Totally Tubular Tua

By Peyton Schultze

Originally coming into the season as the projected #1 overall pick, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has seen his draft stock fall a bit due to a pile of unfortunate injuries during him time playing for the Crimson Tide (via Stampede Blue).

“And I can think back to four or five players and actually can say I really love those guys as people, the way they did things, the contribution that they made, how they affected other people, and Tua would be one of those four or five guys.” - Nick Saban, speaking directly to the media on 11/11/2019

It was a gloomy day for the University of Alabama back on November 11th, just two days after the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback was lost for the season with a significant hip injury in a blowout versus Mississippi State. Nick Saban, Alabama’s legendary and controversial head coach, had made the fateful decision on that previous Saturday to keep Tagovailoa in a little longer than expected in that game, even with ‘Bama leading big late in the 3rd quarter. Until, it happened. Even though Tagovailoa was just starting to return to form after dealing with a nagging ankle injury all season long, the star quarterback would land awkwardly on his hip and officially be carted off to the locker room with a devastating injury. Just like that, his season, gone. His hip, fractured. His team’s spirit, punctured.

But even with one of the more sad injuries in recent college football history, football is a game of overcoming the odds, and nobody has reminded fans of this in better fashion in recent years than Tua. Rising to the top of the college football world in one of the most shocking championship games in history, Tagovailoa essentially became an overnight sensation with his outstanding play style and down-to-earth humility that has been consistently put on display to the media in his public appearances. But a tough injury history and plenty of physical encounters in games against very talented SEC squads has tested the quarterback in numerous ways, which could serve him very well, or not, once April’s NFL Draft rolls around and teams are forced to make a decision that could change the course of their franchise for decades to come.

Now, as Tagovailoa prepares to enter this year’s NFL draft, analysts are considering him as one of the most polarizing quarterback prospects in years. With a rare skillset reminiscent of some all-time game legends of the position such as John Elway and Russell Wilson, it has been debated just where exactly the quarterback will land in this year’s draft. Will he be snatched up early in the first round by a team like the Dolphins or Chargers, or will he take a deep dive into the bottom of the opening round?

When healthy and on the field at Alabama, Tagovailoa was a magician in the pocket with 87 total passing touchdowns in his three seasons (via CBS Sports).

Whatever the case may be, it is hard to ignore just how great Tagovailoa really was during his time at Alabama with the Crimson Tide. In addition to securing a win in the 2018 National Championship Game in one of the most intense battles of the College Football Playoff era versus Georgia, Tua managed to toss for 87 touchdowns and 7,442 passing yards, to go along with only a mere 11 interceptions in his career. To put this into perspective, quarterbacks drafted early in recent seasons have not had nearly the numbers that Tagovailoa was able to put up in college, including franchise quarterbacks in the NFL such as Sam Darnold (57 TDs, 22 INTs), Josh Allen (44/21), Deshaun Watson (90/32), and Lamar Jackson (69/27). Throw in the fact that Tua was able to do this against elite SEC defenses that have been able to churn out NFL prospects yearly, and it becomes even more shocking that Tagovailoa’s draft stock seems to be up in the air at the moment.

Yet Tua’s numbers and performance are not what seem to be holding him back right now. With two major ankle injuries and a new hip injury that completely derailed his 2019 season, the star Alabama quarterback has had his health put under the microscope heading into this year’s draft. And especially with the rise of Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and the steadiness of a prospect such as Justin Herbert, Tagovailoa has somewhat even faded into the background of the draft and could see himself fall late in the first if teams become uninterested in dealing with his injury risks. Even though that seems unlikely with a player this talented, there has been several shocking instances of players falling deep in the round for no particular reason…

And that may not even be the best example of comparing Rodgers to Tagovailoa. Although many people have seen a lot of Drew Brees-type qualities in the lefty signal caller, Tua reminds us quite a bit of Rodgers in the pocket and with the ball in his hands when forced to extend a play. Rodgers is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer, so it is clear that the comparison is a major ceiling for Tagovailoa in the long run. But Tua’s ability to scramble away from traffic in the pocket, as well as deliver the football with poise and accuracy in clutch moments and when facing trouble, is very Rodgers-esque. Rodgers has also surely dealt with his fair share of injuries over the course of his career, but does that mean that Green Bay would hesitate at drafting him at the spot he was at if they had to do it all over again? Absolutely not. If Tua’s draft stock continues to fall and he ends up falling into the hands of a great organizations searching for the future at the game’s most important position, one team in the league may find themselves in a perfect situation for years to come.

If the Chargers decide to pass on prospects such as Justin Hebert (Oregon) and Tagovailoa, Los Angeles could always turn toward last year’s backup quarterback, Tyrod Taylor (via Los Angeles Chargers).

