NFL Raiders Stabler

Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler drops back to pass against the Baltimore Colts during an NFL playoff game in Baltimore, Md., on Dec. 24, 1977. Stabler passed for 27,938 yards during his NFL career, the most for any former Alabama player.

(AP Photo)

AJ McCarron stepped in at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals down the stretch of the 2015 NFL season after Andy Dalton suffered a broken thumb. In doing so, McCarron got a former Alabama QB back under center in the NFL and also, with three-and-three-quarters games' worth of experience, moved into the top 10 among former Crimson Tide passers in the NFL.

During the 2015 season, McCarron became the first former Alabama player to start an NFL regular-season game at quarterback since Greg McElroy on Dec. 23, 2012. McCarron also became the first ex-Crimson Tide player to be the starting quarterback for the winning team in an NFL game since Jeff Rutledge on Nov. 15, 1987.

McCarron remained the Bengals' quarterback for their playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, making him the first former Alabama QB to play in the postseason since Rutledge on Jan. 9, 1993, and the first to start a playoff contest since Richard Todd on Jan. 23, 1983.

In his regular-season work, McCarron threw for 854 yards for Cincinnati in 2015. That moved him into ninth place for passing yards among the 38 former Alabama players who have thrown a pass in an NFL game.

The top 10 NFL passers who played at Alabama (in order of career passing yards):

Provided by

:

Generated 2/16/2016.

Earlier this month, Ken Stabler was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2016. The Snake will join Joe Namath and Bart Starr in the football shrine in Canton, Ohio.

The No. 10 player on the list, Holm wasn't a quarterback, but a fullback. He got all 406 of his passing yards in one season, even though he spent four years in the NFL.

Holm played for the Providence Steam Roller in 1930, Portsmouth Spartans in 1931, Chicago Cardinals in 1932 and Pittsburgh Pirates in 1933; Harry Gilmer played for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions from 1948 through 1956, Starr played for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 through 1971, Namath played for the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams from 1965 through 1977, Stabler played for the Oakland Raiders, Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints from 1970 through 1984; Scott Hunter played for the Packers, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions from 1971 through 1979; Todd played for the Jets and Saints from 1976 through 1984, Rutledge played for the Rams, New York Giants and Redskins from 1979 through 1992; Brodie Croyle played for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2007 and 2009; and McCarron made his NFL debut in 2015. McCarron was with the Bengals in 2014, but didn't play.

Todd was a teammate of Namath's for one season with the Jets and a teammate of Stabler's for one season with the Saints. Hunter's rookie NFL season with the Packers was Starr's final season with Green Bay.