3 former Alabama players with over $100 million in NFL contracts ft. Jalen Hurts
The Alabama Crimson Tide has been one of the top pipelines from college football to the NFL, with a lot of former players receiving hefty contracts. There are currently three players who spent their collegiate career with Alabama and have parlayed that into massive nine-figure contracts. Let's take a closer look at these players and what they've accomplished thus far.
Former Alabama Crimson Tide players who have $100+ million NFL contracts
Jalen Hurts
The only non-first round player on this list and the only one of these three to appear in a Super Bowl is Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. In the offseason, he signed a five-year, $255 million contract extension with $110 million guaranteed, which is the seventh-largest contract in the NFL.
Hurts spent three seasons (2016-18) with Alabama before transferring to Oklahoma for the 2019 season. With Alabama, he finished 445 completions on 706 attempts for 63.0%. He also had 5,626 yards with 48 passing touchdowns to only 12 interceptions. He has 381 rushing attempts for 1,976 yards, or 5.2 yards per carry and 23 rushing touchdowns in 42 games. He also won the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Hurts was drafted in the second round, 53rd overall, to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he became the starting quarterback. He led the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023.
Tua Tagovailoa
In 2019, Alabama coach Nick Saban decided to start Tua Tagovailoa over Jalen Hurts. While that decision can be argued, Tagovailoa currently holds the 11th-largest contract in the NFL by signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension with $110 million guaranteed during the offseason.
Tagovailoa was an All-American as well as winning the 2018 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award. He spent 2017, 2018, and 2019 with the Crimson Tide and finished going 474 completions from 684 attempts for 69.3%. He threw for a total of 7,442 yards with 87 touchdown passes and only 11 interceptions. While not known as a running quarterback, he did score nine rushing touchdowns in his career.
Tua Tagovailoa was selected with the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins, but does not have any postseason wins.
Amari Cooper
Wide receiver Amari Cooper is the only non-quarterback on the list. He is tied with inside linebacker Roquan Smith, offensive guard Robert Hunt, and quarterback Baker Mayfield for the 40th-richest contract in the NFL at $100 million over five years. He played with Alabama for three years starting in 2012.
Cooper played in 39 games and recorded 228 receptions for 3,463 yards. He averaged 15.2 yards per catch and scored 31 receiving touchdowns. He finished third in Heisman Trophy voting in 2014 and won the SEC Offensive Player of the Year that season.
Cooper would wind up being drafted by the then-Oakland Raiders with the fourth pick in the 2015 NFL draft and is now suiting up for the Cleveland Browns.