When last we saw Jaylen Waddle on the field of play, he was returning the opening kickoff out of the Neyland Stadium end zone on Oct. 24 — twisting for extra yardage before being tackled on a seemingly normal play.

That was when Waddle’s ankle was broken. A season lost barely as it was truly beginning, Waddle hobbled off to the sideline and then into the tunnel before finally succumbing to the cart and — eventually — surgery.

There were glimpses of Waddle since then, usually on the sideline in just his jersey and on crutches cheering on Heisman candidate DeVonta Smith as Smith destroyed SEC defenses. Waddle’s loss was both immeasurable beyond his 25 receptions for 557 yards and 4 touchdowns. You just don’t reach into the roster to plug-and-play for arguably your best wide receiver and kick returner.

Right?

“You can’t replace a guy like Jaylen Waddle in terms of what his ability is,” Tide coach Nick Saban said after Waddle’s initial injury. “It’s no different than losing Allen Iverson, a guy that scores 30-40 points a game. He’s that kind of impact player.”

Which is why reports out of Tuscaloosa on Monday were as stunning as Waddle’s loss was in the first place. The Alabama wide receiver, the John Lennon to Smith’s Paul McCartney, was set to practice Tuesday afternoon as Alabama began preparations to play Ohio State in the College Football Championship.

Wait, wut?

Even the tantalizing thought of adding someone as absolutely electrifying as Waddle back to what is already a Ferrari lot full of talent on the Crimson Tide offense should send shivers down the spine of everyone residing in Columbus, Ohio.

Because Waddle is simply that damn good.

Look, this could just be a gigantic decoy. We certainly wouldn’t put it past Darth Saban, as he sits in his fully functioning Death Star, to concoct a week-long storyline arc that involves making Ryan Day and Ohio State turn cartwheels trying to scheme against Waddle. That’s what Joyless Murderball does to otherwise intelligent coaches like Day — creating a scenario that result in the Buckeyes planning for the potential of a virtual twin of Smith gashing through your secondary as well as cutting into their REM sleep.

But it could also be the real deal.

“His rehab is going great,” said Saban on Dec. 16 of his preseason All-American. “He’s out of a cast. He’s out of a boot. He walks. He’s running on a treadmill. I think he’s making good progress day-to-day. … We haven’t ruled out the fact that as he continues to develop that, you know, I think he’s hopeful that he can come back and play and we’d love to see him come back and play at some point.”

Set aside for a moment that Waddle even suiting up to play in the CFP national title game — even as a decoy — would prove to be a huge emotional shot in the arm for Alabama’s offense. Set aside for a moment that seeing Waddle taped up and warmed up and will send everyone in scarlet and gray into a tizzy.

But if Waddle can actually *play*? Forget about it.

Waddle’s injury was a combination of a high-ankle sprain and a fracture to his right ankle, Saban confirmed after the Vols-Tide game to ESPN. As Tennessee’s Kenneth George Jr. tackled Waddle, the junior potential future 1st-round draft pick’s right foot got caught between the grass and George’s body, where it took heavy contact and was shoved into an awkward angle.

That same night, Waddle was transported to Birmingham and went under the knife for surgery that was described as successful in the days afterward. Saban talked to him after the game and described the surgery as “very, very successful.”

In that same discussion, Saban mentioned 2 former Alabama offensive superstars that had similar injuries that didn’t exactly derail their football careers.

“The long-term prognosis for his surgery is very good,” Saban said Oct. 26. “(2-time NFL rushing champion) Derrick Henry had this surgery here, (Dolphins and Cardinals running back) Kenyan Drake had this surgery here. It’s a difficult timetable to know when a guy can come back from something like this, so that’s something that’s gonna be ongoing. But probably 6-8 weeks before he can really even start real-heavy rehab, then relative to your position, how fast can you come back after that is really, really up in the air.”

Now, suddenly, Waddle’s future isn’t up in the air. Or is it?

Will next Monday night in Miami be Waddle’s Willis Reed moment? Or is “Waddle returning to practice” just a ruse conveniently timed to provide maximum distraction with minimal effort?

Until Alabama’s offense hits the field at Hard Rock Stadium, ultimately, it is all a guessing game.

But what if …