The NFL’s opening week gave Alabama plenty of reason to stand out again.
The Crimson Tide led all college programs with 72 former players on NFL rosters, including reserve and practice squads, as the 2026-27 regular season got underway. Alabama also had 58 alumni on active 53-man rosters in Week 1, the most of any school in college football.
On the ground, two Tide products finished among the league’s top three rushers for the week. Jahmyr Gibbs piled up 156 yards on 29 carries, the second-highest total in the NFL, while Derrick Henry followed with 144 yards on 24 attempts, good for third.
Gibbs added two touchdowns and five catches for 30 yards in Detroit’s 31-30 overtime win over New Orleans. Henry reached the end zone three times in Baltimore’s 41-23 victory at Indianapolis, tying for the most rushing touchdowns in the league’s first week.
He also caught one pass for 19 yards.
Alabama was just as visible in the passing game. Bryce Young and Jalen Hurts each threw three touchdown passes, giving the Tide two of the week’s top performers through the air.
Young completed 23 of 37 passes for 361 yards for Carolina and also ran for 10 yards and another score against Chicago. Hurts helped Philadelphia edge Washington 24-22 in a divisional matchup, finishing with 203 passing yards on 14-of-25 passing and 46 rushing yards.
The defense had its own headline moments. Josh Jobe came through in Seattle’s 13-10 win over New England on Sept. 9, intercepting a pass in the end zone with 26 seconds left to seal the victory.
He finished with six tackles, which ranked third on the team. In Baltimore’s win, Marlon Humphrey forced and recovered a second-quarter fumble, then added four tackles and a pass deflection.
Jordan Battle and Jonathan Allen made noise for Cincinnati in a 33-27 road win at Tampa Bay. Battle paced the Bengals with nine total stops, while Allen posted three tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.
Dallas Turner was disruptive off the edge for Minnesota, finishing with seven quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble in the Vikings’ 39-22 divisional win over Green Bay. Jihaad Campbell also made a strong impression in his second NFL season, recording nine tackles and a sack in Philadelphia’s win over Washington.
In Other News...
Alabama Suddenly Has A Backfield Problem Kalen DeBoer Didn't Need
Alabamas backfield situation has taken an early turn the program did not need, with sophomore running back AK Dear still trying to work his way back from a high-ankle sprain suffered in fall camp. Dear has already missed the first two games of the season, and his status for the upcoming matchup with Florida State remains uncertain as he continues to be listed as questionable.
Dear has been out there in warm-ups, which at least suggests progress, but the Tide still appear to be approaching game day with no certainty about whether hell be available. In the meantime, Daniel Hill, EJ Crowell and Traeshawn Brown have helped absorb the workload, giving Alabama some stability in the backfield while it waits to see if Dear can finally return. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell Gets The Alabama Opportunity Fans Have Been Waiting For
Florida States defense has already shown cracks early this season, giving up a healthy amount of passing production in its first two games as Tony White settles back in with a 3-3-5 stack built around pressure and frequent blitzing. Even with names like Mandrell Desir, Darryll Desir, Ryan Kennedy and Chris Jones in the mix, and with Earl Little Jr. no longer in the picture, the Seminoles have not yet looked like a unit that can live comfortably in man-to-man situations for long stretches.
That is the kind of setup Alabama fans have been eyeing, because it could give Keelon Russell the sort of opening that makes a young quarterback look ready well before anyone expected. The Tide have been waiting for a chance to see how he handles a defense willing to come after him, and this matchup now feels like one of those early-season moments that can either accelerate a quarterbacks rise or expose how much work is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Saban Just Entered A Fight Alabama Fans Can't Ignore
Nick Saban has stayed in the middle of the college sports conversation long after stepping away from the sideline, and now he is backing a bipartisan push in Washington aimed at cleaning up the chaos around NIL and the transfer portal. The Protect College Sports Act is designed to address some of the biggest headaches in the modern game, and Sabans support gives the bill immediate credibility in the kind of debate that now reaches far beyond the SEC.
Tommy Tuberville is pushing a different route with the narrower Student Athlete Act, arguing against too much government involvement, while several Black Democratic senators and the NAACP have raised concerns about the broader proposal. Their objections center on NCAA power and whether the right protections would actually be in place for athletes, leaving Alabama fans with a familiar kind of football fight that has drifted well beyond the field and into the politics of how college sports should be run. [Read more 🡒]