Tua Tagovailoa Set To Return To Workouts

Former University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been cleared for all football activities.

Tagovailoa cleared his four-month medical check last week and has resumed light football-related drills, such as dropping back and throwing and low-impact running in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft in April. Tagovailoa will hold a pro day on April 9 after training in Nashville. Alabama team physician Dr. Lyle Cain said he was “ecstatic” with the results of Tagovailoa’s scan on Monday. The quarterback didn’t participate in workouts at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, but he did meet with NFL teams and underwent a physical exam.

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The former National College Champion sustained a hip dislocation while playing against  Mississippi State in November that required surgery and ended his prolific career with the Crimson Tide. He had been on measured rehab for months but has ramped up his on-field work since recently being cleared. The stability of the hip, blood-flow abnormalities and other short- and long-term concerns that arose after Tagovailoa initially got hurt do not seem to be issues now based on medical reviews, including those from the Combine, Cain said. The outlook is as positive as can be at the four-month mark, but the left-handed quarterback still has several weeks, if not longer, to go before he is in actual shape for NFL-level football activity. The time frame will be based on how his body responds to a steady progression of weight-training, running and drills related to quarterback play. The rehab process moving forward will be “conservative,” Cain said.

Tagovailoa still has the potential to land as a top-five draft pick for the 2020 NFL Draft. Before the start of the season, the Miami Dolphins stated that they were interested in Tagovailoa. The Dolphins have the fifth overall pick and are in a need of a new quarterback.

Tagovailoa will also be the first left-handed to be in the NFL since Kellen Moore who retired in 2016.