Entering the 2024 NFL season, there were just two college football programs that boasted three starting quarterbacks in the NFL: the Oklahoma Sooners (Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, and Baker Mayfield) and Alabama Crimson Tide (Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, and Bryce Young).
Let’s examine the recent quarterbacks that Alabama has produced and how they have fared in the NFL.
Alabama Quarterbacks in the NFL
Alabama has sent 16 quarterbacks to the NFL in the program’s history, including four active QBs. Back in the day, the Crimson Tide produced legendary QBs Joe Namath, Bart Starr, and Ken Stabler. Who has come out of Alabama in recent years?
Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles made Jalen Hurts the No. 53 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Hurts became the Eagles’ starter in 2021 and gradually blossomed from a run-first quarterback into a do-it-all threat. In 2022, Hurts finished second in NFL MVP voting and came within a few plays of guiding the Birds to a Super Bowl title.
Last season, Hurts took a bit of a step back, but one could argue that his regression was the result of injuries and discord among the Eagles’ offensive coaching staff. Even still, he has posted impressive career numbers of 12,042 yards, 69 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions while adding 2,536 rushing yards and 41 rushing touchdowns.
In April 2023, the Eagles signed Hurts to a five-year, $255 million extension (with $179.3 million in guarantees and a no-trade clause), making him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL for a brief time.
Tua Tagovailoa
The Miami Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa led the NFL in yards per attempt (8.9) and touchdown rate (6.3%) in 2022, and he paced the league in passing yards (4,624) in 2023. His statistics suggest an MVP candidate, and the Dolphins rewarded him with a four-year, $212.4 million extension that included $167 million in guarantees.
Unfortunately, the only thing holding Tagovailoa back at this point is his health, as he has now suffered four concussions in five years, including two scary incidents where he involuntarily assumed the fencing position, which can be a sign of a traumatic brain injury. Tua has no plans to retire, so hopefully, he doesn’t suffer any more concussions, as his health and long-term quality of life are most important at the end of the day.
Bryce Young
The Carolina Panthers gave up a haul to acquire the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and select Bryce Young. However, that decision is looking like a rough one now that Young has been benched for Andy Dalton just two weeks into his sophomore campaign.
As a rookie, Young was the NFL’s lowest-graded QB, posting a 73.7 Passer Rating and averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. Young had more games with multiple interceptions (three) than multiple touchdowns (two). He completed just 59.8% of his passes for 2,877 yards as a rookie while throwing 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
During the 2024 offseason, the Panthers overhauled their offense to surround young with better players and coaches. They hired an offensive-minded head coach in Dave Canales, spent money on the offensive line, drafted receiver Xavier Legette, and traded for wideout Diontae Johnson. However, Young looked even worse, opening his sophomore season with zero touchdowns, three interceptions, and six sacks while the Panthers dropped to 0-2.
Canales opted to start the 36-year-old Dalton over Young, which begs the question: will Young get a fresh start with a new team, and can he salvage his career?
Mac Jones
The New England Patriots selected Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Jones looked very promising as a rookie, throwing for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and eight fumbles with a 67.6% completion percentage. His 21 touchdowns were a franchise record for a rookie quarterback, and he became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to post consecutive games with a completion rate over 80%. With Jones at the helm, the Patriots went 10-6 and reached the playoffs for the first time since the Tom Brady era ended. Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod in his first year, and it seemed as if the Patriots may have found their quarterback of the future.
However, over his next two seasons, Jones struggled mightily, throwing for 5,117 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions on a 65.1% completion percentage. His passing yards, touchdowns, and completion percentage dipped in each subsequent season. During the 2024 offseason, the Patriots pulled the plug on the Mac Jones experiment. New England traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2024 sixth-round pick, showing just how much his value had plummeted. Jones is still only 26 years old, so perhaps he’ll get a chance to redeem himself at some point in the future.