First Things First - Micah Parsons playing Week 1 in question, Shedeur's first preseason start, Concerned about Steelers & Stafford?

Episode Date: August 6, 2025

Watch clips on YouTube! Subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FIRST THINGS FIRST YOUTUBE CHANNEL⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (00:00) Could Micah Parsons miss Week 1? Jerry Jones Jones is "absolutely not" confident his star defender will be back to start the regular season / Shedeur Sanders will start Browns first preseason game (25:01) Starting to worry about the Steelers and Matthew Stafford? (38:51) Sean Payton's Bo Nix thoughts (45:28) More about Micah Parsons potential missing Week 1 / More on Shedeur Sanders getting the preseason start (1:06:49) Will this year be different for the Bengals? / Does the Chiefs offense need to be more explosive for another Super Bowl run? (1:19:00) Brian Schottenheimer's visor / Brock Purdy and Mac Jones at 49ers training camp (1:23:35) Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Once you see this video. I'm sure he looks fantastic. We have a video of Miles Garrett coming up. That is just insane. He's a big guy, bro. Well, he opted to do the press conference without his shirt on. And once you see this video, if I look like Miles Garrett and I do a little bit,

she should just never wear a shirt, ever. Grocery store just like, He's like, no. He's like the Old Spice guy. Just looking beautiful. So I was. Does he look? Ash and Gentie looked good without a show.

Wait too soon. I was insane. I was in Houston when he was signing to go to A&M and my co-host down there. Shout out John Lopez was a big Aggie, A&M guy. So I followed him a bit in high school. Yeah. In high school, he looked like this, bro. I mean, he has been Miles Garrett.

Was he a great basketball player too? I mean, that's his thing. I mean, you know, no. No. No. No. I know. But I mean, he's probably guys.

No, like an all time legendary athlete across the board. There's like 64 inch box jump. And he's got great Halloween decorations as well. Oh yeah. First hour first thing first. About three wins. Today four weeks away from Cowboys Eagles, Jerry Jones says Micah might not be there. News out of Dallas.

Not good. Meanwhile, Shador starting for the Browns. What do you do at practice today? We have an update on the graphic. Don't worry. And what can we expect on? Friday. And finally, Stafford's bad back is back. And that means Jimmy G is back is the graphic back. We'll find out. We might have a new prediction coming from Nick on the ramps. I'm just, what, new? What do you mean new?

News. There's been no like, what do you mean? You got a win in the division for sure. Has predictions you know I have a win in the division? You're already working with him. I was flirting. I'm still flirting. I'm still flirting. I have no predictions. Not predictions. He flirted. Remember we had a whole kid. He did his own. soap property. That's when I got the Eagles. That's right. I became the Eagles. The fact that he's just like, let me talk a little bit about someone on another network.

That's his new carve out. But before he was writing full soap operas in his office and kissing letters and nailing them to himself. That was weird. We have people coming in. We have multiple shades of lipstick in a drawer upstairs. In his story. It's a little weird. It's definitely a little strange.

I got to admit. I forgot. It was like a huge... We hired the actress to come in and throw water in my face. Yeah, it was wild. We started with Micah's Holden. You know, he has to be traded last week. Gave the letter to Stephen Jones personally.

But then Jerry Jones told fans and media, don't lose any sleep over it. Okay. So I took that as the deal is going to get done. Mike is going to be there week one. Not so fast. Here's Jerry meeting with the media. Have you talked to him since the tray request?

I have not, no. Has you negotiated start a contract talks with his agent? No, no. Any confidence that he will be on the field against Philadelphia? Again, no, absolutely not. That has to, a big part of that is his decision. All right, Brewer, reaction to this latest. This is just hogwash.

Oh. This is all hogwash. There are other words. Uh-oh. If I cursed, we can't curse on TV, but that you can use for them. You also don't curse off TV. Right. But still, people get the, get the gist of what I'm saying.

