Injury update on Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the second-year starting quarterback has suffered bruised ribs. X-rays came back negative, but he is in pain and an MRI is set for tomorrow.

Tagovailoa took a shot when he tried to complete a fourth-down pass. The Alabama product was able to make it to the sidelines under his own power where he was tended to by trainers. From there, Tagovailoa was carted to the locker room from the sidelines. 

The No. 5 overall pick by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, he played in 10 games as a rookie and threw for 11 touchdowns with a 64.1% competition percentage. In last week’s win over the Patriots, he picked up the win against his former Alabama teammate Mac Jones, finishing 16 of 27 for a touchdown and interception along with 202 yards. 

He was overshadowed by Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow as a rookie. But Tagovailoa still put together a solid campaign, especially considering he never had an offseason between the COVID-19 pandemic and recovering from his hip injury. 

Tua Tagovailoa Alabama career 

Tagovailoa arrived on the scene at Alabama in the 2018 College Football Playoff national championship game. The true freshman entered the game in the second half, replacing Jalen Hurts and engineered a comeback against Georgia, throwing for three touchdowns and finishing 14-of-26 for 166 passing yards.

After the performance in the national championship game, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy the following season. He set an NCAA FBS passer rating record of 199.4 for the season, surpassing the record 198.9 set by Baker Mayfield in 2017. Tagovailoa got Alabama back to the national championship, too, where the Crimson Tide lost to Clemson. He finished the season with 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns and just six interceptions. 

His final season in Tuscaloosa was overshadowed by his dislocated hip, an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. He ultimately entered the NFL Draft, ending his career at Alabama. 

The native of Hawaii is part of Alabama’s quarterback renaissance, joining Jalen Hurts and Mac Jones as Crimson Tide signal-callers playing in the NFL.