Bussin' With The Boys - The Boys Recap Last Week, Super Bowl Sunday + KJ Wright Interview

Episode Date: February 16, 2022

Recorded: February 3rd, 2022 & February 15, 2022 | The Boys are fresh off of their two biggest weeks in the pod's history and there are no plans to slow down. This week we have former Seattle Seahawk and Las Vegas Raider KJ Wright hop on the bus. Super Bowl Sunday/last week recap (4:00 - 30:28) KJ Wright interview starts (31:39) KJ's crazy free agency story (34:00 - 51:40) Will's free agency journey (51:50 - 1:02:00) NFLPA vs. Owners negotiations (1:02:05 - 1:19:50) Legion of Boom (1:21:00 - 1:26:50) Super Bowl loss vs the Patriots (1:27:00 - 1:38:00) Raiders rollercoaster year & Rich Bissacia (1:41:54 - 1:53:00) ----- SHOP: https://store.barstoolsports.com/collections/bussin-with-the-boys FOLLOW THE BOYS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bussinwtb Twitter: https://twitter.com/BussinWTB Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BussinWTB Website: https://www.bussinwtb.com ----- SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS: Chevy: Chevy Silverado - The Strongest, Most Advanced Silverado Ever. Cross Country Mortgage: Go to CrossCountryMortgage.com/Barstool today! NASCAR: Head over to Georgiaboot.com and use code BUSSIN for 20% off Whistle Pig: Text BOYS to 64-000. Paint Your Life: Celebrate the moments that matter mostFor more, visit barstool.link/bussinwtbSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You're a Chevy guy. Oh, every day, all day. All day, every day. 3, 365. Yeah. all of those numbers in any order you want. Do you read

children's books to your kids? Listen, so get this. I read a book to my daughter every single night before bed. Yeah. And I fucking slay. Really? And I'm no joke,

and this is not even trying to be funny. I think in my head while I'm reading this book, yo, Will could just see me now. I swear to God, dude. I literally think to myself, dude, if I could just do it like that.

You know what I'm saying? because my daughter's there, she's not even paying attention anyway. Right. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes I fluctuate the voice. I do different sounds with different animals. You know what I'm saying? It's a fucking journey when you go to bed with me.

Not that way. You know what I'm saying? When you put your children into bed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a production. We have fun. I'm talking about Taylorin. Journey.

Yeah. I mean, it's not a very long journey. Yeah. And one of us definitely enjoys it. But I'm talking about my kids. Yeah. And that's a fun, fun deal, too. That's a fun, fun deal.

I was thinking that because I read that pretty decent, I thought. Yeah. He took his time. That's the thing. He took his time, but his voice got, he was starting to just look at it and read it. Yeah. You know what I mean?

I think the issue is I care, I care so much about the brands. No, but I'm saying his voice got quieter. Like, he was like laser focused on trying to read it. Instead of being like, oh, you know, I was interrupted. Um, I think for me, like, I get, like,

when I look at the ads and I know that these brands who what I love, I love these brands. And I love the fact that they've taken their hard earned money and given it to us to help them reach more people. Right. To be a vessel. I get nervous. I'm like, what if I mess this up for them? Because I care, maybe I care too much, you know? And I don't want that.

I don't want to feel that way. But a Chevy Silverado, they've put us in good hands. I feel like I got a nice little seat. I honestly feel like this is how I feel like in my truck. Comfortable. You know? So maybe that moment for me. It was just a little more...

A little different. A little different. A couple of things are a little different. The way I viewed the Super Bowl this year was a little different. How'd you view it? With my eyes on the TV, but the way I felt is what I'm really getting at it. Yeah, I understand that, but what do you mean? You felt different.

I was salty. What made you so salty about, you know... Because in a weird... I think we've talked about this in the podcast before. Like in 2019 or whatever we went on the run to the AFC championship, we did it. And we were like, yeah, we proved everybody wrong. Like we feel like we still should have gone to Super Bowl and won it, but we just feel like we proved everybody wrong.

And then this year, being the number one seed in the AFC, losing to the Bengals, no offense to the Bengals, like that's not an insult. When I say like Bengals, we lost to the Bengals. And I was, it just felt like everyone was doubting us anyway, and it's an opportunity for them to put a feather in their cap and say, we told you so. Yeah.

You feel like you underachieved? Individually, yes. But as a team, yeah, obviously. When you have that kind of season with that kind of adversity and then you get all your guys back at the end yeah we did underachieve like that's easy to say

Right Maybe that's where the saltiness is coming from Every team who has a chance to win the Super Bowl besides those like Like the Lions Like halfway through the season You knew they were going to win it Because they weren't going to make the playoffs

But any team who makes the playoffs You should view it as underachieving If you don't win it Right well you're Ben Rothesberger With the Steelers thing We ain't got to be here anyway Yeah you also just said we made it all the way to the AFC championship.

You felt like it proves a lot of people wrong, so you didn't feel like you underachieve them. Right. But now you feel like you underachieve. The view changes. I get what you're saying there. The view changes a little bit because we've grew, like our fan base is not only grown,

but our coaching staff has become a whole lot better, even when we were able first got there till now. The players we have have gotten better. Like, legit in camp, we're all sitting there going like, yeah, we're going to win this thing. And it's the first time people are saying that, and everyone's, like, believing each other.

You know? Because every year, you're like, we're going to win at all. Yeah. And then you kind of see how the season unfolds. You're like, I don't know. Good luck, boys. You know?

But with all that stuff, you did feel like this year you did underachieve a little bit. So I guess... What did you think of the Super Bowl? That was a good game. I think it was a solid game. I thought that was PI on your boy Ramsey, DPI.P. When he pulled Buddy's face mask, first play of the second half. Yeah, 100%.

That was a face mask on my favorite playing league. If you're like, if you're a, if you're a face mask on my favorite playing the league. Yeah. Rams fan, you say that, but also as a Bengals fan, you could say, yeah, there are seven penalties on, like, the one-yard line? Yeah, I know. Wilson, that linebacker, he made a good play. Like, as a linebacker

covering, um... He didn't even really grab him like that. He had his arm on him and then stabbed. And it was, he didn't even yank him. It wasn't even hard hook. He stabbed through the pocket. Yeah, that was a hell of a play. That was a good play. In the last play of the game, when Joey B, if he would have had just a couple more seconds. Oh, shut off.

But again, in Jalen's the fence. It's fourth and one. It's fourth and one you're sitting, you're playing a little more aggressive. He probably didn't think Jamar was just going to run a go route on him on fourth and one. So he's sitting at the hip waiting for a breakoff and he just takes off on him. That's tough. Dan Setterman and how do you think? Could I mean, if his eyes would have been down field 100%. Do you have a video of it at all? I'd like to see it. Oh, it's everywhere. Everyone's talking about that last play. Really? Yeah. Speaking of that last play, um, Quentin Spain, my boy was the one that gave up that pressure. Yeah. But he seemed like he was playing well the whole game.

And everybody wants to condense you on one play. Like, that's tough. Aaron Donald. What's that? Biggest play the game. Yeah, biggest play the game. And Aaron Donald's Savage. Savage.

But is he goaded? So everybody's been talking about that. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, but for a second. Like, I just got to have my boy Q's back for a second. Okay, okay. I thought he played well the whole game and then that happened. Like, that's the life of an offensive lineman.

Do you feel like you have 65 good snaps? And then on the 66 snap you give up a sack or pressure. Do you feel like you got to have his back because he was out there swinging the sword? on Twitter? No, if I sat there personally with Quentin, I'd be like, yeah, you can't do that. Right. Like, you got to win with grace and lose with grace.

Like, talking shit is fun. Like, it's fine. Especially, I don't like doing it on Twitter, like, real talking shit. Because it's not like, it's not as interactive as I want it to be. I want to catch somebody on their toes right now. Right.

And then put them on their heels because then we can go back and forth and really chirp it out. But on Twitter, like, you don't have to respond to me for 30 minutes. And then you think of a good one. And you're like, oh, I'm going to get them with this. you know what I'm saying?

Now, Jeffrey Simmons. Jeffrey Simmons, hey, he bodybagged my boy Spain. Body back, and that's just the reality. And I know he'd be pissed if he heard this, but buddy. Oh, he might come. He body bagged you, dude. He might come after. It was a nice little, I don't know.

Hey, after the game, Quinn was like, yo, 98, his bitch ass, N word this, end word that, I'm a, ball, he's all this, I'm like, I looked at him. I kind of touched his belly. I go, I don't know if you're beating up Jeff, bud. I don't know if he's doing that. What you mean? What you mean? And like, for me, it's all this is, it's like,

well, you're really going to fight this man over what? You just won. Like, it's over. Right, right. Go enjoy it. I think that's my thing too. He's out there, like, I know all y'all wanted me to fail. Like, I didn't give up nothing. It's like, bro, you just lost the Super Bowl.

Yeah. Yeah, but as a player too, you got to have that like back against the wall mentality. But do that on your own, like, do that on your own time. You know what I'm saying? Like, don't let Twitter win. That's letting Twitter win. By being like, you immediately want me to fail, there you go. You immediately went to Twitter and let everybody know they've had to real estate in your head by saying, like, I know y'all want to me to fail.

Like, you just lost the Super Bowl, dude. Like your wounds a little bit. Go cry. Like, cry. Like, tell the boys you love them. What a season. They won four games last year, right? Four of them.

Oh. That's a tough look for your boy, Ramsey. But I'll tell you what, dude. So Ramsey had, there's a few plays, right? He had the one T. Higgins, first play of the, uh, the second half. Jamar got him a couple of times. Higgins got him a couple of times.

Not his best game he's ever played, but doesn't tarnish at all. Like, he's the best corner in the league. He doesn't bat an eye. He gave up that big play. It was like in the first quarter, I believe. Then he comes back and gets that PBU literally like right after, like they were trying to score.

Yeah, and he just stands up just talking shit. I was talking about Al-in-Shu. I'm like, you know when you mess something up, I was like, I would have probably, like, as a player, when you know you did something, you mess up, probably like, all right, that's on me, that's on me. But if I break up a pass the next play,

me personally, I'm thinking, okay, you're back on track now, you're getting back. Not like, you know, this is my fucking house, dude. He's like, taunting and everything else. I'm like, yeah, I love that confidence. You've got to have us a corner. They were talking, apparently Chris Collinsworth and the boys were talking to the defensive staff of the Rams

and we're like, we know who's getting touches where, relatively, we know who's getting touches based where they lined up, and that's where Jalen's going to go. Like, that's a lot on a dude's plate. Right. to just be like, I'm that fucking dude, I'm going to lock down whoever. And he does. Yeah.

He does. I don't know. He's a monster, dude. Yeah, he's tall as shit, for sure. And he's always talking. Yeah. But you think about dudes like that who are like, you know, we're on the Jags a few years ago. And now he's like won the Super Bowl.

That's fucking dope. Like, Von Miller gets traded this year, wins the Super Bowl. Aaron Donald, which we got to talk about if he's goaded or not. I think that's tough to do, man. I mean, he's played what? How many years? Eight or eight seasons? Six.

They're talking about I'm retiring too. No, April Bowl, seven all pros. Three-time defensive player of the year. But, bro, like, I used to look at Reggie White. Bro, Reggie White. Yeah, but you look at the body of work at that time. Now, I don't know shit about defenses and who's goaded, who's not goaded. Like, you got to assume if Aaron's on this pace, if he plays 16 years, he also gets

16. Hang on now, but you know, bro, this is the NFL. You, like, at one point in time, you would assume JJ Watt would be all these things, and he's had an injury-ridden career the last few years. Yeah, but he's still a goat of defensive line. A goat, like a greatest of all-time defensive linemen? He's in the conversation of greatest of all time, is what I'm trying to say.

And that's a lot coming from, I don't like JJ Watt. I don't like his presence. I don't like his attitude. I don't like anything about the guy, but you respect him. But I'm just saying, like, the potential. Dude, Derek, I saw Derek Watt after the Steelers game, and I basically told him I don't like your older brother, but you should come on bust him with the ball.

voice and he looked at me like go fuck yourself and walked away didn't say a word to me I walked with that conversation like yeah fair absolutely I respect that that was a good move deserve that yeah I deserve that but looking at Aaron Donald it's like yeah the potential of assuming what he's going to do is different than actually executing it in a sport like football like we're talking reggie Reggie Whitehead how many all pros eight for eight first team five second team 13 pro bowls he's on two all decades teams. Yeah, but Donald will be on,

he will be on that after he retired right now. He has seven all pros. Yeah, but he won't be on. What do you mean? He'll be on that. He'll be on two all decade teams. No, because it's 2021, bro. No, yeah, it's 2020.

It's 2022 right now. Yeah, but in the next nine years, there's not going to be a guy that's going to outdo Aaron Donald and not be on the all-decker team for the 20s. Oh, so you're saying he'll get grandfathered in because of what he did the tens. Yes. Yeah, but that's, that happens to everybody. No, it doesn't.

Everyone who's a big fucking name. If they just make it into the next year? A lot of guys. I want to see that list. Julius Peppers. It's the first guy that comes to mine. By the time I got in the league, he was like slowing down. Right.

He was still a behemoth of a man. But the way they talked about him, the way he like... Yeah, I think he's telling him. Doesn't he have like a record or he's on like the top of sacks? Clay's Campbell. All right. Julius Peppers. Yeah, Julius Peppers.

but Julius Pepper's I think he retired around like JJ Watts not a guy that's going to make the all-decade team for the 20s unless like something dramatic happens the next three, four years. Right. Right.

But Aaron Donald, because he played in that year and the player he was, he's still going to make all-decade team and we can make this bet nine years from now. We could do a bet. 10,000? Speaking of bets,

a T-shirt bet we had. That is a tough one. Michigan, come on. But hang on. Give the give, let's give, we were just in Arizona too. Let's give Nebraska some flowers. You were just an A-Z. Bro.