Right. Because this is so disingenuous. Oh, wow. You're urgent. How are you urgent when you, to get Micah on the field and get this thing done when you won't call his agent? And even, you know, I watched the whole thing. When Jerry, when Jerry talked about how, you know, he thinks.

thought they had a handshake deal, him and Micah. Okay, but he also said in the same breath, but I understand that, you know, with players, you have to get it signed on the dotted line and a contract and all that. So if you, even if, which I'm not really buying from Jerry, I do believe there was some conversation, Michael was like, that sounds great, you know, something like that. But even if Jerry sincerely thought they had a deal, we got an agreement. We agreed on 40 million or whatever it was per year. Why wouldn't you go call the agent or have somebody call the agent and settle it?

Let's get in here and sign it. Micah said this. Now, I don't think the agent would have done that. But Micah, even if he did agree, obviously does not know defined print or is not one that should read the fine print and know all the ends and outs of a contract. We have agents. And we got agents that deal with that stuff. So of course, Micah wants his agent to do it. So don't tell me you're urgent to get this done when you won't even call his agent.

And I don't know what the deal is with him and David Mulligetta. Mulligata is one of the best agents in the league. So I don't know. Forbes just called him the most powerful guy in the NFL. I don't understand what in the world is going on. No, he's up there. He's a top agent. Sorry.

Forbes called him the most powerful agent. He is a great agent. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's just, it's just. Yeah. It's disingenuous. I think. Now look, quickly, I do think it's getting done.

Probably. Yeah, I'm probably. But Jerry does seem dug in. And the fact of the matter is this, as much as I hope Micah gets his deal. Micah didn't have a lot of leverage. Yeah, the rules are what they are. He can't sit out. We can talk about that.

He can't sit out the whole season. I mean, could he fake an injury? I guess that's what he can do. Because, by the way, it was very weird to me that Jerry said he's absolutely. not confident Micah's there week one because Micah has to be there. Like the one thing Jerry has right is he is under contract

and the one thing Jerry has not stated but I keep trying to remind the audience is since he reported he can't hold out. He can't leave. That is going AWOL from the NFL. The penalty is it's what remember the late

Vante Davis did. You know what I mean when he quit mid-game and they just said okay basically you're you're done. And so Micah, by showing up, has boxed himself in a bit. And so it was weird when Jerry's like, I'm not sure if he's going to play week one. Because the only way he's allowed not to play week one is if he's hurt.

And so now we are getting- So even if he's been holding in this whole time, week one is like, all right, you're ready to play. Chris Jones never showed up and was racking up fines. And so, like, it's an important nuance. Guys don't hold out because they don't want to get fined. but by holding out what you are allowed to do if you can take the financial hit, you can stay home until the night before week 10, show up, play the rest of the year,

and then get credit for your contract year. Now that Micah has shown up, if he leaves at any point, he won't get credit for the contract year. So he has to do a more delicate dance, which is odd. But I am, even if I think this is going to get done, And even if I think we are just being played for a fool the way it was with DAC, more so than CD, which I think everyone thought was going to get done. I am angry on Micah's behalf about Jerry's handling of this. First of all is your point. This statement cannot be made enough.

The Cowboys this offseason have not negotiated with his agent. This is not a negotiation that fell apart. This is not even, Mark it Wilds, Trey Hendrickson with the Bengals. where they have talked a bunch, but it's like, you know what? We are too far apart on the things that matter. They won't talk to his agent. And I, you cannot, now,

if they wanted to not talk to his agent last year and be like, we know you're eligible for the extension, we have to get DAC and CD done, we think talking would be pointless. It would just annoy you. You know what I mean? Because we know we're not paying you right now. So be it.

Not talking to him now, when the original term of his rookie contract is over is outrageous. It is what you do to an employee that you do not plan to extend. And the other thing that is outrageous is Jerry talking about handshakes. And so I want to play the clip, sorry. Here's Jerry with Jane Slater, I think, talking handshakes. Let's play. I bought the Dallas Cowboys with a handshake.

It took about 30 seconds. I gave the number, shook hands, the details we worked out later. As a matter of fact, one of the details involved a lot of money, and we had to flip a coin over that. But the fundamental I'm buying, and you're going to sell it to me for that range, that's done, and those are done with eye contact and handshake. Hold on. Can I say something? I totally agree with Jerry Jones.

