"Nick Saban can't compete": Former NFL star Chad Johnson has hot take on Alabama legend who struggled to find place in NIL era

Former NFL star Chad Johnson shared his take on Nick Saban's retirement.

Saban made the announcement to retire from coaching at the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier this year, following the loss to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Johnson suggested that Saban's decision might have been influenced by the challenge of competing for top recruits in the era of NIL. He said on Nightcap:

"He can't compete. It evens the playing field now that NIL has come into play.

"There was NIL before, but nobody talked about it. ... Where did everybody wanna go play? Everyone wanna go play at Alabama. ..." Johnson said.

He also added that he still believes in Saban and didn't want him to quit.

"What comes into play now? For me, Coach Saban, I believe in your coaching. I believe in your system. I believe in your players.

"Don't walk away from the game now that the playing field is even. Don't do that. Why do that?" Johnson concluded on Nightcap.

When Saban first announced his retirement, he explained his reasons for doing so:

"My age started becoming a little bit of an issue (recruiting & hiring coaches).

"People wanted assurances I would be here (for years), and it got harder and harder to be honest about. This last season was grueling, it was a real grind,” he said

Later, he revealed that he had other reasons to retire and that his age and health were not the actual ones.

"I want to be clear that wasn't the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed," Saban said to ESPN.

"I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class."

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Nick Saban to discuss NIL legislation

Senator Ted Cruz will host a roundtable on Mar. 12 at 9 a.m., where Nick Saban and former boss Greg Byrne will discuss the need for Congress to pass bipartisan legislation regarding name, image and likeness rights for student-athletes.

The attendees include ACC commissioner Sen. Jerry Moran, Jim Phillips and NIL attorney Darren Heitner. The summit highlights the ongoing push for consensus on NIL regulations, with Cruz advocating for uniform rules while bolstering the NCAA's authority.

In his recent retirement update, Nick Saban had said that he was struggling with the latest developments in college sports.

What will happen next? What are your thoughts about that? Let's know below in the comments section.