TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Want to take a guess at how many of Nick Saban's former players at Alabama have made more than $1 million in the National Football League?
Or how many have topped $10 million, or $50 million?
How about taking a shot at how much all of those Crimson Tide players have combined to earn at the next level so far?
If you've been following us for a while you may already have a good framework to figuring out those answers. Last year, as part of our Saban 250 project, ranking the top Alabama players during his time as head coach, the series included a listing of Saban's Alabama-coached top NFL career earners. It was through their 2023 pro seasons, and many have since signed new deals.
The total combined earning at that point was $2.26 billion by 165 players, leading us to speculate that it wouldn't take long for the collective group to top $3 billion.
It took almost exactly one season. The new total is $2.96 billion, by 178 players, meaning that the overall value of that collective group grew by nearly 31 percent over those 12 months. That may not happen again, especially since two of the three biggest earners, Julio Jones and C.J. Mosley, recently announced their retirements.
NFL players start getting get their "paychecks" after regular season games, so the $3 billion threshold may be crossed at about the same time as the first touchdown is scored during the upcoming opening weekend (Sept. 4-8).
As for the other financial milestones previously mentioned, the list is up to 138 former Saban-coached players at Alabama who have made at least $1 million, 66 have topped $10 million, and 21 have banked more than $50 million. That's up from 126, 59 and 17, respectively, from the previous year.
So how high can this go? it's difficult to say because NFL contracts are not fully guaranteed and there's no way of knowing how long everyone may play, especially some of the younger guys. Plus, the $2.96 billion is in career earnings, meaning what the players have already received, and not for what they're under contract.
To understand the difference, consider standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who signed a new deal last September with the Denver Broncos, for four years, and worth $96 million. There are all sorts of conditions that have to be met for him to get every penny of it, but the breakdown included a $15 million signing bonus, $77.5 million of the contract is guaranteed, and he's due to have an average salary of $24 million through 2029.
This season, in 2025, Surtain II will have a base salary of $1.17 million and a signing bonus of $21 million, giving him an expected total of $22,170,000, which doesn't count toward his career earnings yet. That's why he's 33rd on the subsequent Saban Alabama-coached career earnings list having made $35,962,678.
A couple more important notes in how the list was put together:
Any player who was still on the Alabama roster after Saban departed doesn't count. So even though recent draft picks Tyler Booker, Jihaad Campbell, Jalen Milroe and Malachi Moore played most of their careers under Saban, they get credited to Kalen DeBoer by the league. Hey, you have to draw the line somewhere.
The same thing applies to transfers who departed, they count toward the coach and school where he finished playing college football. There's one notable exemption to that for our purposes, Jalen Hurts. He claims both schools so we include him in our Bama in the NFL Database. However, the NFL credits him to Oklahoma, so he's not included in the following two charts:
Combined Earnings of Active NFL Players
Source: spotrac.com
College, Players, Earnings
1. Alabama 71 $466,566,095
2. Ohio State 68 $360,017,663
3. LSU 58 $345,477,664
4. Oklahoma 45 $288,331,814
5. Clemson 41 $466,566,095
NFL Cap Dollars by Colleges
Source: overthecap.com
College, Players, Cap Dollars
1 Alabama 71 $437,598,023
2 Ohio State 71 $339,733,664
3 LSU 60 $292,201,552
4 Oklahoma 46 $283,166,430
5 Georgia 69 $254,588,182
Recent contract signings won't count yet as the compiled figures are only through the 2024-25 season. For example, Ryan Kelly is at No. 13 with nearly $68 million. He made all that with the Indianapolis Colts from 2016 through 2024, through his four-year rookie contract and subsequent four-year extension. The two-year, $18 million contract he recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings, with a $6.635 million signing bonus, is not factored in yet.
Similarly, the $76 million earned by defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, which has him at No. 7 on the Saban Alabama-coach career earnings list, was all at Washington. It does not include yet the three-year $51 million free-agent contract he signed with the Vikings, which has a $14 million signing bonus, and bonuses for being active, playing time and sacks. Barring any setbacks he's on pace to top $100 career earnings during the 2026 season.