That is how a lot, that's not just old Texas oil deals or whatever. A lot of business is done. at dinner over wine, let's hash it out. Do we have a deal? Homes are sold, businesses, that happens all the time. And a handshake and eye contact between Jerry and David Mulligeta would have been fair. If the story was, me and the agent, the two negotiating parties came to an agreement, and then before it got papered, the agent was like, you know what, we want.

more, I'd be on the Cowboys side. But you can't say I came to a handshake agreement with a non-negotiating party. Micah is not the negotiating party for Micah Parsons. And so trying to, Jerry is the negotiating party for the Cowboys.

It is an un, and I'm not doubting Micah's intelligence or whatever it is. But it's not his business. Like, it's not his specialty. And so it is outrageous to me for Jerry to spring on Micah contract discussion, They get to wherever it seems okay and then be like, it's done.

We've negotiated. He knows better than that. When he was negotiating to buy the Cowboys, he wasn't talking to whoever owned the Cowboys son and be like, hey, what do you think your dad would want for this, whatever it is? He was talking to the primary party. And so I think that's disingenuous. Even though I agree you can handshake on a deal if you're the two parties actually arguing about the deal.

And to your point, he went all the way back to when he bought the team. He didn't say, with Emmett Smith, we came to a handshake with Dak Prescott, with C.D. Land, with Zach Martin, we came to a hand. None of them. He had to go all the way back 30-some-odd years to when he was talking to another executive, so to speak. Do you actually think they shook on it? I believe. I bet, yeah, I bet.

I don't know that they. I'm interested in on the, this is so close to having. details, but we don't. So what was it? I bet at the end of that meeting, they dapped and hugged. A dapp is not an answer. You're not talking, are you talking about?

You can't dapp and hug someone for a business deal. You're talking about Micah? Yeah. He's saying, he's saying, do I think, I don't know. I mean, you mean, you mean, like a literal like this versus. Yeah, I think I, but is it like 4-160. The, versus like, ah, cool, see ya. But I don't know.

I personally think it was more like, that sounds good to me. But that's what I'm saying that doesn't count. Right. That's all I think it was. And what I'm saying is none of it counts. Yeah, I mean, obviously. Legally, it doesn't count. That it is, no, not even legally.

I'm talking about ephemerally, ethically. I'm just saying that if, like you said, we have agents. If my agent was trying to get in contact with one of the bosses and one of the bosses called me to talk about something else. And then money came up. And I'm a little caught off guard and I don't want to whatever. And I'm like, oh yeah, I'm sure.

You know, you guys will work it out. That sounds good, what you're saying. And then his public stance was, that deal is done. We have agreed to terms. I'd be livid. I'd be livid. And so, and I'm older than Micah.

You know what I mean? I argue for a living. Like there's, and so I just think it's unfair. And I don't think it's how business is actually done. Of course not. Yeah. It's like it's. The fact that he's going this route does make you wonder like, how does he feel about Mike?

Why are you doing this? I don't. I don't understand. It's also not good for the Dallas Cowboys. Like what upsets me a little bit is I'm not Cowboys fan. If they win or lose, I prefer if they were interesting. But Jerry will come on. Nobody wants to win more than me.

I want to win a Super Bowl. We'll have to do this whole thing over and over. You know what the combined score, they played the Eagles in 28 days? The combined score of their last two games against the Eagles, 7513. Are you helping yourself in a position to beat the Eagles week one right now?

No, but he's dominating the talk show. Who cares? He cares. He cares. So that part I agree. He cares. That part, and that is, and it will, And I think if this gets done a la DAC on the eve of the season

and we and all the shows do another 20 topics on it, I think Jerry will think I'm the best. Look at what I can do. Yeah, he will. Look this this whole, everyone else, everybody and they'll go nine and eight. Right. Yeah. But but he will, that he will feel like

nobody gets, and understands what I understand. Tell me if I'm wrong. Dak was also in the red jersey because he talked about it. And fully participating. Mike is hanging out. Correct. Well, CD wasn't. CD though was a true holdout.

But they also didn't. But they did CD late August, I think. Late August. They did CD like five days before that. Oh, okay. But still, and CD didn't have as good of a year as he had the year before. Now part of that stack was hurt. Like, it's not helpful.

