Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa cleared his four-month medical check last week and has resumed light football-related drills -- such as dropping back and throwing and low-impact running -- in preparation for the 2020 NFL Draft in April, according to a Monday report from NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and Tagovailoa's doctor, Lyle Cain.
Tagovailoa sustained a hip dislocation versus Mississippi State in November that required surgery and ended his prolific career with the Crimson Tide. He had been on measured rehab for months but has ramped up his on-field work since recently being cleared.
Cain said the outlook is as positive as can be at the four-month mark, but the left-handed quarterback still has several weeks, if not longer, to go before he is in actual shape for NFL-level football activity. The time frame will be based on how his body responds to a steady progression of weight-training, running and drills related to quarterback play.
The rehab process moving forward will be "conservative," Cain said.
Tagovailoa, who declared for the draft after his junior season, said at the scouting combine in late February that he planned to have a private Pro Day on April 9. A source said that is a likely date but it is not locked in, yet.
Tagovailoa did not take part in any drills at the combine, but did go through a battery of medical exams and interviews with teams.
The stability of the hip, blood-flow abnormalities and other short- and long-term concerns that arose after Tagovailoa initially got hurt do not seem to be issues anymore based on medical reviews, including those from the combine, Cain said.
