First Things First - Jalen Hurts chance at another Super Bowl, BUD List, Does Rashee Rice change Chiefs offense?

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Rashee Rice is expected to play first 4 games of NFL season / Could Patrick Mahomes lose his ranking as the #1 QB in the NFL? (22:50) More likely that Jalen Hurts wins another Super Bowl or never wins one again? / Does Dallas have any justification for how they are handling the Micah Parsons’ contract? (38:43) Bengals get into scuffle after Shemar Stewart bumps Joe Burrow (43:56) BUD List (1:04:58) NFL Ceiling or Floor? (1:19:29) Like Cam Ward’s comments about the Titans offense? (1:24:19) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York. It's a show that's currently turning off their phone. Why you got your phone in your head? Because I was late. I'm turning it off. What are you doing? You get mad at me when I play with my phone. Because you're trading stocks during the show.

He's not. I don't believe that. I was only one. I'm looking over at him. And if the stock market is down, I take note of it that he's going to be grumpy the next day. Really? Brews over there day trade?

He's making stuff up. He's making stuff. I mean, I'll check it here in there. I'm not trading. I had no idea. Yes. Check it every now. I'll give it a look.

And if it's green, I'm like, oh, this thing is going to be great. But if it's red, I had no idea. Wow. Yeah, you've got to be careful. First hour at first things first. Today, Jaylon Hurts, confident he can win another Super Bowl. And the one graphic that I will show that will make you say, fuck Wilds, I didn't think about it that way.

Meanwhile, Reports out of Kansas City. This training camp has set the foundation for Mahomes to reach yet another level. Think you can one day be as good as Josh Allen. Time will tell. And finally, well, it's the most motivational segment in all of sports. It's the Bud List. Excited for this one alongside Nick Redham, Kevin Wilde.

You were a little bit nervous over by the water cooler because you said you were running late. you weren't prepped or what happened? No, I'm pre- I was running a little late today, but I'm here on time. Okay, he said when the red lights on, he's gonna be great. But this budlis. He did spend, I will say,

and I have infinite faith in your group, a lot of time down on the floor. You were at a coffee shop or something. I, of course, was at work. Yeah. Brew was hanging out on our floor for a long time. We were around a little while. First time with us.

I was like, this is usually brew in the lab prep time. Yesterday we had a meeting. Today, he was changing. chatting with Zach. I was a little nervous. If it's a bad day, we're blaming Zach. You hear that?

I'm blaming you. I think that's just our blanket. We're starting with Rishi Rice's availability. Report from Schefter. Ritchie will be available for the first four games since his disciplinary hearing is set for late September. We're going to take a look at the chief schedule. First four games, kind of tough against the Chargers in Rio. Then it's a Super Bowl matchup.

Excuse me, Super Bowl rematch in Arrowhead. Then the Frisky Giants. in New York and then back home against the Ravens, which will be on sandwich watch for. Nick, what does this mean for Kansas City? All right, so I want to address two things here. First one is, honestly, I do think this is ideal for the Chiefs to be able to have their full complement of guys to start the season

because he's going to get suspended. We all know he's going to get suspended. I think a fair estimate is a minimum. of four. I don't know what the maximum is. I think my money would be on somewhere from four to six games. I think that seems reasonable. I think anything less than four people would be upset about. Anything more than eight, I think, would be given the NFL's precedent on other suspensions too much. So I think somewhere in that four to six range. The reason that I'm happy as a chiefs fan that he is available for the beginning of the season is because it allows you to start

the year in theory with your full compliment of guys, get rolling, and then kind of treat this like, oh, he pulled a hamstring and he's out four to six weeks as teams deal with, as opposed to you start the year minus your number one receiver, and then he, you know, you get whatever rhythm you have with Xavier Worthy, then he comes back. Now, if it is a, if I'm wrong about the time of the suspension, if it's 12 games, then you'd rather start as early. as possible. You know what I mean? Rather than it basically he's out for the entirety of the regular season. I know

there is some, you know, it's like oh wow, the Chief's opening four is really tough. The next five is just as tough. So like if you look at it, and we can argue about, you know, what's more important. But this is, you know, divisional, tough divisional game,

Super Bowl rematch, a game the big favorites in, and then one of the top AFC contenders in the Ravens. But then if you look at next group of games. So say the Jags take place of the Giants there, which, you know, even though I think the Jags will be better. The Lions are different super tough in AFC contender. The Raiders are a divisional matchup and then an NFC championship opponent. And to me, the Ravens Bill's games are kind of equivalent in difficulty, except the Ravens games in Kansas City and

the Buffalo game is in Buffalo. And so I, there is not an easy stretch for the Chiefs in the first 10. He's now going to miss. It looks like the latter half of the first 10. first 10 rather than the front half of the first. You could see six and four there, Brew, pretty easy. I'm not saying, I'm not saying it's going to happen, but you can see that every year, and then they're nine and one. I mean, every year the chiefs have one of the hardest schedules. Yeah, they always don't have the tough schedule.

And then there's eight and two or nine and one after the first 10. I completely disagree with you. Wow. I do agree to it. I think it'll be four to six games, but I would rather have him miss Rishi Rice, the first four. games or six games, whatever it is. And then once he gets back, we have the rest of the season to work him in. He gets his rhythm.

Like now he's going to play the first four games and then his rhythm's going to be broken, you know, for six weeks, whatever it ends up being. So that's the first reason I don't like it for the Chiefs. Secondly, and you're right, the schedule is always tough for the Chiefs. But if you beat Baltimore and Philadelphia without. your number one receiver. Now they really, you've gotten in their heads just a little bit more. You know, like if they played them without Rashid and still beat them, which is possible,

now it's like if you meet them in the playoffs or postseason, if it were Philly, now they're like, well, we got to deal with this guy. Doesn't that apply for the Buffalo game though as well? It does. But Buffalo's beating them in the regular season and it hadn't mattered in the postseason. And then I also think if I'm. I'm Baltimore or Philly, and I want to see the chief's hole with Rishie early on. So then if we meet them in the playoffs, it's like, okay, I know how to deal with Worthy and

Rashid and Kelsey. Whereas if Rishie's not there, okay, we did fine against Kelsey and worthy, but now we got to worry about Rishie right. So if I'm the chiefs, I would prefer that he be suspended at the get-go. Before we move on, can I address the other thing I wanted to do real quick? because your buddy, Mr. Schedule Rest. Is that his thing, Warren Sharp's name? Oh, yeah, I love Warren Sharp's schedule.

Yeah, and my buddy, C. Marys of the Ringer, already, it has to be football season. People are already like, wow, league office, sure, cutting the Chiefs a break, and starting with the, and the, wow, the other piece of it was they put this hearing when they did because the league wants the Chief's hole for these big nationally televised games. If we can put that schedule back up real quick, here's the thing about the Chief's schedule. They have more national TV games than the AFC South cumulatively.

So, yes, it is true that he is now available for the YouTube game week one, the huge Fox game week two, Sunday night football and the huge CVS game. The thing is every one of their first 10 games is a standalone national game. game except for week seven against the Raiders. Are you saying that there is a contingent of people on the internet that are saying that this suspension is? The timing of the, no, not a contingent of people, some of our favorite football minds. Your guy Warren Sharp is saying that the timing of this is a favor to either the chiefs

or the NFL's television partners because of the marquee schedule early on. I'm with how often. I don't agree with that. but why, it doesn't make sense to me. She Rice is on. Why does the hearing have to be so late? I mean,

I think typically when you have a hearing, it's 60 to 90 days after the case is adjudicated, and this is 75 days after the case has been adjudicated. So that piece of it, like Jordan Addison, there is no hearing. It was a DUI-E-plud, you know what I mean? This is a more gray area piece of it, which is why they have to have the hearing.