They're deep out there. Bro. There was like four to one Nebraska and Michigan fans. Four to one. We're walking around the waist management tour this gal had like a Nebraska tattoo on her shoulder. On her shoulder. I was like, tough.

The end. The end. The end and it said hustlers through the middle. God, yeah, dude, there were a lot of Nebraska fans out in Arizona. Lots of them. I was at the Buffalo Chip, which is a barb in Cave Creek, and I'm going to the bathroom.

And there's dudes in line. He's like, hey, the boy. I'm like, oh, dude, what's up? He was like, I love your podcast. I'm like, thanks. And he goes, I really fuck with Will though. I'm a Nebraska fan. He goes, I'm a Nebraska fan. He goes, I'm a new

that weird turn. Like, I'm ending this conversation with my body now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's nothing more to say. And then that was cool for both of us and we move on. Right? but he kind of just shit on me. I was like, damn.

My boys got a real presence out there now, though. Imagine if the Redskins let you do your thing, or the Commodores, what do they call now? Commanders. The commies. We're the commies now, dude. The commies? Yeah.

The commanders. Yeah. I mean, you guys wore the Redskins when you played, so I'll just refer to them as when you played the Redskins. Yeah. Imagine if the Redskins just kind of let you do whatever. In what way? What do you mean?

Like you have your social media and you felt like the confidence you do now. Yeah. Right, right, right. The mental is a lot different back then I had a lot of fun on social media You go back in the archives The boys out there Bar still had me saying the whiskey beer

More beer like before games and stuff like that But I wasn't like out there The way I am now No you had a couple of deals A couple of nice little deals Hey AZ was fun though AZ was a blast Had a good time

Got back to the roots a little bit Started that bar Rebel Ranch Thank you Let's go boys We had that Will's got a big opportunity Coming up for him to invest He is

he's very lucky. You're a very lucky man to have even the opportunity. I'm happy for you. See, that's the crazy, but I don't even fully understand the opportunity. Right. I'm hoping so. I'm hoping so. You've invested with other things I've done.

What's up? You've invested in other things I've done. Do we get to talk about it? No, we don't get to talk about it. You got to cut that out. That's crazy. I was going to say you just invest in other things we've done. Yeah, I know.

And how's that working out? Seems good. Yeah. You're going to be all right, doggy. Hey, we always going to be a right. Oh, we're always going to be all right. But if you guys have a chance, go on Instagram, follow Rebel Ranch.

Rebel Ranch. I think we're up to like 1,400 followers. No big deal. We're kind of killing it. Blue check, here we come, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. So followed that, it's going to be dope. We're doing a big renovation June July.

Should be open next year in November. Bing, bang, boom. Yeah, I did a shout out of my story. I saw you. Yeah. I saw you, dog. Get my fans on board. Yeah, it's a bar.

Yeah, it's a bar. in Cave Creek. It's like a bar and Kayskeehury. It's, it's... 5,200 people and in the weekends, like 100,000 people come up because everybody wants to be a cowboy. So you go up there, it's the only place in the world. You'll find an old truck, a Ferrari and a horse parked in the same parking line. No mom and pop shops allowed. What's that? I said identity crisis. Stopped out people, man. They cruise up and their nice vehicles, get some dust on it. Yeah. They put their Kenny Chesney's straw hat on and they enjoy themselves. Yeah. Live music. Two step in. Real country shit. Real country shit. We had an arena out there.

they were going to buck some horses out there, do some barrel racing, some mutton busting for the kids. Hey, now, don't sleep on the boy. You got a little rope in, Gene, in you? Yeah, I've roped before, but I'm not a roper. Come on now. Hey, your boy can get it done. Come on now.

I got you a couple times. You dabble. I got this rope out. I got this rope out. And I was like, hey, we'll just start walking. Hey, I roped you a couple times. I wouldn't even really following that part. Yeah, we'll start a while and say, hey, just walk.

And I'd heal him, just snap him up real quick. Got him a couple times. I'm like walking high. He's like, hey, pick your feet up a little bit. I'm like picking that lot. We're just in a gravel parking a lot. Did that shitty ice cream? What shitty ice cream?

McDonald's McFlurries, dude. Yes. Bro, talk about a fat kid's story. We go. We're cruising down from the creek back down to Paradise Valley. And Will's in a mood. He's like, let's get some ice cream. Will's in a mood for sure.

So we're like, yeah, so there's cold stones. It closes in 25 minutes. It's a 30-minute drive. Make us leave the bar. Yeah. Fast and Furious Tokyo, Joe. Yeah. Minus leave the bar early.

Taylor's dancing. Hey, 20 minutes. We got to go. Yeah. You see this? It shows me the closing soon sign on the on the maps. So I start cruising down the 101. Fasten the Fier's Tokyo Drift.

Get off. Get there. We get four minutes to fucking spare, dude. And Coldstones is closed. Heartbreak Hotel. So I'm already, I'm invested now. What are we going to do? We pop on the old phone, sit in the parking lot.

What's open? Sonic. We started driving towards Sonic. And we say Mickey. these and we're like, hey, when's last time I had to McFlurry? Gold arches, dude. Yeah, those gold arches in the distance, dude, like a little oasis of ice cream. We do a quick U-turn.

Get in there. We order a couple burgers, bro. Before you keep going, can I throw in a little... Go ahead. Tailin and Taylor, like, yo, let's hit McDonald's. I don't really say much in the back because I got like, is the ice cream machine broken? You remember that?

What? Yeah, you guys were, you guys were hype. Like, oh, yeah, let's go to McDonald's. Yeah. And I was kind of like, I don't know if they're ice cream fucks like that, but I'm like, you know what? I'm ready to go. So go ahead.

So we pull in there. The guy, you can tell on me a little, hey, welcome my dog, not going to help you. He's on that thing. And I'm like, yeah, give me a second. He just goes, all right. And kind of just waits. And I'm like, oh, spit is going in these burgers, doggy.

Enjoy your job like Chick-fil-A and these other spots. One place? In and out. Chick-fil-A is not a slapper. I'm just going to say it. Call me crazy. Hang on, hang on. I'm just going to say it out loud.

Let him finish the story before you just fucking throw. All right. You're right. You're right. You're right. You're right. You're right. Some bullshit.

She plays out a slapper. Pause. Yeah. So we're at the McDonald's. We decide, uh, my boy over here is getting a quarter pounder with cheese. I'm a classic kid route guy. I haven't been to McDonald's in like seven years.

So I get, uh, two of the regular cheese burgers with Mac sauce on it. Kind of a header, right? Yeah. JPC's what I'm talking about back there. And we get the McFlurries. We look over in the McFlory side on the top right. It just just McFlurrying and in small quotes,

Oreo. That's all they got. I think you saw the shit they got here? I'm like, we'll take three large Oreo McFlurries. So we rip around the side. Large. Remember the story. Yeah.

Takes a minute, dude. Not just 60 seconds. A minute, right? Because I'm trying to be cool and hip. The guy comes over. I give him my card. He gives me the burgers first and we're waiting on these McFlurries. He tosses out the McFlurries.

These bitches were in a thimble size, dude. They were this fucking bake. Two spoonfuls to finish. I'm talking Dixie Cubs. Hey, Will goes, Will's all quiet in the back. I give him the McFlurry. I wasn't really paying attention.

He's just over here looking around. And I give him the Flurry. You just see like his hand kind of creep up as I pass it back to him and like grabs him and goes back into his little cave. And he, it's quiet at first. He goes, yo, what the fuck is this? Mad as fucking. I just put the shit in my pocket.

I'm done. Bro, I'm not joking. Go and try and order a large McFlur and you can fit that thing in your pocket. And the candy, well, say cookie, because it's Oreo, but the cookie you put in there and they stir in, it's only on the surface. Yeah. After you get through the first... It makes it look full. Yeah, it makes it look full. Oh, this can

be a banger. You're like, yeah, Taylor, I was so mad, Taylor and goes, hey, Will, you can have mine, too. Yo, that's the shit! It's small as fuck, dude, the cap that goes on top of it is bigger than the cup. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous, bro. And you're probably thinking while you're listening and are watching, oh, it's all right, they probably put the ice cream up to

the top of the cap. No, they fucking don't. It's to the brim of the lid. Tough. Fucking tough. I'm loving it. No one's fucking loving it, dude. No one's fucking loving it, dude. A couple of it's not wrong.

A couple bites of the cookies gone. It's all vanilla ice cream at the bottom. It's a sham. It's a fucking sham. Which is still a fire, but like, yo, we're thick boys. You know what I'm saying? We need a couple extra spoonfuls to make sure our belly is happy. I ate my first half, put mine down, grabbed tails.

They ate her top half just because it had Oreo in it. Yeah, that's it. So we decide. We get the burgers, everything. I don't even open up my burger. I'm fucking pissed. No. We threw him.

We put the shit in the corner like, we're done with this. We go to Sonic. We still go to Sonic. Hey, yo. Sonic's just casually selling foot long weaners. Foot long. Those hitters? Loong conies, bro.

Full long pieces? The other week. You get the chili cheese? You love them things, huh? Oh my God. Bro, get the fuck out of here. You like those? How do you eat that?

Nothing. Oh. He looks like. He said two bites. He said he said two bites. How did it, like... He's throwing that glissie. You just grab it out of the wrapper, hold it with two hands like this, and go, oh, tough.

Like, you know you're thinking about yourself. Grab a double. Double hand like that. But you got to choose the top, so you got to hold like this. Like you're kind of... And then you're just holding the tip. Yeah, this one's the real holder. You had to tilt the head, he said.

You got to tilt the head on that thing. So they sell that. Me and Will spent about, I don't know, 60, 7 minutes just laughing about that until we press the button to order. And then we get our shakes and it was beast. I mean, Colston would have just fixed it off. Their employees were committed to their craft. Yeah.

Come on now. Four minutes. And you can't just make me up a birthday cake remix like the boy wants. I'm trying to. And I've got to have it. And if I'm feeling crazy, pine size. That's some wild shit, dude. Chick-fil-A.

Yeah. Let's talk about that. Before, let's give context now, before you just slander that. I'll give context right now. Shit's trash. All right. Now, that's my stance. To put you guys, because there's a lot of pissed off people right now driving their Chevy

Silverado's listening to this. And they're closed on Sunday. Yeah, it's God's Day. Come on now. Listen. Yeah, everybody's at church. Yeah, everyone's in church for a couple hours. And then you get out and you...

It's still like a hitter, like check the numbers, check the tape. No, yeah, I'm sure. They can be closed one day the week and still crush it. Bro, wouldn't there a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta Stadium and it was just closed on Sundays? Yeah. You're lying. But hey, hey, you know, because people need to empathize where Taylor's coming from.

I'm sweating over how much I don't like your fillet. He got it every time they had the game. Every time they had a game, their post-game meal was like Chick-fil-A. No, no, no, it wasn't a post-game meal. Every time we flew, even now, for the last eight years, every time we fly, they have Chick-fil-A in there. After a while, the smell gets to you. Right, it's just catered Chick-Pillet, bro.

You're not getting that fresh. It's a soggy sandwich or the little chicken sandwich or whatever, and you got the nuggies. Now, I will give you this Chick-fil-A. I love the variety of sauces y'all have. And I'm talking to you guys as if you guys are now employers

of Chick-fil-A. I don't fuck with it because of my situation and being on that plane all the time, it just smells to me now. I think you need a hitter milkshakes, though. I still think you need to just not say it's fucking trash

because you haven't had a real experience at Chick-fil-A. I have. When I was in high school, I used to go to Chick-Fillet and loved it. Your taste-buzz are a lot different back in high school. Your brain's not even

that developed either. So now that my brain's full developed, I can say it's trash. You can make a rational, more mature decision about it. Can you bring up the stats? We're talking Chick-fil-A, bro. Number three on the list. They rang number three with 2,500 franchise units. You know, how the fuck is McDonald's number one, dude? Because like they got 13,000 units, bro. That's tough. Damn, Subway's out there with 22,000 just. I thought Subway kind of fell off a little bit. I thought Subway was kind of gone. Like, you go

and grab a sub? You got to put some fragrances in there or something, like put a lavender or candle up because when you walk in there, you walk out, you smell like Subway for the rest of the day. And everybody, yeah, it's tough. Subway was a hitter. Subway was a hitter back in the day. Quiznos. Probably the best one. I thought Subway was so good back in.

Back in high school? Yeah. No question. Murder Subway. I come out to the city and people be talking about their little delis and sweet onion chicken terriarchy. Yes. Get the fuck out of here, dude.

Mine too. No way. Swear to God. I love that, dude. That was my favorite thing. They had to like low. They had, they seems like they fell off the head to lay low a little bit after the whole Jared thing.

Yeah, but like they're not the one doing it. Like, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, but that was your frontrunner. Yeah. Speaking of frontrunners, how about the Verizon guy selling out for Sprint now? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Can you hear me now guy?

Yeah. And he's like, he's like, kind of shits on Verizon without saying Verizon. Yeah. But anyway. How long have we been doing this intro? You should probably. Wrap her up? We should probably get to the KJ episode.

All right. That's cool. I'm just happy I got to be a part of it. Yeah, I know. You know what I'm saying? You weren't going to get to yesterday. You had your little Preds thing. Yeah.

I hope that thing's going to be sick. Oh, Taylor's got a little video coming out because they're doing a little outdoor game. Yeah, that should come out next Monday, right? Six days from now. And let me tell you something, dude. If the Predators have good, are they good at editing and shifting things around, my acting skills are going to look fucking insane. They're going to be outstanding.