This is where the Chargers come into play in this year’s draft. Sitting near the top of the first round with the sixth overall pick, the Bolts are in a fine position to make a move at quarterback now that longtime Charger legend Philip Rivers has officially entered the free agent pool. Rivers has been the Chargers’ face of the franchise for the past decade or so, but his skills and value to the team seemed to drop off quite a bit last season with a 5-11 record and some of the worst production of his career. Even with potential Hall of Fame numbers and possibly even a little bit more left in the tank, it is clear that it was time to move on for both sides.

So with the Chargers now in the market for a quarterback, where will their focus turn? As of right now, the Chargers could always stay in-house and turn toward veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor for the 2020 season. Taylor has had some nice moments over the course of his NFL career, including a playoff appearance with the Bills in the 2017 season, but he does not seem like the type of player that will be there in the long run to lead the Chargers back to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1994 season. To counter that, there are some intriguing options on the free agent market, including big names such as Jameis Winston, Ryan Tannehill, and Tom Brady. Focusing in on the league’s only six-time Super Bowl champion at quarterback, Los Angeles is in a great position to push hard after Brady if they so choose to. This would not be a bad move by any means at all, especially considering all the publicity the Chargers would instantly receive as they move into a new stadium in the nation’s second largest market. Yet Brady likely only has two more years left in his career, and it is a deep mystery if this Chargers’ team truly has what it takes to get to the Super Bowl with their current roster and with juggernauts such as the Chiefs and Ravens roaming in the conference.

So, if the Chargers end up striking out in free agency, their immediate attention should turn toward the draft, where three elite prospects await. In the Chargers’ case, it seems that they have virtually no chance of acquiring Joe Burrow in the number one slot, where he looks like he will likely head to the Cincinnati Bengals. And while Herbert will likely be there at the sixth pick, is he really someone who could instantly turn this franchise around and compete with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC West for years to come? Hebert is a solid prospect, but does not have nearly the ceiling of a player like Tagovailoa, who has proven to succeed at the highest level of college football. This means that Tua will more than likely be taken anywhere in between the second and fifth overall picks (unless his injuries scare teams and send him shooting down the board), with possible teams including the Lions (#3) and Dolphins (#5). In addition, quarterback-hungry teams such as the Panthers (#7) and Jaguars (#9) loom on the outside of the top five, but could easily trade up to pass the Chargers and Dolphins with how many assets they posses. One other team that could make a play for Tagovailoa is New England (#23), who could be in the market for a quarterback if Brady leaves in free agency. The connection between Detroit and New England at #3, as well as Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, could be an interesting storyline to potentially follow in the draft, even though it would take a massive package of draft picks from the Patriots.

After receiving consistently high praise from head coach Nick Saban during their tenure together at Alabama, Tagovailoa figures to be a special talent if he can protect himself on the field (via Sportsnaut).

So should the Chargers go all-in and trade up for Tua? Even though it could be a major risk and could potentially backfire if his injuries continue to be a problem, this is the type of decision that the Chargers could look back on in twenty years and pray that they chose to do so. The most logical move for the Bolts is to end up making a trade with Detroit at #3, who have more leverage in trade talks than any team in this year’s draft, in order to guarantee that Miami does not take the left-handed gunslinger with the fifth pick. Other than Brady, there is no available quarterback right now that could finally bring some real juice to this organization for the first time since officially moving to Los Angeles. Especially considering the fact that the Chargers and Rams are almost ready to open up the new SoFi Stadium in time for the 2020 regular season, the Chargers need to make a move right now that sparks their fan base and brings new hope to a generation of fans. Tagovailoa could be that spark, and he seems like a great fit for Los Angeles in their first year without Rivers as the full-time starter since 2006.

Los Angeles is an extremely competitive sports market, and it is clear that the Lakers and Dodgers dominate most headlines in the daily papers. However, with the Rams having great success since moving to LA, the Clippers making a title run this season, and with Mike Trout still roaming in the outfield down in Anaheim for the Angels, the Chargers could easily be recognized as LA’s least talked about sports franchise. Even with the Kings and Ducks struggling, and with professional soccer just now on the rise in the city, it is very typical for many fans to refer to the Chargers as still being from San Diego. So the time is now for the Chargers to finally make a franchise-altering move that changes the course of their history. Tagovailoa was one of college football’s finest superstars in recent years under universally-recognized head coach Nick Saban, and his potential role as the Chargers’ quarterback of the future could certainly start a football movement within the city with a player as likable as Tua. There’s plenty of time left between now and April 23rd in Las Vegas, but one thing is very clear: Tagovailoa would look awfully good rocking the powder blues for the Chargers in 2020.

Could Tagovailoa be the starting quarterback for the Chargers when they open the brand-new SoFi Stadium in 2020? (via Los Angeles Chargers).