Nick Saban gets candid about Kiffin talk to LSU: ‘Lane is the first name up’
Nick Saban questions whether the LSU and Florida jobs are better than Lane Kiffin’s current job at Ole Miss on the new college landscape.
The former Alabama - and former LSU coach - got candid this week about Kiffin’s spot atop the coaching carousel’s most-wanted coach list.
“Jobs that weren’t great jobs before are now,” Saban told On3’s Chris Low. “Lane is the first name up for Florida and the first name up for LSU, but I think you can have a long debate on whether either one of those jobs is actually better than the job he has now because he has some guys over there at Ole Miss that give him pretty much whatever he wants from a roster standpoint. He may not necessarily have the same thing at Florida or LSU. So you look at these jobs differently now.”
Saban, who turns 74 on Friday, knows a little something about Baton Rouge. He won his first national championship in 2003 at LSU, but, as he points out, these are different times.
“Yeah, maybe you got facilities,” he said. “Maybe you got money. Maybe you’ve got alumni who are passionate about football, but are they willing to invest now to win? Because a lot of people don’t believe in this s--t.”
Saban, like many, doesn’t like where the game is headed. He has said often he believes players should be compensated. What many, including the ESPN analyst, believe is the root problem with college football is also what will lead a program - any program - to a national championship.
“It gets down to not just who has the money, because a lot of these traditional schools have people who have money, but who’s going to spend the money to get these players and how long are they willing to keep spending it,” Saban said. “That’s the truth of it, whether me or anybody else likes it.”
Salary Cap Guru Makes Strong Claim About Maxx Crosby’s Raiders Deal
In recent years, the Las Vegas Raiders haven’t received much praise for their decisions. Such is life as a rebuilding franchise, but the tide may be turning in 2025.
That’s the hope, at least, and general manager John Spytek is doing his part. Being proactive with contract-related moves is a huge way to stay ahead of the curve. That’s exactly what he did with superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby, and the football world is noticing.
In advance of the 2025-26 regular season, the NFL received a serious shock. Micah Parsons is now a member of the Green Bay Packers and has a massive deal to accompany the trade. With the details revealed, popular salary sap outlet Spotrac thinks it makes the Crosby extension look even better.
Now that the dust has settled, Maxx Crosby's 3 year, $94M practical guarantee from the #Raiders looks like a veritable steal.
Micah Parsons is set to earn $62M in 2025. Crosby will cash in $64M combined across 2025-2026.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) August 29, 2025
Salary Cap Analyst Compares Maxx Crosby’s Raiders Contract to Micah Parsons Deal
Michael Ginnitti, co-founder and editor of the site, explained further via X.
“Now that the dust has settled, Maxx Crosby’s 3 year, $94M practical guarantee from the Raiders looks like a veritable steal,” the tweet began. “Micah Parsons is set to earn $62M in 2025. Crosby will cash in $64M combined across 2025-2026.”
It’s hard to argue against that logic. As things currently stand, Crosby ranks fifth among edge rushers in average annual value on his contract at $35.5 million. He’s also fifth in total guarantees and seventh in both fully-guaranteed salary and total value. It’s, by all accounts, a very solid deal by Spytek and Co.
That’s without even factoring in that Crosby still had two years left on his previous deal when he signed. Spytek’s willingness to get an extension done sooner than later was widely praised. It also kept the organization ahead of the market and looming moves for players like Parsons and Pittsburgh Steelers standout T.J. Watt.
On the current setup, Crosby will account for 12.1% of the Raiders’ salary cap this year and next. That figure then descends to 9.6% in 2027 and 8.3% in 2028. Considering those will be his age-30 and 31 campaigns, it’s a tremendous timeline.
Crosby & Las Vegas Defense Eyeing Statement 2025-26 Season
Now, the pressure is on Crosby to prove that he’s truly in the best shape of his life. With a new contract comes new expectations for him. After recording 12.5 sacks in 2022 and 14.5 sacks in 2023, that number fell to 7.5 a year ago. With that said, Crosby still managed to make the Pro Bowl despite missing five regular-season contests. He also had 54 pressures, per Pro Football Focus, in those appearances.
It’s understood that good simply won’t cut it in the AFC West, though. Crosby and company need to be great to have a chance of unseating the Kansas City Chiefs. A new-look offense led by quarterback
Advanced stats painted a mixed picture of the Patrick Graham-coached group.
It won’t take a massive leap to help the Raiders go from 4-13 to something far more respectable. It will, however, require Crosby to bounce back and show his contract is actually a bargain pact.
