Nick Saban’s short-lived tenure with the Miami Dolphins remains one of the biggest “what-ifs” in NFL history. Nearly two decades later, rumors of a potential return to the league are once again swirling , with claims the legendary coach still has unfinished business.
Saban spent two seasons in Miami from 2005 to 2006, compiling a 15–17 record before leaving for Alabama. The biggest blemish on his NFL résumé came during the 2006 offseason when the Dolphins passed on signing Drew Brees due to medical concerns and instead opted for Daunte Culpepper, who was coming off a serious knee injury. Culpepper went just 1–3 in Miami and lasted only one season with the team. He would finish his career with 20 more starts over three seasons, going 2–14.
The decision to pass on Brees — who went on to become a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer with the Saints — has remained a sticking point for Saban, who has frequently referenced the role Miami’s medical staff played in the decision.
Now, a return to the NFL might be on the table.
“I would say, like maybe, there’s an itch he wants to scratch and maybe he wants to explore scratching in the NFL,” SI’s Albert Breer said this week on The Dan Patrick Show. “I think the possibility exists that maybe he looks at it and says, ‘If there is a situation where I can win quickly, where there’s a QB, I don’t feel completely satisfied with what happened in Miami 20 years ago.’”
Breer said Saban’s regret over how things ended in Miami could be driving some of his curiosity. He also pointed out that expectations were high at the time.
“If you remember, Dan, people were picking them to go to the Super Bowl in 2006, which was his last year in Miami,” Breer said.
Urban Meyer added to the speculation during an appearance on FS1’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, saying that if Saban has any itch to return to coaching, it likely points to the NFL — not college.
“I have not talked to him about this, I could guess — because I know him fairly well and competed against him — that it’s not a little scratch, it’s probably a pretty big scratch,” Meyer said. “That’s the one area that he has not [conquered]… I don’t think he’d go back to college. I don’t see that fit.”
“I would say very little to no chance he would get involved in college,” Meyer continued. “But I think he would take phone calls from the NFL.”
The speculation originally reignited last week when Greg McElroy, Saban’s former quarterback at Alabama, said on his show that a trusted source believes Saban might not be done coaching just yet.
“They seem to think Nick Saban is not done coaching,” McElroy said. “He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again.”
Whether it’s smoke or something more, the chatter around Saban’s NFL future isn’t going away — especially in Miami, where fans are still left wondering what might have been.
The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the 2000 season.
