The Miami Dolphins’ quest for a quarterback of the future was thrown for a loop this fall when Alabama star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa endured a dislocated hip against Mississippi State. For months on end, the Dolphins were tied to Tagovailoa as their preferred choice to resolve their situation at quarterback — but at the very least Tagovailoa’s injury introduced apprehension to that idea.
Fast forward to March 9th and the star quarterback announced that he was fully recovered from the surgery to repair his hip and that he would resume training in hopes of holding a throwing session for NFL teams in early April. The goal? To prove that he’s ready to make a full football recovery, not just a medical one. But with the current landscape in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak, it is safe to say that Tagovailoa’s throwing session — or at the very least hosting teams for it — has probably been put on the back burner.
With that key opportunity to prove himself to teams and with the NFL Draft continuing to inch closer, Tagovailoa’s work must continue and he must find other ways to help indicate that he’s well on his way to returning to form. Videos like the one he posted last night on social media from a recent workout are, at the very least, enough to move the needle.
Practicing social distancing with the long ball today. Feels good to spin it again. #Process pic.twitter.com/BZnBF7Sfdc
— Tua. T 🇦🇸 (@Tuaamann) March 24, 2020
Now, what context does this video from Tagovailoa provide on his health prognosis? None. The NFL teams aren’t simply going to draft him based on a few reps of a workout posted to social media. But at the very least, this sets the expectation for the kind of work that Tagovailoa is currently capable of as he continues his recovery. And if the medical scans that are sent out ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft are favorable, it may prove to be exactly what Tagovailoa needs to convince a team (perhaps the Dolphins) that he’s going to return to form and not feel any long-term implications of his November setback.
This is certainly something to monitor as the draft inches closer. We’re now less than a month away from the opening night.