Tagovailoa progress, starting timeline gains focus in camp

With the 2020 NFL season fast approaching, the South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at 10 storylines to watch for in a 10-part series ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ first day of training camp, which is set for Tuesday, July 28 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

It may not be Week 1. Or Weeks 2 or 3. There is also the possibility it may not even happen during the first month of the season.

That is, of course, if there is a season to be played.

Miami Dolphins fans may already know it’s going to be a lengthy period of time before new quarterback Tua Tagovailoa makes his rookie debut.

But it’s simply hard to determine how long said period will be for Tagovailoa as NFL minicamps are tentatively slated to begin later this month.

Tagovailoa is at an advanced stage of his recovery process from a severe hip injury he suffered last November, which became one of the biggest NFL storylines before the Dolphins selected him with fifth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft in April.

Tagovailoa has made significant progress and is ready for on-field activities if/when training camp begins.

It’s just a matter of how much of a workload Tagovailoa can handle and how rapidly can he progress during the process.

He may be ready and able to throw to new teammates like DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki. He may be able to turn and hand the ball off to running backs like Matt Breida, Jordan Howard, Kalen Ballage and others.

He might be able to handle some light, simulated pressure from coaches or train

ers during a throwing session.

But is he ready to line up in 11 on 11, even while donning a non-contact jersey, to properly respond in live action at practice?

Even so, how good will his conditioning be so that his practice time is purposeful and effective instead of counterintuitive, which could lead to fatigue and re-injury?

That’s perhaps one of the biggest concerns the Dolphins could face while trying to bring Tagovailoa along during camp and over the course of the season, according to Kevin Wilk, a physical therapist who worked with Tagovailoa much of the offseason.

“He’s in shape now, but he’s not in South Florida football shape,” Wilk told the South Florida Sentinel last month.

“Just that aspect of it, from a cardio standpoint and a recovery standpoint, you don’t want to put him out there when he’s fatigued to not just jeopardize his hip, but his arm or something like that.

“So, he’s got to get his reps and it’s really how he responds on a week-to-week basis.”

It may be a long, arduous process for Tagovailoa to get into game shape that is deemed acceptable for team doctors, trainers and Dolphins coach Brian Flores.

Tagovailoa must also earn his eventual playing time in practice, showing a mastery of the Dolphins offense while showing he can outshine Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen.

That seems a lot for a rookie — let alone, a rookie working his way back from a significant injury.

So, don’t expect Flores to speculate much on when he expects Tagovailoa to make his debut. After all, what is the rush? The Dolphins’ ultimate goal is to have Tagovailoa returning to form as a dynamic young quarterback able to excite fans, put points on the scoreboard, win games and eventually make deep playoff runs as a championship contender.

For now, expect Fitzpatrick to retain his role as the starter with Rosen contending for the job in practice before it’s Tagovailoa’s time to shine.

It may be a while before Dolphins fans see their quarterback of the future.

But it could be worth the wait.