If Mahomes is there, it's still box. office. Yeah, that's that's the other piece of it. I don't think that I don't think we saw as much as I like Rashid Rice. I don't think he's a ratings needle mover. And I just I I just I've all and he's been gone for so long. Exactly. Like a lot of people don't even. Many times on this show, we've requested that Mahomes bring back the light show. Really dusty has been carrying the torch on that. Well, that might be the plan according to Nate Taylor of ESPN who has a new article out of Chief's camp. He's writing Chiefs hope this year's camp will be the first. foundation and perhaps the launching point, bro, for Mahomes' performance this season to reach yet another elevated level,

one that will lift the offense to become more dynamic and feared by opposing defenses again. Wow. Okay. So is Patrick's number one QB spot in jeopardy? Kind of a twist of a question. Well, look, Mahomes, I've said he's a top two quarterback already behind Brady. but I'll say for those he's top three clearly all right with Joe Montana so he's already top three with what he's done to this point

and Lamar or Josh or Joe Burrow winning the Super Bowl this year is not going to put them ahead of him historically so he will still be like historically ahead of anybody else in the league even if you think he's not the best and look Brady the goat was only first team all

pro three times in his career. There were good stretches of his career where he was not viewed as the best quarterback in the league. It was Peyton or it was Rogers. Do you think he wasn't? There were big stretches where people thought

he didn't have the best season, but they still viewed Brady. I thought Brady Post-07 was considered the best quarterback in football. Early on, he certainly wasn't the best. But remember, he did go a decade. Like, what he did with Moss in 2007 was that kind of took him to, okay, he's the best part of neglect.

But I don't think every year from that point on, I think some people still thought Peyton. I mean, I know politely, there was a lot of controversies around Tom Brady that people would try to poke at him. Oh, yeah. So that was also defle. That was also hurting his reputation and he had a little chip on his shoulder, but that is, it's not just all wrong. Yeah. So I don't think because of Mahone's historical greatness, it's like, and to be viewed as the goat,

he has to be like every year he played, he was the best quarterback in the league. But so if this year, let's say he has a similar type of season, but if they get to the Super Bowl and he still has a 93 pass or rating or whatever, he still got to be viewed as the best. One caveat, I guess,

is if Jalen Hertz were to beat him again in the Super Bowl, and beat the Super Bowl MVP and Jail him gets. Then we're going to be saying Jaylin is the best quarterback in the league. That's fair. I mean, that part, go ahead. But for Lamar, for the other three in the top four, they're going to have to have great individual seasons. He's going to have to have like a media, you know, a similar mediocre season. And they're going to have to beat him in the playoffs.

That's the only way to me that they pass him as the best quarterback in the league. Here's why I find this conversation. And listen, it is not a straw man. I know every year come December, I bring up, people were saying Mahomes wasn't the best. And I, in wild, sometimes you're like, weren't people really saying that? No, but this is legit. Yeah, it's, it is very, I still think he would win the family feud style poll, but it wouldn't be 80 votes Patrick. It'd be like 40 Patrick, 30 Josh and 30 for the other guys collectively, right?

What I find so frustrating is do we all agree that last year for the other guys in the big four, and I'm not trying to pick on Jalen, but you have him fifth, they're ish. Yes. So let's just borrow Alan Lamar. Last year, for those three guys, their seasons, raised their standing, and Patrick's season lowered his a bit. Yes, absolutely. Okay. Here's what I find outrageous about that.

If Patrick were to have this year a carbon copy season of any of those guys, it would hurt him. If Patrick this year had Joe Burroughs season, unbelievable numbers. You're talking about team record as well? I'm saying he has the year that Joe Burrow had unbelievable numbers and misses the playoffs. Nobody is coming out of this season saying Mahomes has a strength. hold on first place now. They would say it hurt him. If he had Lamar's year, almost wins MVP,

but for the first time in his career, doesn't make a conference championship game. No one would say that helped him. And if he had Josh's year, wins league MVP, but loses, Josh finally beats him, loses to Josh to get to the Super Bowl, nobody would be like,

well, now Mahomes has widened the gap. But if any of those three guys have Mahomes' exact season, mediocre stats, leads the league in fourth quarter comebacks, the team has the one seed, they beat Patrick in the playoffs and make the Super Bowl.

It will help them. But that's obvious, why? Tell me. Mahomes' standard is higher than it. He's won three Super Bowls already. And I don't think it will hurt him. So this is my frustration, Brew. We can't say Mahomes is judged

by a different standard because he's the best when people are arguing he's not the best. You know what I mean? I totally get, if it were universally accepted, Mahomes is here, everyone's fighting for second place, and then the Mahomes standard is him versus ghosts, him versus Brady or Manning or, you know, Montana, whomever. So be it.

But that is not the argument that is being had this offseason. The argument that is being had this off season is, is he still the best quarterback in football? So if that's the case, then everyone's got to be judged by the same state. standard. I think if he, let's say he had Lamar's season. Yeah.

And losing in the playoffs. To one of the other big three. I get, I get it definitely doesn't help him, but I don't think it hurts it. I think a lot of people would still say he's the best. Like I don't think it would drop him. I think it wouldn't, it wouldn't increase him for sure. But if the, the, so Josh Allen has, is the guy most popular as far as the guy who's overtaken him. My question is this.

If next year, if this coming year, Mahomes wins league MVP and Josh has all the team success, but not great numbers, and then Josh outplays and beats Patrick in the AFC title game. And I then come on TV and say, Mahomes has overtaken Josh Allen with this season. People would say that's an outrageous take, but it is the take. all of the Josh Allen people have right now.

That is the take. The take is Mahomes was here, but Josh, in a season where he lost to him again and got beaten by him and outplayed by him, overtook him. If I went into this year

conceding, you know what? Mahomes' second best quarterback in football and then had the take that he overtook the guy who was the best by losing to him in the playoffs and being outplayed by him, I'd be laughed off TV. It'd be Homer N.

Heck like that is, well, I hear, look, I hear what you're saying about let's judge them all equally. We can't. Because we can't erase the history of what Mahomes has been and the history of what these other three. These other three clearly have another level they have to get to. Like they don't have Super Bowls. Some two of them don't even have an appearance in the Super Bowl. I just don't think you can erase that when we look at these guys. So I don't think it would hurt Mahomes.

If he had a great individual season, I think it keeps him where he is as the number one guy. I'll pitch you something. This was the other thing. I didn't pull a quote panel, but it was the other paragraph from Nate Taylor's article that I highlighted. It's just a stat, but Nate laid it out. He completed a career low 39.5% of his passes in which the ball traversed at least 15 yards downfield,

ranking 29th. He also had more interceptions six than touchdowns four on deep throws. I think it's less. situational and more when we watch the games, the guy that we saw a few years ago who could make any pass and sling it all over the field doesn't seem to be there anymore. Situations, wins, head-to-head games, all of that, I'm kind of almost putting in the back burner and I'm the quarterback wins guy. Just the guy that we're watching on Sunday doesn't feel like the same, the offense doesn't feel the same. So I think that's what people are reacting to. So listen, and I think that is totally fine if the discussion is, is this the best Mahomes we've seen?

Where does this Mahomes rank amongst seasons in his career? How does this season help him in his quest to become the greatest quarterback ever? He was 29th in passes of more than 15 yards. It's all just small when it used to be. Yeah, but the other thing that I'm sure you saw in the article was he, and this shocked me, I didn't know this, he accounted for a greater percentage of the Chief's offense

than Lamar or Josh or Joe or anybody accounted for their team's offense. You know what I mean? They didn't run. And I was going to... Because they couldn't. So that's the other...

That's the point I'm kind of making, like, that there was... And I'm not... It was in a spot where you have the most injured skilled position team in the league, your left tackle position, you play four different guys.

You can't run the ball by your own definition. And they he's still so the offense had to be all him and they found a way to be 17 and three with him starting going into the Super Bowl. And as we put on the screen the other day, I didn't even know it. He had a 110 passer rating Bruce stat in the fourth quarter. You know, and fourth quarter of an overtime. Look, that helps. Like he doesn't have great weapons or didn't last year.

Just because he didn't have great weapons last year, whether it's running back or wide receivers. And Kelsey is obviously past his prime. So that does help him. If he was putting up these numbers with Tyree. With Tyree. Then it would be a whole different story. The other interesting thing before we move on to Jerry is he said last year was abnormal. If this season plays out with that, you know, you beat the Eagles, you beat the Ravens,

you beat the, you beat the bills in the regular season. But the numbers are fine and he's still rolling. I don't know how the media is going to view Mahomes. If you put up a stat like. What do you mean role? Like, you have to go to the postseason, though. Does he get to the Super Bowl? If they're 9 and one and you look at every quarterback.

I get that. Like Mahomes 17th, Mahomes 15th. To me, you'll have to give him his props. That's what, yeah. If they're still winning again without, they don't have the Eagles weapons. So I think even with the improved. Can I ask one just a, it's not a loaded question. I honestly am curious your guys' opinion.

What do you think will generate more, you know, media applause. If the Chiefs through 10 games are, as you put it, six and four, and Patrick leads the league in all the categories. Like Burroughs style? Yeah, a little better than, not below 500, like the Bengals were through 10, but six and four, or if they're nine and one and the numbers look like last year's. Or is it...