While a couple of other former Crimson Tide players are closing in on the $100 million plateau (like Marlon Humphrey and Tua Tagovailoa), something extra to keep an eye on is the No. 1 spot as wide receiver Amari Copper, a 10-year veteran who has made at least $20 million in each of the last five seasons, is still a free agent. He's roughly $12.5 million behind Jones.
Nick Saban's Alabama Coached Players Top 50 NFL Earnings
Saban 250 Ranking, Name, Pos., Years Career Earnings
1] Julio Jones, WR, 2008-10 $149,167,021
2] Amari Cooper, WR, 2012-14 $136,692,228
3] C.J. Mosley, LB, 2010-13 $94,656,002
4] Marcell Dareus, DT, 2008-10 $87,134,946
5] Marlon Humphrey, CB, 2015-16 $83,030,203
6] Kareem Jackson, CB, 2007-09 $79,835,715
7] Jonathan Allen, DE, 2013-16 $76,515,829
8] Quinnen Williams, DT, 2017-18 $74,558,961
9] Tua Tagovailoa, QB, 2017-19 $73,464,807
10] Da'Ron Payne, DT, 2015-17 $69,967,360
11] Cam Robinson, T, 2014-16 $69,152,314
12] Jalen Hurts, QB, 2016-18 $68,897,559
13] Ryan Kelly, C, 2012-15 $67,998,507
14] Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, 2015-17 $67,572,006
15 Derrick Henry, RB, 2013-15 $67,472,749
16] Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, 2013-16 $53,655,754
17] Dont'a Hightower, LB, 2008-11 $52,803,039
18] Andre Smith, T, 2007-08 $52,118,506
19] Eddie Jackson, DB, 2013-16 $51,264,225
20] Mark Barron, S, 2008-11 $50,823,867
21] Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, 2009-11 $50,403,046
22] Landon Collins, S, 2012-14 $49,513,931
23] Calvin Ridley, WR, 2015-17 $47,245,024
24] Jonah Williams, T, 2016-18 $47,167,582
25] Jaylen Waddle, WR, 2018-20 $42,660,450
26] Josh Jacobs, RB, 2016-18 $38,672,775
27] DeVonta Smith, WR, 2017-20 $38,141,392
28] Trevon Diggs, CB, 2016-19 $38,092,448
29] Jarran Reed, DT, 2014-15 $36,946,070
30] Mark Ingram II, RB, 2008-10 $36,823,116
31] James Carpenter, T, 2009-10 $36,752,650
32] A'Shawn Robinson, DT, 2013-15 $36,626,912
33] Patrick Surtain II, CB, 2018-220 $35,962,678
34] Jerry Jeudy, WR, 2017-19 $34,556,259
35] Jedrick Wills Jr., T, 2017-19 $34,111,378
36] Xavier McKinney, S, 2017-19 $33,291,041
37] Landon Dickerson, OL, 2019-20 $27,974,409
38] Bryce Young, QB, 2020-22 $27,918,555
39] Christian Barmore, DT, 2019-20 $26,522,244
40] Kenyan Drake, RB, 2012-15 $25,880,239
41 Will Anderson Jr., OLB, 2020-22 $25,710,181
42] Rolando McClain, LB, 2007-09 $24,743,357
43] O.J. Howard, TE, 2013-16 $20,790,104
44] Evan Neal, T, 2019-21 $20,498,359
45] Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, S, 2011-13 $20,479,938
46] D.J. Fluker, T, 2010-12 $20,148,228
47] Bradley Bozeman, OL, 2014-17 $18,943,687
48] Trent Richardson, RB, 2009-11 $18,055,062
49] JC Latham, OL, 2021-23 $16,556,956
50] AJ McCarron, QB, 2010-13 $16,273,523
Crimson Tikes: The 100-Dollar Saban
Crimson Tikes: The 100-Dollar Saban / Anthony Sisco