First Things First - Cowboys fans tell Jerry they want Micah paid, Steelers & Ravens expectations, Worried about Caleb & Stafford?

Episode Date: July 28, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(00:00) Cowboys fans tells Jerry Jones to pay Micah Parsons / Starting to believe in the Steelers? (26:06) Could Caleb Williams struggle in year 2? / Should Rams fans be worried about Matthew Stafford? (40:37) Jim Harbaugh shares what he thinks is Justin Herbert's biggest weakness (47:18) What is on the line for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens? / Who is under the most pressure on the Dolphins? (1:05:33) Reaction to Luka Doncic being featured in Men's Health (1:18:26) Worried about Brock Purdy? (1:23:40) Travis Hunter thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I mean, I got to do everything. Live from New York. It's the show that, I'm going to be honest, I watch the walk-in video. The show that thinks Brew's geographic polyamory is becoming a little too much. Am I right? Did you see the latest one, coach? My mom lives in Detroit with my brother. I mean, it don't get any closer to that.

So he went from Nap Town to Motown. So where all do we have covered for you, Brunow? The Lions. I mean, the race. My favorites are just my squire. The lions, the ravens. The Browns, the Bengals, the Colts, if you wanted them. Colts.

The Saints. I mean, we're spending a little time out in LA. You go to Kansas City once a year for a parade. It's first things first. Today, Aaron Rogers sat down with the NFL network. Is Brew riding with Rogers, or is he back writing with my take that he pretended was his take that this will be Tom? first year below 500. I don't remember you ever saying that.

Speaking of Bruce guys, Lamar is being labeled the best in the league. Who saw that coming? What does Coach Manjini think about that? And finally, a once proud franchise, Madden. The ratings are out. You're not going to believe who somehow isn't a 99, isn't a top seven player in the league, isn't a top two player his position according to the ratings at Madden.

I guess you might be able to guess we're showing you all the highlights. I'm Nick Wright. I wonder. Alongside Chris Broussard and Coach Manjini, who's here all week. Wilde is out dropping his wonderful son, Billy off at camp. He will be back tomorrow. Coach, since I'm Wilde today, if you're me, do you have the bulletin board ready for this chief segment?

I do it. I'm angry about it. Oh, thank you. All right. We're finally going to get to the bottom. Perfect. All right, we're going to start today, however, with the ongoing saga that is Jerry Jones and Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones spent the weekend dishing out some money to the star everyone's been waiting to see you get paid.

Jake Furson. Mike Parsons, on the other hand, no payday. On Saturday, the Cowboys faithful let Jerry hear how they feel about it. Take a listen and then read the caption too because it's kind of hard to hear. I was shocked. I was shocked. I was shocked last year when we ended up with the record that we had.

All right, so after that, Jerry talked to the media about those chants and he says, hey, I heard it light but not compared to how I heard them say pay lamb last year. This was a faint little sound compared to the way they were hollering last year, pay lamb. Whoever's not in, you can count on a few hollering that, but it was a big loud chant last year on lamb. Lamb obviously actually did hold out.

He wasn't there. Micah is there. For a little context, Micah since entering the league, arguably the best pass rusher in football, in arguably one of the very best. Brew, your reaction to day 78 of the Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones saga.

Look, I know people think I have it in for the Cowboys coach because I just tell the truth about them, all right? But I know. Like me with the Ravens. You're called a hater when you're just a truth teller. I'm going to be fair to Jerry Jones. This was entertainment. This is him entertaining the fans.

I was on with Danny Parkins earlier on the herd, and he showed a clip where Jerry had said, it's a soap opera in Dallas 365 days a year. This was just more entertainment, more drama, more getting everybody in a lather about when they're going to sign Micah. And I say that largely because he also was on another radio show yesterday. and he said that Mike,

because you could look at this, he keeps trolling Micah. Like, why are you taking these little shots? But he also said, Mike on this radio show, Micah might be the most talented player we've ever had. He did mention Dion,

but those are only two. So he's put him right there with Dion. He said he's very talented. He said he's very smart. So clearly he has respect for Mike. So I look at it as a balance, and that's why I think he's entertaining on one hand,

and then he also is telling the truth about how good Mike is. I'm going to say this, Nick, the thing that raised my eyebrows yesterday, or it really came out today, I have been reading that Micah wants $200 million over five years. And that obviously would go up because that's not, that's only $40 million a year. The price has gone up with T.J. Watts deal. But today in the Dallas Morning News, Calvin Watkins wrote, he wants $200 million over four years. He said the contract could get up to that high.

Now, obviously, he knows he's not getting $50 million. But I bet you they're thinking we'll meet around 45-ish. Oh, I don't think he's going to get 45. I think he's going to get a tiny bit more than T.J. Y. I'm just saying I think that, because remember when Stephen Jones said yesterday, we want to sign Micah, or we want to pay Micah, he has to want to be paid. To me, that's Stephen Jones saying, you know, he has to come to a realistic number. I mean, he's got this unrealistic thing.

out there, I would imagine Micah and his agent do want to put a little distance between him and T.J. White, because he probably doesn't want to be the highest paid just for a month, just for even this season, but, you know, put it out there for a couple seasons. So that gave me pause, and that shows me that's probably why this thing hadn't got done. Maybe Micah wants more than Jerry, you know, more than T.J. Watt by far. Yeah, I see it differently. I didn't think Jerry was entertaining at all when he was talking to the group. He looked uncomfortable the way he was slouched over that mic and trying to get his words out. And I'm not sure he has the conviction on Micah that you need to have in order to make him the highest paid non-quarterback in the NFL.

And if you look at the deals that he's done, they haven't all worked out the way that Jerry would have hoped. So look at Dax deal. We don't know where that's going to go, but that's he made him the highest paid player. that hasn't been great. There's Ezekiel Elliott. He paid him a lot of money. That wasn't great. There's C.D. Lamb.

We'll see where that goes. I mean, it could be good, but is it going to be the impact that the contract merits? I'm not sure that he truly has a conviction that Micah is that guy. And is Micah Linebacker? Is he a defensive end? Where does he fit in this new defense? They've radically changed the approach this offseason going in hiring Schenheimer. Maybe he wants to wait and have a little bit of that.

the ability to reset next year, because this has been a very on Dallas Cowboy-like off-season. And this could be a bit of a reset. Except the thing that is not on Dallas Cowboy-like in the, you know, as of late, is the waiting to last minute to then pay top, top dollar for your star player. Now, maybe they won't do it, but they did it with CD. They obviously did it with DAC two times. We've seen them do it before.

I also, it's very interesting. Because sometimes I think brew is too critical of the cowboys and I'm defending them. This is one where you are being kinder than I was than I am planning to be because I feel like if we were to chart out that comments Jerry has made about Micah the last few months, the word that comes to mind for me is antagonistic. You remember like early on when he was acting like he didn't know his agent's name? Yeah. For no reason whatsoever. just a disrespectful, dismissive line about his agent.

Micah then said to the media essentially, my agent can't get Jerry or his son on the phone. You know what I mean? And so if we think Mike is telling the truth, which I do, that's, to me, antagonistic. The comment about, you know, that Micah could, you know, Mikea missed half the season, or he said a third of the season last year, whatever it was,

which was an overstatement, but also unnecessary. And now this, which seems, to be doubly insulting. One, it's implying the fans cared more about C.D. not being here than you. But the other thing is, it feels to me like it's penalizing

Micah for doing what I'm sure Brian Schottenheimer is thrilled that he's doing, which is showing up. CD actually held out. You know what I mean? CEDSKIPP training camp got the deal and showed up in Frisco, Texas for practice. And so I don't, I

think that when it comes to this type of business, Jerry has become a huge impediment to the Cowboys succeeding. Because I think he likes the Carnival Barker nature. I think he likes the sideshow. And I think he, where I disagree with both of you is, I think everyone knows what Mike is going to get paid. He is going to get a little bit more than T.J. Wat just got. And I don't, you know, I, maybe they called it, you know, the four years, I was wondering.

if that was a mistake or misprint. That feels like a mistake. Because I haven't seen that anywhere else. But it's also that if you remember when Tyreek got his deal with the dolphins and with Devante got his deal with the Raiders, the actual years and money sounded enormous because the final year of the contract was a fake like balloon payment year. Like Devante, they're like, oh, it's the first $30 million a year receiver. But it was because the final year, which he was never going to get was like $47 million.

