Despite the checkered injury history of top pick Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier appears to have no qualms about the health of the quarterback.
Grier spoke with reporters about the Dolphins’ three first-round picks, with Tagovailoa’s long-term viability a major part of the conversation. The GM doesn’t have any concerns that the quarterback’s past injury history will come back to haunt the team.
“Football is a violent game,” Grier said. “We did a lot of work on him. … We’re very comfortable.”
Last season, Tagovailoa’s campaign with the University of Alabama ended when he suffered a dislocated hip that required major surgery.
That was the most severe of a string of injuries for Tagovailoa over the past two years. The list also includes a broken finger, sprained knee, quad injury and two high ankle sprains.
However, Tagovailoa’s talent on the field once was enough to peg him as the odds-on favorite to be the top selection in the draft. That talent remains, but the left-handed quarterback undoubtedly dropped four spots because of the injury issues.
The Dolphins, like other teams, had their concerns about how Tagovailoa’s rehabilitation from surgery was progressing but made sure to pore over the medical information available.
The team also apparently tried trading up with the Cincinnati Bengals for the top pick, but ended up getting Tagovailoa without sacrificing any of their picks.
“We’re calling everyone and just doing homework,” Grier said. “We talked to everybody. There was nothing definitive with anyone.”
Judging from the Dolphins’ willingness to pull the trigger and choose Tagovailoa, any concerns they may have had have apparently been alleviated.
As a rookie, Tagovailoa will inevitably have his struggles, though making sure he’s ready to take the field will be the main concern. If he’s not ready, the Dolphins will likely have either Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Rosen handling those duties.
