Nick Saban might have left coaching, but he’s still calling the shots behind the scenes. Whether he’s advising Alabama or weighing in on the NCAA’s evolving NIL landscape, Saban remains a powerful force. Recently, the influence crossed over to the NFL.

Alabama keeps getting the spotlight because of Nick Saban, and this time, he helped a former player find a destination in the NFL. As per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Saban advised the Denver Broncos when they reached out to him about trading Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

“One of Paton’s scouts with a tight relationship with Nick Saban reached out, and Saban told him that Waddle was competitive, tough, sudden, and could drop his weight as fast as anyone he’d ever coached,” Breer said.

The Miami Dolphins traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 111) to the Denver Broncos. In return, Miami received a 2026 first-round pick (No. 30), a third-round pick (No. 94), and a fourth-round pick (No. 130). After the trade, the Broncos restructured Waddle’s contract to manage their salary cap. They converted $15.416 million of his option bonus into a signing bonus.

Denver’s massive valuation means nothing if they waste cap space. Trading premium picks for Waddle is a calculated, all-in move to maximize Bo Nix’s rookie contract window, making Nick Saban’s decision to give the green light incredibly valuable for their front office.

Besides, Waddle is not a player that teams would like to miss out on. As a freshman, he caught 848 yards and scored seven touchdowns, making a big impact right away. His performance in the 2019 Iron Bowl drew massive praise, having caught four passes for 98 yards and three touchdowns, even though Alabama lost 48-45 to Auburn.

That performance caught Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s attention, as he praised him, saying it was “one of the greatest individual performances he had ever seen.” Now, he is right there to back him up. This isn’t the first time an NFL front office has trusted Saban’s evaluation over a receiver’s size profile.

Just as he validated Jalen Waddle’s toughness for the Broncos, Saban famously went to bat for DeVonta Smith. Back in 2021, when NFL teams were having doubts about his weight, Saban was the one assuring them about it, and the result was that he went 10th overall to the Eagles.

“To look at him and say he only weighs 170 pounds as a reason not to pick him, I would say to them, ‘The ball weighs 13 ounces; how big do you have to be to carry it?'” Saban said.

On top of that, Nick Saban helped LSU find a new football coach. Even though he is not coaching now, he gave advice and suggested some possible candidates. He recommended three coaches: Lane Kiffin, Eli Drinkwitz, and Brent Key. Because of his guidance, LSU decided to focus on Lane Kiffin as its main choice. This is just the start of the future, as Saban will be helping more college football and NFL teams in making key decisions, and LSU has already started that pipeline.

Nick Saban’s major step toward LSU

Nick Saban helps LSU behind the scenes, even though he isn’t coaching anymore. He advises the athletic department and played a key role in bringing Heath Schroyer from McNeese State to Baton Rouge to oversee basketball.

“One of his main things that he told LSU was to align their athletic department in a different way,” LSU alumnus Tyler Daigle said on X.

LSU paid Saban $1 million for his advice and support. His guidance carries a lot of weight, and the school follows it carefully. This decision also helped set the stage for former LSU coach Will Wade to return, showing that Saban’s influence goes beyond just football. Nick Saban is still very respected in college sports. People consider him one of the greatest coaches ever.

Even though he’s not coaching at LSU, he continues to advise Alabama and owns part of the NHL team, the Nashville Predators. His opinions still carry a lot of weight in big sports decisions. At LSU, Saban helps shape the team’s plans. He gives advice on basketball, how the athletic department is organized, and long-term strategies. LSU paid him $1 million for his consulting because they value his guidance and expertise so much.

Now, Nick Saban keeps engaging with teams, helping them have a smooth transition, but will it create trouble for Alabama? As he is an advisor there, too. That’s something to look forward to.