Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts had more than 4,000 yards of total offense apiece during the 2023 NFL season.
There have now been 20 seasons in which a player from an Alabama high school and college had at least 4,000 yards of total offense, and with their 2023 showings, Tagovailoa and Hurts entered the top 10 in NFL career yards of total offense among players with Alabama football roots.
Total offense is measured as the yards that a player has gained passing and rushing. For quarterbacks, it also reflects the yards lost in sacks. (Before 1969, those losses went into the quarterback’s rushing total.)
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Last season, Tagovailoa led the NFL with 4,624 passing yards, ran for 74 yards and lost 171 yards on sacks for total-offense yardage of 4,527, the fourth-most in one season for a player from an Alabama high school or college.
Hurts had his second straight season with more than 4,000 yards of total offense in 2023, when he passed for 3,858 yards, ran for 605 and lost 222 on sacks.
The other players with Alabama football roots with 4,000 yards of total offense in an NFL season include Philip Rivers, who did it 11 times; Cam Newton, with three; and Jameis Winston, with three.
While Rivers has far and away the most career yards of total offense on the state list, Winston holds the single-season record with 5,077 in 2019.
By entering the top 10, Hurts and Tagovailoa pushed Bobby Thomason (Leeds) and Shaun Alexander (Alabama) out of the top 10.
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The top 10 NFL players in total offense with Alabama roots:
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers passes during an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 16, 2012, in San Diego.(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
1. Philip Rivers, Athens High School: 61,209 yards of total offense
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers 2004-2019, Indianapolis Colts 2020: 63,440 passing yards, 601 rushing yards and minus-2,832 yards on 464 sacks
2. Cam Newton, Auburn: 35,533 yards of total offense
Carolina Panthers 2011-2019, 2021, New England Patriots 2020: 32,382 passing yards, 5,628 rushing yards and minus-2,477 yards on 332 sacks
3. Joe Namath, Alabama: 26,751 yards of total offense
New York Jets 1965-1976, Los Angeles Rams 1977: 27,663 passing yards, 140 rushing yards and minus-1,052 yards on 109 sacks
4. Ken Stabler, Foley High School, Alabama: 25,517 yards of total offense
Oakland Raiders 1970-1979, Houston Oilers 1980-1981, New Orleans Saints 1982-1984: 27,938 passing yards, 93 rushing yards and minus-2,514 on 281 sacks
5. Bart Starr, Sidney Lanier High School, Alabama: 25,493 yards of total offense
Green Bay Packers 1956-1971: 24,718 passing yards, 1,308 rushing yards and minus-533 yards on 59 sacks
6. Jameis Winston, Hueytown High School: 22,076 yards of total offense
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2015-2019, New Orleans Saints 2020-2023: 22,104 passing yards, 1,214 rushing yards and minus-1,242 yards on 195 sacks
7. Richard Todd, Davidson High School, Alabama: 19,415 yards of total offense
New York Jets 1976-1983, New Orleans Saints 1984-1985: 20,610 passing yards, 932 rushing yards and minus-2,127 yards on 264 sacks
8. Jason Campbell, Auburn: 16,879 yards of total offense
Washington Redskins 2005-2009, Oakland Raiders 2010-2011, Chicago Bears 2012, Cleveland Browns 2013, Cincinnati Bengals 2014: 16,771 passing yards, 1,204 rushing yards and minus-1,096 yards on 170 sacks
9. Jalen Hurts, Alabama: 13,605 yards of total offense
Philadelphia Eagles 2020-2023: 11,764 passing yards, 2,503 rushing yards and minus-662 yards on 113 sacks.
10. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama: 12,398 yards of total offense
Miami Dolphins 2020-2023: 12,639 passing yards, 381 rushing yards and minus-622 on 90 sacks.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.