And so maybe there's something like that. They want to be able to call it that. But we know where this is going to land. But let's say he's taking a different tack. Let's say this year he's looking at it as this is a bit of a reset year where I've got a first time head coach took him not from the traditional path that head coach are taken from, especially from the Cowboys perspective. And he's going to see whether or not Micah will hold out.

He's going to see whether or not Mike is willing to give up this money. and willing to not play. And he's going to hold his ground because otherwise you just reaffirm the pattern of, we just wait, we just wait, we just wait, and Jerry Caves. And maybe he's decided I'm not caving on this one. I'd be shocked, coach, if he won't sign Michael Parsons. Yeah, I mean. Because the price is only going to go up.

And he's the best player on your team. Now what I will say is this before we move on quickly. And I tried to explain this yesterday. on the air, I did a clunky job of it. Florio then wrote it out today, which was helpful. By showing up, Micah limited his options, because you're allowed to

not show up, and then they just find you $50,000 a day. But once you show up, if you then leave, if you don't come back within five days, they just put you on ice for the year. Well, they've got to send you a five-day letter. Right. But then the contract tolls, and they can't even, if they

wanted to reverse it, they can't. Once, like, they have put you on the, you know, It's like reserved, tired list or whatever. Yeah. And so he, Micah has to keep showing up. Now he can hold in. He can do different things. I just don't know why Jerry, he is young, homegrown, incredibly productive, very popular,

gets in no trouble, best player on your team. He's the easiest guy to pay. I think he's getting at least $43 million a year. Okay. Isn't DAC still the highest pay? DAC? 60 per year? 60 per year, yeah.

So we've seen a number of guys signed since DAC, and they have, like, I think Micah's agent is looking at this. Like, I want him to be the highest paid for a little while. Like the price obviously keeps going up. Look at Miles Garrett. Look at T.J. White. They were highest paid for a few weeks. And so I think they're taking into consideration the future and how much younger Micah is than those guys, T.J. Y. So I think it's going to be at least $43 million.

Yeah. I'm just not sold on the fact that he has the conviction that he wants Micah to be that guy. Well, if that's a whole separate thing, if that's the case, then they probably should have traded him for two first round picks this offseason and really done a reset. All right, we'll move on to Aaron Rogers. So Rogers, 41 years old, quite a busy off season, got married, talked about that a bit, and decided to come back for year 21 and his third team. Here he is on NFL Network on his decision to return, take a listen.

I fell in love with this game when I was six years old, and I wanted to have that closure and give back to the game one more time, the way that it's given to me. As I thought about my life, really everything special in my life is because of this game, and that's not hyperbole. I love this game, and I want to give back to it one more time and have fun with it. And I just felt like this is what I was supposed to do. So and it's worth the whole thing's worth of watch.

Aaron comes across actually quite charming in it. Also Kyle at the end says he thinks Aaron's the greatest quarterback to ever play. Save that take for what's right podcast. But Aaron Rogers, 2019 to 2021, a couple MVP's, a couple of conference championship game appearances, and one of the very best quarterbacks in the league. Aaron Rogers brewed the last three years, nothing close to that. Yet I feel like you are starting to believe in another one of your teams. The Steelers.

They were my childhood. Love. I love this team. I mean, it's at the quarter of the league we're up to now. Go ahead. Nick, coach. I'm in! I know it.

I'm all in. This guy can't help himself. No, no, no, no. I'm not all in. You are. You are. I'm just kidding. But I am getting better vibes about the Steelers coach.

A month ago, I was at first losing season of a timeless career. Nick stole it. All of a sudden, Nick said he said that six months ago. I don't remember that. But I am no longer there. I do think they'll have a winning season. And where I'm at now is Pittsburgh or Cincinnati. Because Baltimore is winning a division.

and I think one of those teams I'm not sure about both it could be both but the AFC West is tough so I'm looking at which team between those two and the thing I like about Rogers in that interview and really how he's been

since he's been in Pittsburgh you remember last year or the past two years with the Jets he came in he's openly talking about winning the Super Bowl the trophy looks lonely and all that like he took on the weight of the franchise

probably thinking he was doing a good thing and it just didn't work out. Now he's got a whole step different approach in this interview and even beyond. He's just been like, hey, I'm here to have fun. I'm here to enjoy myself. I do not, and you know, Nick, how I feel about Rogers getting to a Super Bowl.

I don't think they're a Super Bowl contender. I think, but I do think they can win 11 games, could make the playoffs. I haven't made up my mind yet. between them and the Bengals. But right now I'm leaning, I'm leaning Pittsburgh over Cincinnati right now. And I think they might be able to win Tomlin's first playoff game in years.

But I don't think they can go like they're a threat to get to the Super Bowl. But I do think they can make the playoffs. The problem that I've had with Aaron Rogers is that I believed in him from the beginning when he left Green Bay. I picked the Jets to win the division. I picked the Jets to go extremely far. And I lived this with Brett Farb. I brought Brett Farv in from Green Bay to New York. He was doing great.

He got hurt. You know, things went south after that, but then he goes to Minnesota. It does really well there. We saw what happened with Tom Brady. So there is a formula here. Stafford, too. Stafford for this to work out. And it should work out with Aaron Rogers.

And you talked about him taking on the weight of the organization. No, it was like a hostile takeover of the organization. And that's the problem. Now, if he's, this interview to me is great. If that's where he is mentally, where it's about the love of the game, it's about his teammates, it's about, experiencing greatness one more time and really focusing on kind of the essence of football, then I think they've got a real shot to do something special as long as it doesn't revert back

to all the other stuff that's come along with every stop Aaron Rogers made and even his late tenure in Green Bay where he wanted to beat the GM. So listen, I find Aaron in specific settings incredibly charming. seems earnest, which at times he seems as disingenuous. I did a whole rant once about how he's most disingenuous athlete of my lifetime. At times, he can be the exact opposite. I believed every piece of that interview, and I don't think he was faking any of it. And I understand why people would want to buy in.

The reason I will not personally is twofold. One is, I do believe that's how Aaron feels right now. don't know how he'll feel after a two-game losing streak where he plays poorly. Because I think it is, I think one thing that, and we see this across sports, across decades, so this isn't a unique comment by me, but the all-time great player that is still playing, but is not still an all-time great, is very often the last one to recognize I'm not the all-time great anymore. I am an all-time great, but I'm not the same player I was. And I think that, you know, you saw it manifest itself last year with the Jets and Mike Williams being run out of town.

That, you know what I mean? We're losing this game because these games because you're not on the red line as opposed to I'm playing poorly. I'm not making the right decisions. And the other piece of it is is Aaron Rogers and above average quarterback anymore. And I mean that literally. There's 32 starters. We're going to do that NFL Top 100 list later in the show. we're looking at

he's not on it there's going to be I mean that's not the B all no no no I totally understand but my point is there's going to be 14 to 16 quarterbacks on it every single quarterback that has been listed already has

either an ironclad or a very strong case that they're better than Aaron like that if we were to stack it up and the other piece is I think people have I think people in part of buying into the Steelers Brewer like, well, all he has to do is just be better than the quarterback play last year.

But, and now I've ruined the blind reveal. I apologize, but we can throw it up. Spoiler alert, this is the Steelers quarterback's last year. Here's the thing. Now, we can say that those numbers are better than the play was. That, by the way, does not include 400 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns. But that's the case for Aaron as well, right, where the numbers look better than the play was. I'm not certain you're going to get better stats from Aaron Rogers than you did their quarterback collective last year,

particularly the touchdown to turnover ratio if you were to, you know, include the rushing. You have Rogers numbers? Did he throw 28 touchdowns? He threw 28 touchdowns had, I think, double the picks, 12 picks, passer rating of 90. You know what I mean? Instead of 95, it's different. So I just, I don't know that they are going to get this huge upgrade at quarterback. I don't, you know, I think it's noteworthy that the, for, you know, play and personality reasons, the Jets wanted one of the Steelers' quarterbacks more than they wanted Aaron Rogers to stay their quarterback.

