With less than two hours until the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide kicked off the SEC Championship game, the Tide received gut-wrenching game-day news, but it luckily also saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Alabama's star tight end Josh Cuevas would not be warming up with the team for the conference title game and would likely not be playing against Georgia on Saturday.
However, as the Crimson Tide clung to hope that it would earn a berth to the College Football Playoff, Thamel also shared that Cuevas would likely be back in time for the CFP. That was, if Alabama actually received a bid or not.
Josh Cuevas primed to return for playoffs
"I would expect Josh to probably not be with us for the weekend," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer had shared earlier in the week.
Heading into the SEC Championship, Cuevas had missed the Tide's last two games (the wins over Eastern Illinois and Auburn) after injuring his foot during a practice session.
As reported this afternoon on @SECNetwork, Bama tight end Josh Cuevas is doubtful today. He’s not expected to warm up. There’s optimism he could be back for the College Football Playoff.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 6, 2025
Before getting injured, Cuevas had become one of quarterback Ty Simpson's go-to guys, amassing 341 yards and four touchdowns through the air, alongside seven yards on the ground.
With Cuevas sidelined, freshman tight end Kaleb Edwards had stepped into a much bigger role and would likely be heavily relied on in the SEC Championship. However, Simpson would undeniably continue to target his elite receiving corps farther downfield.
The Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs were scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 6, and the conference rivalry game would be broadcast on ABC.