Six and four and his numbers are off the charts? Six and four and he has the league's best stats. or nine and one and say the loss isn't to Eagles, Baltimore, Buffalo. Say it's a dump. They lose the Raiders. I think what will help him most

would still be to be nine and one. I mean, sure. Even with the lesser numbers. Right, but I, so here is, this is to put a button on my point. I think the only way, I think he actually has to do both. I think all the other three guys

get to do either. I think Lamar, Josh, or Joe, if the team's 9 and 1, they're in the MVP conversation. And as Joe proved last year, if the team's 5 and 5, but the stats are great, they're in the MVP conversation. I think the only guy who it's understood you have to win and be in contention for the one seed. But also while doing that, you have to put up huge numbers, even though everyone understands you're not on a stacked last year, at least stacked offense. It's not like, you know what I mean, you don't have Sequin, Derek Henry, whatever it is. You are the offense. He's the only guy that's got to do both.

And that part to me is fine if we're comparing him to Tom Brady. It's frustrating when we're comparing him to guys he beats every year. That's it. Okay. We're not doing the Dallas time. We ran out. We got to get that. We're clamoring for no noise.

I'm Mike. Brewing to do it. Spoiler alert. Nothing happened. Brew wants that topic. It's worded nicely to wait a question. Once that topic, what's the question? We're going to do it later.

Any justification, I'm sorry, we don't have time. Can hurts go back to back next on FS1. In the Fox Sports Channel on Sirius X-Tam. You want to move it to the B block? First things first, once only available as a linear television show now comes in YouTube podcast and a liquid gel. Please use responsibly available wherever you get your podcast, YouTube's, and liquid gel. And our YouTube doesn't crash. And no shots in New Heights.

I'm kidding. Did it crash? Just briefly, but they also had a million concurrent viewers. So, you know, it happened. Jalen Hertz was asked if the Super Bowl win made him more confident. This is what he said. When you get a promotion, do you think you're more confident? Everybody's dream is to do that.

And so once you know that you can, you know, that it brings a sense of assurance that you can. It's a matter of, you know, if I've done it before, why couldn't I do it again? True. More likely Jalen does or does not win another Super Bowl? Well, I will say I like the confidence. Oh, yeah. All right.

I'm not going to say like, it's hard to win multiple Super Bowls. Ask Aaron Rogers. Ask Dan Marino. Didn't even win one. So I don't know if I want to say it's likely he wins another. But I will say my belief is that he will win another Super Bowl. I think he will. Of the 13 quarterbacks that have won multiple Super Bowls, he can be as good or better

than seven of them. And I know you probably know the list. Oh, yeah, but I want to hear your seven. Well, you want the seven he could be as good as? Yeah. Okay. Some people want to be able to be. Terry Bradshaw. Oh. Who didn't have tremendous. He won an MVP, but his regular season. I wouldn't have started there.

No. Terry, well, oh, great. Aikman, Bart Star, Bob Greasy, Eli Manning, Jim Plunkett, and Ben Rothersberger. So I think he can be as good, if not better as good as all of it.

So that, so I just, I didn't watch a lot of Bart Star, but I didn't play that. I watched Bart Star. No, it's Ben Roplas Burger. You probably cover them. So I, I was super just real quick. The reason I was surprised is I had three guys that I believe he is going to end up considered better than that are on that one. Well, Eli Plunkett and Greasy. Eli Punkin Plunkett and Greasy.

I think that the, I think Terry is. is so tough because the game was so different and it was also like his passing numbers are going to look like he had a super high where he was... Relative to that time. I know but he also was stylistically I'm trying to get into Terry Bradshaw discussion. I know you're going to

get bad. No, I like Terry Bradshaw. I think he had a super where he was 9 of 19 for 200 yards. It's hard. It's very hard to get there. It was just bombs. But he was so clutch. Exactly. But a lot like Jay. I wouldn't have said, I wouldn't have said Terry. I'm the I probably also would not have said. I think it's interesting the other six.

You're just vetoing him the possibility. Brady, Montana, Mahomes, Elway, Stalbach, and Peyton. Yeah, I agree with you. And so, but Eli is an interesting one because there are, they are not at all similar stylistically and they're not at all similar pedigree-wise. Eli was the number one pick of the draft. Where they are similar is Eli was excellent.

in those biggest moments in those playoff runs. Now, he had an odd playoff career because he won playoff games in two seasons ever. Two years he won the Super Bowl. Every other year he didn't want a playoff game. The quarterback that I have comped him to is Russ, and Ross obviously could have won a second one. Now, you could argue, and Jalen could have won a second one.

It just was the first one. They both made big mistakes. Right, and they both made in different spots big mistakes. I would be surprised if Jalen ends up being considered better than Ben Roplasberger, which is where I think you were going with it. I do, though, think the Eagles are a great organization with a great GM, and they're going to stay. And right now they've got a great team for several next few years.

They're going to be in the mix over the next few years. Yeah, so I didn't break down the list and look back at those quarterbacks. I looked at this more from the fact that they've been to three out of the last eight Super Bowls. They've been to the playoffs seven of the last eight years. Okay, so those are two things. They've won two of those Super Bowls, and they've won with two different quarterbacks and two different head coaches. So to me, it's about the organization, and he has shown that he can win within this organization. So in my mind, yeah, he can definitely win another Super Bowl as long as this organization stays the way that it's been.

They won those Super Bowls and have had that success without a Brady and without him homes. So, yeah, that's where I took it as opposed to him versus other quarterbacks. It's him within this organization. My list is similar to yours, but I just did since Jalen's been in the league. So this is the list. And we've shown this a few times. Multiple Super Bowl starts in their first five seasons. So the list is Brady Hertz Mahomes, Russ, Ben, Kurt, John Elway, and Troy Aikman.

And then Josh said, what do you mean since Jalen's been in the league? Sorry, first for your first five seasons. amount of time. These players, I think they did not actually play. I was, I didn't know what. Sorry. So, Mahalb include his first year. Yeah.

Yeah. So then we sort of drew this out to what did they do for the rest of their career. And everybody except Russ got to another Super Bowl. So historically, Jalen is in this category. And it would be strange if he didn't get to at least one. Get to another. Get to one. Maybe not win.

Right. But if he got to another one, I'd consider that, you know, a win for his career. Oh, for sure. And then, you know, three guys got to multiple. So I would say it's very likely that he gets to another one. So here is a cap piece that I have to include because I think it's interesting because how the Eagles do things. So people, we talk sometimes, we don't really very much on the show because Wilde thinks it's bad TV. He's right.

Talk about like cat mechanics and void years and stuff like that. People that actually care like that. No, it's a lean-in moment for me. But just, but just hang on for me first. What about dead cat? Exactly. Well, it's all fruit of the same poison is great. So there is, so the way the Eagles do business and Jeffrey Lurie give him credit for not minding,

spending a bunch of cash. Right. Is they structure their contracts to where we are going to have these loaded teams in this, not a tiny window, like three to five year window, and then we're going to have almost a mandatory reset year or two because we have pushed all of those void years forward. The Chiefs have done the exact opposite. They do less void years than anyone in the league.

Some would say it's because they don't want to spend money. I think it's because they look at it as we want to be in, we don't ever want to have a punt year when we have Patrick Mahomes on the team. We have a 10-year contention window. So I'm really interested if Jalen, up becoming the player that you earnestly believe he already is and the player that some people think he can be, how does that change how they as a team build out their roster? Like if you have one of the top five quarterbacks in the league and he's in his, you know, the earlyish part of

his career is not 30 yet, you shouldn't have like a cap time bomb of the 2030 season. Like we're going to be disastrous. But that's how that's that's one of the reasons. Like sometimes you've said, like, some of these teams seem to have different cap rules. And it's because they are pushing things down the road to deal with it. So I'm curious about how that impacts. If he continues on the ascent, how does that impact the way they view, you know what I mean? This year, next year versus the long term, which I think could have positive or negative implications for. Not bad.

That wasn't too bad. Okay, thanks. I've got third best Super Bowl. Eagles have third best Super Bowl odds this year. Cowboys Camp winding down. Micah attended but didn't see any action. His hold in continued. Jerry Jones told the media that he likes to stir the narrative up. You know, Bruin. Keep the Cowboys interesting 365. Here was his response to reporters question about contract talks with Micah's camp. Now the Cowboys Camp is winding down.