And so I just can't believe that they are going to be an above average team in the tougher of the two conferences. If they're, if they, I think you still think they'll have the first losing season of timeless career. It's all on Rogers because they do have enough. We know their defense is at least going to be good, if not very good. The running game, I know they lost Naji Harris, but the rookie from Iowa, Caleb Johnson, supposed to be really good. Jalen Warren. You like Jailen.

Yeah, I like him a lot. Obviously, D.K. Metcalf, they brought in John News Smith. They'll run a lot of 12, you know, 12 personnel with the two tight. And it's like, I think they just need Rogers to be. And I agree. I don't think it'll be anything close to the MVP here in Rogers. But I think he will be better than Russ and Justin last year. And unless he just sabotages it with all the extra stuff, coach, I think they can win the 11 games.

And he doesn't have to be the all-time great quarterback. The problem he got into is he wanted to be the all-time great quarterback, the all-time great GM, the all-time great head coach. And that's where all the problems get. If he'll just take a step back and be a great, you know, as great a player as he can be on this team, then I think they have a chance of success. I don't buy it. All right. Ending with Coach's favorite topic, video games.

Madden 99, 26, 99 overall ratings have been released. Patrick Mahomes, no longer, nowhere to be found. Pardon me. Sequin, Lamar, Josh, Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase, Miles Garrett, Lane Johnson, all giving. getting the honor over him. Quick reminder, you know, so just some, I just had Josh Throdeus and Patrick Mahomes numbers. He's just playoff numbers and where he ranks

in all time NFL history yet right now. He's not one of the first or second in everything in the history of the league except evidently active quarterback's playing right now where he's third. Coach, I imagine you are as outraged by this as I am. Yeah. Thank you. I have an issue with it.

It was 99 problems, but a Super Bowl is not one. He's got three, he's got three super Super Bowl championships. He's been to five Super Bowls. He's been the Super Bowl MVP, what, three times? He's been the MVP of the league twice. So you can rank it. Rate him whatever you want to rate him.

That's why this is a video game. But at the end of the day, who's the 99 quarterback? The guy that wins Super Bowls, the guy that steps up in big moments, the guy that's had an incredible career. And if I can just add to that brew quick before you go to Coach's point, also the guy that every year plays Josh or Lamar or both of them in the playoffs and not only beats them, the two

quarterbacks ahead of them, but thoroughly outplays them every single time. One time Josh played him to a push, the famous 42 to 36 game, but lost anyway. It's just, and he has been eligible essentially for these rankings prior to this year six times. He was a 99 overall four of the six

and he was the highest rated quarterback in the game, five of them. This has only happened one other time. And that year he threw for more yards than anyone ever did in the history of the league, total yards over the course of the season, one Super Bowl MVP, one league. Well, then you should think, Madden. I know. Well, that is the piece of it.

He'll clearly use this for motivation. Everybody knows I think Mahomes are the best quarterback in the league. But this, here's what I'll say. Right now, and we all know he's battling Tom Brady. Yes. His career is going, the percentage. is going in the opposite direction of Brady's. Brady started out winning the Super Bowls,

but he's a game manager, he's more of the team winning it. And then when he got Randy Moss, he, you know, individually people recognize his individual greatness. Mahomes, we recognize his individual greatness right away. Not only is he playing great, but they're winning, they're winning, starts winning Super Bowls. And now his individual played statistically has gone down.

And so people, this is proof. that people are starting to look at him. Game manager obviously is too much. But you know what I'm saying? Like it's the team. Are you saying? No. No, I'm not saying.

No, no, I'm not saying. But the perception is that it's the defense. It's Andy Reed. It's obviously Mahomes still viewed as great, but clearly by some not the greatest in the league. A lot of people in New England thought that was the case too. Yeah, I mean, I mean, listen, it is. But this is, like I said, this is happening.

once before. At least the time before, it was coming off two years prior. He had lost in the Super Bowl. The year prior, he had actually played really poorly in the second out of the AFC title game. It had been a couple years since they'd won a Super Bowl, not coming on the heels of a third straight Super Bowl appearance. But most importantly, I do need the board. It's been a while. We've tried to be very judicious with the board. And by the way, this might not be the only time we see the board today. Because there was something else that caught my eye in the media. However, Madden 26.

Listen, I've always been a Madden guy. I got to tell you, I'm starting to reconsider. I feel like my friends at 2K maybe have a better rating system. Sorry, not what you once were. He's not a top seven player in the league. Patrick Mahomes, not top three quarterback. Give me a break. Coming up next.

What are we doing coming up next? Oh, yeah. Ben Johnson, trying to unlock my guy, Caleb. We'll discuss it on FS1 and the Fox Sports channel on Sirius XN. Hey guys, be sure to check out the podcast. Also, follow us on YouTube, subscribe, like, rate review, do all those cool things. And one day maybe we'll actually get the plaque that we all know is sitting in Gianna's apartment. All right.

Back here on first things first talking a team. A lot of people thought last year could go to the Super Bowl, Chicago Bears. Second year quarterback Caleb Williams set his goals for this season last week, 4,000 yards, 70% completion. Some of lofty. He's going to have to achieve those goals with a brand new head coach and totally new system. Here's Kevin Wilde's favorite new head coach on all that change. Take a listen. There really isn't a ton of carryover from what he was asked to do, the play calls or anything of that nature.

Now we're asking him to be a little bit more structured in terms of the play calls. Sometimes there's multiple calls, you know, there's shifts, there's motions. There's a lot more going on mentally than probably there's ever been. for him. And so at some point, this thing will start slowing down and he's going to be able to catch up and his physical ability will take over from there. But right now, because mentally it's, it is what it is, he's playing a little bit slower than what he's capable of. So there's been Johnson talking about it. Last year, there are the numbers. The record is the top and bottom lines are obviously awful. The record's awful. The sacks is third most ever in a single season.

the middle numbers kind of in line with a lot of previous number one overall picks, but obviously not what those of us that thought he could, you know, in his first season have the year. To be honest, Jaden had expected. Brew, what do you think the chances are that Caleb struggles this year in year? I think the chances are very good, at least early on. I think first half of the season, and I don't mean be terrible, but I mean have growing pains, struggles.

because Ben Johnson, I mean, he laid it out there. He's asking him to do, like, Caleb has been the ultimate backyard quarterback, you know, and those are wild plays off schedule, running, using his legs, you know, making these great throws when the play's broken. And Ben Johnson's asking him to do something totally different and play on schedule. And part of me thinks, and maybe this is because obviously I've covered basketball for so long, do you need, does the coach need to adjust a bit? He's trying to fit Caleb into playing like Jared golf or somebody like that. And do you need to adjust a bit to the player?

But look, it didn't work out last year. They let Caleb play. So I think Ben Johnson's plan is to break him down to the right to the route and then rebuild him and then let his athleticism take over when he can play on schedule. And I think the question is, will that break Caleb mentally? And I would say if it does, then he's not that guy anyway. But I don't think it will necessarily. But I'm saying some people would look at that and like, man, that's really going to frustrate this kid, break his spirit.

If it does that and he can't recover, then he wasn't going to be that superstar guy anyway. I feel that Ben Johnson summarized where Caleb is perfectly. and where this process is perfectly. And it is an entirely different system with shifts and motions. And he talked about there being multiple calls where if we get this look, it's the first call. If we don't get that look, you kill the call. There's elements to this which are challenging for any quarterback. And it's challenging for any quarterback to learn a new system.

The real advantage here for Caleb is he is so young. So yeah, he did have a totally different system. but he at least has been in the NFL for a year and he's been through games and he's been through all that part of it is over. So now it's just a function of how quickly he learns this system and it's going to take some time and he's going to build some reps.

And I'm sure to your point, what Ben Johnson's going to have to do and what the coaching staff is going to have to do and say, okay, what does he do really well as to get closer to the season? And now you pair it down. So initially you throw it all in. And you know, guys can be, look like

they're drowning, but then you pull it back in and it gets a lot easier and now a guy can really. I'm going to put you on the spot here a bit, Coach, but there's a reason for it. What you're describing they're doing, is that just your gut or like, did you read that? No, he just said it. He said there's more shifting, there's motioning, there's multiple calls. No, because what you described at the very end is exactly what the local Chicago reporters are saying is the plan, which is to try to, by the end of the end of the,

training camp have figured out, okay, we have tried, we have tried out our full menu of everything, and if that's 12 things, you know, and 12 concepts or whatever, these five he's been excellent at. So we are then going to build the house off the base of that. So the reason I asked was because I was just going to compliment you. Like it's either, because I read that and that's how I figured it out, and it seemed like you just intuited that that's what he would do. And so I think that's All of this is good for Caleb. I think, and again, people can say, Nick, you're being biased here. It's fine.

