Early in the fourth quarter of Dec. 1’s SEC Championship, as Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa was making a throw, offensive lineman Jonah Williams backed into him and stepped on his right ankle. Tagovailoa stayed down in pain and left the game, with Jalen Hurts replacing him. CBS said Alabama was getting a cart for him on the sideline.
Tua Tagovailoa’s injured, but he should be back before Bama’s Playoff run starts
He injured his right ankle in the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship against Georgia.
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Tagovailoa didn’t return. Hurts led dramatic touchdown drives to tie and win the game. And as the Tide prepare for the College Football Playoff, Tagovailoa’s expected to be out for about two weeks with an injury to that ankle, Nick Saban told ESPN on Selection Sunday. He has a high ankle sprain and should be back, Saban said, when Bama returns to practice.
A two-week recovery timetable would put Tagovailoa back two weeks before No. 1 Bama plays in a Playoff semifinal on Dec. 29.
This was the play that injured Tagovailoa:
Hurts then led a game-tying touchdown drive after Bama had trailed by 7.
Tagovailoa had dealt with an apparent left ankle injury earlier in the SEC title game.
He left the field limping after Alabama’s first drive of the game, then went into a sideline medical tent with team staffers. He emerged a short time later and was back on the field by the Tide’s next possession.
Two plays before going to the tent in the first half, Tagovailoa appeared to get twisted around while Georgia’s D’Andre Walker sacked him. The next play, he threw an interception to Georgia’s Richard LeCounte, then limped off after attempting to track down LeCounte on his return.
That play:
And Tagovailoa’s exit:
Tagovailoa plays an aggressive brand of QB, and that’s led to him taking a lot of hits in vulnerable-looking positions.
He had previously dealt with injuries to his right knee and quad, though neither was enough to prevent him from playing in games. Alabama didn’t disclose what Tagovailoa’s first Saturday injury was, but told CBS it wasn’t the knee that had bothered him previously. The network reported he had his left ankle taped when he came out of the tent.
Alabama has regularly removed Tagovailoa from games in the second half, usually when the Tide have been winning by huge margins. That won’t happen in the Playoff, presumably.
His health will remain a storyline to monitor.
We’ll update this post as more information becomes available.
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