I don't know that necessarily talks will, but we've got a game coming and he's under contract. Is there a deadline to know whether Micah Parsons plans to play in week one not? No, not at all. You don't have deadlines when you're playing under a contract. What's preventing you guys from talking right now? Again, the, really, nothing. We might or might not talk. There we go. John Machota saying, Michael Parsons had no comment for reporters at the practice. My mouth is closed. Brew, any justification for Dallas not negotiating with Mike at this point? There's no justification.

There are three possible explanations. Wow. All right. So the three possible explanations. One, Jerry's playing the drama card and they're going to sign him a week before and, you know, steal the headlines and all that. Two, Jerry feels burned by Dax's contract

and Ezekiel Elliott's contract. We didn't get the wins. He might be looking at Miles Garrett, Like, yeah, okay, you gave him all this money. You're not even going to make the playoffs, you know. So I'm not going that route. That's another explanation. Third explanation, he doesn't really like Micah personally.

I hate to put it that way. And look at the guys he's given the huge contracts to. You can go all the way back to Emmett Smith, but that was kind of a different era and they were winning. But C.D. Lamb, Ezekiel Elliott, and Dak. none of them have the personality that could outshine Jerry. Like we talked about yesterday, he wants to be the star of the show, not just have a great show, but be the superstar.

Micah, with the podcast, with his stature in the league, with his personality, he actually could outshine Jerry. That is a hot one. And so, I'm just saying these are explanations. You are giving Micah's podcast doing a lot of work there. How good do you think the podcast is? No, but Micah's, he's traveling to Asia with C.J. Stroud. He's battling sumo wrestlers.

I'm just saying he's the only one of the most famous players in the way. Like, Dak is it there? Dach says all the right things. CEDY's not there. I'm just saying. So those are the three explanations. I feel like you're on to something here, Brooke. And when you hear, when you hear the way that he talks about,

this situation, he's sending a very clear message. It's as clear as it can get. You are under contract. I don't have to negotiate with you. You are under contract. So if you want to start losing money every single week, go ahead and sit out. You want to play hardball and talk about getting traded?

Go ahead. I can play hardball too. And the explanation, it could be maybe he doesn't love the player as much as people assume he should love the player. Maybe he doesn't feel like the impact that he's going to have is, you know, what it should be for that amount of money and for that position that he's going to have as a highest paid player, non-quarterback. And I think there is an element of him getting burned on those other contracts. He reset a lot of things when he hired Brian Schottanheimer. He did things very differently than he has before this offseason.

So for him to dig his heels in now, it to me, I could see him saying, you want to say, you want to say, sit out and eat that money sit out and eat that money, we'll go play games and see how we do. But here here's the problem with the idea that he doesn't want to pay Micah. He claims he agreed to pay him. He claims he agreed to pay him more than we would believe. You know what I mean? Like that he

dug deep on it. So I think there's a fourth potential explanation, bro, which is he's sick of negotiating with people who are better at negotiating than he is. Because the cowboys, like here's the thing about the cowboys. They do typically sign their guys. They haven't signed one of their guys to a deal that three years later were like, man, what a team-friendly deal for that player since the Tyron Smith deal.

And Tyron Smith, who might be in the Hall of Fame one day, was a very unique situation. If you guys remember his story, he had some really tough family stuff involving money and relatives. And in my opinion, the team saw that and was like, hey, eight years, you know, 80 million. whatever it was, it was hard for him to turn down. It instantly became a great value for the team. But the other deals, Sean Lee, they sign him to a deal. He's not healthy after that. Jalen Smith, they sign him to a deal top of market.

He's not healthy. The Zique, you talked about. I would say the DAC deal has not aged great purely by the fact that a bunch of quarterbacks who are better than DAC have signed deals since then, and they can't get more money than him. CD, to me, is fair for both sides, but it's not like the Cowboys got a bargain. And so Jerry maybe, whether it's subconscious or conscious, like, man, I had a really good time negotiating with Micah Parsons in prompt two in March.

I'm not going to have as good of a time with David Mulligeta now that T.J. and Miles Garrett have been signed. And so that would be the explanation. Or maybe it feels like he's being pushed too far. Maybe he's just at the point where he's like, yeah, I dug deep. I may do a great offer. You don't like that? Fine. Can I counter that though, Coach?

Here's the problem. I would feel like that is possible if they had had one phone call. But according to Jerry and to Micah and essentially to Muligata, who hasn't talked much when he had to do a radio interview, he has not talked to the agent once since the meeting with Micah. So we don't know. We all assume what the contract demand is going to be.

But we don't know what, Mike's ask actually is. So why aren't they constantly asking him, why won't you talk to the agent? Well, they just did there, and he was like, I don't know. Well, he said, are there going to be any more talks, right? Or what's preventing you from talking? He said, what's preventing you from talking? He said nothing.

And at some point, Mike is going to have to figure out if he's not going to do that, am I going to just hold my ground and and, and he has to play? Or you think so? No, you think so. He has to either play or fake an injury. You know, I'm hearing his back's really sore. I'm hearing it's really sore. And quickly, your scenario, so let's say you're right.

Does he going to call him together at some point? I don't know. I think this is one that has gotten weird for no reason in ways that the other contracts have. He's going to have to call him if he wants to get the deal with it. It feels more and more contentious. Yeah. And when you start from, when the owner starts saying he's under contract, That's a pretty strong indication of how dug in he is.

Go, KW. It all feels like a charade to me. It might be. Like Mike asked for a trade. I'm giving it to Stephen Joan personally. I'm not going to. Maybe I will, maybe I won't. This feels like we're getting played.

Well, he clearly. I mean, we might be. Sentence of Cincinnati, where Joe Burrow was on the ground after putting in the air. Rookie Shamar Stewart, remember we did a lot of stuff on his contract, too. You love that. Hit Burrow and a scuffle commenced. Here was Ted Carras on the scuffle. The guys handled it well today.

I thought we let out some aggression. There was things that needed a response to warranted a response. It was responded. Just be smarter. It's a great rush. I have to see it. I was on the other side of the line of scrimmage, but great player. But come on, man.

That's all our hopes and dreams right there. Go get a reaction. It's not like, it's not like. Like, you got to stay away from the quarterback. 100% agree. But when you watch that pass rush, he dips inside and he kind of loses his footing and can't stop his momentum. I don't think that was a case where he was deliberately too close to the quarterback. So he sees he comes in and then he kind of sits right here.

And that's when he hit him. And I agree with Karras as well. It is their hopes and dreams rely on Burrow. And you don't want to go anywhere near the quarterback. But fighting is dumb. Fighting is it's just dumb. And you say, you know, be smarter. Well, as a vet, why don't you educate the rookie instead of trying to fight a rookie?

Like, that doesn't make any sense. If he had like another established former all-pro pass rusher out there at camp, you maybe could have taught him. Well, I know that that guy. Trey Hendrickson's not around. I know we're not allowed to talk. He never gets around the floor of that. I know we're not allowed. Somehow we can talk a lot of Trey Vion Henderson, but Trey Hendrickson is just outlawed on this.

show, but go ahead. Henderson Levergis. No, I'm glad, Coach, you pointed out. Because when you, people that are just hearing it or reading the story might actually think Shemar Stewart had brain lock and actually hit Burrow. Yeah. It was an accident and all that. And I respect your stance, coach, because you look, you were a state champion wrestler,

so you could obviously fight. So you're saying you don't like fighting and sincere. State champion. Yeah. I don't know that. Coach ain't scurred. He just really don't like that. I get that.

But I coach, I'm okay with a fight as long as it doesn't leak into the locker room or go after. You know, like obviously it can't get out of hand. But none of these have seemed to getting out of hand. I don't mind the aggressiveness as long as it doesn't go after that. Like if the linemen now don't like each other, then I think there's a problem. But I don't feel like that's the case in most of these situations. We're not playing golf. Like every snap, you have a chance to be aggressive.

Like, you literally, the whole game is aggressiveness. So you're getting back on the next play? I'm just saying, if you're upset about something, you literally have the opportunity, the next play, to hit that guy. But to punch somebody with a helmet on, it's just like, stop. If Joe Burrow gets hit, though, and there's no reaction, I think that would be a bigger story. I get protecting your teammates. I didn't know if he was on the ground or not.

I thought he was on the ground. But all those, he did. No, I think he was knocked down. Knock down, okay. Yeah. But they're all teammates. Like, they're all teammates. And I don't think what that player was doing was malicious.