I don't mind that he's struggling early in camp because it does mean they are not simply doing. All right, let's just run the stuff he likes. Let's just do the stuff he's good at because he does need to grow and learn. And last year was in a lot of ways, I don't want to say a wasted year, but close to it, because multiple offensive coordinators, he got the hell beat out of him. Like there wasn't, there's not a lot to build off of, except for what not to do. What I will say is this. If he struggles throughout the year, you know, he has another bad year, then he's not the guy that I thought he was going to be.

Because there's, I understand he's young, but in the modern-ish NFL, guys who end up being great show it to you one of their first two years. You know what I mean? Like Patrick sat his first year, his second year won league MVP. Joe got hurt his first year, second year then in the Super Bowl. Lamar played part of his first year, second year one league MVP. Jalen barely played his first year, a second year. They went to the playoffs. Josh is a weird one because Josh was so raw, but he's still in the second year, got him the playoffs.

And then the third year, you know, almost one league MVP. Like it's very rare that guys who have, now you. can have... How many people in that group have gone through coaching changes early in their tenure? No, that's fair. I'm trying to think if any of them did, actually. And the answer's just Jalen, right? Jalen, the very end. Yeah, Jalen, but he wasn't the starter until the very end. He just played at the very end of the year. So that's fair. But I just think they prioritize the offensive line. I like the wide receivers. I love the play caller. You know what I mean? I like the title. in they drafted.

They, there are, and I just think, I know you guys think sometimes I care too much about what guys did before they got to the NFL, but he was such a dominant collegiate player with a great work ethic. I just think he's too talented and too hardworking for it not to work out. And so if it doesn't, then it's just that he's not the guy that I thought he was. Yeah, I wouldn't write him off as a start, like, because we, look at, Gino and I'm talking about as a star.

Right, right. And that's the thing. Even those guys, those high picks, I know Gino wasn't that high of a pick, but who later on got it going and played pretty well, they're not elite.

They're not stars. Right. And so, yeah, I mean, so you need to see him be great this year. I need to, I don't need him to be great start to finish of the year. I either need him to be,

a pretty good all year, or what you described. You know what I mean? The first month, is a little bit of a work in progress, but by the end of the year, even if it comes too little too late, it's like, man, last six weeks of the season, Caleb Williams was fourth in the NFL and this, third in this, where you see it click. Like, I need one of those two things. But to Bruce's point, what's happening in all these training camps right now, and it's happening

in Chicago is you go into the season with who you think you're going to be, and then you realize the good coaches and the good staffs realize who they need to be. And that's what's going to happen with Caleb is they're all, they're putting everything in and they're figuring out who they need to be and who he needs to be. And hopefully once they've defined that and they figure that out, you're going to see him like Ben Johnson said catch up to his physical skills. And if that happens and when that happens, he should grow tremendously and show all the traits that we saw in college football. And real quick, before you get to Stafford, the point you made Brew about Ben Johnson and with golf, I think is interesting.

I also, my intuition is most of these offensive masterminds always feel a little handcuffed with a quarterback that doesn't have a triple plus talent. Like, you know what I mean? Like, Shan, I know obviously, I'm not getting this argument, it didn't work out. But Shanahan took that huge swing for Trey Lance because it's like, what if I had a guy that can do all these things. Kevin O'Connell, I don't know if he's genius or not. but everybody loves, you know, loves him, was like, there's only so far we can get with Kirk.

We want this kid from Michigan. We saw what Andy went from Alex to Patrick. Like you have seen, like the guys who, so I think Ben Johnson might feel like, man, I can reach a whole new level. No, I agree with that. If I can get Caleb Williams to be Jared Gough. Plus. Right. Jared Gough in structure and Caleb Williams outside of structure, then we're really cooking.

All right. Let's move on to one of my other teams. The Rams. Matt Stafford. He hasn't practiced since the start of camp. He's been dealing with a back injury. I got to be honest. It's a little concerning. It also means brew deep in Jimmy G. practice footage.

Josh McGrapple, Sean McVeigh talked about Stafford as quarterback one. Take a listen. He's doing really well. You know, we've got a good plan in place. We are going to still take some more time with him, though. nothing that's changed in terms of the setback. I probably spoke a little bit too soon, but the ultimate goal is Houston and being mindful of that.

So we'll take it a week at a time. All right, coach. How worried should Rams fans be? Yeah, I don't think they should be worried at all. Oh, great. This is one of those situations where you've got a guy who's been in the system, what, three years now. So it's not like if he's missing these early reps in training camp,

it's that big a deal. You give him as much time as he needs. needs to make sure that he's as fully recovered and ready to go as he can possibly be. He's been pretty durable the last two years. Now I know the last time he missed time was with a back injury, but over the last two years, that hasn't really been the issue. And then the other plus side of this is you get Jimmy Garoppolo a bunch of reps. That's not good for anyone.

Well, no, it is good because if there is an issue early in the season, you've got a guy who's got a ton of work with the first offense. And it's not like the Rams lit it up last year at the early part of the season. They went one in four to start the season. So in retrospect, I think they're in good shape. Okay. I am worried for Rams fans. And you're right.

Stafford doesn't necessarily need the reps. He knows the offense, all that. But I think he's in 37 is kind of old anyway. But I feel like he's in old 37. Well, you got the hell beat out of him for a decade in Detroit. Yeah. Yeah. And I think since they won the Super Bowl,

that's really been his problem, if you will. He's missed the 11 games. I know eight of them were the first year after the Super Bowl, but he's had a hip injury and back injuries and elbow injury. Yes, well, and that's the king. Even when he's played, he's been banged up, and that's where his performance, I know he's had moments, obviously in the playoffs he was good,

but he hasn't had a pass rating of even 94 the last three years. He hasn't thrown for even 25 touchdowns. either of the last, any of the last three years. So I just think he's banged up. The back, obviously, he's nothing to play with. And he may be playing banged up this, for much of this season, and that'll lower their ceiling. And I feel like their offensive line is one of their bigger concerns going into the year.

Like, this is, here's the deal. I want to pick the Rams again. I'm just telling you. In the NFC? Yeah, I do. I, I, I, well, I think I will if he's healthy. But there have been two, to me,

we've had now more than a week of training camps open across the league. There have been two stories that really, like, hit my radar, one in the positive, one in the negative. The positive one is that I think the chief's got the best tackle in the draft to pick 32 and might have solved that problem. You found a positive chief story? I know that's surprising to you. But I actually think that's a huge story if those reports are true about how he looks.

As far as like stories for real teams that can win the championship that matters. Luckily, we haven't had, you know, a superstar player go down with injury and camp. The negative story is this one. Just the Matt Stafford, like I was in the OTAs, the story that hit my radar was C.J. Shroud's shoulder soreness. I'm like, ooh, that's a little concerning to monitor. this one to me feels like that because this will not work with Jimmy Garoppolo. Like maybe it could for a game or two, but like they are.

Right. And so I'm not a Rams fan, but I, you know, did have a nice little fling with them last season. I am a little bit worried for whatever that's worth. All right. Coming up next, Jim Harbaugh said basically everyone on the team stinks, except for the guy who threw four picks in the playoff game. It's crazy. We'll talk about it next.

Moving on to the Chargers, Justin Herbert's entering year six. And though he passes the eye test and the stat test and Danny Parkins on the herd earlier today, said he was better than Jaden, Daniels, and Jalen Hertz. He doesn't have a playoff win to his name. Luckily, said coach Jim Harbaugh knows why. Everybody else's fault. Take a listen. This is the truth.

Justin Herbert's biggest weakness is all of those that he's counting on on offense, coaches, offensive line, playmakers, receivers, running backs to get up to his level. Just the highest level. I mean, he's a quarterback in the first five seasons. Nobody's thrown for more yards in the history of the NFL. And everything he does is, you know, you just don't change the thing. Okay, so just again, in honor of Wilde's, you know, quarterback wins. There's Herbert against playoff teams.

one of these five is not like the other. Coach, I want to start with you. I think there's a fine line between building up your quarterback and denigrating the other 52 guys or the other 20-some guys on offense. What did you think of what Harbaugh said? I liked it. I think this is one of the things that Jim Hardball does better than anybody else.

