First Things First - HIGHLIGHT: Broussard's Under Duress List | AFC QB expectations

Episode Date: August 1, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Who does Chris Broussard believe is under duress this week? Check out the latest BUD List to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for the most motivational segment in all of sports. Also time where we read some viewer mail. This time, Christina's work from home, so I had to go to the post office because my kids are at camp. I'm banging out a real letter a day. Every morning, I get up and write a letter. All right. And I receive them as well. Dear Wilds, love the show.

Oh, thanks. But I think you dropped the ball. Now I'm like the theater. Been watching the bear. When you discuss Skinny Luca. on the cover of men's health. You should have brought in the one guy on the show who literally trains for bodybuilding competitions.

Cheers, Dawn. No, it's not you, Coach. It's, I assume, Dawn is referring to our other analyst, Greg Jennings. Wow, wasn't a surprise. Howboy Brew on the cover of men's health. There you go. It's accurate.

No, it's not. Your head is too low on your neck. All right. Let's get to it. At number three, all QBs, by the way. All QBs. Aaron Rogers. Now, I like Aaron Rogers. Despite all his lightning rod, you know, comments and stuff like that.

I'm not one. I'm kind of indifferent toward him, really. I don't love him. I don't dislike him. I don't pull for him. I don't pull against it. Right. However, that said,

I would love it for him to turn back the clock. Not even to the MVP forum because that's virtually impossible. But just be good this year and make the Steelers a legitimate contender. That storyline is delicious. So that's what I want to see. I would love to see it. And here's the thing. Think about it.

If you're Aaron Rogers, this is what's great, coach. in Pittsburgh, and Nick got mad at me, but he knows it's true. It's really not even S-Bob. Sure, they are a historically great franchise. They have six Super Bowls. They really do won a Super Bowl, of course. But if they would be honest, deep down inside, just one playoff win. It's been how many years since they got one?

Just one playoff win would make this season a success for Aaron Rogers. And here's the deal. They have the squad to get that one win. They could get 10 wins with Mike Tomlin and Kevin Wiles being quarterback. Wow, thanks. All right.

And they have the defense. They added Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slayin. You know, they got some very good defensive players. They got a running game. They got D.K. Metcalfe at receiver. They got a hot young guy. He's a Calvin Austin that people are raving about. So they got the two tight ears now with John News Smith added.

So the question really is, Is the quarterback up to the task? That is what it is. And we are going to find that out. Aaron Rogers, I actually am starting to believe that you can get this to the team to the playoffs. And if you get the right draw, it has to be the AFC South.

They're not going to win the division. So it has to be the AFC South, right? You don't want to play the Chiefs, the Ravens, or the Bills in the first round. So Aaron Rogers, I'm starting to believe a little bit. Right. I'm starting to believe. Motivational.

At number two. Patrick Mahomes. This is, Nick. Good job, bro. It just is what it is. Now, Patrick, I'm flattered. Nick might get mad at this. I'm flattered that you have adopted the light show language.

Because I believe I was the first one to say that. True. On our show, I said I want to say the light show years ago. You be the first one to upset everything. I think though I was. I'm dead serious. I think I was the first one to say the light show. Nick only started using it after Patrick used it.

I don't, I mean, I really think I was. I don't want to be. Because I was looking for the, how to describe what we used to see. Light Show came to mind. I wasn't overly pleased with it. But I threw it out there. It was all I could think of. I'm not positive, okay.

But you think, you think, probably. I think he did it. More than 50. I really think. I think so. You think it was you? It wasn't you. Dustin Padroia was at, hey,

doing an interview after a little bit of a slump, I think. And he's like, if I get those fastballs, then what happens? He'd say what? He goes, I think he might say Laser Show or Light Show.

And I believe I adopted it. Laser Show is what you adopted. Light Show is what people have used for millennia. Yeah. To describe the Chiefs? No, I had never heard anything said it. Thank you, Coach.

I can describe it. I think I did it. I think you're trying to steal my thunder. Anyway, anyway, here's the deal, Patrick. I want to see the light show. Okay. I want to see the light show. You've always said that.

And look, I get it. Winning is most important, and that's what you do. Your play in the playoffs is great. Your situational play is fantastic. That's what's most important. I get it. I just think. I mean, I'm the first guy that called you Jordaness.

