Tua Tagovailoa Rumors: QB Failed at Least 1 Physical Due to Multiple Injuries

Tua Tagovailoa's NFL career is already consumed by health concerns, and the former Alabama quarterback hasn't even been drafted yet.

Former NFL front office executive Michael Lombardi unveiled previously unknown information on his GM Shuffle podcast Wednesday morning (h/t the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero):

"That's got to get around that at least one team failed the physical on Tua; others have to be concerned now as well. What they saw...is they saw the fact it's not just his hip. It's his ankle. It's his wrist. He broke his wrist the first day of spring ball one year. And then they fixed it, he came back, and he broke it again.

"And he's brittle. You can't deny it. You can't deny it."

The 2018 Heisman Trophy runner-up suffered a season-ending hip dislocation on Nov. 16 against Mississippi State. Prior to that, his documented injury history included two high ankle sprains (December 2018, October 2019), a broken left index finger (March 2018) and a sprained right knee (October 2018).

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. reported that the Miami Dolphins, who have been linked to Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall, are cooling on him because of medical concerns:

"What's going against Tagovailoa right now is that the Dolphins can't do an in-person checkup with their team doctor (the latest reports are that Tagovailoa has recovered from his hip and ankle injuries) because of the travel restrictions as part of the coronavirus pandemic. Prospects can only do virtual visits with teams, and that could have an effect on guys who are rehabbing injuries.

"There has been some buzz around [former Oregon quarterback Justin] Herbert to Miami, but it's still early. He is likely to be on the board at No. 5, whereas the Dolphins might have to trade up for Tagovailoa. Do they like Tagovailoa enough to use some of that capital to trade up? What happens if both quarterbacks are on the board at No. 5? That's what makes Miami the most interesting team in this draft."

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller mirrored Lombardi and Kiper's reports:

"On calls and in texts with multiple scouts and decision-makers this week, you find that the media are higher on the former Alabama quarterback than teams are. Tua ranks as QB4 on one board I saw this week and was QB3 on another.

"So why are scouts down on what seems like a sure thing? It's not all injuries. One team source explained that they have knocked Tua for an all-world supporting cast that often saved him when plays broke down. Another mentioned poor interviews and board work during scouting combine meetings."

However, the 22-year-old assured that he feels "100 percent right now" during a SportsCenter appearance on April 1.

Tagovailoa also did his own medical re-check on April 2:

That was after he cleared his four-month scans and returned football activities in March:

Tagovailoa was an excellent collegiate quarterback when healthy. He threw for 87 touchdowns and 11 touchdowns on 69.3 percent completion rate across three seasons, including a career-best 43 touchdowns in 2018 and 71.4 completion percentage last year.

We'll see how Tagovailoa's injury history will affect his stock when the NFL draft begins on April 23.