Tua Tagovailoa hasn't stepped foot on an NFL field yet and he's already the league's hottest ticket. The former Alabama star was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and there's a ton of excitement now circulating around South Florida, and rightfully so. With a healthy Tagovailoa at the helm, the Dolphins have a very real chance of making a run at the AFC East crown and possibly more, but the jury remains out on just how healthy he truly is at the moment.
The good news for Tagovailoa is he's been medically cleared this offseason after suffering a devastating hip injury in 2019 that ended his season and required surgery to repair, and there was immediate concern he might see his stock plummet as teams feared he wouldn't be able to take the field in 2020 -- if ever again. Instead, he bucked the odds and made sure clubs understood he was physically sound by way of several workout videos released ahead of the draft, one in particular helping to convince head coach Brian Flores that Tagovailoa was indeed their guy.
As he continues to prep for the possibility of training camp, which is still up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his latest video shows his increased foot speed, and it's sure to make the Dolphins' smile stretch a bit wider.
Tagovailoa's brand has hit the ground running in the NFL, with the 22-year-old currently lapping the field in jerseys sold.
Sitting in the top two spots in that category, he's even blown past six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, who's riding his own wave of hyper-marketing following the groundbreaking decision to leave the New England Patriots after 20 years to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although he's yet to take a snap or officially be named starter -- the latter being a foregone conclusion -- Tagovailoa is already a megastar in the league.
And if he continues to progress in his recovery from injury, it could be a fun 2020 season in Miami.
