Mike Lombardi: Tua Tagovailoa Failed Two Teams' Physicals

Tua Tagovailoa is going to be one of the top picks in the upcoming Remote 2020 NFL Draft. From a talent standpoint, there is a consensus that he could be great. From a physical standpoint ... it depends on who you ask. According to former Cleveland Browns general manager turned NFL insider and podcaster Mike Lombardi, there should be serious concerns about his short- and long-term health and he has already failed two team physicals. From Lombardi's GM Shuffle podcast via the Palm Beach Post:

"“Two teams I’ve talked to have flunked him,” said Lombardi, adding that one of the teams is in the top 10. “They flunked him on not just the hip. It’s the multitude of injuries. The risk far outweighs the reward.”"

Lombardi went on to call Tagovailoa "brittle." As the latest reports of Tagovailoa's health have been glowing, it is unclear how long ago these two teams actually evaluated the Alabama quarterback. A month ago, right before the nation went into a virtual lockdown, he was cleared to resume normal activity and Pro Football Talk reported that Tua was basically all systems go. So this could also be a smokescreen meant to scare one of the top teams into passing on the passer.

As with all of us, only time will tell. Perhaps he'll shake the injury-prone label in the NFL or maybe he'll step on a guy's foot and suffer a freak injury and it will stick with him forever. That's for the team that drafts him - and every team that passes on him - to worry about.