Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is scheduled to have hip surgery Monday after being evaluated in Houston, orthopedic surgeon Lyle Cain said in a statement released Sunday night.
Tagovailoa dislocated his hip in the Crimson Tide’s 38-7 win over Mississippi State on Saturday, ending his season. Sources confirmed to ESPN that he also suffered a posterior wall fracture.
“For the past 24 hours our medical team has consulted with multiple orthopedic experts across the country, who specialize in hip injuries and surgeries. Based on that research, Tua is being flown to Houston tonight to be evaluated and is scheduled to have hip surgery Monday,” Cain said.
“As previously stated, we anticipate a full recovery. The main focus has been, and will remain, on Tua, his family, and making sure we are providing them the best medical care possible.”
Tagovailoa was injured with three minutes remaining before halftime in Saturday’s game, when he was brought down by two Bulldogs defenders while rolling to his left on a third-down play. He suffered a bloody nose and couldn’t put pressure on his right leg when he was helped up by trainers. He was carted off from the field and eventually airlifted back to Birmingham for CAT scans and MRIs.
The Tide were leading 35-7 at the time of the injury. Alabama coach Nick Saban told ESPN’s Molly McGrath was still in the game to practice a two-minute drill, and that it would be his final drive of the game.
The surgery will be the second this season for Tagovailoa, a Heisman Trophy contender and potential top-10 pick in next spring’s NFL draft. He had surgery on his right ankle Oct. 20, a day after he was injured in the Crimson Tide’s 35-13 victory over Tennessee.