What is Next for Tua Tagovailoa?

Rogelio V. Solis - AP

Alabama may have won its’ game versus Mississippi State on Saturday, but Roll Tide took an unimaginable loss. Up 35-7 with three minutes to go before halftime, Tua Tagovailoa scrambled out of the pocket when he was brought down on what seemed like a fairly routine tackle, except it was anything but routine. This tackle would be the one that ended Tua’s season with a dislocated hip as well as a fracture. Many questioned whether he should have still been in the game, others believed he should have never played at all. That is not what I will discuss in this article instead, I will ask; what is next for Tua Tagovailoa?

Recovering from a dislocated hip is no walk in the park. Just ask arguably the most freakish athlete in human history, Bo Jackson. Bo had a very similar play to this, he got taken down on a very normal looking tackle but ended up dislocating his hip and never playing football (nor baseball) ever again.

Albeit, that took place 28 years ago. The medical industry is far more advanced than it was at that time. Tua is also almost 10 years younger than Jackson at the time, so he should, in theory, have an easier time coming back. Also, Jackson may have been able to make a full recovery but it is possible that he felt he had already accomplished what he set out for and decided it wasn’t worth it to try and fight back.

Tua will not give up, that is one thing we can all be certain of. The question is not will he come back from this, it is simply a matter of, can he? As long as it is possible, I believe he can, but it will not be easy and it will not be soon.

Tua was long presumed to be the number one overall draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft, but with his hip injury, and the play of Joe Burrow and Chase Young, that ship has all but sailed. Who cares though? Instead of going to a team that has been stuck in mediocrity for years such as the Cincinnati Bengals or Miami Dolphins, he now has a chance to go to a real, well-run organization, that will provide him with every resource necessary for him to make a full recovery.

How does Tua’s draft projection change? I am no draft expert, but he has to at least fall to the bottom of the first round, and if former instances of this same injury are any example, he could well fall to day two or three of the draft. In my opinion, I do not believe he will fall below round three, but if team doctors warn GM’s and head coaches not to take a risk on this Tua, I am sure they will wait until even later in the draft to take a chance on him.

What Teams Could Draft Tua?

If Tua falls, almost any team could select him that does not have a young star under center already. Here are the teams I believe would be most likely to take a shot on Tagovailoa later in the draft.

1. New Orleans Saints

If Brees does not retire after this year, Teddy Bridgewater will sign elsewhere and Sean Payton will need a new plan for the future at quarterback. That plan should be Tua Tagovailoa. He will have no pressure to rush back from his rehabilitation since the Saints will have a Hall of Fame quarterback under center. With the way things are looking for Brees, he may even have two years left, which should give Tua adequate time to make a full recovery.

2. Atlanta Falcons

With Matt Ryan not getting any younger and the team continuing to struggle, it is time to consider the future in Atlanta. The Falcons have a ton of young pieces, on offense and defense. But they have some holes that should be addressed before throwing a young quarterback into the fire. They also have some big contracts that they paid to payers on the last legs of their career. With Matt Ryan still a very passable quarterback, the Falcons will have time to rid of those contracts and build up an offensive line before Tua ever even has a chance to play a snap for them.

3. New England Patriots

This situation just smells of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. I am sure that come draft time everyone will have given up on Tua’s talent because of the injury, and then Belichick will come swooping and snag him later in the draft. If this does transpire, it will be the best thing possible for Tagovailoa and his career. He will get to sit behind the G.O.A.T quarterback, while also learning the game from the G.O.A.T head coach. I cannot imagine a better situation.

Now there is a chance I have no idea what I am talking about (very likely) and teams will still feel very strongly about Tua’s chances of being a great pro. Maybe, the procedures for recovering from a dislocated hip are much improved from the days of Bo Jackson and Tua will be expected to make a full recovery. Who knows, but this is what I expect to happen. Hopefully, Tua makes a full recovery and can pick up in the NFL where he left off at Alabama.

- Paul Hessing