So you've got a situation where your most important player had a terrible playoff game after having a great season. And then what does he do? He comes back and when everybody else is taking shots at him and questioning him, he has not only unquestioned confidence, but you can't get more effusive praise than what Jim just gave him. And Jim's been successful in college.

He's been successful in pro football. He's been a quarterback in the league. So from a legitimacy standpoint, he's got that legitimacy to add to the praise. So you've got the guy who could easily be insecure, could be losing confidence, that you need to be the most confident, and Jim just doubles down on it

and doubles down on it in a way filled with conviction that not many other coaches or people are going to praise someone with. Well, and I think what gives him covering it, because you're right. I mean, it was like you're downgrading your other players, but he included the coach and staff. Oh, yeah.

Everybody knows he thinks he is and is a great coach. so by throwing yourself in there, players can be like, you know, it's not like he was just saying, yeah, our receivers need to be better, our running backs need to be better, whatever. The thing, though, is that, and I don't,

I think he does really believe in Herbert, but it's, I don't, disingenuous, probably too strong, but he said so you don't change the thing, but except you did. Like when Herbert, when he took over, he took the ball to some degree out of Herbert's hands. Like, he threw the,

He actually did make him a game manager. Right, right. No, he was literally a game manager last year. And so, and the other thing is they don't have the other player. Like, obviously the defense is strong. The only receiver I think that's anything close to a top level receiver is Ladd McConkey. The running game should be good, but they just don't have the receivers for him to, I have this incredible statistical season.

But it's not for lack of trying. So here's my first. frustration because the last few years, almost every year, we would hear about the Chargers how stacked they were on paper. You know what I mean? About how talented of a roster they were. They were very often what the Broncos are this year, like the trendy pick to beat the win the AFC West.

And then at the end of the year, it would be, man, Justin Herbert needs more help. You know what I mean? But before the year was how talented they are. He will go into this season with all of a sudden the highest paid left tackle in football, Rishon Slater, a guy they must like a lot, number five overall pick at the other tackle position. A first rounder that they drafted at playing center, Mackay Beckton, who they took over from the Eagles at one of their guards. He will have at wide receiver, the 21st pick.

Quentin Johnson has not worked out. the 34th pick Ladd McConkey, who's excellent. They just spent another second round pick on a wide receiver and a first round pick on a running back to Butrus, the running game. And last year they had the number one scoring defense. And we all think Jim Harbaugh is an excellent coach. It's year six. With that situation, with that coach, with that, you know, much investment on players on the offense,

there has to be some results other than he has the most yards, because that's the thing everybody always mentions. And by the way, if we show where Herbert is across the league since he came into it, you know, over the last five years is, listen, the yards number jumps out and the touchdown interception number jumps out. The other numbers are more middling. You know what I mean? And the TV interception has dropped the last few years.

I mean, it was those first two years where he was $30 something. Well, it's weird. I mean, last year it was a great T.D. Interception ratio, but it was low, it was 20. Yeah, it was like 23 to 3. And then it was, well, unless you count the playoff game when you had four more. But so I just, nobody denies how talented he is. But when you are closer to 30 than to 20 and you're close, you know, midway to year 10, it's got to be at least partially about achievement, not just talent and ability.

Yeah, but this, again, was a new system for him last year, another change for him. And I think Greg Roman does a really good job. And Greg's very effective in the running game. There's going to be more of an emphasis on that. But now he's built up the offensive line. He's built up the running game. He's building from the inside out. And now what he's going to do is continually build up the quarterback.

So part of that is through the players they provide for him. And part of that is through the absolute confidence that Jim has in him. And it may seem disingenuous. But Jim believes what he says. Oh, I buy that. I buy the Jim believes it. I just, I struggle a lot across. sports with athletes who have these great regular seasons and then struggle mightily in the moments

that matter the most, which is a perfect segue to who we're talking about next. Lamar Jackson, who's the best player in the league, evidently. So we will discuss that next. Live from New York, this is a show that regrettably must issue an apology. A couple fact errors by me during Weird and Wonderful. Evidently, it's not called a jockey in carriage racing. That's first of all. Second of all, I don't know.

No way to tell. The guy Joker was hugging. Is that Aaron Gordon? But no, it was not Aaron Gordon, brew. But it was just a guy wearing a helmet and a whip, but it was not the guy who was riding the horse. So I got all that story wrong, except for Joker just loves carriage racing.

So my apologies, wild you can't get back soon enough. It's first things first. Coming up. My adult Slovenian son, no longer all that large. How dangerous is Skinny Luca? A topic that coach is dying to be involved in, but he is not. And Jayton Daniels wants no regrets in his career. Will coach regret jumping on his bandwagon?

But we start in Baltimore. Lamar Jackson was first team all pro, but finished second to Josh Allen and MVP voting and finished second to him in the AFC divisional round. Not bad, you feel like that. But that won't stop Derek Henry. from singing Lamar's praises, take a listen to King Henry. It's the best player in the league. And I know you use the word easy.

I kind of say the same things like watching the video game. You know, not being his teammate, you just see why he's so great. By the way he works, the work he put in and, you know, how much he hold his teammates accountable, man. And I kind of seen it first hand that Cincinnati game. You know, the game would just never hold. Shootout. Yeah, we'll be up. We'll be down by two touchdowns.

He'll bring us right back. just a hell of a player man and you know he's a two-time MVP for a reason. And so there's Lamar. The regular season numbers are in line with the greatest players in league history. The playoff numbers obviously not quite that.

Brew, what's on the line for your court? Now you never lived in Baltimore, right? My wife went to her residency in Baltimore. Yes. John Hopkins. Yeah. Her medical residence. My wife with her. My mom went to,

to Johns Hopkins. So yeah, maybe you know what? Maybe I can have that team too. My wife's from Baltimore. You're right. You went on your first date in Baltimore. We met with the first season.

The Ravens were ever in existence. You've been mean to the Ravens. I mean, it's really unbelievable. All our connections to Baltimore. Brew, what's on the line for your quarterback this season? The same thing that's on the line for him every year going forward that he doesn't win the Super Bowl.

First, reach it. Yeah. But ultimately, he's got to win it. and that is the level of his legacy. The level of his legacy. Just for emphasis. Brew thought that was a bar. There was definitely a bar.

Level of his legacy. Because his legacy, he's going to be a Hall of Famer. He's got the two MVP's, right? He's going to be viewed as like an somewhat all-time great quarterback. Iconic. Right? Iconic for sure. Change the game to a degree.

But if he wins a Super Bowl, I mean, honestly, with the way he's, like he's getting better every year with what he did last year. Like I think clearly top 10 all time is on the board, maybe top five. I mean, the way he's like last year, you can't really have a better season than he had, but he has to cap it off with the playoffs. You can't be the only two-time or multiple MVP winner without a Super Bowl. And you can't play, I don't know about your worst games, but you can't. drop off this much in the playoffs.

Even last year when he played well, second half he was great, but he hadn't turned the ball over all year. And then he has two in the big playoff game. So that, like, this is a compliment to him, though. I mean, LeBron was here, Michael Jordan was here, Peyton Manning was here. You know, the all-time greats,

this is what we expect. Like, you have to cap it off with the championship. And so it's a compliment, but he's also got to get it done. Yeah, the level of his legacy. You liked that. That really should have been a bar. Yeah. Is it Dan Marino or is it, does he win a Super Bowl?

And suddenly now we're talking about him versus Mahomes and who can win more rings. And every year we're having the same conversation and we're measuring his progress in terms of, okay, he beat Pittsburgh. You know, he finally got over the Pittsburgh comp. And then he finally, you know, in this last playoff run, it was really the tight end that had the drop at the end. And he could have easily won that game. But unfortunately, he hasn't. And so when you're a two-time MVP and really could have been a three-time MVP. A lot of people thought he was going to be.

And you can't seem to get over that hump. You're just, it's a discussion and an interesting topic every year until you make it something more meaningful. And listen, we have seen. like, Peyton Manning is the hope. Peyton Man, because Peyton, you know, Peyton, and by the way, and I've said this for, I'll say it again, Peyton Manning. Yeah, and Peyton, that is, you know, he had to deal with the Patriots, which is. Right.