But they may not know. They may not have known that. No, I think they just saw the quarterback on the ground. I also think, again, if we're going to Zapruder this clip. What was that word? Zeprooter. The Zeprooter, the Zeprooter, film is maybe too soon. The, don't look to me like that, KW.

It's not. The, uh, if you watch. him. I want to give him credit for something else. Because he's falling low and then you see he raises up. The only real danger is if he falls low

and hits Burrow low. I mean that he seems to make... It could have been dangerous. It could have been but he gathers himself and from reading what they said he hit him like in the waist. He gathered himself just enough. He couldn't stop his momentum but he didn't hit him in the knees, which would have been the concern. I'm always

I'll be totally honest. I'm always amazed this doesn't happen more often. I don't know how you go full speed pass rush and especially for a young player that needs the reps, needs the practice, Shamar missed some time, you know, because of the contract. And then expect him to be able to be learning anything effective that also, that isn't going to

occasionally lead to momentum. You know what I mean? Running into the quarterback. And ideally the guard would have come off, that come off and picked him up because it was a game so that, you know, the inside guy was going outside, they're going to have someone coming back. Maybe we need to get on the offensive line. Well, that's, I mean, they did say they got to get better.

Pick up the game, you know, block. All right. Cincinnati opens up their season in Cleveland against Miles Garrett. Maybe it was a good little test. Well, yeah, that's going to be, by the way, that's, we probably should just spend one time on it. That's a potential really tough spot for Cincinnati. Just that matchup. Miles Garrett against.

to that offensive line to start the year. They can't lose that. They can lose. Live from New York, it's the show that I was talking about. Interesting scenarios from the coach mangini. This is the extra level stuff that coaches are not here. The only extra level stuff you do with coaches just you actually mining you for flag. Absolutely.

Thank you, Nick. There's a lot of similarities. There's a lot of some. You've won games like that. Yeah. I know I'm he's prepared. I totally believe that coach Mangeny has helped your flag football team. I totally disagree that that is part of his job description, yet you foisted upon him all the time.

I think it's in my contract. Must help wild slang football. Like an addendum. Second hour of first things first today. Cam Ward, very confident and very optimistic in the Titans offense, shares that confidence with one person on this show. There's got to be a real sleeper team in the NFL. Not just like, oh, Broncos. That's the Patriots, buddy.

Patriots are not. They are a sleeper. It's like an underground music group that's like playing Madison Square Garden. They're not underground. Meanwhile, another episode of sealing or floor from ESPN's NFL Nation reporters. We took it and turned it into a scored segment as coach tries to defend his title. But right now, of course, it's time for the most motivational segment in all sports. Also time where we read some viewer mail.

Christina went out to the post office. I haven't been there, so I don't even know what it's called. Small letter today. Wow. Yeah, it's small. Saving paper. Dear Wilde, love the show and the podcast. See, I told you, guys.

Did you see a competing podcast? Welcome a one-time country star who turned into a podcast. who turned into a pop culture icon. Thanks, Don. I actually did catch that. And it got in my crawl a little bit. The one-time country star turned pop culture icon. That will be out next week.

That's a good one. Is that a Taylor Swift album? I'm holding. Yes, it is. You're actually, you are Taylor Swift. I know you didn't watch Brew, but that was Taylor Swift sitting there. Oh, I figured.

Yeah. All right. All right, anyway, good job, Wiles. All right. At number, this is all quarterbacks and all young quarterback. Oh, I got to motivate the young, young generation because, you know, young people can be so motivating him. There's no chance. Dylan Gabriel?

Yes. I'm Dylan. I'm motivating you. Here's how. This is a great opportunity for you. Or it could also be your great undoing. I mean, it could be. I got to tell you the whole truth and nothing but, all right?

But we all know the deal. Shadour went out there and was very good in his preseason debut. He's hurt. Kenny Pickett's hurt. We think Gabriel's going to play. I mean, he's still got the hamstring there saying it's iffy. But it looks like you'll play and get the start against the Eagles. And look, you struggled mightily against them.

At least it appears that way in these joint practices. Seven for 24. Three touchdowns, but still seven for 24. I don't know how that could be good. All right, I don't know any situation in which that's not bad. So you have an opportunity, though, to go out there and play well. If you play well against the Eagles, if you just play as well as Shadur, you don't even have to play better, but as well as Shadur,

you're doing it against a better team, all right? And so that will shine brighter for you than even what Shadur did against the Carolina Panthers. So you do have a great opportunity. Clearly, the coaching staff seems to love you and they've invested some things in you. So if you go out there and do your thing, this could be good for you.

Like I said, great opportunity. Dylan, good luck. I knew it. I knew it. I knew he wasn't going to say. That's our motivation. Good luck. Good luck.

All right. The next one, wilds this guy. Bryce Young. Wow, is this is 5, 10, and under list? It might Tyler number one. All right, Bryce Young. Look, here's the interesting thing.

This year for several quarterbacks, his views is this huge proof it year, right? Caleb, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence. Some might even say Sam Darnold. Nobody's mentioning Bryce, to me, as a proven year.

Sadly, Bryce, because people have written you off. They've written you off. which I cry foul to that. All right, I don't think you should be written off yet. You're too young and you finish the season really strong. All right, your last three games, you won two of them, and you played really well. In your first 27 games of your career, you had a pass-a-rating of 100 or more twice.

In your last three games, you hit 100 plus three times. All right? So you are on the rise, my friend. And this year, you have better weapons. You got Tet McMillan, all right? The rookie receiver that everybody loves the first round pick. So you have better weapons. You're coming off a strong end to the season.

You have, this is your chance to solidify yourself as a franchise quarterback. I have to give you both sides. If you don't play well this year, this will probably be the last year you're kind of viewed as that franchise quarterback or star. you have a resurgence down the line, a la Gino, Smith, Sam Donald, something like that. So, Bryce, good luck. All right, at number one,

Caleb Williams, Nick's guy, all right? Caleb, look, I know you were putting a bad spot entering the league because before you were even in the league, some people said you were the six best quarterback in the world on the planet, knocking at the door of number five, all right? it was tough.

But now is your time. And look, I'm not going to, we know what this season is for you, how important it is. I'm just going to focus on this weekend, your first preseason game, your preseason debut against Buffalo, your debut in Ben Johnson's offense, all right? If you have a bad outing, nobody, I'm not writing you off. I'm not, you know, it's not going to mean this season's going to be terrible. But the noise, the noise, the bear's fans. the Bears fans, pundits on TV,

a lot of people will go after you. So the noise will be bad because we've seen Chador Sanders and other rookies go out there. Who was Taylor McKee? What's his name? Tanner McKee. Guys go out there and ball in the preseason. So if you look bad,

a lot of people are going to hit the panic button. I'm not one of them, though. But here's what you got to do. Everybody can have a bad outing. You can be off a little bit. That'll be okay. But you can't be bad at the wrong things. You got to get the team out of the huddle.

That has to be smooth. You got to look good at the line of scrimmage. Don't run backwards. All right? Don't take any bad sacks. Just those things. You have the talent and the ability to do all the extra stuff. We know that.

But you just have to be, don't be bad at the mundane things. Let it run smoothly. And if your arm is, your throws are off a little bit, fine. We know you'll get that together. So Caleb, I do believe in you. Go ahead and get it done. More motivation. See?

I'm always going to throw in some. Coach, do you like? Good list. Good list. I'm a little disappointed though, Peru. Remember when you did your special list of who's popping, who's not? That's your guy? Bryce Young was my guy, you know.

He was coach's number one. Who's popping? Number one? He was my head of. See, Poppin. You and Wiles. Who's making the league? Yeah, you were making the league.

I couldn't remember everybody. I thought I had a little old school to it. I'm going to shift gears to a coach. And we've talked about this situation and him before. And here's what he's looking at. So I'm going with Zach Taylor. And let's show, let's show what Zach is working with and the problem that he's got to overcome.

If we can, if we can bring up the graph of that, That would be wonderful. In his six seasons, the first two games, he's won 11, first two games, which is unfortunately the worst ever by a head coach. So even in February of this past year, he talked about the importance of changing the start. And so they've worked on different things and they've tried to address it in OTAs and they've tried to address it during training camp. And his philosophy has always been to not play the starters.

