The Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off a huge blowout win against LSU, redefining where they stand as the 2024 season comes to a close later this month. We may see Alabama in the College Football Playoff after all. If we do, the chances of star quarterback Jalen Milroe returning to Tuscaloosa is likely lower than if they don't.

Milroe has been the offensive engine for Alabama since being reinserted into the lineup after being benched in 2023. The dynamic runner and downfield thrower has not been perfect this fall, leading to some doubt as to whether he's ready for the NFL. This is especially the case considering how young quarterbacks are struggling once getting into the league.

Our latest expert two-round 2025 NFL mock draft has Milroe sliding in the first-round but lands in Pittsburgh. This scenario would present Milroe with a difficult decision to navigate.

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We're seeing the Steelers have success with the combination of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, but both are free agents after this season. Picking 27th right now in the 2025 draft, this would be quite the slide for Milroe compared to the top 10 projections that came in the preseason. 

But if he could go to Pittsburgh and get a stable coaching staff, the loss in rookie earnings might be worthwhile.

It wasn't too long ago Pittsburgh whiffed on 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett and subsequently traded him to the Eagles for peanuts. The Steelers also benched Fields after he played well to start the season, and have not indicated they'll try to bring him back in 2025. It's not as if going to Pittsburgh ensures long-term success, but at least the franchise isn't at desolate as Carolina.

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The 6-foot-2, 210-pound dynamo is in his fourth season at Alabama but has one more year of eligibility left. While Milroe threw for only 109 yards against LSU, he ran for 185 yards and four scores. It was only his second 100-yard rushing game on the year.

The raw tools are obviously incredible for Milroe, but the nuance is lacking in his game. The hope was for head coach Kalen DeBoer to task Milroe with more advanced concepts and to see the quarterback blossom into a more competent pocket passer, but Milroe has struggled with coverage identification and accuracy.

That doesn't mean the improvement won't come. It's possible more reps and NFL coaching can get Milroe there. Just look at how Wilson is performing for Pittsburgh after completely washing out of Denver in two years.

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The scenario of bringing Wilson back and replacing Fields with Milroe as the team's future starter is especially intriguing for Pittsburgh. They'd be buying low on an elite athlete who has more going for him as a passer than he doesn't. Even if he needs more refinement, Milroe is too talented to let fall much further.

What would you do if you were Milroe? I'd argue that landing with Pittsburgh is better than going top 10 and finding out New Orleans or Carolina is too much of a mess to overcome. But going back to Alabama for 2025 also looms as a good option considering the recruiting class DeBoer has lined up.