Like head coach Kalen DeBoer, Bama quarterback Jalen Milroe also has had a tough season. It started well for both, but then suddenly, everything went bad, and one can say they have improved a little bit. Naturally, Milroe was a hot property in the first few weeks, appearing high on the Heisman odds and mock NFL Draft. Milroe is still a top choice for the 2025 NFL draft, even though he has struggled in the past couple of weeks, especially against South Carolina and Tennessee. His presence would definitely make any offense. But there are rumors that he may be sticking to Kalen DeBoer and the Tide for one more season. However, speculations spin about his future with Tide, and host Mike Gillispe has highlighted the high stakes of his football career.

Milroe is a big player, but this season, he has experienced both impressive highs and lows as a starting quarterback. Considering the same in the latest episode of Bama Tailgate, Mick delivered a harsh reality check regarding his NFL draft. He strongly feels that Milroe’s return may not be beneficial for the team.

“Would it be good for Alabama if Jalen Milroe returned in 2025? I don’t think so. And I’m going to tell you guys why. You got Ty Simpson waiting in the wings, right? You got Dylan Lonergan getting behind him. You got Austin Mack, and then you got, you know, the guys that are coming in in this class, which includes Keelon Russell, who’s a five-star out of Texas.”

Adding to his comments, Mike further said, “So you already got the next wave of quarterbacks coming in, and this is just speculation, but I thought, you know, it’s worth talking about because Milroe’s performance over the last three games has taken him from being maybe the first quarterback selected and the Heisman Trophy leading candidate to a guy that just keeps on going downhill, and we’re going to talk about that in a second.”

There would have been no speculation had Milroe not had a poor run of games in October. The only reason for staying is to show your skills to the scouts and hone your skills further. That first-round prediction for the NFL Draft has taken a nosedive, but we know that Milroe is a dual-threat quarterback, a skill considered essential in the bigger league these days. Of course, the passing game, the decision-making, reading defenses- everything can improve, but does he need to be in Bama for that to happen?

And if that does happen, what message does it send in terms of recruitment? You’ll have future college stars hitting the transfer market to get some game time, and can you really blame them?

Jalen Milroe’s leadership journey

6-2! This is where Alabama stands this season. After two losses in recent three-week games against Vanderbilt and Tennessee raised many questions. Even their narrow victory raised many questions because their performance was not up to the mark. DeBoer has turned the table, and they badly needed a strong victory, which came against then No. 21 Missouri on 26th October. This victory has helped them regain momentum and increase their chances for the playoffs.

However, a few days ago, Milroe shed light on his responsibilities as a leader. Being a captain for back-to-back two years is not easy. Sharing his experience, he mentioned, “You know it’s a leadership role that you constantly have to develop to be successful at the position but to be a captain, you know, is definitely something you don’t take lightly at all and, um, you know, when you’re a captain, you just reflect all the guys in the locker room and everyone that’s part of the Alabama football team and so to have an opportunity to be the captain for year two is definitely a unique honor.”

So far, Milroe has thrown for 1937 yards and rushed for 380 yards. He has recorded 25 touchdowns, but we cannot ignore the six interceptions. While Alabama is preparing for its next crucial game against LSU, you can enjoy our latest video of ES Think Thank, hosted by Trey Holder.