And I went back and looked at the second game of the preseason last year. and the big announcement was, you know, Bengals fans don't be disappointed, but none of the starters are going to play. Fast forward, he's going to play the starters, which, look, I believe in that, and I think that's a good idea. But when you change gears like that, there is some risk involved. And what we've seen in the first week, Jordan Love gets hurt. He has surgery on his finger. Anthony Richardson got blown up, gets hurt. So there is a risk factor where if any of these superstars go out and play,

and get blown up, it's not gonna be great. It's not gonna be great. And philosophically, I agree with it. Philosophically, you haven't in the past. And kind of like Bruce says, good luck with that. Look, I think that's a great addition because he clearly is under duress. And I'm glad you, the one in 11, look,

it's somewhat of a Burrow thing, but it's mainly a Zach Taylor thing. Like to me, that's one of those years, Burrow, wasn't even there. Right. And one was in overtime. Yeah, it's a Zach Taylor thing. And if they don't, if they lose one of the, I think even one of the first

games, but let's say they lose both, Cleveland, Jacksonville. I think that could ruin the whole season. It's obviously been a tough, not just because you're 0 and 2, but your schedule's going to get tougher. I think the players, too, will be like, we tried something different. We've been talking about winning these first games. And then you lose. and then you still may not have Trey Hendricks.

And with it couldn't be more like radically divergent from a quarterback perspective, right? You got Joe Burrow versus the situation they're dealing with in Cleveland. Yeah. Makes it tough. Yeah. I mean, it is funny though. Cleveland has been to the playoffs more recently than Cincinnati. You know, I like with Joe Flacco as their quarterback.

All right, KW. Well, it's 840847, which means, you know, means you have a minute and 10 seconds of just quiet peace. Maybe we can play some whales singing or some birds chirping. Because now it's down to 160 seconds. KW. KW, what are you doing? Just enjoy the buttless music.

You should have brought your piano. Very nice. 912. KW. What? Will you please do your job? I thought we had time. I thought it was, we just, we can follow.

Well, it's 409.23, which means whether you like it or not, it's time for the sports media embudsman in early edition. By only about 30 seconds. But I'm glad it's a little early because I need some, I do need some time to compose myself for this one. Okay, good. Because this one hurts. But there are no sacred cows for the sports media on budsman.

No. Colleagues, mentors. bosses. This person... You put the boss on the you know. If you put the boss on the bud list, we're gonna be...

I'm putting one of my bosses on the budd list. Oh my. My dear friend. My mentor. The goat of what he does. Colin Cowherd. He's my boss of the volume. Oh, okay.

Colin. Our boss. I'm like, yeah. Cowherd. Sadly stricken by what's been going around Chiefs to range from the syndrome. I heard this. So,

Very interesting. Not that surprising. Colin was doing his NFL predictions. And for I think the fourth time in the last five years, he picked a team not named the Cancy Chiefs to win the AFC West. That's fine. Listen, he had the Broncos? No, so what? So we can show you who he had on August 5th.

He had the Chargers first, the Chiefs second, Broncos missing the playoffs, the Raiders missing the playoffs. It was well-reasoned. He also, you know, formerly Southern California, likes Harbaugh, Herbert. They've always been, you know, like, is this going to be their year? I didn't agree, but whatever.

Risham Slater then went down. So he amended it. So one would think, okay, so he's dropping the Chargers. Show me, Collins, post-Rashon slip. How does that work? How does that happen? How does Rashon Slater getting hurt? Make the Broncos better than the Chiefs?

I don't understand it. So I tuned into the herd to watch to see his explanation, and instead I'm treated to this gobbledy gook from Colin about the Chiefs. Oh, let's be honest about Mahomes. He's been blown out in two Super Bowls. Explained why the Chief's dynasty days are coming to it in. In a cool vertical video that Gianna of the Herd makes, the Chief's kingdom is crumbling at Colin Goward.

Guys, here's all I ask. Can we have more time between, before we write the obituary of the Chiefs dynasty, can it not be when they are in the midst of the greatest three-year stretch in the history of the sport? The last, like, the last three years, they have been more successful or as successful as any team ever. They had no significant off-season losses. I understand that Gino and Pete Carroll came to the division. No, too, I would consider a significant loss. Oh, but they, but they traded it.

You're lying. Okay, so, yes, I would, so let me, I agree with you. I guess my point is, I think in the aggregate, they got better in the offseason than worse. So you know what I mean? They didn't have, Kelsey didn't retire, Reed didn't retire, Mahomes isn't out. They are 35 and 5 in the AFC West with Mahomes starting. They have been to seven consecutive conference championship games. They've been to four of the last five Super Bowls,

including three straight. Now, maybe it's going to come to an end, but declaring it already over and playing whack a mole about who's going to win the division, because God knows, Garrett Bulls got hurt today. Hopefully he's okay, if not, congrats to the Raiders, because Colin's gonna put you at number one.

So listen, I owe a huge part of my career to Colin Cowherd, and I think he's the greatest in the history of what he does, which is why his horrific chief's opinions hurt me so much. So I just want him to do better or go to one of those fancy doctors in Chicago and get something for the Chiefs Terrangement syndrome. He's coming down with a bad case. Brew, for the second time in the NFL offseason, I am putting Mike McDaniel in the Dolphys on the Budless. You're really owning McDaniel.

I like Mike McDaniel. Yes, I do. I want to like it. Yes, everything I see from him I usually like. But they're doing joint practices. with the Lions. And if I had my choice of teams, I wouldn't want to have a joint practice with.

I agree with that. Lions might be like number one draft pick. So now, unfortunately, Grant Stewart did an interview before these joint practices. He said, I don't know if they practice how we practice. The full quote,

I don't know if they're ready. I'm going to keep it a stack. I played at other places and played against the team last year, practice against the team twice when I was in Tampa. I don't know if they practice how we practice. It's kind of a shot. Yeah. Cross the bow at Mike McDaniel. Mike McDaniel responded. Take a listen. Literally does not affect me whatsoever. I hope we get the absolute best practice from Grant and everybody else between the whistles. Well, they did. Well, Michael, uh, your wish,

Granted. How is he that wide open? This is a highlight video from the lions of Amman Rae St. Brown treating the dolphin secondary like a high school team. Now, I know you might be thinking, well, you know, edited videos, social media nowadays, anybody can slice up all of Amman Rae St. Brown's highlights and just say he cooked them all practice. What about people that were actually there, boots on the ground? Let's see what they reported.

Dolphins get embarrassed during disastrous scrimmage versus lions. As lopsided a joint NFL practice as I've ever seen was reported by two reporters. So dolphins open up in Indianapolis, week one. It's not going to be pretty as much as I like to want to root for the dolphins. It's bad signs coming out of Miami. That was an excellent addition to the bud. It's why you just dropped the ball in one place. What was it?

We should have had the break dancers here. This would have been perfect for the break. This is, they were out there break dancing. That's what happened. First, a few things. One, if I brought out the break dancers, it would tear the show apart. I mean, you'd tell me and then I take credit. Okay, that would work.

Can I just add that one thing that owner doesn't like to hear that his team is soft. And Steve Roth is a pretty successful, strong guy. And you're at the country club and you got to hear about your team getting beaten up by another team. Not good. Not good. Embarrassed was the word. Yeah.

That's tough. And they are a soft team. I mean, they're a soft team. But I mean. And you're right. Like they, who, whose decision is that for them to do it with the Lions? Whoa. Yeah.

Well, you don't think you're. You're still an NFL football. You know, raise up. But, you know, again, if you're an owner and you're looking at Detroit and what they've done and how they've changed the whole trajectory of that city and that organization and, you know, physically tough. And then they come to your, they come down there and they beat you up at your place. It's just like, it's just, it's not, it's not great. Go get the Panthers or, you know, some other team.

Everybody can't joint practice with the Panthers. The Saints. Or even the card. Don't do it right. I mean. If you don't want to practice like that, just play the game. For your guy, Mike McDaniels,

is evidently your guy, even though I don't think he's your guy. I just really don't. Worst case scenario for him. He just goes back to San Francisco and the offensive coordinator and he got. And it's a great spot for him.

I'm not being, I'm serious. You know what I mean? Like, if he gets fired, I think Sanford, I think Shanahan would bring him back like he brought back Sala. You know what I mean? And that might be best for all.

You know what I mean? I think he's a great mind. And I thought what he did there earlier, especially with the offense, was great. And he has won a lot with Tua. Like when Tua is great for Tua. Yeah. It doesn't seem like

it doesn't seem like the team has enough of a healthy fear of him. Well, that was Jalen. Then Jalen Ramsey. That's the other. That's the other. I thought you were going to get.

