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How NFL Physician Society physical suspension affects 2020 NFL Draft

By Jacob Harrison

TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 19: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after throwing an interception in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - OCTOBER 19: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after throwing an interception in the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 19, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the NFL already, but news surrounding the NFL Physician Society creates new hurdles for of 2020 NFL Draft prospects.

The NFL Physician Society announced late Monday night it has “indefinitely suspended” all physicals for NFL players to focus more on clearing the coronavirus pandemic. This will, without a doubt, have a major effect on a number of 2020 NFL Draft hopefuls.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport broke the news citing a letter sent to NFL teams and the NFLPA from Dr. Anthony Casolaro, president of the NFL Physicians Society and co-head physician for the Washington Redskins.

"“The Board of Directors of the NFL Physicians Society (NFLPS) have met by phone and communicated with members of Professional Football Athletic Trainers Society (PFATS) that the NFLPS has agreed to discontinue Combine rechecks, free agent physicals and physicals for non-Combine players until the health crisis has passed. We believe It is not in the interest of the players nor team medical staff to continue to perform these physicals.“At a time of the most serious pandemic in our lifetime, we believe medical resources should focus on those who are ill or in need of care.“We look forward to examining players when it is appropriate to do so.”"

Players such as Tom Brady have taken advantage of having a physical done by a near-by physician to complete the necessary steps to finalize the signing of a free agent. However, there are a number of players who’s draft stock is dependent upon clearing their respective red flags concerning injury history. NFL front offices and players are already handcuffed as prospects are not permitted to meet with teams at their facilities or hold official pro days.

The most prominent player, of course, is Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. He’s just over four months removed from his devastating hip injury that put into question his entire football career, let alone his draft stock. Throughout the scouting process, Tagovailoa has been able to show his progress and return his name into the top-5 discussion. Just as the NFLPS’s announcement broke, Tagovailoa dropped a video of his workout today.

https://twitter.com/Tuaamann/status/1242268847127830528

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Tagovailoa and the rest of the 2020 draft class may have to resort to social media and tapes of their workouts to give teams one last look before the NFL Draft, which is now officially less than a month away. While Tagovailoa appears to be on the right track with this video, it doesn’t answer the more specfic questions teams may have about the quarterback’s health. How will the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers or any other team interested in Tagovailoa feel spending a top pick without getting a closer look at his hip?

TCU tackle Lucas Niang, a projected late first-round pick, has hip concerns of his own as he’s dealing with a torn labrum in his hip which is plummetting his stock into day-3 discussion. With his injury shrouded in even more mystery than Tagovailoa’s, his will be a name to watch throughout the process as well.

Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither from Appalachian State is another player from a smaller program facing injury concerns. The promising prospect played through a stress fracture in his foot in 2019 and announced in February he would undergo surgery to correct the problem. While teams will be impressed with what he accomplished in spite of the injury, without having their own doctors inspecting his recovery, how are they to know the injury won’t be a recurring problem?

These are just a handful of examples. Otherwise healthy players with injury-riddled pasts like Alabama EDGE Terrell Lewis will have similar hurdles to climb in proving to NFL teams they will be ready to go in 2020 and beyond.

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NFL franchises will find ways to avoid going into the 2020 draft completely blind in these strange and uncertain times. There’s no question, however, squads will have cloudy vision at best when selecting players in April.

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