But if they're not good at editing, I'm going to get exposed. I'm stoked. I'm stoked regardless. I like doing it on film? I don't know. He's got on film, but like, you know, it's like not the real thing. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

We can show the good stuff, the funny stuff. And Willie wasn't like, uh, Johansson and Soros were kind of the ones that like really didn't want to fucking be there. But you know how it is when you're in the season. Locked in. You're locked in. Like, you don't want to be doing this extra stuff. It's going to be cool.

And for me as a fan of the predators and like being a part of like the Nashville community, like that was dope. I choked a beer for catfish one time. Like, hey, we want you to be a part of this. Yeah. Like one of the biggest games. So super stoked on that. Super stoked.

But anyway, KJ. Right. Outstanding. Yeah, he was awesome. Anybody who's tuned in from the Seattle, Raiders, all of it, they're going to fucking love listen to KJ. Soft-spoken dude. Monster. I mean, he's a study.

He's a top 100 player. He talks about being pissed off in free agency because he didn't have a phone call all the way until August. We're talking about the top 100 players. Just wild. Yes, bro. But he gets in all that. His frustrations about the process, anxieties with playing football, being a free agent.

We compare our little free agent stories. He's like, I mean, man, what was your? Because he was talking about not getting called. He's like, oh, my other one was even worse. Or my other one was just as bad. He goes, I didn't get called my first free agency either. And we kind of got into it. And I go, so when did you get a call in the first free agency?

He was like, oh, they call me on the third day. And we just, I was like, yeah, what the, you're still in the first wave. Yeah. Like, you just didn't get called on day one. But, uh, mindset, dude. Yeah. He's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, he's, got some, like, stoic, he's a football.

He's a football guy, dude. He's all backer. He just wants to tackle motherfuckers and don't want to, I can't say what he's doing after football because he didn't want it to be on the pod. We talk about him playing with Bobby Wagner. Yeah. I can't wait. It's part of ball. Like, he's all ball, bro. Like, you'll hear it. I'm sitting here. I'm trying to get him to think about playing. Like, here's how you

handle the back end of your career. Because he goes, I'm not going to play anywhere if I got to wait till training camp or anything like that. Let me try to tell you about the other side of it. Like, wait until, Right before you come on the roster, you get guaranteed, and you just kind of play the game. And he was just so like,

he respects and loves the game so much. I'm sitting there and I'm low-key, like feeling bad that I was trying to even change his mind because I'm like, yeah, this dude loves the game. But we ask about Russell Wilson, a lot of fun stuff, but you guys will like it, subscribe to the pod. Subscribe to the YouTube right now.

Tell him to subscribe to the YouTube. Listen, you guys are blowing up right now. It is becoming something special. So if you want to get on the train, while it's still a little smaller of a train, but we're adding a lot of those little deals in the back. I don't know what they're called, but the caboose is way down the line in the future. You don't want to be a part of the caboose, get part of that meat, potatoes in the middle.

Yeah, can we get a moment of silence on the boys' best podcast in the world? Thank you. KJ. Wright. And shout out the boys at cross-country mortgage, no free shout-outs. The great thing about hanging with your boys or girls is you get a lot of different POVs, not that kind, the kind of point of views about mortgage lending. Every time they always have the answers for you. Cross-country mortgage comes in, whatever you're debating,

whether a new home, a second home, or refinancing, they have everything to cover everyone. And they close on an average in just a mind-boggling 21 days. Not four weeks, not five weeks, not six weeks, not two months. We're talking a nice 21 days. Cross-country mortgage has a team of loan officers dedicated to getting it done and finding you the best possible loan terms available. With huge variety of products, they cover everything from renovations to refis

and everything in between. Take it from a couple of the boys who don't always agree on everything. Cross-country Mortgage is the best mortgage company in the world, and they are dedicated to getting it done for you. Go to cross-country mortgage.com slash barstool so cross-country mortgage can take care of you to the home buying process. Cross-country Mortgage LLC NMLS 3029, all loans subject to underwriting approval. www. nmLS consumer access.org.

Rolling? All right. We got a KJ Wright on the bus. I know KJ Wright. Honestly, first time meeting you was over social media, Twitter. You had a video that you posted that we'll get to in a little bit. Play with you on the Raiders for five weeks. It was a great five weeks.

I'm sure you're like, how's this dude just like buddy, buddy with everybody? Because we hadn't known each other at all. But you came to Nashville just to do this. I came to Nashville just for you. You live where? Well, I live in Alabama, Mississippi, born in Memphis, but I'm like three hours away. So where'd you fly from? I flew from Seattle.

I took a red eye. So you took a red eye here, and in Nashville. It's 9 a.m. right now. I'm proud, number one. Yeah. A round of applause for the boys for being here at 9 a.m. This is our earliest. One time we usually go.

Bro, not until the afternoon. Yeah, yeah. This is our earliest pot we've ever done 9 a.m. in the morning. So shout out the last. boys. So you landed, you took a red eye, landed at eight, here at nine, and then after this, you're going to drive to Memphis? Yeah, drive home.

I appreciate you, bro. You're the homie, man. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Doug, there's a lot to unpack that I'm curious to talk to you about because what year did you just finish 10? It's finished 11. You just finished 11.

That's fucking awesome, man. That's fucking awesome, dude. Yeah, knock on wood, man. Yeah. Bro, you just finished year 11. You're somebody I've obviously watched for the entirety of my career the way you guys would play certain styles of cover three, rat coverage, cover one,

you covering running backs out on the outside, which always blew my mind because I'm like, why isn't KJ's the bigger motherfucker? Why is he going out there and doing it? But our coach is always, Kirk Alvedadi, he was always a big fan of your game too. So we would legitimately like watch you guys and watch your concepts, how you guys say.

Like watch Bobby play rat here. watching playing between the hashes. Raid was a big fan of showing Bobby playing between the hashes and everything. But, bro, 11 years, man. And you just finished with the Raiders. You were a top 100 player last year. And you went through a very high and low off season. More lows than high.

Yeah. More lows than that. Talk about that because you were with Seattle for a decade. Yeah. And, again, a top 100 player. I think you finally got your flowers because I think you've been... Should have been at it. Right.

I should have been at it. Yeah, you've been somebody with Bobby. You've had Bobby there and obviously everybody knows about Bobby Wagner. He's been like an all pro every year. But you're somebody like us watching the tape. You're somebody that's always... You're right there next to him. You never seem to get your flowers until this past year.

Talk about, you know, talk about ending your decade in Seattle and why you're so frustrated this past all season. Yeah, so I put together a very, very... In my eyes, the ring of honor career. I just did, you know, got the Super Bowls, got the Pro Bowls. Almost got a thousand tackles in Seattle. I saw that, bro. I'm like seven, eight away.

But anyway. So, yeah, it had to just had a stellar career and, um, crack the top 100 for the first time. Number 67. But if you look at that list, I'm the only guy that was a free agent. Right. So I'm like, how the hell did I put together this really good career, first of all, put together this really good year 10 and don't nobody want me.

Because it also came out, you were even injured in 19 and you bounced back. Y'all got hurt in 18. And I had two really good years. Back to back, really good years. Then they drafted a linebacker first round. And I was like, oh, shit. So you can kind of see the writing on the wall.

I never had anybody drafted first round in my position. But we all know when a guy gets drafted, your spot, something's about to happen. Either you about to get benched, cut, or about to rotate in and out. And so I didn't have any guarantees on that year. So if they were letting me go, I wouldn't have no money. And so going to that, have a fantastic year 10 and free agency head. And I'm like, oh, it's a freaking no-brainer. Like somebody's about to pick me up and I'm about to either come back to Seattle or a team just going to want me. And when I tell you that my phone was, was dry.

Like, I got zero phone calls. That's, are you, for real? Zero. Seattle didn't call me, Cowboys, Rams, Niners. Nobody even inquired. No. And I was like, what the hell is going on? And then I'm like, you know, at first I just waited and I'm, I hit my age and I'm like, what is going on?

And he said, it's just the first wave. There's nothing out there. And I was like, you have got to be kidding me. But you should, like, you're somebody, and I understand the whole wave process, but you're somebody who... I thought it was a first day. I was going to be a first day, dude. Like, what are they looking at? What are they thinking?

And, bro, when I said, that's, like, the top three, like, lowest I've ever been in, like, my NFL career. Like, the sadness and the stress and anxiety that I had was, like, nothing could describe it. How were you dealing with it? Man, what, what, thank you. God, I got, you know, married, wife, wife, three kids. And so I have, you know, I have my family, have my family, have my support system. I was training with the fellas going to Tracy Ford and Bill Be watching just staying around people. And I was in my word.

I was praying and meditating daily. Because if I didn't have that, I would have lost my freaking mind. Yeah. And, and, bro, it's just, just went through the first wave. You know, other teams like wait till the draft. That went by. OTAs went by. training camp went by, and it was nothing.

Were the Raiders the first one? To call me? Yeah. No, the Niners were the first to call me. It's funny, John Lynch called me. He's like, KJ, what's up, man? See you're still in for age and I was like, yeah, you know this? And it's like, man, we'll love to get you out here.

We'd love to get you out here, man. You know, we've always watched you. We thought it was a no-brainer that you were signed with Seattle. That's what he said. And I was like, yeah, you know, that didn't happen. And so, yeah, man, want to come, you know, come out here to get a visit in. And that went by. And so...

Went out and visited? I never visited. I never visited. He just mentioned it, but they didn't follow up with... He's like, I'm going to talk to Shanahan. And, you know, they said Shanahan's on board. And, long story short, vet minimum was offered. Disrespectful.

And I'm like, there's no way that Kaja Wright name would be signed next to a vet minimum contract. I put together too good of a resume to do that. You know, I just retire, live off the money that I made. And that didn't fall through. And then Gus Bradley calls me when I was sitting on the debt, Gus Bradley defensive coordinator for the Raiders, he comes like, hey, Jay, what's up? It's like, what up, Gus?

I'm free as a bird. And Gus, you know, flew me out there for a visit, visit with the Raiders. And, yeah. signed a few weeks later. What did you think about the opportunity you were presented with the Raiders because Denzel had just gotten traded out there, right?

Yeah. So going out there, knowing that they kind of had a little bit of a depth chart put together. What was your... I was confused while the Raiders was calling him. I was like, why do the Raiders want me? They got Denzel, got Cori Littleton,

Nick Quicksowski. And I was like, why do they want me? But Nick Morrow had got hurt. Right. And the reason I got hurt. Nick got hurt and Jain was hurt. And so it was an auto position that was open for it.

me. And Gus called me. He's like, hey, we got a spot open for you. What you think? You know, you won't be an every down backer. And I was like, and so, yeah, I just signed,

at that point, I just wanted to get in the camp because it was week one of the regular season. You got to get on week one because once you... Your salary's guaranteed. Salaries guaranteed. And, you know, I miss all the training

camp, you know, all the OTAs. And I just signed week one, and I played in like six days against the Ravens. Yeah. Fortunately, he's got to that cover three system that you can pick up on. But you also posted that video in training camp where you took to Twitter and you shot a video. What made you want to shoot that video?

Man, just the one you had retweeted? Yeah. I just wanted to let the world know, like, in the midst of, like, my adversity and in midst of my sadness, like, no matter what anyone is going through in this world, it's important that through it all, you stay positive. And it's important that you don't let your spirits get so down. And so in the midst of what I was going through, I was still working my ass off. I was still preparing.

I was still watching film because I knew that something was going to fall through. And so I could have been in my feelings just eating like shit and not training and all this stuff. But I prepared like I was going to be a week one starter. So I just wanted to just put that out there and let people know, like no matter what you're going through, just keep working. You know, then you had retweeted and got, you know, it spread a little more. And so I appreciate that. Well, I mean, you're KJ right. I think everybody in Seattle was pretty curious.

Like, I'm sure you posted something like that because you heard and was seeing a lot of people kind of question what was happening. And you wanted to do that on your own because there's, I mean, there's, I mean, sure, I guess maybe a few more people saw it. But, I mean, everybody was so curious as to why you hadn't been signed. Yeah. Because Pete Carroll, he was doing press conferences and stuff saying like, oh, I think he was, he was alluding to that you guys were in conversation and the door is still open. Yeah. It doesn't sound like that was true at all. Um, he said the door was still open.

Like, Kajah, love to have you back. You know it's a big negotiating chess game. Yeah, but, but the only way that I would have came back was if the guys, if their plan didn't work, right? Because they went to a new scheme, they wanted to put new people in there. It's like, essentially, the only way you're coming back is if this plan doesn't look good. Right. Because, hang on, there were a couple young guys that they had drafted by now, right?

There's a first rounder, and then there was another guy, right? Second rounder. A second rounder. Yeah. So they're planning for, you know, you and Wags to, like, at some point these guys, like, it's going to start to decline. We've got to prepare for the future. Yeah.

And so I just had this little glimpse of hope. And when it came down to him, when it came down to sign with the Raiders, I called Pete. I said, Pete, I got this offer on the table. I really don't want to leave. I don't want to leave. I want to stay in Seattle. Is there anything we could do? I take a lesser role.

I understand you want to play Jordan. I'll come off the field. What can't we do side stay in Seattle? Because you're embedded in Seattle. You want to be there. Yeah. And he's like, God, Kajah. You know, Pete, you know, he's like,

God, Kachar, this, I hate this. Let me talk to John, the gym, and let's see if we can get something done. Yeah. Would you assign, would you assign vet minimum? At that point? At that point, to stay in Seattle, knowing that the Raiders had just offered you a contract.

When you call Pete and you're like, hey, I'll do this. I'll do this. No, I wouldn't have. You wouldn't have? I wouldn't have. They would have had to compete a little bit. If the Raiders offered me Vett the Minimum and the Sealks offered me Vett and I would have left.

