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Tagovailoa’s agent to honor Dolphins owner
NFL teams, such as the Miami Dolphins, may be able to see injured Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa work out before the 2020 NFL draft, his agent said this week.
Tagovailoa, who is recovering from a hip injury that raises concern about his durability, could hold a throwing session in March or April before the draft.
If the Dolphins or other teams like what they see, Tagovailoa could hear his name called during the draft earlier than expected when it begins April 23 in Las Vegas.
Here’s one wrinkle that could positively affect Tagovailoa, his agent Leigh Steinberg and the Dolphins well before the draft: Steinberg plans to honor Dolphins owner Steve Ross before the Super Bowl in two weeks.
“Humbled to honor @MiamiDolphins’ Owner Stephen Ross for his philanthropic endeavors and overall positive impact on the thriving city of Miami. Mr. Ross has graciously accepted the Steinberg-DeNicola Humanitarian Award, honoring an NFL owner each year,” Steinberg posted on his Twitter account Wednesday.
Steinberg’s event, which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Brain Health Summit, will happen on Feb. 1 — one day before the Super Bowl is played on Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium, where Tagovailoa
could be in attendance for both.
One week after declaring for the NFL draft, which the Dolphins hold the No. 5 pick among three firstround selections, Tagovailoa’s health and recovery has continued to be a hot topic since he suffered the season-ending injury on Nov. 16.
Tagovailoa said last week that doctors would be able to gauge his process at the three- to four-month mark after surgery, which lines up to February or March. He also said his recovery is on somewhat of an accelerated rate.
“I’d never thought I’d be doing this [well] as far as walking and kind of weightbearing here or there, but it’s also a testament to our faith,” Tagovailoa said during interviews after winning the 2019 Bobby Bowden award last Saturday.
“I think full weight-bearing is at 10 weeks. We’re at about 7 1⁄2 weeks or so, so we got to be careful. But literally, this is walking by faith.”
Steinberg, who also represents Patrick Mahomes and former Deerfield Beach receiver Jerry Jeudy, said Tagovailoa’s pending workout could happen either at Alabama’s pro day in March or during a separate workout in April before the draft.
“The [intention] there is the ball never touches the ground and I think he’s going to blow away teams in that process,” Steinberg told AL.com on Tuesday.
While Tagovailoa said he is optimistic that he’ll be able to play during the 2020 season, Steinberg said his client would also be open to sitting out the season to continue his recovery process.
“The position is so critical now, and there are a number of teams that you would think would be in the market for quarterbacks,” Steinberg said. “Our hope is not simply that he goes high, but he goes to a team with great ownership, good management, great coaching — that puts him in a position to have a long-term future filled with success.
“If he ends up going somewhere and would have to sit for a year — that’s what Patrick Mahomes did, that’s what Aaron Rodgers did, Drew Brees, Carson Palmer — that’s not the worst thing in the world either.”
The Dolphins could afford such a scenario with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick expected to return and compete for the starting job he owned last season over backup Josh Rosen.
Tagovailoa used crutches to walk around on the field during Alabama’s Citrus Bowl win over Michigan in Orlando on Jan. 1, a game which Ross, top Dolphins executive Tom Garfinkel and general manager Chris Grier stood by him a few yards away before kickoff.
Tagovailoa also visited South Florida last weekend, meaning he’ll be in the area at least twice since declaring for the NFL draft.