Well, but so, but I, but I, but so I actually, I want to get to that because he doesn't really had to deal with the Chiefs. He's lost the Chiefs once in the playoffs. They haven't been good enough in the playoffs to get the privilege of playing the Chiefs. Like the, I was on Mina Kimes, my friend, but. hated rival, her podcast this weekend. And we got in an impromptu argument about the Ravens. And one of the things she said is Aaron Schatz, you know, who used to be with football

outsiders and created DVOA, which is kind of a catch-all team ranking, the two best teams of, I think, the last, since DVOA has existed the last 25 years, over a five-year stretch to not make a Super Bowl, are the last five-year. years Buffalo Bills in first place and the last five years Baltimore Ravens in second place. And she made the point. She's like, so that's really, you know, a compliment to Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reed. And I said, well, it is for Buffalo, but it's not for Baltimore. The chiefs have beaten Baltimore in the playoffs once.

They are not the 90s nicks to Michael Jordan. You know what I mean? Where it's just like every year we have a hard ceiling. And the reason I said the hope is Peyton Manning is because Peyton Manning, is because Peyton Manning did eventually get over the hump by winning, but Peyton Manning always struggled in the playoffs. Even when

they won, he struggled. That playoff run that they won the Super Bowl, Josh, fact-checked me on this because it's going to sound wrong. But I think in the playoff run, he had four touchdowns and seven picks when they won the Super Bowl. His first Super Bowl

within, and then of course the second one. And then with Denver, they were a great defense. But he was just in the mix enough that, you know, one of the years your defense's going to come up big. You're going to make a few big plays. But I am, I have been labeled, maybe fairly, I think unfairly, a Raventer Lamar hater, for just being right. And thus far up to this point, like, where is the line between the, the, the,

the hater and the person whose skepticism was proven correct because he has been over the, since he's come into the league, you can argue in the regular season, he's been better than Patrick. You could make the argument. You know what I mean? Like they have the same number of MVP's, but Patrick won his first one when Lamar, you know,

was not yet. Well, Lamar was in the league, but he wasn't. Right. Patrick's had Andy. Patrick's had Travis. You can argue in the regular season, he's been quarterback one. But when you then say in that same time frame in the playoffs, he hasn't been quarterback 10,

that's it is to me now too big of a sample to call it coincidental so that so that what i wanted to ask you before we move on is i agree with you entirely that he is truly s bob at least get there or whatever it is and we all agree if they do it and he pulls it off even if he doesn't play great if it's like the patent thing he's minted forever and you start you talking about like lamar versus drew breeze lamar ver you know what i mean those types of conversations The flip side is, what if it's deja vu for the third straight year? What if it's another? He could be MVP.

The Ravens have the best team. All of this. And then once again, you're not even that close. Then how do we talk about Lamar moving forward? That's my question. It's going to haunt him until he wins the Super Bowl. And look, I have not agreed with your James Harden take. I used to say, and I think rightly, that Lamar struggled in the playoffs because he was a running quarterback.

Wasn't a great passer and teams could focus on that in the playoffs. Now he is a great passer in the regular season. And so he's, but like coach said, he has gotten over some humps. He got over the Steelers hump. It's been slow progress the last couple years. He has played better in the playoffs. So, but he's got, it's going to, it is going to taint the regular season praise that he's, he gets to some degree until he wins the Super Bowl.

Yeah, and his own comments where he has said, and you appreciate the honesty, but where like he gets antsy was the word he used. And when he, he shouldn't say something like that. And when he offered up, man, I still remember losses from Pop Warner. Like those are usually parts of a personality that might lead to wanting something so bad that you can be your own worst enemy in the biggest spots. And so I'm just curious to see it because everybody thinks the Ravens roster is stacked. You know what I mean?

Everybody. And so they should be right there once again. All right. Coming up next, or not coming up next, moving on, sorry, to Miami. Tua had some comments about he and Tyreek needing to repair their relationship. Some people thought maybe he should keep that in-house who's, you know, making family business public, even though Tyreek really is first on that. to a clarified exactly what he meant, and he wasn't talking just for himself.

Take a listen. I don't feel it's me talking bad about my teammate. Kind of what you said, I'm just trying to hold him accountable because that's what we're trying to do with everybody on our team. And if this is what we say the standard is, then that's what the standard is. And nobody's exempt from it. All right, Brew. So the Miami Big Three, the coach, the quarterback, and the first ballot Hall of Fame or receiver, or maybe you go off the board. who's under the most pressure for them this year?

I would say Tua, just because, you know, we're still like, can you win in the cold? Can you beat good teams? You know, can you stay healthy? But he got his contract. He got the four-year, what, $212 million, whatever it was, contract. So he's going to be paid. The contracts, he's going to remain the starter as long as he's healthy.

So I'm going to say Mike McDaniel, because they were nine and eight the season before he got there. They've, you know, been to the playoffs, what, once since he got there. I think McDaniels twice. Twice. Okay. I think he's a really good coach. But at some point, you have to show the achievements and the accomplishments.

Last year they took a step back. But so I think McDaniel is on the hot seat where if they don't have a good year, maybe if they don't make the playoffs, he could lose his job. Tua is not losing his job. And I think the key for McDaniel is Tua, or a large part of it, being healthy. He's only played more than 13 games once in his five seasons. And he wins like 61% of his games. So if he's playing, they will win games. They'll beat the bad mediocre teams at least.

And so that's going to affect McDaniel. So I say McDaniel. And it's hard to really pinpoint it because Nick doesn't think the two is very good. He thinks he's got challenges. So obviously he can't be the issue. And then with Tyreek, Tyreek thinks, who was great because remember Tyreeks said that. But I think he's softened on that state's coach.

But he did at one point come on say it was, you know. He loved you. More accurate than Mahomes. More accurate than Holmes. And then in terms of the standard, what's the standard? What standard is he holding everybody to and who's setting that standard? And this is one of the difficulties of if you come into an environment and you want to go the player coach route and that's where you start. if suddenly you want to change directions and you're the fun uncle and then you want to be the disciplinarian,

it doesn't really work out because they did have a level of success and they had a level of success doing it that way. And now you're saying that way wasn't good enough. The players turn around and say, well, that doesn't make any sense. It's inconsistent with what you've been preaching. So I would lean more towards Mike McDaniel. But over his three years, he's had two out of three winning seasons. He's gone to the playoffs twice.

but it's been a very Miami-type rain where there's some excitement, but at the end of the day, it's just kind of not good enough. Listen, I think it's very clear Tyreeks under the least pressure because while I don't think a lot of his teammates

appreciated his comments at the end of the year, I do think a lot of his teammates probably were like, man, I wish I could have said that. You know what I mean? That I had the security and the money and the stature. Just be like, Man, this ain't it. I'm not doing.

Right, because I do think that there are, there probably is some lack of discipline and attention to detail in the, and we've seen some of the reporting on that, in the Dolphins locker room that comes from a place of players liking, but not at all fearing the head coach. You know what I mean? Which can be, it can work, but it can be problematic. And I also think the Tua stuff is interesting because, and I want to, I want to be very cautious with how I word this.

I feel like Tua played a foolish or reckless style last year, knowing what we know and knowing what he knows about the concussions and his injury history. And you know what I mean, the way he has to play. It felt like two years ago it was very clear he had been coached, you know, how to fall, don't take a hit. And that was, you know, it may be put a bit of a ceiling on. on them, but it did allow him to stay healthy, play, you know, play basically the full season, all of it.

Last year, it seemed like he had lost weight after gaining weight and played a more reckless style. And the play that he got hurt on was up. And it's, again, that's the reason I'm trying to be careful is it's the heat of the moment I understand. But it's, we all, it felt like if you remember watching it, we're not going to run the tape because it was, it was jarring. but you almost, I think those of us watching that play,

the moment he took off were like, oh, no. You know what I mean? Before he even got hit. And then when he came back, there were a couple times where it's like, what are you doing now? And he got away with it. And so I think Tua is in a very unique spot coach because I think he might have decided playing the cautious style,

I can't be as good as I need to be to be a great quarterback. But playing the reckless style, I don't think he's built to handle it. So I don't know what he can do. He's definitely not built to handle the reckless style. And just circling back to Mike McDaniel for a second, the previous administration was supposedly too hard. And Tua couldn't thrive in that environment.