You would have left Seattle? Yeah. On both vet minimum? Yeah. Why is that? Because my pride, my ego. But the Raiders had offered you and you called Pete and said, hey, man, they are, what the Raiders offered you?

It was like, what's it, $5 million? It got up to five. Up to five. So the Raiders offer you up to five. You choose to call Pete and say, is there anything we can do? But what are you looking for when you say is there anything? Are you looking for that higher than the five? Or you wouldn't have, if they offered you a one for five, you wouldn't have stayed in Seattle?

If they're already five, I would have stayed in Seattle. But why, if they're both at minimum, would you have left Seattle if they're both the same? Because, first of all, both offers are dog shit. But I would have. I love it, dude. We got an elite lineback on this motherfucker. He's just like. But I would have to leave because my ego would have been like, KJ.

First of all, what you're going to give Seattle is, miraculously, you're going to be on the field a lot. And the leadership that I bring in that locker room, the presence that I bring, they would have gotten millions out of me. And so I'm not going to give this organization another year of this. I'd rather just leave and start over and bless another organization what I bring to the table. So to hell we're coming back for vet minimum. I just leave and go do it somewhere else. I got you. And so, yeah.

Do you feel, you're obviously very passionate. I fucking love it. It's juicing me up right now, dude. Do you feel like, you feel established enough, obviously, to say those things, but you also know this knowing how many of your teammates have you had your back? Because Bobby was out there probably every week saying something. You could allude to the same passion that he had. Like you were shining like through him.

Yeah. Do you feel kind of that respect with all your teammates that you have in Seattle? I feel complete respect from my teammates, complete respect from the fans. And everybody had my back. Like I literally got tweeted every day from fans, Wise and KJ signed.

They would tag the Seahawks, Ty and KJ at Pete Carroll. What are we doing here? Wise and KJ sign, bring them back. And that was literally all offseason. And so I felt that love from the people because I gave the city everything I had. Yeah. I gave these people.

every ounce in my body. And some stuff just doesn't make sense. Like what? Organization-wise, like, how and why do you let me leave the building? When I'm willing to take a lesser role, when I'm willing to still give you all that I got. Like, why?

Right. It don't make sense to me. Especially when I extend the olive branch and saying, can we work something else? And so it was Like Ultimately, ultimately you know And I agree with you

Yeah I fucking agree 100% with you And I think it's got to be The answer just has to be It's above everybody else in that building, right? Or no? I don't know I haven't figured that out yet

Like Pete actually Probably maybe wanted you back Maybe not, maybe not But let's just say in this instance like he might have, right? Yeah. But like an owner or GM or somebody is just, you know, the whole cut-throw...

We got to go in this direction. Right, the whole cut-throat business part of it. Like, it's like, you know, with the Raiders, everybody knew that Gruden had 51% and Mayok had 49. Yeah. So Gruden would kind of have the final say and stuff, and he had control of the roster. I don't know Pete's contract in situation,

but maybe he was somebody who wanted you. Yeah. understood that whatever the GM was saying, and maybe it's like, that's just the bullshit part of the business that happens. And I get it. Ten years is a very long time. Oh, it's an anomaly, bro. Yeah.

The average career is three point three or something like that, three and a half years. We'll just say three years. The average career is three years. We're talking about guys bouncing around. Yeah. It's crazy when you get to play out your full contract as a rookie with a team and then re-signed to that team again. Yeah.

Because if you play well enough, you're probably going to go to the market unless you're somebody who knows I'm going to sign before I get. get to the market. I'm going to take a hometown discount because I want to be here. Then you play out how long was your second deal? Four years. Four years. Another four years. Yeah. And then you sign another two-year deal

after you and Wags established that you guys are the best duo in the league. Yeah. Then you re-sign that two-year deal. Then you get to the end of that two-year deal. And obviously, like you were saying, you signed that two-year deal that year after you had just ended getting hurt. That kind of plays another favor. I always.

hurt now we can offer them, you know, a more of a lower amount. They got me, man. They got me. They got you all. Were you upset about the two years signed or you just kind of had nothing else to do? I had, I had, I didn't even tell you about that one. The first time I hit free agency, nobody called me that time either. After a rookie?

That's your rookie deal? After my four-year deal. Okay. I tore my knee. But I thought my career was, my career was in jeopardy. ACL? No, bro. I was warming up against the Vikings preseason.

And I was just shuffling. I just felt a tweak in my knee. I'm like, what the hell was that? I played the game, and I got an MRI the next day, bro. It was a big, thick piece of cartilage that was missing from the inside of my knee. I said, like, hey, you got to get surgery. So I'm bone-on-boning this knee. But what happened throughout the season was my knee kept swelling.

Like, I never, it was the thing was, like, fat as, fat as ever. And I played with that all year. and then all the off-season my knee was still swelling. Are you having to get, like, fluid removed all the time? I had to get it removed, bro. I did stem cells. I was doing regenticine, PRP. Nothing was working.

Damn. And then by the grace of God, like, it finally came around, and I was able to keep playing. He don't give me any problems now. That's what happened. That's what happened that their first re-adency, because everybody knew about my knee, and nobody called me that first time either.

The first time, meaning you just finished your eight-year-old. years? I just finished, yeah. Yeah, yeah, going on your eight. Going on your nine. Nobody had called you. And then Seattle came in late and offered, you know, was able to get you. It was the third day of free agency.

Oh, third day of free agency? Yeah. I mean, that's not, that's not nobody calls you. Maybe the first two days nobody called you, but you're still in the back half of the wave one. I was stressed. I was stressed. Why were you so stressed?

Because I've never been in that position. I've never been in a position where I feel like I wasn't a part of the team. I wasn't, I'm free. Right. And then I, like, I saw the other guys getting signed. You know, their first two waiver period, guys can, you know, sign verbally. And it was happening, you know, nobody was calling me. Yeah.

How do you feel like, what do you feel like those times of like uncertainty and anxiety was teaching you? Because I hear you say those things and we're obviously way different careers. Like, you've, you know, you've had, not the shit on the boys career. I've loved my career and I love my story. But I'm saying, I haven't been in your shoes to where I'm feeling. feeling anxiety. Like, nobody called me either, comp. And I'm like, damn, how long was it? You're like, day three. And I'm like, fuck. What the fuck, dude? Yeah, we got different, yeah, we got different anxiety. Yeah, we got like different anxiety. The first time I went through through free agency.

Teams were inquiring right before that, the, you know, free agency opened, right? Like the bangles and bills and teams were inquiring. So you're like excited. So when nothing's happening and you see guys getting signed, you're like, man, when's my time coming? But speak about those anxieties and what you learned in those times of like feeling shitty about yourself? Yeah, I just think that like those, I believe that was the first time I adulthood life that I really experienced it. From the standpoint of like I couldn't sleep good at night. I was having like these headaches and like just like I was just stressed all the time.

And I believe that I had to find avenues to release that. I had to find avenues to release that. And for me, what was therapeutic for me was talking to people. I talked to my mentor, Jonathan. and Rainy. I talked to my wife. I talk to, you know, I talk to my friends. Just getting it out there how I was feeling and just, you know, just being comforted by people. You know, that's, you know, that's what God blesses the people just to lean on them. And so for me, that was something that I had to tap into what's people around me so I could just get that shit out of my system. Yeah. Yeah.

Man. It was not easy. No, yeah. How long have you been, how long were you a free agent? So I've had my first time after my five years of Washington, um, Washington started off for agency talking to my agent saying, hey, we have a deal on the table for Will. He's not going to want to accept it, but just, you know, let us know, keep us in the loop throughout free agency. That essentially meant my agent was like, they're offering you a minimum deal. And they're going to wait and see what happens with you. And so the Bengals, the bills, maybe Chicago inquired in that during the first wave,

but I wasn't, my agent had already prepared me. He's like, hey, you're probably going to be like a second wave guy, blah, blah, blah. here's how it's going to shake out unless Washington has something for you that's above minimum to compete with. So I had to stay patient through that. And then Preston Brown, do you remember Preston Brown? Linebacker, yeah. Yeah, linebackers, right? Right.

No, you're thinking Zach Brown. Preston Brown and Zach Brown were both on the bills and led the league and like tackles. Preston went on to sign a big deal with Cincinnati, a bigger deal. Like I want to say it was like $16 million. Yeah. When Preston signed that deal with Cincinnati And left the bills Within that same hour, the bills called

So when the bills called I flew out to the bills And this is actually a crazy story I go out to the Buffalo And I'm doing all the MRIs and doing all this stuff And it was like me and Kevin Minter out there And we're doing all of our MRIs And I had had like a spinal cord concussion Sounds way worse than it actually is

Sounds way worse than it actually is, I swear. And you have like stinger issues, right? And so I was getting a C-spine MRI. And I got an MRI and they found a white mass in my head, in my cerebellum. Really? Yes. And so when I got done with that MRI, I go back to the facility with Buffalo. Like I'm meeting with the coach.

I'm sitting there with the line by the coach. We're going over all the defenses. I met with Coach Frazier, the D coordinator. Awesome, by the way. He seemed like he's a blast to play for it. But we're going over a lot of stuff like, how you break down, how I break down my notes to personnel each day. What am I breaking down starting throughout the week?

He's taking me through all that stuff. And I feel like I'm doing awesome. And so I'm sitting in a meeting with the linebacker coach and we're going over everything and watch a tape. They come in, the trainer comes in and goes, hey, can we borrow a wheel for a minute? So they take me over to the training room and they're like, they got my MRI up on the board and they're like, do you see what we're looking at right now? do you see that white mask in the bottom of your head?

And I was like, yeah, like, what is that? And they're like, like, you know, you could tell he was like stepping on eggshells. And he goes, you know, I'm, you know, Will, we're not talking about, we're not talking about playing football anymore. We're talking about your life. And I was like, what? And they're like, we don't necessarily know, like, you see how the lines around here on isn't defined and circular. And you can't like see a contrast here and there. It's kind of like up in the air.

Like, we think you could have a tumor, like a brain tumor. And I was like, you know, I kind of just sat there. No motion hadn't hit me yet or nothing like that. Not until I called my dad and was talking to him about it. But he's like, you know, we can treat you out here. We can have you go see our neurosurgeon out here. But we think you should, you probably would want to be around family like when you're going through this. I'm thinking, it's not hitting me in the head.

I'm just like, yeah, I mean, you know, whatever works. I'm like, you really think it's that serious? He's like, I don't know. because I'm not a neuro surgeon, but I can't identify what this is. Like I usually have some kind of grasp. And I'm like, fuck, man. So I hit up Washington.

Washington was phenomenal to me. The doctor, the lead doctor there, Dr. West. I called her and she was like, oh, right when you land, they flew me out. I shook the line by the coach's hand and Buffalo, and they're like, we got to wait and see what happens. Because it seemed like I was going to walk out with some offer. And they're like, we can't offer you.

We got to see what happens with this, which I understood. I fly back to Washington that night, I go in and get a brain MRI, the one where they put the, they put like the fluid or the contrast in the IV so it can show all the color and everything can kind of light up. And the MRI neurologist, whatever that stuff's called, what's a radiologist, a neuroradialologist. I go upstairs, as I'm going upstairs and I'm on the phone with Dr. West. She's kind of talking to me about options. She's like, we don't know what it is.

So like, let's just wait to see what it is. while I get off the phone with her, and then as I'm waiting to go upstairs to talk to this radiologist, the assistant comes, hey, he's ready to talk to you, and I'm walking up there, and I'm outside of this dude's door, the radiologist's door. He's on the phone with Dr. West. He's like, yeah, I think we're looking at, like, a grade, something like tumor. Like, we're going to have to probably get this removed immediately. As I'm walking in the room.

Yeah. And he goes, hey, he's here. I'll call you back. He gets off the phone. And I'm like, hey, Doc, what's up, man? I was like, I don't want to make this awkward. I just heard what you said. Like, let's just, I was like, let's just get right to it.

And he goes, Will, what you're looking at is, uh, he's, you know, a lot of verbiage of like a tumor and how it's cancerous. And we would have, we would need to get it removed and look at it in a lab to see how dangerous this could be for you. Um, and I'm like, fuck, man. I'm just kind of like doing what I'm doing now. I'm kind of like just gazing and kind of like shaking my head. And he was like, um, you know, if, if we had to remove this, like, everything should go well. Like, it's nothing that where you're,

like life is in jeopardy, we just got to get it removed so your life isn't in jeopardy. And he goes, well, once we get it removed, you know, you could get what's called like some steel plate or something like that and you can probably be back. I was like, hey, Doc, man, if I got something wrong with my brain and I got to get it removed and I got to put a fucking titanium and amantium plate in my fucking head, like it's not worth going back to the Oklahoma drill right away. Right. I'll be done playing football.

It's all good. Like, we'll figure this out. Just tell me what I need to know. and it's all good, man. And he's like, all right, well, when you leave here, call Dr. West. She'll talk to you about options. I called Dr. West.

She was like, let's wait until the neurosurgeon sees it tomorrow. We're sending it to all these people over in Europe, these people in the U.S., but while they're taking good care of me. Dr. West was taking good care of me as far as, like, distributing the MRI everywhere. And he's like, he is a radio, a radiologist, a neuro-radialologist, so he doesn't fully know the answer,

a neurosurgeon will. And so I'm basically up all night, as you can assume. And I was like, I told my dad, and I was like, don't tell mommy. yet because I want her all up in arms and everything else. I didn't tell my wife at the time. And the next morning, the neurosurgeon calls. And he's like, Will, I'm sure you've been stressing all night.

