Rogelio V. Solis/Associated Press

Tua Tagovailoa's Doctors Expect QB to Be Ready for Training Camp After Injury

Scott Polacek

Add two more people to the list of those who believe former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be healthy heading into the 2020 campaign.

According to ESPN's Stephania Bell, the orthopedic surgeons involved in the NFL draft prospect's hip surgery said he will be back by the start of training camp. Lyle Cain, who is the head team physician for the Crimson Tide, and Chip Routt, who is a professor of orthopedic surgery, both said they'd clear him for football activities by camp. 

Cain and Routt each said Tagovailoa is at a lower risk of redislocation or fracture-dislocation because of the plate that was implanted in his hip.

"We know the ability to recover from injury has a lot to do with your resilience," Cain said. "That's the thing about Tua. He's so positive. Through this whole process, I never really saw him get down. Even when I was worried early on after the injury, Tua wasn't. He was like, 'It is what it is, let's get it done.'"

The confidence from Cain and Routt comes after Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported Tagovailoa's results were "overwhelmingly positive" during a medical re-check with an independent doctor.

What's more, the quarterback said "I feel 100 percent" and could play in a game, per Steve Wyche of NFL.com.

That is surely welcome news for teams looking for quarterbacks in the draft.

Any franchise that wants Tagovailoa, who threw for 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and six interceptions in his last fully healthy season in 2018, will likely have to make the pick early. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projected the Miami Dolphins to take Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall in his most recent mock draft.

It appears they can make the selection with confidence that Tua is relatively healthy.

   

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