That's true. I'm the first guy that said you were the best ever. That is not true. Checks.I.com. All right. Checksci.com. All right. And it's literally a headline.

Bruce Arn says he's the greatest quarterback we've ever seen. I just think you're too good for a 93 passer rating. I think that's fair. And 4,000-ish yards and 20-something T-Ds. I think you're too good for that. And at least if you're healthy, Nick is raving about your offensive line. Yeah.

Best offensive line you've had in a while. You got the receivers, if healthy, I'll give you that. And you have the motivation. Madden making you the fourth best quarterback in the league. I mean, the disrespect. So Patrick, you know I believe in you. Go out there and get it done. All right.

At number one, that's right. The trumpets. The bugles, whatever they are. Trevor Lawrence, aka the Prince. And I had to throw A.K.A. the Prince in there. Look, Trevor, you can thank your buddy Nick Wright for this one. Okay. Because Nick, yes, was it yesterday earlier this week, put an absolute bull's eye on your chest?

Yikes. It was like saying if LeBron isn't all NBA this year, I'm going to stop calling him to go. If Luca doesn't win MVP this year, I'm going to stop calling him my large Slovenian adult son. He said if you don't outplay C.J. Stroud this year, he will stop calling you the prince. I did. I had to put you on the bud list after that. Because here's the deal, Trevor.

You haven't outplayed C.J. Stroud since you guys were going to study hall on your college campus. But he did then. Then Nick is into the high pop Warner stats and on. Look at this graphic. I think body's between. This is the career comparison of. Oh, career. of CJ and Trevor.

CJ's got him in everything. Not wins. Well, yeah, wins. Winning percentage. Touchdown to the interception ratio. Completion percentage is the one that's close. Everything else is CJ. So look, Trevor, I do like you.

I do like you a lot. I hope you can keep your nickname. But I got to be honest, I'm not very confident that you're going to outplay C.J. Strout. But hey, go out there. and prove me wrong. Okay. There's the Bud List.

There's just no, there is no preseason for you. You just, you just rolled. First guy is that Aaron Rogers is delicious. And then it's the light show. Well, that's right.

And it's the story. Coach. The story line. Together on your study hall on your college champion. And it's like gem after gem after gem. Creativity. And I had a little,

I had a little hurt feelings last time we did the butt list because he said I mailed it in. So I don't want to mail it in today. I'm going with a radically different type of quarterback. I'm going with Trey Lance, who's playing tonight. And here's why. Number three overall draft. Obviously, been an extremely disappointing career.

Lance Lance Revolution is funny. Oh, that's all. I was laughing at the bar. The bar is next thing. Go ahead. So what I love about this situation right now is that he's going to have the opportunity to start, and he's going to start and start and grow. Greg Roman system.

And I was in San Francisco when Greg had Colin Kaepernick. I think there's some similarities between those two players' strengths. And the fact that those two guys are together now and then he's also got Jim Harbaugh. And we know how Jim is so good about pumping up and creating confidence in his quarterback. I think that's going to help a lot too. This is a team that gave him $2 million when probably nobody else would. So there is some faith in his ability to do it. So he's only had the opportunity to start five games in his career, which is amazing considering where he was drafted.

It's been very disappointing. But now he is in a great situation, in a great system with people who I think are really going to give him the best opportunity to maximize his abilities. So now he goes out. He has a chance to play tonight. This isn't a Super Bowl. This isn't a regular season game. But it's another step in what hopefully is him reclaiming his career. I agree, coach.

I said it the other day. I think the Chargers is a great place for him with roaming there, with, you know, Harbaugh wanting to run in a running quarterback. Here's the thing, though. So do you think this is a Sam Darnold situation? Obviously, he's not the future with the Chargers. So do you think this is he learns some things? He gets his reputation back.

Yeah. And then maybe he can go somewhere else? I think this is a situation where they're going to maximize his strengths. He's going to, they're going to have the. absolute confidence in his ability to be successful. They've been successful with a player who had similar, a similar skill set. And, and, you know, it's a package for it. It could, there could definitely be a package because that's what they did with Colin before he was a starter.

