Tua Tagovailoa will enter his fourth professional season with the Miami Dolphins next fall.
He delivered the University of Alabama to a College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Georgia in the 2018 matchup. Tagovailoa brought a different level of excellence to the quarterback position. He is the school’s all-time leader for career passing touchdowns (87) and total touchdowns (96). After the Dolphins took him at No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tagovailoa took off last season. He recorded a league-high 105.5 passer rating and totaled career highs for passing yards (3,548) and touchdown passes (25). Tagovailoa sustained injuries at Alabama, but he’s suffered multiple concussions in the National Football League. He missed a few games in 2022 and Miami is waiting until May 2 to decide on his fifth-year option.
RELATED: Nick Saban blames coaches for state of collectives: “It was not supposed to be me going to give a speech to raise money.”
Saban was on Stephen A. Smith’s “Know Mercy” podcast Wednesday.
The seven-time national championship head coach expressed concern for his former quarterback. Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins’ head coach, believes Tagovailoa is the ‘perfect fit’ for his system.
“I think any time guys start having multiple concussions it’s a cause for concern”
Nick Saban is hoping for the best for Tua Tagovailoa moving forward pic.twitter.com/AlRTlOQrGW
— Stephen A. Smith’s Know Mercy Podcast (@KnowMercyPod) March 9, 2023
“I love Tua, you know he’s a great person,” Saban said. “I love to tell the story, if you ask Tua how are you doing today, he’s the only player I have ever coached that would say, “Great coach, thanks for asking.” This guy is and I hate it … He struggled here a little bit with some injuries, a couple ankle injuries. You know obviously the hip injury he worked hard to overcome. So I hate that he’s having these issues and problems. I would trust the medical staff to make the right choices and decisions for his safety, his future. I’d love to see him continue to play and have success, but I don’t want him to put himself at risk either.”
Saban said when guys have multiple concussions it is a cause for concern.
Click here to follow the Bama Elite Podcast
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