And also now you got Brable in New England. You got Aaron in New York. York, you got the bill, I mean, all those, those mentality or that, those personalities have all. Oh, that's interesting. That division's three defensive-minded, tough guys. Rabel's jumping at the bottom of the pile. Yeah, so there's a lot of fighters in that division now. There's a lot of physically tough teams. And if you're kind of rolling up there.

I know, but I would. It's tough here for the Dolphins. You don't want me, Daniel. People taking your lunch money. I'd go the other way. Like, we're going to throw it all over the field on you guys. I think that's the hope. Well, they might, but then on, once the other team gets the ball, they're just going to

The issue with Tyreek doesn't want to be on the team. Welcome back to the show. No huddle time. Sealing or Floor Edition via ESPN's NFL Nation article. This was a huge hit yesterday. Starting off with the Steelers. Either a dominant defense with a new weapon in D.K. Meccaf hitting the ball from a four-time MVP or

Cam Hayward is holding in. Nobody wants to talk about. And Aaron Rogers has thrown for 300 yards just once in his last 40 games. Brew and Coach, I hope you've been. Coach, I hope you guys don't mind. If we could just for a moment before we get to this. Yes. Can we just give Wilde to the floor so he can get off this Cam Hayward take that he has whined about in the meeting?

I would like to hear it. In the meeting for three days straight, he's like, I guess I'm the only one who cares about Cam Hayward. Was Cam Hayward good or not? Yeah, he's good. I agree. Well, when Cam Howard said he might set out the whole season, that's the report. I think that's newsworthy. Okay, so what's your take?

When Jerry, I don't have a take. I'm not a take guy. My take is it's newsworthy and we should discuss it. You know what we had to do 12 minutes on? Jerry Jones saying, maybe I will, maybe I won't. Jerry, you're a mastermind of content. You've got us right where you want. Jerry's going like this, do-do-do-do-do-do.

This first thing is first. Yeah, that's me. I don't want to be that. So to be clear, you don't have a camera would take. Yeah, I do, actually. Okay. Pay the man. He deserves this.

Okay, there we go. You're not serious about football if you don't pay him. You got like how many years dollars, anything you want? Then I'd be like, Nick, did you run the numbers on the app? Put it on the credit card, but that bill will come due. And then you're like, hey, you got Aaron Rogers. What are you waiting for? You got to go for it.

And then coach is like, do you guys think Mike Tomlin seat might be hot? Like, coach, what? Not the way they do it in Pittsburgh. Okay, thanks. I'm glad we got that in. That's perfect. Are you good now? I didn't want to do it.

Sealing or floor. I feel that was like that was therapeutic. Yeah. Right. I feel better about that. Yeah, wow, it's riding for me. Bam. All right.

I don't want you guys to overreact to this like you do want to. Nick is so, he's dying for me to put Aaron Rogers in the AFC title game. But I am going sealing. Whoa. See what I mean? You're back. No. You are so bad.

Then I say don't overreact. You're back. You're back. I said 11 and 6. Okay. That's on the table. I'm just saying which one is more likely. All right?

The defense, I think Cam Hayward will play this year. I think they'll get that done. You added Jalen Ramsey, big play, Darius, Slate. Like, they are all in. And, look, that's only one more winning than last year. I do think Aaron Rogers still is better than Russell Wilson.

And Justin Fields. So I think 11 and 6 is the ceiling of what I'm going with. Not saying it's going to happen. Here's the other thing. There's no way I envision Mike Tomlin winning six games. Winning six games. Unless Aaron Rogers just absolutely implodes. Could you imagine Bill Belichick?

And blows up the entire locker room. Well, Belichick had done that. You know, before Brady took over and he had done it in Cleveland, that had not so great years. Five wins too. Five wins, right. So I just can't envision Tomlin going six and 11. So I'm not saying I'm predicting 11 and six,

but I think that's more likely than six and 11. Yeah, so first, I love my Tomlin, just to get that up. Uh-oh. That means coach is going six and 11. So they bring in Darius Lair and Rogers, Jalen Ramsey, D.K. McAff, Juan Thornhill, Robert Woods. These are all the new additions. And if this was like five years ago, six years ago, that would have been like really super exciting.

And I believe the Cam Hayward issue is an issue. And to me, that adds some problems in the locker room that they don't really want to have right now. And the Rogers, Arthur Smith, dynamic to me, is a bigger question that I think people are talking about. So I'm going close to the floor. Wow. I like that, coach. I'm with you. Three floors?

No, he said ceiling. I say a ceiling. He did a whole thing about us. So I get to get your little scorecard out. Sorry, I got lost. You don't have your score card? No, he'll have a scorecard. Don't worry.

I have a scorecard. I'm the one saying ceiling. Okay. Can I give my answer? So I understand the argument of they all, you know, with bad quarterback play, they win nine or ten games. There is an element of as bad as this sounds. those years the team expected bad quarterback play.

And they were, like, they were not necessarily building a team around that, but they understood there was going to be a way they had to win games, a style, and it was always a lot of Mike Tomlin voodoo with some weird special teams play, steal a victory, really good defense, those types of things. I think this year they are anticipating the best quarterback play they've had in almost a decade there. Best quarterback play they've had since, you know, not just Big Ben, but a couple years before Big Ben actually hung it up. And when they don't get that, and when they realize, oh, it's kind of another same old Steelers going to have to win 1713 with defense, I wonder if they have the juice for it. I also do think, and I think it's fine to fold it in here, I don't know if I'd make it A2, that Cam Hayward potentially.

not being around could be damaging to them. And he's old enough and has made enough money that you do wonder how, you know, is this a bluff or is it not? And I also am not a believer that the Rogers D.K. Metcalf combo is going to provide the dividends they expect. So my actual prediction for Pittsburgh going into the year is 7 and 10. Wow. That's that, that predictions week spoiler. That's where I have them falling. But so I think 6 and 11 is more likely. Thank you, Oz. Why? Because he knows.

Mike Townland doesn't have losing seasons, especially not six, 11 loss. It's more of the points that you made. Yeah, no, no, I'm not. Because everyone's like, what? I know. You're like you're layered. I know. That's your thing.

We're head to Dallas, but actually Oxnard. You've been to Oxnard? No. Beautiful. You've been? Yes. It's beautiful there. Camp's closing.

Dak had two great wider seats. Look at the backwards visor. Oh, my. New motivated coach with the backwards visor. Or Jerry's drama is actually a distraction. And the seven point opening night underdog of Dallas Cowboys actually just a sign of what to come. Coach.

Ceilings 11 and 6. The floor is 5 and 12. What's more likely? Yeah, so I like side as a head coach more than I think anybody else does. Brought him four new running backs to address the running game. Broughted out, drafted an offensive line in the first round. Okay, so they're trying to address that.

Now, I just hope he will address the running game, and I hope he will save with the running game. There were times when we were together where I had to nudge him a lot more towards the running game. No. You wanted them to run the ball more? No, I know. That's not the coach, I know.

I know that's shocking to you. I like I like Iber Fluse as the DC. I think that he's going to simplify the defense. does some complicated things on third down, but it's going to be a nice balance and probably an easier program for them to digest than what they had last year. And you can say what you want about him as a head coach, but he has that experience. So that's going to allow Brian to concentrate more on the offense, and he will add value there. I'm not sold on pickings, wide receivers that leave Pittsburgh typically don't do very well. And I don't love the fact that we're back to more training camp drama, so I'm going floor.

Wow. I thought you started off like you were going. Seriously. That was. Yeah, I don't think they're going to be able to rely on the run game because I don't think, even though they brought in four running backs, I don't know if any of them are going to pop and I think they're going to be trailing a bunch. The only thing that I think hits the over for the Cowboys this year is Dak Prescott passing yards

and C.D. Lane reception and receiving yards because I do think statistically DAC and CD could have huge years because they're trailing a lot and they have to throw the ball a lot. But I think this is the least talented team that Cowboys have had of Dax's career. And because of that, I think you are one, Micah Parsons holdout or injury away defense and football. So I am a floor. Well, look, if somebody gets hurt, but I look at this as I'm assuming everybody's healthy. That's how I make my predictions.

And remember, Wilde, this is not about what they get. closer to, closer to the ceiling, closer. This is which one of those two, all right? This isn't, are they going to go seven and ten again? We know, bro. Okay, I'm just, I just want you to remember. Thanks for clarifying that. I was confused if they won.

Because look, they won seven games a year ago with Dak missing half the season. This he can with Micah missing several games, all right? This is the Rogers. What? This is the Rogers take. It's just the truth. It's got to be a few games better. No, it's the truth.

