TAMPA, Fla — Jalen Milroe walked off the Alabama football practice field at Berkeley Preparatory High School with a message to send.
"It's all about 'finish,'" Milroe said, standing confidently, stoically, pushing a mantra he's repeated time and time again since the Crimson Tide missed the 12-team College Football Playoff and, instead, made the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan .
Finishing is one of the team's core values, he said, one that is uniting a team that is about to end its first season of the Kalen DeBoer era.
That's Milroe's message. But another decision, another reality lingers closely behind.
On Saturday, it came in the form of a group of kids waiting patiently off to the side of the field with a football in one hand and a pen in another. Milroe approached the kids with a smile, introducing himself simply as "Jalen."
Then the question came.
"Where do you want to play in the NFL?" one of the kids asked.
Milroe told them he would "love to stay down south" while also mentioning the Baltimore Ravens "like my boy Lamar (Jackson)."
The interaction was brief. But it was a reminder of what Milroe faces: His 2025 fate, whether Tuesday's ReliaQuest Bowl against the Wolverines will be his last in a Crimson Tide uniform before entering the 2025 NFL draft.
It's a question Milroe is not answering. That's not his mission, he says. The mission is to complete the season, to attack Michigan .
It's an example that wide receiver Germie Bernard and defensive lineman Jah-Marien Latham are following, with each refusing to disclose intentions for the 2025 football season, whether it's with the Crimson Tide or somewhere else.
Milroe's decision may be unspoken as he and Alabama make their final preparations for Michigan.
But it's one that is remains apparent as Milroe threw next to redshirt sophomore quarterback Ty Simpson , the expected successor, the former five star who has waited for his chance to be behind center; as Milroe answered questions about freshman cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe , who is expected to make his debut at wide receiver Tuesday and could become a weapon in a Crimson Tide's arsenal as the team's Aug. 30 season opener at Florida State inches closer and closer; as Milroe talked about his relationship with former Alabama and current Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young , who will play a road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Milroe is not talking about his NFL decision.
He's pushing the same message he's had all season, one that encourages his teammates to work to be "the best version of ourselves," one centered on "preparation."
"From now to the game, we have a lot of things we can clean up, get better at," Milroe said. "We're going to take advantage of that opportunity and come together as a group."
It's about finishing, Milroe says. One of the core values of Alabama as it faces a game it did not want to be in, one that does not lead to a national championship.
But no matter what decision lies ahead for Milroe, that's not the message he's focused on pushing.
"We're going to end on a high note," Milroe said.
Alabama kicks off against Michigan at 11 a.m. CT Tuesday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jalen Milroe NFL decision looms large as Alabama preps for 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl
