Tua Tagovailoa's Hand Injury Diagnosed as Sprain; Could Return to Practice Soon

It looks like the Alabama Crimson Tide's quarterback competition will only be put on pause for a couple of days.

College Football Playoff hero Tua Tagovailoa suffered a thumb injury during practice on Tuesday, and according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com, the injury is believed to only be a sprain that could keep him out of action for a few days. 

Alabama coach Nick Saban would not speculate about the injury on Tuesday, but he did discuss the issues that come with it.

"I think in a few days Tua probably will be able to do some things, but when you hurt your thumb on your throwing hand, it's kind of hard to grip the ball," Saban said, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough. "So I think that's going to be the issue, whether he is able to throw it."

Tagovailoa, of course, created a quarterback controversy in Tuscaloosa by relieving starter Jalen Hurts at halftime of the national championship game, overcoming a 13-0 deficit and leading his team to a 26-23 overtime victory. He threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns, adding 27 yards on the ground. Not bad for a freshman in his first real action.

If it is only a day-to-day sprain as Zenitz reports, the injury shouldn't have much of an impact on the quarterback competition. There's plenty of time between now and the Sept. 1 season opener against Louisville for one of the passers to win the job. However, if the injury turns out to be more serious it could limit his time during the spring and ultimately cost him the job.

Tagovailoa's injury doesn't appear to be serious, so look for the Alabama quarterback competition to start back up in a few days.