It's only helpful in this regard that it is, listen, I give Kevin Clark credit. He's the first person I've heard say this and he's right. He's like, if a genie came to Jerry Jones and said, you can win the next three Super Bowls, but you'll never be able to do another press conference. Jerry would say no deal. Absolutely. And I think like this is a cousin of that.

Moving on. Which is ridiculous. Yeah, I know. With the genie part or the movie. Shador Sanders, fourth on the depth chart, but first to take a snap on Friday for the Brown's preseason game against the Panthers. Stapansky saying Cleveland will rest starters.

who Shador hasn't been working with during training camp anyways. Here's Tifansky and a shirtless Miles Garrett that I told you about. Yeah, I got a scene. We'll rest some starters. Some players will play. Obviously, holding out some guys due to injury, as you know. And then we'll play Shadour at quarterback. We just signed Snoop Huntley, as you guys saw.

We'll see get Snoop back up to speed. It's funny. He's optimistic, lighthearted. But he works hard. He takes it seriously. His craft, and he's watching what the others are doing. and doing it his own way in which only he can. So looking forward to see him in these preseason games

and how he manages the offense. But I think he looks good, but all the guys look good right now. I don't care. You know who else look good? Everybody to know. The defense will be on point. All right, his bias looks like a five. QB tracker.

You be tracker. We've added a quarterback. And also we this one, this one, when we have extra info on. Oh, which is Pickett and Gabriel exclusively a seven on seven. So it's, because they won't.

You can't really put those with. Well, I mean, but, but keep in mind some of the other ones that have been that as well, but the, because picket and Gabriel aren't allowed

to do 11 on 11 right now because they can't, they don't want to re-arate the hamstrings. So there you go. Yeah. Go ahead. Shador was four for seven. Yeah.

But 11 on 11. 11. How are you feeling today? We did the breaking news yesterday. You've had a day. let it marinate. How are you feeling about Chador now? Well, look, there's been so much speculation,

even on our part, on everybody's part. Who drafted him? Was it the owner? Was it the front office? Do the front office and the coaches not like him? Are they being unfair to him? Are they afraid to lose their jobs? I mean, there's so much speculation.

Shadour Sanders can make all of it irrelevant. All of it, including where he was drafted. including being drafted in the fifth round. I get it. He won't get the contract. But he can erase all of this with a great performance in this game. And I get it. People are saying, that's a lot to ask.

Well, hold up. I mean, this is what the NFL is about. You have to grab a hole of your opportunities. Tom Brady, I get it. He's the goal. But he had one chance. Drew Blesso gets hurt. He goes in there and they just start running.

and off wins. He had one shot. And I, Brock Purdy, I'm not even trying to start a Purrty thing. Purdy had one chance. Like, he was Mr. irrelevant. He,

he's, and he's thrown in against legitimate NFL teams in the regular season and hasn't played with the ones, right? All of that.

And so, Shadur, I get it, hasn't, well, I don't know if the ones, how much don't even play. He said very little. Yeah, so,

but, you know, he hasn't had those reps. But this is what it's about. And I'll give him this, look, because of his last name, he's had pressure on him his whole life because your dad was a superstar athlete. So everybody thinks, are you going to be that? Can you live up to that? His first game at Colorado, remember, they're playing TCU coming off.

TCU being in the national championship game. And he throws for 510 yards. So I think he's up to the task of meeting the moment, but he's got to meet it because if he does, this whole thing takes a giant turn. But what he's not used to and that he will be dealing with, he would be dealing with if he were the Brown starting quarterback in the regular

season, but to a far greater extent this Friday is he's not used to, oh, your D.Bs are way better than my receivers. And with Judy and the other top Browns receivers not expected to play, you know what I mean? They already, after Judy, are very thin there to begin with

and the Panthers are expected to play their starters in the beginning. defensively. Now, J.C. Horm was in a car accident today. He tweeted he's okay, but, you know, he usually has, you know, at Jackson State, you know, I went and saw him and, you know, and it was him and Travis against, oh, God, who were they playing? It was Southern Classic. I forget, but regardless, and it was like, oh, yeah, those guys are just in a different world than the opponent. And even at Colorado, while a lot of the guys on his team were not as good as the guys they were facing, his receiver's pretty dope. You know, it was Travis.