And then Mike McDaniel comes in, and Tua has thrived in a lot of metrics. So I give him a lot of credit for that. So it's a difficult balancing act with all three of these. these situations because Tyreek wants the ball and he's going to be very demanding but he may not do the right thing all the time and then you've got the injury issue with Tua and then you've got the coaching of you know he responds well to one thing and doesn't respond very well to another thing but that may not be the best environment for the rest of the team to be as successful as they

could I I feel like they needed to the moment Tyreek said those things either make it clear he's not going to be on the team next year or make it it clear, we don't care at all. It was emotional as right after the, you know what I mean? Yeah, we moved on. They needed to either be like, ah, Tyreek being Tyreek. You know what I mean? Which maybe would have been letting him off the hook.

Maybe they shouldn't do that. But if you're not going to do that, then it needed to be like Peyton Manning with Mike Vanderjett. Idiot kicker, if he's on the team next year. Got liquor up. You know what I mean? But instead, you bring him back. He knows you need him.

And then, you know what I mean? And now there is this un- comfortability in the locker room. I just don't think it's... But I feel like Tuel was speaking for the whole locker room. I think you're probably right. And I appreciate

him kind of taking on a leadership role. I mean, he sounds like a real leader. And I feel like they've had conversations with other players and yeah, Tyreek said this and that. And he feels like look, I'm the quarterback. I'm going to step up and say something.

And I appreciate that. It's hard for me to accept that when they didn't like the last head coach who was there. who was very demanding, who held everybody accountable. And everybody said, hey, this is no good. This is no good. Brian Flores might have fought tighter. Yeah.

No, real stuff. Coming up next. Can't have it both ways. New look, Luca. Will this guy who's five-time first-team all-N-BA? Get all my thoughts. We'll be good again. Back here on first things first, talking Luca Donchich's diet.

Hubs edited my script to write Talking the Don's Diet. I'm not going to read that. Luke at Ancich been putting in the work this off season. The results are showing he's on the cover of Men's Health magazine looking, I'll be honest, phenomenal. That looks phenomenal. The question is, is that really Lucas Bond? What are you going to say? It's AI?

That's real. I'm just saying men's health. Men's health. Everybody looks good in men's health. Well, they only put good-looking people on the cover. The article says, in part, the NBA superstar has taken plenty of heat for his conditioning and physique over the years, but after a full summer of training and lots of protein, he's poised to take his game and the Lakers to another level.

Brew, you read the entire article, aside from the fake news in it that Luca had a 42-inch vertical at the combine, which is not correct. It's AI slop that the author got wrong. I saw that. I was like, well, look, the problem with this is this. Do you know what it was? Well, Luca didn't go to the combine. So that's the first piece.

I saw that and I was like. This is kids out there real quick. Lesson. If you Google, Luca Donchich Vertical, the first result is an AI overview that says Luca Donchich had a 42-inch vertical at the combine because AI doesn't know sports,

and it was Dante DiVincenzo. I guess they were like white guy with the chuh in his name. We're going to confuse it. But your biggest takeaway of the actual... And Luke actually says after that quote, I think my vertical's higher now. Right, which it might be. Right, right.

Higher now than it was. Hired in the 25, that it really was. My first thing, shout out to LeBron James. Wow, Brom's getting credit here. No, I mean, like, and I know in the articles, Danny Park is on the herd had me on earlier to say, oh, he thanked, he said MJ and Kobe were inspiration for him to work hard. But clearly, and this is what we both said when he went to the Lakers, he should benefit from playing with LeBron.

I think he looked at LeBron and said, okay, this guy's, got all the natural talent in the world. This guy's big and strong, naturally gifted, fat, you know, everything. And on top of that, he's not just doing the typical NBA workout. He is going above and beyond, and that's how he's become so great. I want to get there. I'm going to have to go above and beyond. He's doing two a days now overseas. So that's number one. I think the example LeBron set for him has really paid off for the Lakers and Luca. And two, the lake, if this is Luca, like if he does come back looking like he did in that magazine, in that kind of shape, the Lakers are a real threat.

I'm moving them up. Wow. And I know the tear is heavy because he's got OKC and Denver and Houston and Minnesota. Oh, in the same tier as those guys. Yes. Okay, wow. I see no reason assuming LeBron can still be even a top 12 player. Yeah.

And now he's in the top 10 somewhere. If he still plays very well and great, then why can't they? If Luca, Luca is great, period. Luca was great last year, overweight, coming off injury. Sad. Yes, he was sad. He was heartbroken to be traded.

He still was great. Not playing defense. If he's in this kind of shape and you did get DeAndre Aiton and Marcus Smart, look, when he's playing, lady's been good the last two years just been banged up. Oh, Mark is smart. Yeah, I just think they have enough where they have a legitimate

chance and Luca will be if Luca's better than ever, which he should be if this is true. Better than ever pretty unbelievable. I mean, don't you? Yeah, I mean that's the whole if he's in this kind of shape. So can I show you the quote that or the part of the article that I found most interesting? Yeah. So here

is, they were talked about he works out in the same gym in Slovenia every year and he goes back to it every year and they if we can put it up on the screen the facility which is located in the town where donchage has vacationed every summer since he was a team didn't have weights until earlier this month when he had dumbbells barbells and weight plates and med balls trucked in so here's my takeaway he hadn't lifted away it would not not in the summer he just balls you know what i mean so that it is obviously different body types but it's very kevin durantish which was durant you know i'm not

saying durant never lifts weights it's not the point i'm not taking a not I'm not knocking Duran. But his body hasn't changed much. And Duran, it was on the record a few years ago saying, like, listen, like, you know, we all, paraphrasing, we all only have so many hours in the day. I'd rather spend my time working on the court. And then he said he's like, you know, he's like, Braun spends all these hours in the gym working on his body. I want to work on my game. And that's, you know, that's a legitimate philosophy.

I'm not saying one's necessarily better than the other. But the fact that the gym, Luca goes to every summer, he was just there just actually playing basketball and training that way was noteworthy to me. You know that I think, I thought the narrative flipped too far in the negative direction on Luca. He did have, by his standard, to down-season. But one year ago today, nobody thought Anthony Edwards was better than him. Nobody thought Shea was better than him. And now it's, and now, and by the way, Ant has. a very, very good year.

Shea won the championship. Yeah, I think it's fair right now. It's fair now. But my point is, it was, what is now conventional wisdom was no one's opinion just one year ago. So it's like, okay, why did he have a down year? And it's like, oh, suffered the most major injury of his career and got traded. And maybe did he, after averaging 34, 9 and 10 making the finals, do you know what I mean?

And then going, like, kind of feel like. Rest on his laurels. Right. Just feel like, man. I got this. Yeah, maybe. So, but the idea that, like, we were post-prime Luca, I always thought was a vast overreaction.

No, and this will be, look, I've said his prime doesn't look like it'll be as long as everybody else's because of his body and things. But if this is, I mean, look, LeBron clearly lifts weights. Michael Jordan went face with all, you're right, with those Detroit piston teams he had to get past, started lifting weight. So I don't think that's a bad. Like, that's decades old, the notion that old basketball players lose their flexibility if they lift. No, he should be lifting.

He's already really strong. But look, if this is accurate, man, he is going to be a monster. This could be an MVP year for him. I have one other thing before we move on. There's one other thing in the story that I took note of. Can we put the quote on the screen dust? from Nikola Yokic to Patrick Mahomes to Shack. We've seen loads of evidence and like dominance comes to all shapes, sizes.

The board. Oh, really? They're saying Mahomes is fat. They are saying, they're saying like, hey, man's health. Hey, there's like no reason. Listen, Luca, it's fine. By their standards.

It's fine. The best quarterback in the world's fat compared him to Shaq. It's unbelievable. And listen, shout out to Joker, But Joker, we can't be comparing Mahomes' football physique, which is intentional padding to stay healthy. Phoenix Suns era Shaquille O'Neill. So men's health, you're on the board.

Yokic, though, that's not a bad. Yeah, well, Yokic now, Yokic four years. I don't know which Yokits they're comparing him to. All right, we'll move along, but that bothered me a bit. So men's healthier on the board. The board. You mentioned LeBron in that last segment. I liked it.

