Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa entered the Baptist Health Training Center in Davie, Florida on Monday, good news for fans of the NFL team, though some freaked out a bit.
Tagovailoa’s entry into the Dolphins’ headquarters meant that he had returned two negative tests for the coronavirus. NFL rules require players to have two negative tests in a 72-hour period before entering the team’s facilities for training camp.
The Miami rookies showed up for their first tests on Thursday.
The Dolphins posted videos on social media of some of their rookies who arrived at their first NFL training camp on Monday, including, of course, Tagovailoa, the fifth player chosen in the NFL Draft on April 23.
But the video contained a kind of optical illusion, making some seem like Tagovailoa’s left arm (and throwing it away) was in a sling. When the perspective changed, it became clear that the Tagovailoa “slingshot” was actually a small package he was carrying.
Tagovailoa’s career in Alabama ended when the quarterback suffered a dislocated hip and back wall fracture in the SEC’s Crimson Tide game against the state of Mississippi on November 16.
Tagovailoa’s transition to the NFL, the chance to assess his recovery and the opportunity to unseat Ryan Fitzpatrick as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback will not include any preseason games. The NFL has officially canceled its preseason schedule while trying to navigate through training camp until the regular season during the coronavirus pandemic.
While the Dolphins will resume online meetings as they did during their offseason program, the team will not be on the field until August 3. That’s when a week-long acclimatization period will begin, with a 60-minute schedule in the weight room. and 60 minutes of conditioning in the field in groups of 15 and a tour of eight days.
Full practices without padding will begin on August 12, and the Dolphins will be able to work on pads for the first time on August 17.
Miami begins its regular season schedule on September 13, when the Dolphins visit the New England Patriots.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ AMarkG1.
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