This is not a tumor. This is a cyst that I believe has been in your brain since birth. Since you were young. He goes, when I look back to the old MRIs of your red skin days, I can see the white masks in there. They must not have sought or caught it and obviously didn't bring it to your attention. and because I had an MRI history, obviously. And I was like, damn, it's kind of crazy that, you know, they didn't.

Because you heard all this stuff that happened with Trent Williams and his brain and everything else. He said, and so you're like, damn, how do they miss something like that? And he's like, it is, it can be easy to miss. He's like, you know, he was kind of just alluded to it. I am surprised that they missed it, but it is something that can be easily missed. Yeah. And he goes, but I am very confident. He's like, obviously we can't look at your brain the way it was.

when you were little. It's like, but this is something that could be pediatric, something that is in your head. We just got to monitor every six months and make sure it doesn't grow to, like, affect your balance and everything else.

So that's my first pre-agency story. A week later, not even a week, a couple days go by, and that's when the Titans called. Call my agent, hey, what happened with Will out in Buffalo? And they're like, something had to be out because he didn't, you know, nothing.

There's no communication that's one on. There's no headlines about any rumors of him signing. And, you know, Neil, he was just, you know, being an agent, so I don't really know what all he was saying. He was like, well, we'd like to fly him out here. I fly out here to Tennessee. I talk with them. We go over all the scans and everything else. And, you know, Todd Torricelli was like, you know, this, you'll be fine. Like, we got to, hopefully you don't leave the building type of thing. And my agent calls Buffalo and Buffalo is like, based on what our doctors have been saying, we feel confident on where we're at, so we're not going to offer him anything.

Just keep us in a loop if this continues to go forward. Yeah. They didn't offer me any more. than like a minimum, I believe. Yeah. But I had signed with the Titans, and that was kind of my first. That was like, I was like a second wave, beginning a third wave at that time.

Then I had my one year at the Titans. When I'm on with the Titans, they drive for Sean Evans in the first round in the spot that I'm competing with. So I already, like you were saying earlier, I already knew what time was. He was going to play, no matter how good of a preseason

or training camp I had or OTAs and none of that stuff. But, and then the next year, that was only one year deal. And then the next year, is when we kind of started Bust with the boys, I was kind of contemplating like, this might be it because I didn't get a chance to play at all. Like I didn't get a chance to put anything on tape as a linebacker.

I was a backup and starter. And, you know, fortunately for, like, Roshan and everybody else, in my situation, you would need somebody to get hurt to get on the field. Right, right, right. Nobody had gotten hurt that year. So the next year I knew that I wasn't going to be like, I was going to be a vet minimum guy. It's going to be somebody who were, if the team knew of me,

they already knew, like, what I was going to bring to the table. So it was going to be a one-year minimum. And I was going to skip O-O-te. and training camp and try to get on before week one. That's when I went with the Saints. I was just there for a cup of coffee. I caught an ankle sprain in the fourth precess of the game. I got there 48 hours before the third game.

You played in it. Played solid. They moved me up to one base and they were going to continue to knock the rust off of me so I could get ready for week one because their starter head went down. And then I hurt my ankle, so I already figured they waved me on an injury settlement. I got that taken care of. And then that's when I signed with the Raiders in 19, finished out that year. got to play some games.

Yeah. It was on the Titans and then back to the Raiders. So after that first year of free agency, I kind of already knew where I would be labeled or what bucket I would be in. The only time I figured I might be able to get something

is after I played for the Raiders, but then that COVID year hit. And it seems like it messed up a lot of free agency. Not that I would have got a lot of money or anything. I was like, if there's a chance for me to not make minimum, this would be a one-year case where I would probably make. That's when I came out of Kobe year and the salary shrunk,

which stills baffled me. to this day because you remember when they announced the salary cap went down, they announced a big TV deal. Right. That the NFL was going up. So it's like how does salary cap go down, but more money comes about? And that's when we were negotiating as players against the league, our new CBA. What did you vote?

I voted against going into like a lockout. I wanted us not to sign into the deal. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So you already know. Yes. Good.

I didn't want to say. My bad, my bad. Yeah. We're at the thing, and Sharm's talking, and you've been around Shirm a lot. Were you at that same? Were you at the meetings in Miami? Yeah. That's right when COVID happened like, what was going on?

The owners gave us a deadline during, right after our meeting. Yeah. And COVID ultimately happened and kind of played it. Like, just, there's a lot of fear-mongering going on. Yeah. And I'm sitting there trying to tell Shirm, because Shirm's arguing the same thing for us. Yeah. But we're like 50-50 with the players.

And it's like, bro, we're arguing about the dumbest shit. they're creating this deadline just to make it seem like we got to make a decision right now. And bro, what they was doing, you saw like the narratives that like they were putting out there. Like, oh, there'll be no more marijuana, no more marijuana testing or failures and guys would get more money.

It was like the narrative. They were saying we will give guys $100,000. And you know the majority of the NFL of those guys who are in that three-year average range. Those young guys who are not around longer are going to take that $100,000. To think that's what we need this. Yeah.

And then what they felt to realize, they're adding an extra game. They're adding extra playoff team. Like, guys don't realize, like, the amount of volume that's going to be taking, like, careers are going to be even more shortened because we're adding more stuff to our bodies. Right. And so, bro, like, guys, like, everybody signed yes. And you saw what? Barely.

How close was it? It was like, do you guys remember? It was, bro. It was like 51. It was close. It was close. It was like, some guys didn't vote. So, yes, a lot of guys that, yeah, some guys didn't vote, which is a big, a nice handful.

Yeah. But it was like, I want to say maybe 300 votes or I might be budgeted. It was that close. But it was that close. In the NFLPA rooms, to me, not a lot was getting done. It wanted to get done, but we have a lot. We have a lot of player like, oh, go ahead. There's so many voices.

It's like so many opinions. This guys think this. There's so many guys making, you know, 15 plus million dollars, then you got the guys making a million dollars. It's like, this is how I feel, but this is how you should feel. And it's like, it's just a lot of guys. A lot of guys trying to talk in the big room. Then you break up into the micro rooms. And that's where, that's where like, if I had something to say, I'll wait until a micro room, because in the big rooms, like, everyone's trying to peacock a little bit. Some guys are talking to their own personal matters. Like, some dudes

are wanting to call out people that are on the board because, hey, that was wild, too. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But some people are want to call out dudes on the board and check them and kind of look like, you know. I remember when Pouncey was calling out Don Davis. Yeah, Don Davis. Yeah, and, uh... But there's just a lot of like yelling going on.

Tell that. It's hard to just dive into, I don't really remember what it was said because a lot of stuff's moving so fast, but I remember sitting back being like, this is so fucking stupid because we're not talking about actual matters that we need to be talking about. Like, to me, Shirm would say a lot of good stuff, and Shurn would be somebody I would try and, like, introduce myself to and talk to around in the hallways because he's like, he's like, he's very rational.

Like he's a very smart dude. Yeah. He's like, he agents and negotiates his own deals. I don't know how great it actually is for him compared to what an agent would do. But he's a very smart cat. Yeah. Who talks calmly, tries not to yell. And a lot of guys are in there trying to fucking stand up and yell.

Yeah. And it's just like so dumb. And then my ass, we're in the micro stuff on my boys. We got to storm the fucking beach, man. Like, we got to hold off because we got long snappers Or guys who are on practice squad that are there Not that they shouldn't be there Because I was a peace squad guy

And I was somebody who rallied for like, you know, We got to make sure practice squad years can count for guys Eventually. But they were like peace squad guys that's like, man, I'm going to vote I'm going to vote agree to the deal because man, I need a job. And it's like, bro, it's way bigger than... It's bigger than you, bro.

Bigger than that. But every, every CBA, like I hear this. same stories. There's just so many voices, so many opinions. And it's just, we just end up falling for it. And the owners end up winning every time. To me, the issue is when we have our NFLPA meetings during the season, guys don't necessarily care to be there because it's after practice. The NFLPA reps are there. They're going through stuff. A lot of guys don't give a shit. They want to know about their Madden check. Yeah. Do I give my Madden check? Yeah. Are we going to get our $10,000 Madden check or something like that? And guys are ready, because you've had a long day,

at the office all day long, it's probably like 5 p.m. And guys are like ready to go. And it's usually, you know, you have those, I don't know how often they are, but I know usually by the time you have them and they're important, it's dark outside by 5 p.m. So it's later in the year. And guys are just ready to go.

And then all of a sudden, we have our PA meetings, which I think all guys need to go to. They should. Because there's a lot of good information there. And you ask questions. You get in these microgroups. But all of a sudden, everyone cares when you go to the meeting. Like, presidential.

Oh, no, a dog. Yeah. And it's just like the Wild Wild West when everybody gets in those rooms. I think it's good learning. We're talking about this one specific situation because there's a deadline. Let's just say we were all meeting there on March 10th and say the deadline is March 13th. So votes are happening as we are in the meeting room. And there were already like 50% of the votes were already had happened before we're doing the NFLPA meetings. And so there's a lot of stuff that can get skewed. There's a couple of young guys that are standing there with me. Hey, comp, I fucked up, man. Like I'll vote it in. I'm a lot of guys want to take their vote back. A lot of guys wanted to redo their vote. But it's because the owners, which is, it is what it is. There's 32 owners and there's, you know, over 1,000, 2,000 players, right? And the owners are billionaires. They're people who understand negotiating.

They're people who understand leverage to the most elite level. And we don't. Like, players don't. We don't at all. We're players. We think we know. And once you get talking lockout and there won't be a season, guys start getting a little shaky, like, all.

They're like, where's the dot line? What are assigned? And so they know, like, guys are on, you know, minimum contracts. So guys need their jobs. Right. And so they understand the power of patience. Right. And the coaches already established during this time.

So coaches are kind of, hey, if you guys don't show up, you feed into those young guys or depth players that might not have a job. Yep. Right? So it's like, hey, if so is showing up, you know, we're going to roll with whoever does come. And so young guys who are coming in the league, like, I would probably say my rookie year, second year's self on like, man, I want to be in the league. You're like, you don't know what to do. Do I listen to a vet like KJ? My coach is kind of in my ear saying, you know, if you're not here, that's not a good look for you.

And you're like, is my career about to be over with if I don't show up and I get with these guys? Because if I go with the fellas, if I go with the boys and my job might be gone, like, am I taking care of? That answer ultimately is like, no. So it's just, I am pro player And like the scope of it is big And it's like there will be like I remember when I was saying the whole You know, we need a storm the beach

And stuff like that And somebody, some kid was like You know, we got certain jobs I was like bro, there will be casualties. Yeah, yeah But that's the truth. That is the truth though. Like that's just like bro

There's going to be sacrifice had like And no and who's willing to say I want to be that guy. Right, exactly. And so. Who's willing to do that? Right. And I don't mind that.

dude's saying that. I understand that's his story and everything else. It's just these are the facts or what's going to happen if we go throughout and do this. I was about it because I'm in the back end and everything else, so I have my own version. You said that the owners always win. Where do you think, have there been

where the players have won? What are the big of you guys? Well, let's understand. Like, we're winning to. We're winning too. And it's just the sense of like the revenue split. Like the revenue split to my knowledge, 51, I personally believe we should be 50-50 partners.

Like, why are we not 50-50 partners? And obviously the salary, the salary goes up every year. We're winning in that sense. And we won with, like, the pad of practice. Like, remember back in the day, it was like two a days, three of days, banging. I wasn't there then, but I heard stories. And so we're winning, but I believe that we can get so much more power like the franchise tag. I believe that just needs to get rid of that.

because it suppresses the market, if that makes sense. Like, it suppresses the market. Get rid of the franchise tag. And there's some other things that we can win at. So I feel like we're equal, you know, on the same playing field as owners. Or at least do away with the other tags that come after the franchise tag.

Like, there's a transitional tag. There's like, you can be tagged, what, a couple times? Even for, like, the undrafted free agents, the, what's the thing? What they could, what's the draft, when they could tender you? Oh, yeah. I was a restricted free agent, bro.

I don't even understand why the tender exists. Can you explain the tender? Like, it's like for undrafted guys. Yeah, so when I was undrafted, you signed a one year or a three-year deal. You don't sign a four-year like all the other rookies. To get to free agency, you need four seasons. You need four seasons under your belt to get to free agency.

So when your deal is up as a like an undrafted guy, it's only three years. So that fourth year, they have the ability to restrict you. So you're going to be a free agent, but you're a restricted free agent. Now, what happens is you either get labeled a first round tender, a second round tender,

or a low round tender. Yeah. A first round tender, the money's obviously higher. And if I first round tender KJ Wright, and I'm the Raiders, I would have to come correct with at least a first round draft pick to trade to negotiate and get you. Yeah.

If it's a second round, I need to have at least a second round pick to negotiate with KJ. Right. I believe that's what it is. It's something like that. A low round goes on the round you were drafted. So I got low round tender.

So I'm on drafted. I can be negotiating with other teams. But the team has the right of first refusal. Yeah. And they got to give up that draft pick to get you. Right. They have to give up something to get you. So they kind of lock you in.

Now, what's up for me is I was on P-Squot for the first year. So even though it counts as accredited season, it's not an accrued season. The difference is accredited season is three games. And then a crude season is eight or seven? I'm stump. On accrued season, it's seven or eight games. Alex will look that up, like, while we continue to talk about it. But when I was a P-Squot player,

my first year gets counted as accredited year towards benefits, but it doesn't get counted as an accrued season towards free agency. So by the time my contract was up with the Redskins, that was three years. Only two were accrued. The third one was credited because I was practice squad. So my fourth year was an exclusive rights-free agent. Yeah.

Meaning no one gets to deal with you and they get to offer you and I essentially have to accept whatever they offer. So it's a one year minimum. So they gave me a one year minimum. You know, the social media, oh, we signed, we'll contact. Everybody was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's like, bro, it's like a one year $600,000 deal. And at this point, I think I had just started my 10 games the next year. I was a captain and starter.

