Kalen DeBoer contract extension: Jordan Rodgers defends Alabama's decision on coach that has 'absolutely worked'

On Wednesday, Alabama signed head coach Kalen DeBoer to a seven-year, $87.5 million contract extension. The deal averages $12.5 million per season. On Monday’s episode of Get Up, ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers provided an intriguing perspective when asked if DeBoer deserved the lucrative extension.

“I absolutely think so,” Rodgers said. “He’s a guy that’s proven at every stop he can be a winner and take a team to a College Football Playoff. Took Washington there. Now, Alabama in Year 1, they were the first one on the outside. Year 2, they get to the playoff. They win a road playoff game. Obviously, it fell apart against Indiana after that. But, in this era, the twisted kind of mindset of the Alabama fans is, ‘Well, we should be dominant every year. We should only lose one game at most.’

“That was the old college football, where Nick Saban, yes, was the GOAT, but also you had a monopoly on recruiting and facilities. With the NIL era, that’s not the same. Competition is even across the board. It’s only going to get harder and harder to sustain success, and he’s proven he can do that multiple different ways, despite some bumps in the road. He’s absolutely worked.”

DeBoer led Alabama to an 11-4 overall record and a 7-1 mark in conference play last season. The Crimson Tide made their first appearance in the SEC Championship during the DeBoer era, but fell to Georgia.

As Rodgers mentioned, Alabama won its opening CFP game against Oklahoma, but suffered a blowout loss against Indiana in the quarterfinals. While fans at other programs would be ecstatic about such a season, many Alabama fans weren’t satisfied.

After all, Nick Saban, Alabama’s head coach before DeBoer took the reins, led the program to six national titles during a 16-year period. Alas, Rodgers believes Alabama fans can no longer expect that level of success due to the introduction of NIL into the collegiate landscape.

The change has allowed programs such as Indiana to compete with perennial blue bloods. Whether or not Alabama fans are happy about his extension, Kalen DeBoer is thrilled to continue to lead the Crimson Tide.

“We are excited about the opportunity to continue our time in Tuscaloosa with this contract extension,” DeBoer said in a statement. “This university has become a special place to us, and I look forward to working to ensure that Alabama football remains at the forefront of college football.

“This program has a long history of success and an unmatched tradition that I was eager to be a part of two years ago, and I cannot wait to keep coaching our guys and bring more championships to Alabama.”