Nick Saban and A.J. McCarron created a lot of magic during their time at Alabama together.

McCarron finished his Alabama career 36-4 as the quarterback for the Tide, including two national championships, but he’s still waiting to get that starting gig in the NFL. McCarron has been a backup with the Cincinnati Bengals since 2014, and he took just two snaps during the 2016 season.

Saban hopped on Sirius XM Radio Tuesday to discuss an assortment of topics, including McCarron and his potential as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

“I loved AJ,” Saban said during the interview. “I always thought he did a great job. He’s a football junkie. He really prepares for the game, understands the game well. He’s got a confidence about him that some people might mistake for a little bit of cockiness, but when you get to know him, you know that’s not the case. I think — and I always thought — that I could not believe he did not get drafted higher than he got drafted relative to the success that he had here in terms of winning. If you just look at how much we won when he was the quarterback, how many championships we won and did it at an early age. And every time he’s had an opportunity to play with the Bengals, he’s, to me, proven that he’s absolutely a starter.

“So, I think he’s one of the guys that probably is a coveted backup player that most people in the league should think, ‘This guy could be a starter for us,’ and Cincinnati’s probably in a good position because they have him under contract without a big salary-cap hit. But that’s going to change soon, and that may be a great benefit for him.”

There’s been speculation that McCarron could get traded this offseason, and the Bengals have said they’ll listen to any trade involving McCarron. But the Bengals aren’t going to give McCarron away for nothing.

“The larger point on AJ McCarron for us is that he’s a very valuable piece for what we do,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said at the combine this year. “It’s not a point where we’re saying ‘hey gee, what do we do with this guy because we don’t have a plan for him with us.’ He plays a very valuable position at backup quarterback, and you’re always one play away from going to your backup quarterback.”

McCarron has thrown for 854 yards and completed over 66 percent of his passes, including six touchdowns. Those stats include his three starts from 2015 when Andy Dalton injured his thumb.

I’m one of the many who would enjoy seeing McCarron get a starting job in the NFL somewhere.