So I'm playing on a one year $600,000 deal. Yeah. Once exclusive rights is up, that's my third accrued season. Now, going into my fifth year, I'm a restricted free agent. You're not even unrestricted. Not even unrestricted yet. I got to go through exclusive. Restricted.

And then I get to unrestricted. There it goes. So then I was restricted. They low round tendered me. I play out that year. And then I was unrestricted. And you getting older. And at that point, by the time I hit my unrestricted free agency, I was like 27, I believe,

when I came to the Titans, 27, 28 years old. Yeah. I was turning 28. Something like that. But still doing it, man, at a high level. Yeah. They were trying to hold me back. Right.

You got to get your albums out to stuff. I don't know. Right. Right. And then coming into the league at 23, I was like a fifth year senior coming into the league, like an older guy anyway. Yeah.

Coming into the league. Yeah. So, yeah, bro, you get, they get all them ears on you. Then we signed 10-year contracts. I still don't understand why the hell is so long. And so, man, we got a lot of work to do. And we came, we've came a long way.

Like, you imagine where they were, like, back the day. Like, they couldn't even hit for agency, like, back in the day. Like, the teams had your rights, your whole career. And so we definitely made progress over the years, but we can still, we can still do way more. Yeah, we've, we have came a long way. Yeah, yeah. Definitely not neglecting that. But there are a lot of things like the last CBA. We screwed ourselves because we wanted the vet players to, we raise a level of the minimum for them, which in turn, we thought was better, but it kind of fucked that middle. You had the, you had the guys who signed the big deals and then that middle class

was getting very squeezed because... And those can force out the league. Right. You get forced out of league because you can just get a young guy. If I'm a little bit better than a young guy,

let's say Jack comes in a league as a draft pick, as a seventh round pick, right? Or you have a seventh round pick. My bad. No disrespect, brother. You have a draft pick, right, that you can use.

And I'm a one year, I'm now a veteran, so you have to pay me a vet minimum, which we all get now. So my one year vet minimum this year is like one year close to a million $900,000.

So if I know I'm going to be a one-year vet, the coaches might love me. They know what I bring to the table, the leadership, all the intangible stuff, right? But if you're a GM and you're the guy who gets the pick in the draft and build your team for the future, I know y'all love Will and he might be

a little bit better than this low-round pick. Right. But this low-round pick is going to be $400,000, $400,000, $400,000. Yeah. So all that matters is I'm showing the owner the bottom line. And we might take a little dip in him as a player,

but if Will's not going to be a starter, he's going to be a starter, death player. We can get a rookie. We can get a rookie who play special teams and you get you, it's on you guys to develop him. You guys can't develop him. You know, I'm going to cover my ass and you guys will probably get fired. But that's ultimately how that shit works, dude. Yeah. Yeah. Which is nuts. And so, and what they did also was they gave a lot of the money to the quarterbacks. We thought in this new deal, like, oh, it's going to help out the vets. They just gave all that shit to the quarterback.

Right. Those top positions that you need. They just, they just paid them in their markets. They markets really increased. So for the middle guys, it was, It was a beast. And so if you won, like, the elite of the league. Right. And quarterbacks are in a kind of kind of category of their own because they negotiate kind of percentages of, like, what the cap can be, right?

Mm-hmm. So, like, I know Kirk. Kirk was trying to change the narrative of being, like, getting guaranteed deals, taking less of the top in the show, hey, we can get guaranteed deals. Fully guaranteed. But you need guys to, guys like, why don't we have guaranteed contracts?

It's like, it's not in the NBA, CBA to have guaranteed contracts. The players just set that standard. So you need guys, say, you get it. offered to do five years, $100 million, but 80 of it's guaranteed. You would have to be willing to go like four years, $60 million fully guaranteed. Fully guaranteed. But the guys want that extra boost to get up to $100, which you can't hate them because we're all playing the selfish game anyway.

But if we're truly wanting the greater good for what the players are going to do, those are the standards you kind of have to set. Not too many people got that mindset. Not too many people got that mindset. Probably nobody got that mindset. that like it's, like in this league, man, like this, our window is so short. And it's like not too many guys are willing to be that sacrificial lamb because I got I got to get it.

Like, I got a family to feed. Right. And so I get it. But if we really want to see true change, like guys got to be able to do certain stuff like that. Be out in front. Right? But that kind of plays against us in the same breath.

Because that is why we don't necessarily get up to the guaranteed contracts. Yeah. Because we are a 100% injury rate. Like, we are the most injured physical, violent sport. Mm-hmm. So that does play against us. Like a baseball player and everything else, you kind of, it's kind of, you understand the layout of somebody's future.

Yeah. I'm not sure what happened to Earl. Well, most guys with Earl, like, most guys don't want to go into that last year of their deal. Like, guys want to get paid beforehand. So you got that, you know, you got that security. And so Earl, the Cesar. The Seahawks didn't pay Earl, you know, going to his last year. And so during his contract year, that's when he got hurt.

And so, sorry, it's the business. We won, essentially, we won. And, yeah, that's when he went to the Ravens after that. And so if you can, man, get that deal done. But most guys don't got that kind of power. Like, oh, I'm going to get this done. Like, only select few can actually do that. And so, yeah, he was pissed.

But that's the risk of betting on yourself. if you don't get it done. If you get it done early, if Earl would have done it early, you're taking that hometown discount no matter what happens because you're not going to the market. Do you know what I'm saying?

Yes and no. For example, what Bobby did. Bobby signed a year before. Bobby reset the market. Right, because he's the, he's like the best linebacker in the league. Yeah. He gets to reset the market, but on the other end of the table,

they have a better grasp of knowing where that market could be if he would have waited to get to the market. Oh yeah, because after Bobby signed then the Fred Warner's came and the Darius Leonard's. Yeah. Yeah, but this was the Legion of Boom era,

which you can talk about, but there's so many guys, like I'm sure he was in the middle of a deal, you got Bobby Wagner under contract, you got Sherm, you got Cam, you got all these dudes. I mean... Yeah, this was later.

This was later. This may have been Earl's eighth year. It was like later on. It wasn't his first go-round. Yeah. His first go round, I believe he got paid a year before. And all good things come to an end. All good things come in.

You can't have the KJ right on his rookie deal forever. You can't have all these guys on their deals because it's time for everybody to get paid and get what they're worth and their value. But talk about your Legion of Boomiers, dude. I don't even know what specifically we can talk about how you guys should have handed the ball to Marshall & Lynch. Man, I was surrounded by some freaking superstars.

And I didn't even realize, like, these my boys, like, you know, Cam, you know, Sherm. These are homies. came in here together. But when you, like, look at it, like, we were, like, the Beatles of... I love that. He said it in the... He said it. He started in the NFL. I'm really saying that. And it's like, when we stepped on the field, it's like, you could, like, low-key see, like, guys were, like, intimidated to play against us. 100%. Like, guys knew, like, y'all don't... They don't stand a chance. And, um, I was just surrounded by greatness. Just surrounded by

greatness. And, um, we just kicked ass for a solid five years. years. Who was your coordinator of the majority of those years? Gus was the first two, but Dan Quinn. Is Dan, does he have a similar style as Gus? Same thing, yeah, over cover three. They're the same style of coach, so it was good that you guys were able to pick up where you left off. And being able to speak on that, like, the simplicity of being able to have few calls,

but at the same time, there's a lot of different wrinkles and you go tendency to tendency week in and week out. I think that's what sets. Yes. That defense, Gus Bradley and those kind of methods apart because you're able to be an offensive coordinator while you're playing because you only know you're going to play a certain amount of calls. You get to jiggy rig your defense based off what the office is doing. So you don't got to like, oh, this year, this we were going palms, next week we're going quarters.

We're going to run cover three. But to what they do, we're going to adjust. I need the buzzer to do this. I need the hook player to play it like this. And so, yeah, man, we had a good-ass time. Bro, you guys were so good, man. We had a good time, man. And it's like, the crazy part about all of it is like,

it went by way too fast. Like, I thought I was going to play with, like, these guys in my whole career. Like, we came in together. We go out together. How long did you guys get to play together? Guys left differently. Yeah.

Yeah. Cliff had injured his neck. Cam injured his neck. Sharm towards Achilles. Earl broke his leg. I left. It all happened like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. That's the fucking realization of this league and injuries and leaving at different times.

I vividly remember watching the game, the game you guys, because I want to ask about how tight you guys all actually were. It seems like you guys were all super close. But at a time, like, I forget who made a mistake. Something happened and everyone's jumping around that dude. That was a Falcons game. Yeah. What's the time got mad?

I think so. Yeah, I mean, we was playing the Falcons. And all week we went over with this concept. Like, they're about to do this play. Here we go. Here the play comes. The formation comes and tight ends run up the seam is wide-ass open. And, um.

K.J. You get mad thinking about, yeah. It's my mom. It was wide-ass open, man. We get on the sideline and he was mad. Like, what are we mad about? Like, we practiced this all week. And we was just like, Cam got a hold of Shern.

Bobby Gall, got a guy. over there. And we were just jumping and jumping and jumping. And, like, that just shows the power of, like, how much we love each other. We could take, you know, one of our boys that's just pissed off and, like, make everything cool. And we ended up winning that game.

Damn. Yeah. That was super dope to see. Were you guys all that tight? Yes. It was, like, watch film together, had linebacker night together, had defensive night together. And, like, eventually we started having families.

Like, everybody's having kids around the same time, when each other's weddings and it. So it was like super cool to see like-minded dudes that loved each other play together. Like I believe that's what makes like a special like units like actually love Bobby and I'm

like I'm playing for this dude. I'm playing for his family. And if I fuck up, I feel bad that I'm letting him down because he puts so much work into it. If I blow a coverage, I know they can't like to me like, dog, like you better than that. And I don't want to let my boys down. And so

that was the power of what we had. And like I said, man, it went by way too fast. Went by way too fast. Yeah. No, that is, it's like a rare thing. You guys got to be part of a like a rare thing, especially in the NFL because of all the turnover and everybody coming in and out. Like being able to stick together and have like a college, high schoolish type camaraderie of playing at the highest level.

Yeah. I think he's awesome. And Pete, like, structured it. He was like, dude is super cool. like playing music at every practice. We shoot hoops. Every meeting, we were shooting hoops, like having competition. Like, we had, like, NCAA tournaments, like, in, like, OTAs and stuff.

And so, like, the structure that he curated for us to, like, be ourselves to be cool, to talk shit, you know, had little scoffers at practice and, you know, let it go on a little longer than it should. He did stuff like that. And so, um... What was that like when y'all lost or when you guys had losing patches or rough patches? Because a lot of things, you know, you'll see coaches come in. And if a culture's bad, take the ping pong tables out, take this out, like there's having too much fun. Like, it's not supposed to be this way type of thing. Like, what was it like when you guys were going through rough patches, not only the good?

It would get tight, but the core state the same. Like, we would still do whatever, but shit got tightened up. And you could feel the tension like, like, no, we weren't. game is too much. Two game is, you know, unheard of. Losing two games in the role is unheard of. And so, like, we would still have our fun, but we tightened it up the way that it should have been

in order to get back on track. That's awesome. Let's just hit on it. The Super Bowl. Marchion Lynch. Yeah. Passing the ball. Interception. Yeah.

What was that emotion like? Um, as I've witnessed your emotion a little bit, being in the Chargers game and giving up that shit at the end. What was that emotion? That's funny. What was that emotion like when y'all were right fucking there?

Pre-play a attitude first. Pre-play out of two, I was screaming. Why are we in shotgun? Oh, so you guys weren't even still, like, I'm sure you were thinking, oh, we're winning this fucking game, but you were upset just by seeing shotgun. Free play, I was screaming, why are we in shotgun? And, because we was right there.

second down, I believe. Like, why the hell are we in shotgun? And then balls get snapped. And it's just so unreal. Just like, if we do that play a hundred times,

we execute it 97 times. It's a pick play. Pick the guy, run the slant. You should be wide open. But how Malcolm did that is it's like a Superman play. It's like the Hulk. The dude's like the Hulk on that player.

He literally ran through. It happened to catch it That's nothing but God That's nothing but God That wasn't him There's nothing but God And And um

Dog just Just to go in that locker room Like I was boohoo crying I never cried In the NFL career I was boohoo crying Like

How did this happen I should be You know Back to back champion right now I know Because y'all Because y'all beat the hell Out of who was it

Here Denver What was really being the Patriots What was being the Patriots But like two touch And the third quarter, I believe, maybe in the fourth quarter. You know, terrific Tom comes through. Okay, talk about who is harder to play.

Two greats, yeah. That's a good point. Tom Brady. I knew it was going to win the Broncos game with Brady. It was just like, they don't run like a traditional style offense. It's like, they kind of do like. They adapt every week. They adapt every week.

And with the running back, I forget the running back they had. They threw it to him a lot their game. And obviously got Grunk and Edelman. And there's just so much stuff that they can do. And I knew there was going to be a battle facing those dudes. I knew that on defense, they had some dogs on defense too. Chandler Jones, Derell Revis was over there. Brandon Browner.

So I was like, okay, our offense, you know, they got their hands for it too. And so I knew the Patriots games would be, it was going to be tough. Did you guys just know you're going to beat the. Broncos because like Manning was just kind of... Just watch the film. You could tell. Yeah, we're about to win this shit. And when it was watching the Broncos, it was really bad defense.

I was going to see some really bad defenses that year. Like, what the, who were they playing? And so we knew that they saw a defense that wasn't even close to ours. You know what I mean? Yeah. And so we knew that when we stepped on the field, like, with all due respect. With all due respect, man. This is not going to be close.

