Alabama football safety Jaylen Key sustained an injury vs. LSU and had to go to the locker room in the first half. He did not play again after that.
Another notable injury on the defense was involving Deontae Lawson, who left the game in the second half. He was seen postgame in a walking boot.
Key broke up a deep pass then was down on the ground for a bit as the training staff evaluated him. Then he walked off the field under his own power and went directly to the medical tent. Key spent about six minutes inside the Crimson Tide medical tent.
Then, Key went to the locker room right before the end of the first quarter with members of the training staff. He appeared to have sustained a quad injury.
Key didn’t return to the game. He was in sweatpants and a sweatshirt in the second half. So, too, was Lawson when he returned to the sideline.
Kristian Story replaced Key on defense, playing safety alongside Caleb Downs. The play Key made helped Alabama stop LSU. It was one of three pass breakups the Crimson Tide made on that drive, including the pass Malachi Moore knocked down on fourth and short that led to a turnover on downs.
Then to start the second half, Moore moved to safety and Trey Amos entered the game instead of Story.
Without Lawson, Alabama used Trez Marshall and Jihaad Campbell at inside linebacker.
Deontae Lawson, Jaylen Key injury update from Nick Saban
Saban was asked postgame about the health of both Lawson and Key.
“One guy has an ankle, one guy has a quad,” Saban said. “I don’t know how bad the injuries are until they do MRIs and that kind of stuff. So I can’t tell you more than that.”
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Nick Kelly covers Alabama football and men’s basketball for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.