The Miami Dolphins’ decision midway through the 2020 season to install rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa into the lineup was one made with plenty of care and consideration. On the heels of a traumatic hip injury suffered in November of 2019, Tagovailoa’s return to play was no small feat — even if the work it required to get medically cleared and onto the football field was largely out of sight and out of mind. The initial prognosis for Tagovailoa wasn’t good when he suffered that injury at the hands of Mississippi State: it called back memories of some of the game’s famous hip injuries, several of which turned out to be career enders.
The Dolphins, however, were able to get a notable sample of Tagovailoa during his rookie season despite the injury and the subsequent rehab. But what version of Tagovailoa did they get? And how much better can he be from here?
That depends on who you ask.
If you were to ask one of Tagovailoa’s trainers, Nick Hicks of PER4ORM, you should expect a much better version of Tagovailoa in Year 2 of his NFL career. Hicks spoke with Tyler Dunne for a showcase on Tua Tagovailoa and his status as the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback entering the 2021 season, and the trainer’s assessment of Tagovailoa the rookie leaves plenty of upward growth.
A ton of intel from trainer Nick Hicks of @PER4ORM in here, too. He's been with Tagovailoa all offseason and says the QB is down to 10% body fat while still adding weight. Explained, in detail, how much that hip affected the QB's body and mind as a rookie, too: pic.twitter.com/RyfHa2c3PE
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) June 2, 2021
“Hicks estimates Tagovailoa was “60 percent healthy” as a rookie,” writes Dunne — although it is important to compartmentalize here and acknowledge that Tagovailoa was likely not near his physical peak, but that the Dolphins were likely not in the wrong to assess his health and deem him fit to play. There’s a difference between medical health and fitness and peak athletic capacity, after all.
“If your lower body is weak and it’s not explosive and you feel asymmetry, throwing a football is not going to be pretty because throwing a football starts from the ground up. From the feet to the hip to the trunk to the shoulder to the hand. It’s a kinetic chain. It’s going to be stressful. it’s going to be nerve-racking. You’re going to be very indecisive with each play called because you’re worried about your body. our goal was to eliminate that this offseason and build him into this strong, bulletproof athlete that can withstand the 17-game season.” — Nick Hicks via Tyler Dunne
This assessment of Tagovailoa falls in line with much of what we heard the second-year quarterback share during a recent media availability, too. So if Tagovailoa comes out in 2021 and suddenly has a great deal more zip on his throws and plays with more confidence, we know what to thank. But, alternatively, a similar version of the Dolphins’ quarterback year over year will be a greater cause of concern after 2021 — given that Tagovailoa will be a year older and wiser and will not have rehab or inexperience to point to in order to help explain any potential struggles. For what it’s worth, Hicks isn’t foreseeing anything along those lines.