Let's touch on a little bit about your first year coming in the league because when I was looking over stuff, I remember Loafin Tupu. My God. He got released. Was it your rookie year, right? Yeah. It was during training camp.

Training camp. And then also, you're playing a couple different positions. They put you at Mike. Yeah. Also, Aaron Curry was on that team. Somebody who, he was a first rounder coming out of Wake 4, somebody who was supposed to be like, you know, like a Pete Willis type thing. Yeah.

He might have been before Pete Willis. I can't remember. Or, no, he was after Pete Willis, right? What was explaining? rookie year. I came in during the lockout year. So I came in, no OTAs, and I was just chilling at home. Then a deal gets signed, hey, get your ass up here tomorrow. I'm like, what? And so I had to literally pack all myself and go to Seattle like the next day. So that's the whole whirlwind in itself. And then I came in, the way that I earned my starting spot was David Hawthorne had got hurt in

training camp. They put me at Mike Backer. Right. So I was, I was, like, I learned. I did pretty good. Then Hawthorne came back. And, you know, then Curry, you know, that's my guy. I love Curry. Yeah. But he wasn't playing to what the coaches was looking for. But then they put me at the Sam spot.

And, yeah, I just never looked back ever since then. I played Sam my first two years and it moved me to Will. Did you have anxieties your rookie year at all, you know, similar, different style that you did in the free agency world? Because coming in as a rookie, especially with a, you know, roster that you guys, the backers that were in the room, did you have any anxieties going through that first year? No, Rick year was cool.

Rook year was smooth. It was just a whole pack of, like, it was just a whole pack of leaving home. What'd you say? I said, good for you, man, good for you. It was just a whole pack of like leaving home. I've been in Mississippi my whole life. I remember leaving the airport. Like, I was literally in tears.

Like, I was like, damn, I'm really about to leave. And, but I came in and, you know, I did it pretty good. And hats off to Norton. Because he's like, if he wasn't, for Norton, I probably wouldn't be sent her talking to you today. He had a big name around that time. Not that he doesn't have a big name anymore, but coming out of like USC and having those

studs on that USC team, being with y'all, like, I'm sure it was a lot of fun, like, learning underneath him and getting to know him. He put, he had put like these, like, these shackles on my feet, like these, because they said, like, I got these long legs, so, like, my feet was all over the place. So he put these things on my ankles to

practice in and do walk them in. Like, keep my legs tight. So, yeah, it was crazy. Like, Duce's making fun me every day, like, why the hell you got them things on your ankles? And so he put these things on my feet to where I couldn't, I was like right here. I couldn't overextend. Right. So just look stuff like that that they did for me, like life, life change for me. That reminds me. So when I got to the Raiders and I was like, you know, what's our linebacker coach like, Coach Smith? Like, what's our line by a coach like? He's like, oh, you know, you'll see he coaches hard. He

does, he coaches hard. He doesn't stop coaching. Yeah. But you had mentioned that there was a time during the year where you doubted your own ability. And hearing that from you, like, I know you're telling me your thing, I'm like, oh, damn, that's crazy. But in my brain, what's actually going on is like, what the fuck is this dude talking about? You're KJ. Right. Type of thing. You know what I mean? I'm like,

bro, you're, you're KJ. Right. Like, you're a beast. Like, how is that kind of stuff going through your head? Bro, my confidence was shot throughout the season. Is that because of the free agency stuff? Oh, bro. It's because how it was... You're top 100 now.

bro, it was because how, like, when I was playing, like, Coach Smith, he's so detailed. Like, every little thing you do, like, he sees. And it was like, kid, you got to do this, kids, you got to do that. You're not doing this. You're not doing that. I'm like, damn, like, what am I doing good? Yeah. If I didn't have Denzel last year, like, I would have lost my mind.

Because Denzel had played for him. He used to Coach Smith's like, KJ. You know, you know, you're not Denzel is. No, he's so funny, man. Like, like, you. you're a fucking dog, you're a baller. Like, you KJ Wright, like, chill. And I was like, I just had to learn to, like, process and, you know, like, how, what is he saying?

And I need to put in my brain how to interpret it versus, like, being so critical of myself. Yeah. Because I know I'm a badass. And if I let this get to me, then I'm just going to keep going on this downward spiral. I told you that. I told you out of Los Angeles Confidence? Yeah. That's wild.

I was only told Denzel that. Yeah, bro. No, you, no, yeah, that's what you was telling me. I thought it was wild, too. Yeah. Because I was just kind of asking about them and everything else. And, uh, bro, you fucking, I like, I'm listening to you talk. Like, you just, you fucking love playing linebacker.

Yeah, but I got a strong passion for it. Like, I put, like, my whole adult life of it into my craft. Absolutely. There's no question. Yeah. Because the, the, the, the idea of all this anxiety getting to you in times where it ultimately works out, especially like when you know you're a badass

and being so inside of the box of him coaching you in minor details that you weren't at the moment until you're like talking with people and actually thinking through it. But to be able to kind of just zoom out for a second and be like, oh, it's all good. You know what I mean? Like when besides you would coach me hard at special things and he like, you know, make fun of me or something

or he'll put that on your radio show or whatever the case. You know, I'm just like, I know it's going to be straight. Maybe that's why you are as great as you are. Yeah, like every year, like, cut time, I was like, I wasn't at ease. I was never at ease during cut time. And I always felt like somebody, like, anybody fourth, fifth round, like, somebody's going to come and, like, take my spot. So I, like, had this, like, intensity and detailed about myself. Like, I got to be on my shit all the time.

Or else, like, you know, I get my spot taken. Right. Because I just had this detailed demeanor about myself to, like, I got to be on point. That's just how I carried myself. Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm sitting there saying, I'm hearing Coach Smith right now talking about your long legs and get your feet tighter. And it's just like, bro, he's a monster.

Oh, bro. How do you expect him to get his feet moving like Denzel? Like, themselves, way different. Yeah. And I told Coach Smith out of the season, I was like, man, thank you. Because, like, you, I experienced something with you that I've never, ever experienced in my NFL career. like you pushed me to a point to where like I've never been pushed before.

Like what? Like with details like with just my stance like my eyes like any little fall step you take, he's on it. And so I just like I just not live up to what he wanted but like I had to like play a certain style to like you know I guess appease my coach

or like be like coach this style should be done. Boom you got it. or not get too much outside of yourself since you've had like a decade career. And you know how you can get older players can get a little more loose with their techniques and their details and everything like that. Mm-hmm. So he tightened it up for me. So I want to read some stuff that people were saying about you. And I heard that you're somebody who loves helping people.

He wants to share his knowledge with all the young guys. He's truly somebody that wants to see everybody succeed. And piggybacking on that, being around you, knowing that. you know, when I got in there, and we go in, obviously, before we got whooped by KC, but you're like, hey, we do this, we go out as linebackers and do drills and stuff like that. It's like, okay, you go out with them,

and he's like leading drills and everything else. On Tuesdays, was it Tuesdays with Diablo? Find Diablo a rookie. You're sitting in me, you're sitting in just you two one-on-one meetings, and you're going over stuff with him. So I've gotten a witness, like, who you are not only as a player, but you're somebody that Basachi would stand up after practice. Yeah, I hate it when he did that too.

I know you did. I can tell him. I'm like, bro, stop saying my name. Yeah. You know, when players being like, here he goes with KJ, you know. Yeah, yeah. Like, we know KJ's a beast.

Yeah. But I definitely think it speaks to who you are because you're not a loud vocal guy. Kind of like soft-spoken. You're not like a big rah-rah guy. You are when you have to be. But why is giving back to the younger guy so important to you?

And, you know, how have you kind of built this reputation? Or how do you feel about this reputation that you have with everybody when they say things like that? Yeah. I mean, for me, it always pissed me off, like, seeing like vets, like, oh, he's not my responsibility. You know, I don't got to help a rookie out. To me, to me, that's bullshit. Like, somebody helped me when I was a rookie into where I was.

And it's like, it's kind of like the circle of life. It's kind of like a brotherhood. Like, we and this thing together and somebody gave it to me. So it's my responsibility to give back. to somebody else. And I believe like when you, when you give, like you end up receiving more on the back end. And so I see...

Bradley had that big teaching that one day. Yeah, yeah. I saw a lot of quarterbacks say like, oh, this, you know, this quarterback's coming in. It's not my job to help them get better. You know, that's like, what is that? And so, you know, there's always been my style on and off the field. It's help people get to, you know, where I am.

Was it ever harder for you to do knowing you were in the back seat with the Raiders compared to being some. about who's a starter and the man the whole time? It took me a while to get there. It took me a while. Once I found my groove and, like, came to the Raiders, because I came in week one. So I had to build a relationship with the guys,

show guys I could still play. And once I got settled in, I'm like, okay, now I can start being the KJ that I need to be. Right. And you wasn't there. Were you there when I talked to the team before the Browns came? Late in the year?

No, when I gave that speech to the Browns. I don't think you were there. I don't think so. Yeah, so I. Yeah. For the Browns game. Brown's game. No, that was the time I left. Yeah. And so, yeah, I gave a speech

the week before the day of the Browns game. Just telling the fellas what it is and like playoff football, December football. This is how we should look. And bro, we went on the four-game winning street. And so, yeah, I got a lot to give. And when I do speak, you know, people listen. People listen. We interrupt this episode to bring you a great ad from the boys at NASCAR. Shout out NASCAR. No free shout-outs. There's no better place to kick off the 2022 NASCAR season than at iconic Daytona International Speedway with the 64th running of the annual

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Sunday, February 20th at 2.30 p.m. Eastern on Fox. Speak on beside you, dude. Because you were there from week, you were there week one. You were there when all the Gruden stuff went down. Yeah. You were there when all the headlines came out with, with rugs. Yeah. With, who was the cornerback's name?

Arnette. Arnette, the corner on Instagram with the guns. Mm-hmm. Well, I was there when the Hobbs got the DUI, but all these things are happening throughout the year. Speak on the year because you're not somebody who's been invested in the Raiders. You're on a one-year deal. You just were there this year.

Yeah. Speak on the year of the Vegas Raiders being there the entirety of the year. It was a roller coaster, bro. It was a real roller coaster. Like, bro, for us to, like, pull out 10 wins with all this stuff we went through, pretty damn impressive. Absolutely. Pretty damn impressive.

This kind of year will be talked about, I think. It'll be an example for interim head coaches. Like, Masacia, to me, is the bar. I'm surprised he didn't get hired. Same. I think we're all surprised, but also there's in a way of you that's not surprised. Understanding the, you know, the high ups. Yeah, but my thing is, like, if you're higher up, like, the players make the team go.

And if the players are connected with a coach, the shit should flow. Absolutely. You got to literally start over, like, building relationships, and that stuff takes time. Right. That stuff takes time. Yeah. I agree, man. I think we were all, that's what I would say, you know,

when we were playing at the end of the year, like, guys not only wanted to win and get in the playoffs for each other. And, like, you know, these opportunities don't come often, but also people wanted to see Bessatia. You felt, you felt like dudes really loved him. Right. Yeah.

Like, dudes really loved him. I never had a coach to where, like, dudes, like, really gravitated and, like, really, like, loved and respect him. Like, Rich is a different dude. He's a different dude. And, you know, he had a different dude. the impact on offense, defense, and special teams, like dudes really gravitated towards them.

And so, like, that's just a no-brainer. Like, damn, you got to give me another year. There's something to win your deal. Right. Give me another year to do this thing. Yeah. You kind of knew where it might go, especially when they fired Mayock. You kind of figured that, okay, whenever they did, yeah.

Yeah. Because you bring in a new GM, it's like when a head coach gets hired and they're bringing their staff. They bring in their guy. It's like if a GM gets hired, they're, obviously going to be sitting there with Mark Davis and they'll probably talk about, you know, all the stuff on bringing in so and so and bringing in their guys. And then they get infatuated with the new, with the fantasy football aura of what it could be.

Instead of seeing like what has been right there. What's real? What's real? Like, I'm not just going to get this office of guru. I'm going to get what's real. Right. That's the guy's respect. What was it like when Gruden was out and then Basatio steps in immediately?

It was a pretty smooth transition. It was a pretty smooth transition. And the different styles with Basachi, like, Basashi didn't play. Like, you saw he put dudes fines up. Like, he'll call anybody out and he'll dress anything. And so he just, he'll dress anything in anybody. And he just had this demeanor.

Like, I'm this tough alpha male. But I can also still be on the same level as you to wear, we in this shit together. But no, we go get this right, but I'm going to still be one with the boys. Right. Yeah. One with the boys. I love that.

Yeah, kumbaya with the boys, man. I did hear that when I was asking, hey, how's I been with Coach Pisci and stuff? And guys were like, oh, a lot of things tightened up. Like, dudes just parking in, like, handicapped spots or electric car spots and, like, a lot of things kind of just tightened up around the building. Mm-hmm.

What else do we have, boys? Do you guys have anything? How long was that? We were at an hour 15. I think the conversation's been... Phenomenal. Great, dude. Did we get enough stories, then?

I thought we got some of you want to tell. You got some stories? You got some of those battles with the Niners. God, Blas is a Niners fan. Don't worry about it. Yeah, bro. What did we mean? Hey, you got some Niners stories, man?

What is Mr. Unlimited like? Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's it like playing with Mr. Unlimited? Won't be answering that question. Hey, you did. It seems like the media. got you a little bit by baiting you in and talking about his contract and you said he should take a pay cut to help the team.

Did you get got by that? Twitter was on my head when I said that. And here's the thing. The reason I said that was because there's some free agents that's about to come up for the Seahawks that I love. And like, Seahawks cap space is a little tight. It's a little tight. And so I was saying from the sense of Can something be done to help out the greater good?

