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“We Were Struggling”: Nick Saban Gets Blunt Over Dropping Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa Amid Eagles QB’s Recent Woes

Nick Saban pulled Jalen Hurts at halftime of the 2018 national championship and handed the offense to Tua Tagovailoa. Most quarterbacks in his spot would have been disappointed. But Hurts stayed, rebuilt himself, and turned that benching into an NFL…

By Nilaav Ranjan Gogoi · Essentially Sports

Published: Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 5:08 PM

Key Things to Know

Nick Saban addressed benching Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa in 2018 while praising Hurts' resilient character amid recent NFL struggles.
Saban explained Alabama's offense was struggling at halftime against Georgia, prompting the difficult switch to Tagovailoa.
Hurts stayed at Alabama, worked on his passing, and led the Crimson Tide to the 2018 SEC championship.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban reflected on ESPN's College GameDay about benching Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa at halftime during the 2018 national championship game. Saban called it one of his toughest coaching decisions, explaining that the offense was struggling, but he praised Hurts for his underappreciated character and resilience in handling the adversity.

Saban expressed confidence that Hurts' resilient mindset will help him overcome recent struggles with the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2026 season. After a difficult Week 4 loss to the Rams where Hurts passed for just 93 yards, the quarterback prepared to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 11.

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