They'd roll him out every now and then. And I know Nick loves to go back to college and high school and all that stuff. He was, when he started in college, he was undefeated. He was 19 and 0. Very good running the ball. There's, there was a lot there for him to get drafted where he was. And I just hope that this pairing gives him a chance to hopefully springboard back into contention. Nick certainly wants it. Yeah, of course.

Yeah, well, you know, I just, I just said that somebody that any quarterback could take the Niners to Super Bowl and then literally and you did. KW. Well, we've had an excellent Bud list. Time to go and pull over on the rest area. Oh. Run to the bathroom. Get yourself some snacks as we go to the sports media ombudsman. It's just sports media on budsmen.

We didn't take a rest area. Yep. Get back. I didn't even do that thing that you didn't, because you didn't like the money. So here's the deal, America. Sports Media Ombudsman is not a job

that I covet. It's a job I do because the sports media landscape deserves it. And you know what we like? We like results. Oh, that's cool. So something we rarely do, bro.

Quick look back. Last week, Sports Media, Ombudsman, we said, hey, training camp reporters, getting carted off is not the same as hopped in the front seat of the cart and went to the locker room. DeWan Jones, Browns fans, not a lot of good news.

You probably, if not for the sports media and buzzman, you'd have been terrified. Instead, got a front cart ride. It was a road shotgun. Juan Jones got a front seat ride. That's all thanks to sports media on budsmen, 100%. Affecting change. It's like real journalism. In the sports media landscape.

Thank me later. And that's what I will also say to this week's. Uh-oh. Now we're going internal person, which is Kevin Wilde. When he runs out of ideas. Who I didn't know. I had plenty of options. Well, because I kept on pitching several great sports media ombudsman topics to him.

He said, I got it all taken care of it. One of his best friends is being misquoted 100% wrong in Darry. He's like, I'm good. Yeah, because I, as much as I love Darryor Mory and as much as I thought about trying to shine a positive spotlight and what Danny's doing on the radio in Chicago. Oh, yeah. Danny's doing a 24-hour radio pond. Want to get that a little fun?

As much as I love those people, I love this show more. And this, you are, some would say, the critical piece of it. Which is why I'm so afraid you're doomed to repeat history. Oh, my. Because if people don't know, Kevin Wilde's probably most famous take ever is no one's beating Denver in a seven-game series. You don't have to take my word for it. Brew, you don't follow him on Twitter,

but he tweeted it 22 times over the courts of a series. Did I really? 22. They're all up there. It did catch on. Since he tweeted that, they have won two total series and they've lost two total series. And this was on the, because they were the defending champion, though. And it was on the heels of him falling in love

with a different champion and bringing a reindeer out here. And then the reindeer's, you know, antlers fell off in front of us. And then he did it again. Then he did it again with Boston, and it just is what it is. All year long, nobody's been Boston, Ben Bigger's Slice, Saddle Pie, all this stuff, and now all of a sudden, Tadam's got blown Achilles, they're down 3-1 to the next old thing's disaster.

And now-you-do. All right, we're supposed to know Porzzygis because I'm mystery. Storyline materialized. And now, Brew, you don't follow Wilds on Twitter, but he's got a new thing. Is it E-E-E-S? Which is his new version of no-one's meeting Denver in a seven-game series, which is 50 days until kickoff.

Today, dozens of the world's best quarterbacks wake up early, hit the gym, study tape and spend time away from their family so that come February, the blood, sweat, and tears all pay off, and they can finally have a resume slightly worse than Jalen Hertz. And then 40. You know what we just fly through it.

And then 40 days in the same thing and then 35 days in the same thing. Now, forget the fact that it's factually inaccurate. What's inaccurate? Well, let's just take the... We not have 35? No, no. Josh?

Let's just, well, let's just, I'll explain it. The quarterback's most likely to win the Super Bowl if it's not him. Like say Josh Allen. Josh Allen wins the Super Bowl. He has a slightly worse resume in Jalen Hurts? Of course not. Joe Burrow, of course not. Lamar, of course not.

Patrick, of course not. Stafford, golf, of course not. So it's not true. But it's more important than that is you are just dug in. As evidenced by one of the most shocking moments, Yeah, well, golf will have won a Super Bowl and been to a Super Bowl just like Jalen. Neither has won MVP. That wouldn't be a worst resume.

