Does Tua Tagovailoa’s latest injury impact his 2020 NFL Draft stock?
Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered an injury in the first half against Mississippi State. How does this latest injury affect his 2020 NFL Draft stock?
UPDATE: Tua Tagovailoa will miss the rest of the season with a dislocated hip with a posterior wall fracture.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was having a fantastic game against Mississippi State. He completed 14 of 18 passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns and it looked like he was done for the day with just three minutes to go in the first half. Instead, he trotted out there for a two-minute drill situation, and on third down, he was pressured out of the pocket and brought down hard as he threw the ball away.
Tua was on the ground for a while. When trainers helped him up, his nose was bleeding significantly, and he couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg, the same leg where he suffered an ankle injury earlier this season. He was eventually carted off the field.
Reports are that it is a hip injury for Tua and that he went to get X-rays on it. It was reported by ESPN‘s Molly McGrath that he was screaming in pain in the locker room.
It sounds like the injury is significant, and there is no timetable at this point. Could we have just seen Tua’s last game in college? It’s certainly possible.
As far as his draft stock goes, injuries were probably the biggest concern for teams coming into this season, after Tua battled an ankle injury late in the regular season last year. Adding another ankle injury to the mix followed by this latest one, and the concern continues to rise.
If Tua does indeed declare for the 2020 NFL Draft, then teams will be sure to get every medical report they can at the combine to make sure he doesn’t have damage that will stick around long-term. With fellow SEC quarterback Joe Burrow on the rise, there’s a chance that Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t end up being the first quarterback selected in April. He has too much talent to end up falling out of the first round, but the No. 1 pick is definitely up in the air.
Next. Nick Saban cost Alabama a Playoff spot by playing Tua in garbage time. dark
There will be plenty of eyes on this situation as more info comes out on the injury.