Because if some of the free agents leave, whoever the Seahawks put back there, it's going to get a little shaky. And so in my mind, if I can somehow help the team so I could be in the playoffs and win the division, I want the best people in the building. So if I can restructure a little bit

to keep my boys in the building, then I think he should really consider that. Got you. a lot like a Tom Brady Yeah Like a Tom Brady move To keep his boys Around and make room for them

Yeah You said people would do that more It seems like You know people that love football Would do that more often But than it is Yeah Yeah

Because I guess the ultimate question Is like How much money is enough money Some people would be like If I got a million dollars My life is good Once you get that million You're like, I want $5 million.

And so there's really no cap on how much, you know, I should get in my bank account. Because, like I said, the window is short. And some guys, you know, $50 million, or I earned every bit of this $50 million. I feel like I shouldn't have to give this away. Because at the end of the day, it's like, when it's all said and done, it's me and my family and my grandkids.

And so everybody's mentality's different. Everybody's mentality different. I feel like if I was in that position, I would have like the Tom Brady mentality. Right. Yeah. I feel like, mm-hmm. That's very rare. Yeah.

Yeah. But some guys look at football, like, always football and, you know, Super Bowl is a Super Bowl. You know, I feel like, you know, some guys feel like money is more important than Pro Bow's. So everybody got their own motivations. Everybody got their own motivations. Yeah. No, that is true. I think sitting on this entire conversation, too, you, we've, we've,

talked about so many different perspectives of where your mental can be at. Because then when you talk about, you know, the stuff with like the ownership and the elite and how stuff's got to change, you start from a more of a selfish standpoint of like players. Then when we're talking about all of our player stuff, our player level of everything, it gets a little more, it can either be selfish or you got to be a little more selfless. Yeah. So there's just so many different, there's so many different mentalities for different situations, too. Because I remember when I was younger, like in high school and the college, I would see guys holding out.

I'm like, why is he holding out? Like, bro, you got like all this money. Like, what are you doing? But when you get in that position, you see like, okay, I really got to maximize this. I got to maximize this. And I can't think of it like, I can't put the team before myself essentially. Right. Some guys.

Yeah. You're thinking about generations at that point, too. It gets enough money for you. It's then it's like you said grandchildren and great grandchildren. Like, that's generational. Yeah. Yeah. But some guys think like, hey, this Super Bowl is everything to me.

I want to do everything I can to be great and be remembered. So we all got our different motivations. And then from that to, like, having the motivation of team and football and Super Bowls and Championships, to me that speaks a lot more to the masses of people that get behind those guys for like the All-American boys, right? You know what I mean? So that speaks more to them because, you know, Blas, he wants the Niners to win a championship. Yeah. So when somebody's out there like, oh, I want to win a, you know, I'm doing this for the Super Bowl.

I'm doing this for the, you know, people. It's like there's more of a percentage of people that like like like that. They're really behind you. They're really behind that. Because some people say, when is enough money and enough? Mm-hmm. Very true. But if we continue to peel layers back,

when he says generational wealth, generational wealth is clearly what drives the elite. Yeah. That society is trying to correct a little bit with all the, the Brian Flores stuff, with all that coaching stuff going on. Like there's so many different fucking levels. Yeah.

That it all kind of depends on what game you're playing, right? Mm-hmm. When you beat the Broncos, was that like, like, was there any thought of, like, I did it? Okay, I'm like, should I keep playing, or is that it? Oh, no, no, no, definitely keep playing. If I can get it again. Yeah, but I accomplished what so many guys want to and never will.

I got that. I got what I was looking for when I was a kid. And it hits you, like, damn, I really did it. Yeah. You just want to go do it again. I know. Is there any destinations that you want to play at, like any teams that you want to play for coming up?

Where would you like to play? I don't know if you had like a childhood team that you grew up liking, that the opportunity presents itself to possibly play for them. I grew up a Cowboys fan. Same. But yeah, for me and where I am right now, what I did this past year was I left my family in Seattle. Won't do that shit again.

And so a team would have to come. correct. They have to come early and the free agency process. Like get my family situated, get them moved to wherever I am going to and then go play ball. But if it happens like training camp, I put together a really good career.

You know, I'll be happy just transitioning something else. Yeah. How much longer do you want to play? That's a good question. That's a really good question. I don't have the answer to that. Do you know what you want to do afterball?

Mm-hmm. What is that? Yeah. I can't show the next move, but I'm going to tell you this. I want to say, I run the game of football. Well, I figured that much. I can't tell you what it is, so. Damn, you can tell me off camera?

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this is the boys now. Whistle Pig, busts with the boys, it's a thing of beauty. Piggy back rice smash. Ooh, does he have any good Marshaun Lynch story? I don't. Come on now. You're lying, bro.

What was he like after the play? Was he vocal or was he quiet? No, it was just just mad. Yeah. Just mad. And he played that next year and I believe he left that

following year. Just like, when stuff like that happens, like a distrust occurs, like I can't trust you. I can't look at you the same. I don't know who you are. Like,

that's the type of feeling you have. And so all bad. All bad. We need to get some of those boys on the bus, man. You might be our bridge. Who you won't? A hug, man. Everybody we've kind of talked about.

You need to get like two guys in here. Who are the two? What two do you think should come on here? Obviously, Sherm. I think Doug would be good, too. A bald one? Mm-hmm. Get Sherman and Doug on here.

You can help that? You can try and facilitate that for it? Not facilitate, but at least make the connection. Do y'all fly guys out? We will. We are going to start to, yeah. Fly them out. So if you were to place your cards right and ask

the right question. I'll see you in my voucher. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, I would love to have those guys on, man. Marchion. Marciaun would be huge. But who knows if you could get. He's going to be busy now.

Is he in a TV show now? Marshall's doing everything. Like, every time I go in like Walmart, he's on somebody sponsoring somebody. You know he worked with the NFLPA now? Really? Yeah. Like a brand ambassador.

Subway and the dude's killing it. Yeah, I mean, he can essentially be a brand ambassador for everybody. Yeah. Yeah. I think he's about to do like commentating next season for Amazon. You see that? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. They're like putting something together for him.

You saw the show he's going to do, right? He's in some like funny, freestyling crime scene show. Where they just give him like, situation? and they improvise through it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not saying you literally just have to get recorded.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, he's funny, man. I love to meet the dude. So we don't know. We don't know when you're going to hang him up. Mm-mm. A team will have to come.

Like, when if pregnancy hits, it will have to be around that window. See, I think listening to you say if it's training camp, then you're, you know, hang him up. No, no, no. Which is crazy to me because, bro,

you can finesse training camp. Let me teach you about the other side. Let me teach you about the other side of it. Part two. Yeah, part two. So you essentially finesse training camp this year. And I hated it, bro. I came in week one.

Week one is my training camp. My legs were dead. You just got to train a little harder. We train a little harder. We train a little smarter. We'll get you right. But, bro, you finesse putting that wear and tear on your body throughout OTAs and training camp. You get on the week we're on roster.

I'm winning. You're guaranteed for the year. Man. He does. You know what it is? Especially, and not to, like, do my younger stuff a disservice. I was absolutely obsessed with football

when I was younger. But we are very much, we just see the, we see it differently being on the back end of stuff. You identify with being that ball player, like being that great elite at all times until it's done, which I respect and appreciate it and admire about you.

Yeah. That's what makes you the leader you are and everything else. But, man, Is this something I could tap into? Well, to me, so here's the awareness I essentially had. I had to accept that I was going to be in the minimum role year in and year out. And accepting that at the time was hard, like knowing that this could be my last year, being up in the air, balancing things. Like, I don't know where I'm going to be.

It did take a toll. Like, I'm not saying that I just made some transition and now I see it this way and I don't care about it as much. And I kind of just am loosey-goosey, whatever it is. there was like that time of like coming to grips with like having to do that and give that up. Not give it up, right. But zoom out a little bit and be like, bro, come, stop identifying so much with this that you care when something doesn't go your way. Because that would affect me. It would affect my sleep.

It would affect all the stuff that you would talk about with your anxieties. And so knowing that I just, I had to accept that allowed me to be a little more graceful with myself as I'm doing these things. okay, if I know I'm going to be this way and a team's not going to, you know, come correct in my world or have a place to be in OTAs or training camp, then I'll accept my stance of like, I'm going to try and finesse as much training camp as I can

and try to get on a team week one of the roster. Or if I don't like the situation, I'll wait until we get into the year to do it. Yeah. So I kind of just like, reality kind of sucked, but to me it was just the whole acceptance thing. And for you, it's like you don't accept going all the way,

waiting until training. camp. You won't even wait to get to training camp. Like to me, it's like, okay, well, you're not doing OTAs. You have the entire month one to month seven, the end of seven, so really eight months to structure out all of your training and the way you're going to get that one percent better, because that's what we all chase as players, that one percent better throughout the off season. Yeah. And so knowing you don't have OTAs, because OTAs to me, outside of the camaraderie, building the relationships, being in the book and kind of building that culture with the fellas, on the business side of it, knowing that we cram,

everything in a four-hour window and it's not necessarily the best thing for our body, knowing you get to have those days off and do it your own self. And if a team was wanting to negotiate with you in training camp, to me, to me, you're kind of winning in that regard because you've put 11 years together. Not only that, but the legacy you get to speak on and talk about, we can smile and laugh about it. But we get that, we got to have a conversation like this. And people, you know, the people that watch, there's billions. but they know you more.

You know what I'm saying? Like, the proving yourself model. That's the thing. Like, I always looked at myself like, I don't got time to miss training camp. Or, like, I can't miss that on their window.

Yeah. Because that's, I feel like I'm getting behind. A crucial time. Yeah. I just, yeah, I was like, he's obsessed. Yeah, and it's not a good, it's not, I love it. It's like, a part of me, which is I was, I was, was in a position like you because it's like, man, it is, it's a good time when you're obsessed

you're in and you're out with like the one thing of football. But yeah, I guess I'm not going to be able to talk you into it. No, but I appreciate you coming on, man. This has been an awesome conversation. You've been having me, bro. Yes, dude. And I know we've known each other. We knew each other the five weeks and I was going for like three of them.

Yeah. And I got connected with you on Twitter and social media because of the stuff you say. and literally that video is, to me, is just a very small look on top of the cookie jar what you're, what you represent and what you're about. And I appreciate being able to, like, pick your brain. I appreciate being able to, like, trying to nudge you certain ways. And you're like, you're a legend, bro. Yeah.

And I didn't tell you. I meant to text you, but did they tell you they played your video before our game? So, philosopher is telling me about that. But the video, me. You're just talking. And, bro, that shit was so amazing. It was so inspiring. To see, like, how much the guys loved you and how much you love, like, the fellas.

Like, that's what ball is really about. Like, even though you were with us, like, I still felt like you were still connected, like, to the squad. So why? You kind of explain why, but the reason you say you hate when Basacchi stands you up and you hate that, I'm sitting as what you're saying right now, I'm appreciated and seeing it like, damn, you can just tell that motherfuckers like, jive with this dude. Yeah. And you feel kind of like,

when Foster told me that, it's like, damn, you don't know how guys are going to take because they're showing some video and I'm on Twitter. You know what I mean? It's not like I was in front of y'all. Yeah.

But hearing that, like, the roles kind of switched, right? You kind of feel vulnerable, a little bit of cornyness. Yeah. Of, damn, they're kind of showing, they're showing that. But that was, when Foster told me,

that was, I was hyped to know that the reaction was good because I was like, damn what everybody kind of. Oh, no, it was perfect. It was perfect. Well, that's fucking awesome, dude. Yeah.

I appreciate you. I wish you guys would have won that game, though. They went to the Super Bowl, so. That shows that we could have been in the Super Bowl. Hey, what's crazy is divine went out with a concussion and he didn't return. Mm-hmm.

So I could have been alive back with the fellas that next week, bro. I know, right. When that happened and it says he wasn't returning, I wasn't like, I'm obviously, you know, I hope nothing's wrong. with his head and stuff like that. I'm thinking he's going to have to go through protocols. Hey, I'm going to be back in this thing.

And we were to play the Titans too. Mm. Which would have been a lot of fun. Yeah. But, well, I hope you make it up to, uh, Gerard, he's a huge Titans guy. I mean, I am, I love the boys. I'm big, I'm for the boys.

But if I'm on the Raiders, like, I got, I got her. Came back that fast. He's a monster, bro. I like that same injury he had. Same. Did he break his foot? Did he break his foot? Did you get a screw put in?

Got a scoop in. I did too. He didn't. Oh, really? That's what the grace I'm giving us. Because he came back as fast as he came back. And I'm like, bro, I was grinding to come back, but there's like the way you have to be a running back and come back. Because we can function playing a linebacker, but you're still very uncomfortable playing on an injury like that.

How long do you take you? It took me. I was back. It was in college, so you know how college tries to get you back on the field. I was back in eight weeks, but I had a steel plate underneath my foot. And it was the most uncomfortable thing. It's terrible. I should like, you know.

You just feel like your foot about to snap again. Yeah. I would have, if I'm like where I'm at now or in the league and stuff, like you need a good 10, 12 weeks. But he had like a plate put in. He just had a stress fracture. It wasn't a clean break? He didn't have a compound break to where it snapped.

Oh, okay, okay. When yours happened, it felt like somebody shot you in the foot, right? Yeah, and I heard it. It's like. That gets painful by the end of the night, bro. Yeah. Just two legends up here talking ball. No, I appreciate you, man.

Good luck. I hope you drive safe back off to Memphis and everything. But I truly appreciate you coming by the bus. I'm glad you got to come on it. I know I was badgering you all season. Like, hey, when that all season comes, you got to come on. But I have a lot of respect for you, man. I appreciate you coming on.

Thank you, brother. Thank you. Hey, guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast.

Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

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