Tua Tagovailoa Shares The Latest On His Rehab Status

If not for the hip injury he suffered against Mississippi State in the fall, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa might be in the discussion for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The early signs for his recovery have been good, but the lingering uncertainty combined with Joe Burrow's breakout season have bumped Tua down draft boards a bit. Many believe he won't get past the Miami Dolphins, hosts of Sunday's Super Bowl LIV, at No. 5, but it still rests on his health.

The emergence of Oregon's Justin Herbert could complicate matters as well. After a strong Rose Bowl performance to finish his college career, Herbert impressed throughout Senior Bowl week and won the game's MVP award.

Tua is in Miami, his potential future home, to discuss his health and plans as we approach the 2020 NFL Draft in late April. If you hope your team is in the sweepstakes to land him, circle February 10 on your calendars.

He is having a scan on his hip on that key date, three months post-injury. If all goes well, he may be able to start running shortly thereafter.

From an appearance on ESPN's Golic and Wingo, via AL.com:

“Everything looks good,” he said. "Th1e bone has healed pretty well. They usually give it a three-month mark. [February 10] will be when we go in for a CT scan with my doctors in Birmingham and I think an MRI, as well. That’s usually the mark they give the bone to heal. Right now we’re on pace for a full recovery.”

Tua Tagovailoa will attend the NFL Scouting Combine beginning on Feb. 23, where he hopes to meet with teams and assuage any medical concerns they have.

From there, his agent Leigh Steinberg is hopeful that he will be able to throw and work out for teams sometime in April, though that is obviously dependent on how the February scan goes and the continued progress of his rehab.

The 2020 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 23.

[AL.com]