Dr. David Chao, the former San Diego Chargers' team physician, provided his take as well: Report from @JimNagy_SB of fracture and surgery. Bell says much of Tagovailoa's recovery after the fracture heals will center on healing the trauma to the soft tissue caused by the injury, restoring strength to the muscle around the hip joint and increasing the range of motion after initially restricting it as the fracture heals. Tua Tagovailoa, the early favorite to be the No. Irrelevant' no more, Tae Crowder introduces himself to NFL, Lions rookie RB D'Andre Swift breaks out in big Week 6 win, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa goes 2-for-2 in NFL debut. Hip subluxation/dislocation puts femoral head at risk of loosing blood supply and dying. The exact severity of the injury and timetable are unclear right now so it's too early to speculate about draft position. (1:17). Tagavailoa has been fantastic on and off the field for the Tide, and his football exploits have made him a clear top-three pick in many NFL mock drafts, per the NFL Mock Draft Database. Durability question marks were real for Tagovailoa even before the hip injury. It's what we call a high-energy injury, meaning you're more likely to see something like this in motor vehicle accidents," ESPN injury analyst Stephania Bell said. Tua Tagovailoa, the standout Alabama quarterback who the Miami Dolphins will evaluate further later this month at the NFL combine, received some encouraging news in … Dr. Mark Adickes, an orthopedic surgeon, shared his thoughts: Tua Tagovailoa injury similar to Bo Jackson injury. Cain told ESPN football analyst Laura Rutledge that Tagovailoa will be on a partial weight bearing plan for six weeks to let the fracture heal, and then in three months he can resume athletic training and by the spring he can begin throwing again. Right now, Miller and Dane Brugler of The Athletic say it's too early to speculate until we know the full nature of the injury: We have to wait and see. Tagovailoa's elite accuracy, playmaking ability, anticipation, ability to read defenses and propensity to lead his team in big moments make him a rare and desirable quarterback prospect. By: Luke Easterling. The best hope is that Tagovailoa returns to full health, and he has a long NFL career. With the Dolphins (2-8) spending most of this year collecting three first-round selections and a projected 14 total picks, the 2020 NFL draft might be the single most important event in Miami's extreme rebuild. Alabama head coach Nick Saban called Tagovailoa "pleasant, pleasing and upbeat; never much negative, very respectful" in a profile from Greg Bishop of Sports Illustrated. That doesn't include coming off the bench and guiding 'Bama to a 26-23 overtime win over Georgia in the College Football Playoff Championship two seasons ago. • All 255 picks » | Biggest takeaways » • Experts on Round 1 » | Home setups » 1 overall pick for much of the season, but one devastating dislocated and fractured hip injury has thrown that hope into flux. "It's much harder to dislocate the hip. It's a serious and rare injury on the sports spectrum, but there is some early optimism. He's had everything in his favor the best it could be at this point to have a full recovery.". (1:17). The Alabama junior quarterback is out for the season after he injured his hip in mid-November… This is a Dolphins team that has failed to right the quarterback position since Dan Marino retired in 2000. Hip fracture. Early management really drives a lot of the prognosis. Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down how Tua Tagovailoa's latest injury complicates matters when it comes to his NFL draft prospects. Emmanuel Acho says Tua Tagovailoa's best move is to return to Alabama for his senior season, get healthy and maybe become a top-3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Even with the uncertainty surrounding Tagovailoa's injury, the Bengals have options. Tagovailoa, 21, underwent surgery on Monday to repair a dislocated right hip and posterior wall fracture. Need to get hip back in place gently ASAP and remove pressure from joint. Tagovailoa's season-ending hip injury has significant influence on the Dolphins' pursuit of a franchise quarterback. What's your functional return -- can you come back to prior performance," Bell said. While there is no official word from Alabama on the exact nature of Tagovailoa's injury or how long he will be out, early analysis from various sources did not express positive outlooks. Listen, Monday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. 'I felt like the preparation coming into the game was probably our best so far this year', Here's why we can't expect the Cowboys to improve anytime soon , Against a one-loss Bills team, the Chiefs didn't need their QB to go off, and that's scary ➡️. South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn shines in upset win vs. Auburn, WATCH: Alabama's Mac Jones hits Jaylen Waddle for 90-yard TD, Joe Burrow leans on Mannings, Kurt Warner for advice as rookie season unfolds, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. https://t.co/JmdZx5IeIE. "You want to restore normal strength and function but also prevent against a future occurrence," Bell said. The Crimson Tide’s top prospect is … It's also very early in the process with medical evaluations to be performed, a January draft decision by Tagovailoa to be made and the play of other top quarterbacks to happen the rest of this season. More NFL draft coverage ». Dr. Lyle Cain, Alabama's orthopedic surgeon, said afterward Tagovailoa's injury prognosis is "excellent," and that he's expected to make a full recovery. But the question is whether this injury has an impact on his NFL draft stock should he declare. Alex Byington of the Montgomery Advertiser credited Tagavailoa's humility in light of newfound fame last year, and wideout Henry Ruggs III called him a "great person.". Similar to Bo Jackson’s career-ending injury. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound Tagovailoa had a tightrope surgery on each of his ankles and a right knee injury that have hampered him over the past two seasons. "Anytime you have trauma to the hip, including a dislocation or subluxation, it's natural to worry about the blood flow because those arteries are so critical to the health of the hip. Former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will assuredly be a first-round pick during the upcoming NFL Draft (April 23-25), with … How Tua Tagovailoa's injury could affect Dolphins' 2020 NFL draft plan, Dolphins' Tagovailoa debuts to rousing reception, Brian Flores-led Dolphins turnaround flourishing while Adam Gase's Jets crumble, It takes matchup with 0-5 Jets for Dolphins to finally be favored, Why Miami Dolphins players love Ryan Fitzpatrick: 'He's the man', The most shocking stats for all 16 AFC teams through five weeks, Source: Dolphins' Godchaux has a biceps tear, Covered the Broncos for two seasons with the Denver Post. But early observations show the Dolphins' pursuit for a franchise quarterback will be affected by Tagovailoa's injury, and it's not quite clear yet how it will work out for Miami. 13 on ESPN Scout Inc. and Todd McShay's latest big board, as the third quarterback behind LSU's Joe Burrow and Oregon's Justin Herbert. "It's a freak-type injury. The ESPN Daily delivers the biggest sports news and moments every weekday. It's traumatic. "It's painful. Heck, if they deem Tagovailoa will be healthy long-term, taking him with their top selection still might be a win. 3, No. It's what we call a high-energy injury, meaning you're more likely to se… DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins fans have spent the 2019 NFL season dreaming of Tua Tagovailoa, the talented Alabama quarterback who many had projected as the No. Is the Tua dream over for Miami or does this somehow make it even more obtainable? 5 overall, Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with various injuries at Alabama. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy also reported that Tagavailoa suffered a hip fracture and compared the injury to the one that ended then-Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson's football career in 1990: Hearing Tua Tagovailoa’s hip injury is serious. If Tagovailoa declares, he ranks No. So yes, the Tua dream lives on, and depending on how his pre-draft medicals go, it could be more realistic than ever. Miami is still a strong contender to draft a quarterback in the first round because going through another "tank-like" season is unlikely. This Dolphins franchise has a plethora of needs, so if they could address one of them with a top-five pick, and still get their quarterback of the future -- even if they play it safe with Tagovailoa slowly rehabbing during the 2020 season -- it could end up being a blessing in disguise. 1 overall pick. Hal Scheurich of Fox 10 interviewed numerous Alabama fans who praised Tagavailoa's character after the 2017 championship win. That draft flexibility gives Miami an ability to take more risks on draft weekend. Likely fracture dislocation of hip with acetabular fracture. Too bad. 17 (via Pittsburgh) and No. It was hard to know how much trauma happened inside his joint. But there are months of rehab ahead in order to get back to full health. 24 (via Houston) picks in the 2020 draft, making them the only team with three first-round picks. Obviously, the hope is Tagavailoa has a successful and efficient recuperation process and is playing on Sundays for a currently quarterback-needy team drafting high come 2020. The Dolphins, per ESPN's Football Power Index, are projected to have the No. • Bowen's favorites » | Pick analysis » 'Mr. So you let the fracture heal properly first, then progress from there.­­­". They have to nail this one, not settle for a player who could just have a decent Ryan Tannehill-like career in Miami. The best news is the specialist who operated on Tagovailoa and sees these things far more often than most orthopedic surgeons doesn't anticipate any long-term consequences, and thinks that he has an excellent chance at a full recovery once the fracture heals.". Tagovailoa, who was playing on a surgically repaired right ankle, suffered the injury in the second quarter. But teams also look at how players recover from those situations. . ESPN Daily podcastMonday through Friday, host Pablo Torre brings you an inside look at the most interesting stories at ESPN, as told by the top reporters and insiders on the planet. If Tagovailoa declares for the 2020 draft, but the Dolphins deem him too risky to bet their franchise on him, they could trim their quarterback options with their likely top-five selection to Burrow and Herbert. As far as big boards go, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report listed Tagavailoa fifth in his latest rendition. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a dislocated right hip with a posterior wall fracture Saturday at Mississippi State and will miss the rest of the season, per Aaron Suttles of The Athletic. He was tantalizing to watch at Alabama, and it is easy to see him becoming one of the next great young NFL quarterbacks. Dr. Lyle Cain, Alabama's orthopedic surgeon, said afterward Tagovailoa's injury prognosis is "excellent," and that he's expected to make a full recovery. Hip subluxation/dislocation puts femoral head at risk of loosing blood supply and dying. Despite many connecting Tagovailoa's injury to Bo Jackson's career-ending hip injury, Bell says "the specific natures of their injuries are quite different and there's not much to compare there. The news is horrible for any player but especially disappointing for Tagovailoa, who has gutted through injuries for Alabama and led the team to a 22-2 record in games where he's started. This flexibility could allow Miami to select an elite talent at another position of need such as edge rusher (hello, Ohio State's Chase Young) or offensive tackle (hello, Georgia's Andrew Thomas or Iowa's Tristan Wirfs) or, in a radical move, select another quarterback with their top selection -- a double-dipping move at the position like the Dallas Cowboys did in 1989 with Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh (first-round supplemental draft selection). Tua Tagovailoa injury similar to Bo Jackson injury. So unlike the shoulder, you don't really worry about it repeating as much. "It's a freak-type injury. A pair of Mississippi State defenders converged on Tagovailoa as he rolled out of the pocket and threw the ball away. WATCH: What did Tua Tagovailoa do after his NFL debut?