and Jimmy Horn and so they Right, he had he had real more than a fighting chance there but I agree with you Brew in that it's not exactly

fair but it is kind of the best he could have hoped for. The fact that he is going to get the majority of the reps in the Brown's first preseason game he had to draw to an inside straight flush of things for that to happen. And it was

what, KW? No one knows right darn. Drew understood. And so... We car players. Exactly. Thanks, bro.

And there's a great quote that I wish I had committed to memory because I actually used it. It was my senior quote in high school. Oh, wow. But FDR, there was a guy who was trying to do the FDR's portrait. And he kept showing up to the White House, kept showing up to the White House already everything. FDR's like too busy. Can't do it.

Too busy. Can't do it. Like a month into it, there was. The guy's getting ready to leave one day. He's been there all day. FDR comes down the stairs. He's like, right now. And the guy is all flustered wherever.

He's like, hey, man, this is your moment. He's like, fair or not, everyone's going to judge you forever. FDR said this to the painter. Like, you got to, yeah, like, you got to step up. Right, you got it, like, you're going to, this is your moment. And sometimes things like that come across in life. And it's just like, there's a fork in the road. Now, I agree.

If it goes poorly, he will have time to recover. But it's a huge setback. This is an opportunity to accelerate the process massively that I don't think any of us realistically saw coming this early. But because of Pickett's injury, Gabriel's injury, the fact that they don't want to play Flacco, he's now, and it's not going to be any questions. Like, who was, it's going to be on NFL Network, Friday night,

and probably one of the higher rated preseason games in recent memory, and we'll get to see what he looks like. Brew, what do you think the chances are? I don't know how to ask this question. but what are the chances are I kind of have three kind of buckets in my mind that he wows you that it's just kind of mediocre neither going to or or it's a dud maybe because of lack of reps and practice he yeah I I think the I feel like it's the obvious answer the middle choice is what's more likely that he's which is probably a win he's aren't right it's it's not a loss it's not a loss

If he goes in there, they, you know, don't have any problems at the line of scrimmage. He's getting the team out of the huddle quickly. Just seems like a normal kind of preseason game. Yeah, yeah. And he looks, he's pretty good. It would be great if he could do what Trey Lance just did last week. I think that's unrealistic. Okay, but it is what it is. Yeah, because Trey's been in training camps for years.

You know what I mean? No, I get that it's a lot to ask, but it would be great. That would be the highest. I don't think you'll be a dud. I think he's. going to play, he's going to get at least a half. So I almost feel like that's too long

unless he's just completely out of his league. He's going to be good. Yeah, I don't think he'll be a dud. I don't think it's so I think I am going to, maybe he'll be great, maybe it'll be awful. But if it's in the middle, the way I will judge it is, I just want to see

how he looks in the preseason compared to Dylan Gabriel. Because in my opinion, that's the only person he's competing with. He is, he, his first and foremost goal needs to be, I need to be the best rookie quarterback on this team. Because if he is,

he will get to start this year. Joe Flacco is not starting 17 games. The owner told us. The owner said, we need to start both the rookies at some point. But the problem with that is, if the first rookie who you start plays well, then he's the only rookie you're going to start.

You know what I mean? And so... That schedule's a little rough. I would... No. You know when the second guy in... No, but I'm... But Flacco is going to be the first guy, is what I'm saying. And I think they're going to sit with Flacco for more than a month. I don't think, you know what I mean? And so, but the point, the, he needs to give himself a fighting chance to be the Brown's backup quarterback.

Yeah. And I think he's only going to do that through preseason. You know, look at the Brown schedule. I wonder if it's a tough, they're going to be one in seven or two and six. I wonder if it's advantageous to actually be, there we go. I suppose Flacco loses to the Patriots. And it's like, all right, let's switch over. to someone.

Jets, the Ravens game is not going to go well. No, but that's, but no, I mean, it's the NFL. I guess it's not bad. