Tua Tagovailoa Shouldn't Toy With Idea of Staying at Alabama

The curious case of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues. Once a sure-fire top prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft, he's now left thinking of what to do next after suffering a devastating dislocated hip.

Tagovailoa held a press conference on Thursday afternoon during which he continued to stress his indecision as to whether to declare for the 2020 draft or return for his senior year at Alabama. But ultimately, if there's one thing Tagovailoa shouldn't do, it's return to Tuscaloosa.

In interviews earlier this week, Tagovailoa stressed that he doesn't have draft insurance, which would have provided compensation in case he drops in the first round and potentially into the second round. Yes, that's something that would scare away an athlete once deemed a slam dunk top-five pick.

Tua said he's still weighing the pros and cons of returning to Alabama for one more year. Yes, there's a chance he can play at the same level he did before the hip injury, but there's always the chance of picking up another injury.

The implications there could conceivably be career-threatening.

Let's be real, there will be a team that pulls the trigger on the southpaw quarterback in the first round no matter what. The Miami Dolphins (who own three picks in the round), Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Tennessee Titans all come to mind as potential suitors.

Tua Tagovailoa is obviously waiting on his projection from the NFL Draft Advisory Board before making a decision. The obvious choice has got to be to declare for the draft, because a player like Tagovailoa will make up the lost money in the future through a contract down the line and sponsorship deals. There's no reason to delay his professional dreams any longer.