Dak Prescott, every year of his career that he has been healthy for the season, 16 games or more. He's at least, his 8 and 8 was his worst. He's not going 5. And I'm not the biggest DAC fan. They ain't going 5 and 12 with a healthy Dak Prescott. All right. The run game, I'm not all high on it because those guys didn't average 4 yards of carry last year. But no, there's no way they're going 5 and 12.

11 and 6. Why does he get three points for that? I'm cooking. Most of the time explaining to you the rules of your own game. I'm cooking. The Jack part went to. You don't owe him in that. Exactly.

He fell asleep on his own take and he got three points. Well, you do not owe them an explanation. You just, you just call it like it is. Next up in Chicago, new line, new coach, sophomore bounce for Caleb, or a tough division in a steeper than expected learning curve. And Ben Johnson's complicated offense. The ceiling for the Bears, 11 and 6, the floor. Six and 11. Nick, what do you like here?

Sealing. And I don't think that's the ceiling. Ooh, that's always a good one. I'm not predicting that they go 12 and 5, but I think it'd be crazy to act like that's, that's impossible. That the absolute, their best case scenario season is 11 wins. I think that's foolish. Listen, I understand wild skepticism of Ben Johnson things. thinking he's a genius when he hasn't yet been a head coach. I get that. I am, however,

fully confident that they will have a better offensive plan, operation, and tactics than they had last year. I'm also fully confident, even if you guys think I overrated Caleb coming out of the draft, that he is in year two going to be a better player than he was in year one. Definitely. I'm also fully confident that their offensive line is going to be better this year with the additions they have made. You add to that the fact that I think you are going to see a slight comeback, not a slight, but a significant comeback from where Detroit was last year at 15 wins, where Minnesota was last year at 14 wins.

And Green Bay, maybe around the same where they were last year. 11 and 6. I think the Bears going 11 and 6 is not only not the ceiling, but a pretty likely outcome. So I say 11. Look, 11 and 6 is possible. But I'm saying the floor. Wow.

All right. Here's what. What about the Budlis bump for Caleb? We'll see. But right now, I mean, Caleb clearly is kind of behind. Right now, I think there are going to be some growing pains early. And just because Ben Johnson was a fabulous offensive coordinator, that doesn't mean he's going to be a great head coach.

Josh McDaniels was a, is a great offensive coordinator. Matt Nagy was a great offensive coordinator. They didn't work out as head coaches. And they're obviously in a monstrous division with the NFC North. Then they play the AFC North. So like that's their schedule is really tough. So if it's not clicking, they will have some L. So I'm not predicting 6 and 11,

but I'm saying that's more likely than the ceiling. So I've liked the Bears for the last couple of years. And when you look at this, they bring the three new offensive linemen. I think that's huge. I really like Colston Loveland, the tight end, the guy out of Michigan. I think he's going to be a significant weapon. Dennis Allen is the defense coordinator, better than you think, especially in points loud. And then we forget this, but they started four and two last season, and the Hail Mary game.

If they'd won that, they would have been five and two, and everything could have changed. So, as, now they lost 10 straight after that, but this is not a team that's void of talent. I think they've got a lot more talent than people anticipate. and I don't know Ben Johnson very well, but I've liked the things that I've seen that he said. So I'm going ceiling. Did you hear what he said about the Tush Push? I did not.

He said he doesn't like he's not explosive play. I also. Coach had the money ball. Last one is always the money ball. Wait, wait, wait. Give me this. Brew, you won't believe what Wilds just did. Does I forget we had the money?

Wilds wrote down a three for coach, a one for you. And then realized you both had seven points. So then he changed. changed the three to a four and turned the seven to an eight. Un defeated. Back, what's the back? We've always played the money ball. We need an investigation.

Tomorrow, I'll be three feet. Cam Ward says the Titans might have a top 10 offense and I agree. Here are the one stat that will make you say good point. Next. Number one pick Cam Ward. Feeling good about camp and his offense. Take a listen. I think we also have the ability to be a top-gen offense.

but also going, it goes on every guy in that huddle, including myself bringing the right mindset every day. And us also playing together. I think that's the biggest things that we always play together. We never point fingers at each other on both sides of the ball. And we just got to always have that mindset that we can be the best offense in the NFL. Okay, so here is historically recent history. Top 10 offenses in the last 10 years by rookie quarterbacks.

Jayden had the fifth best. Bow Nix had the 10th. Mike Jones, no one remembers it. That's why I was so optimistic. I remember it all the time. Six best. Another Bo Nix, Mac Jones Corollary. Wow.

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. He's like Dak Prescott. That's pretty good. On the flip side, though, it's not always peaches and cream here. Caleb had the 28th best. Bryce was tied for last. Trevor, dead last.

Bro, do you like this mentality, or do you like this from Cam Ward? I love it. I love hearing this from him. He's a serious guy. He's not one to just say. crazy things. So I think when he says this, his teammates really take it seriously. He went on.

I watched the whole thing. Of course. He went on and he was raving about the offensive line and how much they protect. And that's not a great one. I don't think it's a great offensive line. It wasn't last. But I do like the, but I think he can make it that perhaps because he is a good old line coach.

But if I'm on the offensive line and I heard the way he was talking about how we protect him, how much faith he has in us. I'm like ready to run through a wall for this guy. I do think they got some weapons. Like Ridley has been down a little. Well, with Ridley at one time, he's not old. At one time he was good. He was

derailed. Tyler Lockett. Of course, Tony, Tyler Lockett. And then you got Tony Pollard in the backfield. Oh, my. I'm just, look, you, I'm not sure where I'm going with the Titans. But it is rustling around that I'm brain. Yes.

That they might. might be a worst to first this year. Oh, my God. I'm just saying, you know I liked them last year. They were physical coach. They were a bad team you didn't want to play, though. They beat you up. If they had won that game against the Bears in the opening week that Will Levis gave away,

who knows what would happen. We do know. They would have had one more way. We do. That was the Will Levin's error. The Will Levin's error is over. We've stumbled on it this last week. there is no, nothing in football that we view more differently than how good are our team's weapons.

We went to war two days ago about as a team with Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle have good weapons. Now I'm hearing Van Jefferson and Tyler Locke. It was not about, it was not about McCaffrey and Kittle at all. No, but it was about their weapons. It was strictly about the wide receivers. I mean, I don't look at the tight. as having a good group of weapons. I don't even look at them as having average weapons.

I think that I think if you have one good play, like established good guy, good receiver in Calvin Ridley, and an average slightly above average running back in Tony Pollard, and then a bunch of guys. That's okay. And a good offensive line. No, again, they have a good offensive line coach.

We have never seen that, right. And last year it led to a terrible, offensive line. I just, I would be surprised if they have a top 10 offense in the AFC. I would be surprised. I'm not saying they have a top 10. I'm just saying I like what he said. Yeah, I hate what he said. I like what he said after he said top 10 offense. So about the O line. Yeah, I like, no, I like what he said about working hard and everybody, you know, all that stuff. You don't need

to predict. You don't need to predict. You're not an astrodomis. You haven't played a snap of NFL football. The preseason. doesn't count. Don't make any predictions. There's this guy in Chicago who told the punter, don't worry, you're not going to have the pun at all this season. But he said, that's very different. We're not going to punt a lot and we have the ability. Yeah, especially because Caleb said his be a private text and not at a podium. No with the, no, with the same, the predictions. And you don't need to predict. You don't need to do it. Just go out and play. You've been so good with all your press conferences. He has been great.

Don't add any unnecessary pressure to yourself. It's inspiring. There's plenty there. Brian Callahan. job. O.C. Was he the O.C. of Joe Burrow's rookie year, number one pick. It was going to be offensive rookie of the year? Hello. Frank Adams there last year. I know, but with Will Lemp. One of our favorite plays of the preseason, 70-yard kick from Cam Little. And Nick said he's got the take of the year about this. Yes. As to why it should be the record. Here's the question, Brew, if someone asked you, they're like, hey, what's a

What's the longest kick ever made in an NFL game? What's the correct answer? 66 yards. Justin Tucker. So, okay, so the correct answer, if someone says, what is the longest kick ever made in an NFL game? It's not a 70-yarder by Cam Little? Not a game.

That wasn't a game? It's not a real game. Not an official game. The question is, longest kick in the NFL game. That was take of the year? Well, I didn't have enough time to really flush it out. Well, thank goodness. Your stand is at plumbing it.

Hi.