I was surprised by it. We're going to talk a little, LeBron, here. LeBron's future in LA has been a talking point since Lakers season ended. And this latest picture added a little fuel to the fire with Nicola Yochich's agent posting himself LeBron and Maverick Carter on a boat with the caption, the summer of 2025 is the perfect time to make plans for the fall of 2026. Brew, your reaction. I mean, I don't know if the agent is that good at trolling like that and put it out there.

We know LeBron is, so maybe LeBron gave him that. But look, the notion, like, yeah, theoretically, LeBron will be a free agent next year. Could he go play for Denver for the veterans minimum, mid-level exception, whatever they could give him? We know he likes playing with high IQ players. He probably love to play with Yolkage. But I don't think that's what this is about. I will be shocked if he ever plays on the same team as Nicola Yolkich. I think his buddy Maverick Carter, who was there, business manager,

he is starting this international league. This agent doesn't only have Luke or Yokic. He's got a ton of players in Europe. I think that's what this was about laying the groundwork for that league. And, you know, have a little fun by throwing some bread crumbs out there to people. So I remember fake news hat. The hat is fake. The news is real.

I can report unequivocally. The idea that this tweet or caption or Instagram caption was about LeBron playing on the Denver Nuggets next year is unequivocally 100% false. There is a 0% chance LeBron is on the Nuggets a year from now. That's not my opinion. I know that. So that's the first thing. The second thing is this, because Brew, you nailed it. oddly, and this is probably not happened to LeBron

five times in his life, I think he was not the subject of the Instagram post. I think Maverick was. I think now LeBron made it pop the way he did. But if he helped out his buddy. If Joker's agent was planning anything, again, now this I'm not reporting, this is my raw speculation, but Maverick, who's one of the sharpest business minds in sports

and is very serious about this F1-style traveling league, which would, again, I am probably not doing it justice to describe it like that. It wouldn't be a league that's like trying to be in direct competition with the NBA because it would be a different type of thing. That man on that boat represents most of Eurobasket essentially, and a lot of international players and I think he has Zubots he has some other NBA guys

now the the spiciest question is were they talking about all of that and were they talking about someone on that you know someone not on the boat playing in that league but someone related to someone on the boat playing in the league in Joker

is a few years from now and again I'm just throwing this out there You saw how Happy Joker was with hanging out with his horses. Like if he has accomplished all he could accomplish in the NBA and doesn't want eight months of the year to be in Denver and would rather have a lighter schedule. And because the timeline of this potential league, it sure lines up with the kind of Twilight of Yokic's career

more than Braun, who, you know what I mean, is already near the end. So that to me is what this. I don't think it's nothing. And I do think it's a real thing that we will refer back to, but it is not about LeBron being a nugget, even though that'd be pretty awesome. He'd be, he'd be killed for it.

Fake ring. Everybody would call it the fakesest ring that ever did. I mean, if LeBron, and I agree with you, like I said, I'd be shocked if he ever played with Yokic. But if he did go, like let's say after this season, they go out in the conference finals, whatever. And he goes to play with Yokic on a vet, minimum. I almost think, I think

the only way it can happen is if LeBron wasn't even like thinking about a ring. Yeah, he might have got a ring. Right. But you know, I'm going here to have fun. I love to ski, but it's not going to, it's not going to happen. All right, coming up next,

Bruce's worst nightmare. Rock Bernie, is he not a top 100 player? The top 100 list making Bruce sweat a bit. Matthew Stafford, latest quarterback to be showcasing the top 100 coming in at number 59. All right.

So I cooked this up, Brew, and I think you will find this totally fair. Okay? Yep. So here is the list. Sounds like a fed up. The top lines are the ones we know. The six quarterbacks already on the list. The middle group, I think we have no disagreement on.

Those guys 100% will be on the list. Mahomes, Alan Lamar, Burrow, Hurts, Jaden Baker, golf. The getting nervous area are the four quarterbacks who I think have a, like, could be on, should be on, might be on, but have not yet been named.

And Stroud, Herbert, Gino Purdy. So let's just pick a name out of a hat. Brockford. Brew, are you starting to get nervous? Nervous. Furrow.

Worried. I ain't worried. I'm terrified. He's the best. Brock ain't on it. I'm sorry. Oh, you think he's not on. I don't know.

Here's the deal. He's the best. I mean, I don't, I, staff, here's the only hope I think for Purdy. And any of the, I'm worried about CJ and Gino, I definitely don't think. At this point, listen, let me tell you, at this point, I don't think Gino's on it. Yeah. And I think CJ could be off. Well, that's why I put CJ in the getting nervous cap.

I had been including CJ in the he's definitely going to be on it. But see, like, I think people like Stafford. You know what I mean? Right. I agree. Here's the thing. They vote in December, right? Yeah.

And Stafford wasn't, you know, he was playing okay at that point. So maybe, I mean, I think there's still hope for Per. I thought he'd be in the 50s coach. Yeah. So he might get on. But I know how much people love Stafford, particularly the men. median pundits. Well, and players, too.

And it's a player's low. Yeah, and that's what, so I'm surprised. Yeah, I, I, I, it's hard for me. I think Purdy should be on it. I think in the 50s is fair. But it's hard for me to think they put him above Stafford. And just for note on CJ, he was 20 last year. So to go from 20 to off to me would be that white the fall.

Especially when you still made the playoffs. Right. But like you said, because he won the playoff game, but they vote. Right. before that so he doesn't get the boost from that. Yeah, I told, Coach, I told Brew, I was once Jordan Love showed up, I said I would be nervous a little bit if I were Brew just because I think, I think Jordan Love, right or wrong, is held in slightly higher regard than Brock.

And so Jordan being at 68 made me think Brock might not be on it. I know Stafford's held in higher regard than Brock. And even though Stafford didn't have a great year last year, it was better than Brock. So I think Brock's not going to be on this list. Yeah, as scientific as this process is, I mean, this is definitely the list that we should be going on. I made the mistake of thinking that this list was voted on recently, like after Brock got his contract.

So my stance was if that was the case, then I would imagine Brock would be in the top 50s. Wow. He would not only be on the list, but the over under, he'd be under. he'd be under 50. And I still, I still think that collectively people have a higher regard for Brock Purdy

and definitely you have. And maybe I have, but I would imagine he's going to be still on the list and I think he's going to be in the top 50. I mean, so here's the thing. It's either this is kind of fun for the show because Bruce, one of, we are, if Brock had come in it,

74. Neither one of us is really right or wrong. But if Brock comes in higher than Matt Stafford, then that is great for Chris Broussard. And if Brock comes in lower than

Tua and off the list entirely, again, it's pretty good for me. I would imagine the next... Where was he last year? Does anybody know Brock's... I do. I had it, but I don't remember. I was... I'm not sure. I thought it was...

28 or 40. Say it again. 28. He was 28 last year. Oh, I feel good about my top. I mean, so the next name, and I also, Herbert's got to be on there, right?

Yeah, I do think Herbert is, it should be on your getting nervous list, but I think he'll be on it. I mean, yeah. But this is also disrespectful to my guy Stafford. I hate this list. I also love it so much. It's so good for July,

and the fact that they're now releasing two names a day for like 50 days It's just I got to give credit words too. It's great for the take game. Coming up next, we have a Kevin Wilde's tweet in Weird and Wonderful. It's worth it. Next, first thing is first.

All right, ending with one of America's teams, Jacksonville Jaguars, rookie Travis Hunter, working double time, played 36 offensive snaps and 47 defensive snaps with the first four training camp practices, 11-11. Coach, throwing you a curveball. What does he get first? A receiving touchdown, interception. He gets a receiving touchdown first. Wow. Simple as that. I think they're going to

design some plays for him early on. They're going to not only design it, but get him the ball, force the ball to him early. Brew? I do agree with that. I definitely think it's a touchdown coming first. It's just so much, not that it's easy, but easier, I think, than getting an intercept. What if he gets a touchdown and interception on the same play? Pick six first play. Get Trevor a lead? All of a sudden Trevor doesn't have to do it all himself. The new prince that was promise. Exactly right. Oh, my goodness.

All right. Thanks for joining us. Wilde will be back tomorrow. Thankfully, Coach will as well.