You a Super Bowl MVP? Well, in this hypothetical world, yes. So, and it all culminated in a really shocking moment yesterday. We can run the tape when Brew said Andy reads better than Nick Siriani, obviously. And watch Wild America. This is, this is, what are you going on? This is not. Look at how mad he gets.

Look at all K-W. Look at it. He's just getting mad. and matter and matter for no reason. We, I want what's best for you, this is not right. I'm just telling you,

we want what that. This is not. You don't need to do this. You don't need to Photoshop. I didn't know. You really weren't that right. I'm not that right. You couldn't tell, but we did.

We did. We were all gas. Is he about to blow me? We added the fire, but the face. We didn't touch the face. What about the smoke? I'm not sure. But that's all.

I'm just worried you're going to make the same mistake you've made in the NBA and the NFL. All I was doing, and I'm just counting down to the NFL kickoff. I think people are excited about it. And I didn't say he's going to have a better resume than every single. You said slightly worse resume.

Yeah, but I didn't say, I said dozens of the leagues of the world's best quarterbacks. Well, I have a special carve out there for Lamar Jackson. I have a special carve out there for Patrick Malmes. And Josh Allen and Joe Burrow and Jared Gough. And dozens is 24 at least. Yeah, I mean. I'm good with what I said.

I don't need you to put words in my mouth. What Joe Burrow? Joe Burrow. Maybe. Joe Burrow wins the Super Bowl this year. He has a worse resume than Jalen Hertz. I don't know if he's going to win a Super Bowl MVP? Probably.

Quarterbacks usually do. Is the league getting together, having meetings saying, hey, this guy is so good. Do you remember what we did what the NCAA did to current at that point Lou Alcindor tried to ban dunking let's do that let's do that we can't stop them I've got an idea let's change the rules to limit his greatness your point good and guess what that's how why Lou Elcinder develops the hook shot and he made him even better so I don't know what Jalen Hertz is gonna do once they ban the push push now I am what no that's my other thing that's

upset alert sorry I'm just adding Cam Ward oh That's the guy. Oh, yeah. This is pure motivation. Okay. This is pure motivation. And I know you look at me if you don't know me. You say, oh, that's like a guy who's pushing 50, a white guy from Connecticut.

He probably doesn't seem like the guy who just says bars all the time. It's not really in my vernacular. Problem is, every time Cam Ward talks, I just want to say bars. Take a listen. I've grown up, watched my dad, wake up at 4.30, doing it. on the job he didn't like. So, you know, if I can't wake up early and do what I need to do for a job, I do like I shouldn't be playing football.

Bars. Every single thing he says. Definitely bars. Here's Cam Warren on the Titans offense. I just think we're very mid right now. Hubs love this one. And it's like, oh, you're pointing the finger? No.

From my position to up front to the receiver's position, at the end of the day, it all starts with me. Everything this guy says is franchise. changing force multiplying. Here's the thing, Cam, because I'm all motivational. Mid? Last three years. 29th and points, 30th and total yards. Passing or 20.

Mid, pretty solid. That's major improved. You know who was mid last year? 16th? Steelers, 15th most points? The Chiefs. You get to the Super Bowl being a slightly event. Better than mid.

But he does have high expectations. Coach, I know you love reviewing tape of just like solid, you know, game plays and schemes. When you listen to Cam Ward, I'd like to give you an assignment. Listen to Cam Ward. The guy is saying everything like he's a motivational speaker, but it's not fake. He's not even trying to like pump people up. It's just who he is.

It's why I'm a Cam Ward guy, bars. I'm excited to see him. Well, we've heard about his character, his leadership. I got me, coach. I really like that comment by him. At first I thought. his dad or about the mid. Him saying like I thought he was

well that dad that was great too of course but at first I thought a rookie saying their mid I don't know how that but then the way he like he the fact that he had the guts to say of course himself but other positions like as a rookie to me that shows

a guy that's a real leader would would you agree with that? Yeah it's it's him pointing at himself and him also acknowledging like we need to collectively get better and he's willing to assert himself in that role after being there for such a short amount of time that takes a little bit of strength of character. True story as we were prepping this segment.

There were so many good T.M. Word quotes, Dusty and I didn't know what to do. So we just picked that one about waking up early. They also produced to spend a lot of time making this. You know what? Wow. I do need to calm it out. I'm loyal to too, but man. That can't be the real color.

He really was that.