There is no reason to compare these Alabama football quarterbacks
When you see the amount of success that Alabama football has had over the last decade, it is natural to compare players. In fact, we have done it repeatedly on this site. However, this is mostly done to project the potential of a young star as he develops in Nick Saban’s system. Because of that, it is pointless to compare Mac Jones to Tua Tagovailoa.
Both of these stars have done the necessary things to become Alabama legends. Once you get to that level, debating between greats is only going to tarnish one’s legacy.
Tua Tagovailoa was a trailblazer for Alabama quarterbacks. He was Nick Saban’s first quarterback with true NFL potential, and he led the Crimson Tide to a title. He deserves all the credit in the world for what he has done for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Even when he failed, it was not his fault. His worst performances were when he was hurt. He had to play against Clemson with a bad ankle, and he was also injured against LSU in 2019.
While all of this points to Tua being a legend, people will instinctively try to place Mac Jones above him. Especially if Mac Jones wins the Heisman and leads Alabama football to a title, this will become natural. However, it does not help either quarterback.
Tua is a legend for what he did. Mac Jones is already a legend for his play this season, and he still has time to continue his legacy. While fans will want to compare these legends, we should simply let them live on as legends.
At the end of the day, what good does it do to try to prove that one of these quarterbacks is better than the other? Each has their own skills and stories. They should have the honor of letting their legacies stand independently.
Are both Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones linked? Absolutely. After all, they were in the same recruiting class. Mac Jones was the one who replaced Tua when he dislocated his hip. You can’t talk about Mac Jones without Tua, and you can’t talk about Tua without mentioning Mac Jones. However, they should simply be referred to as two of Alabama football’s greatest quarterbacks.