It’s being speculated that Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated hip. The extent of the damage is unknown as of the publishing of this article, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that the superstar quarterback has played his last down for the Crimson Tide.
Now, it must be said upfront that Tagovailoa’s health (and hopefully full recovery) is the most important factor to be aware of following Saturday’s unfortunate injury. However, this development does have ramifications that will impact the future of the Miami Dolphins, and given that this is a website dedicated to the Dolphins, I will be discussing said ramifications below.
Before he suffered this most recent and injury, many NFL Draft prognosticators had Tagovailoa pegged to go first-overall in the 2020 draft. With the emergence of LSU sensation Joe Burrow, there’s no doubt that questions will arise as to whether Tagovailoa will even be the first quarterback off the board come April. Plenty of Miami Dolphins fans have been dreaming of seeing the Hawaiian native in aqua and orange for over a year now, and while that’s still a distinct possibility, Tagovailoa’s draft stock is now very much in question.
The electric playmaker was having a phenomenal season before injuries derailed his year. Tagovailoa was riding a 70.9 completion percentage, 2,584 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, and just three interceptions into what many Crimson Tide fans were hoping would be another bid to the College Football Playoffs. For now, both fans of college football and the NFL alike will be waiting with bated breath to hear any news about Alabama’s starting quarterback.
For the latest on Tagovailoa’s injury and any updates, check out SB Nation’s Alabama site, Roll Bama Roll.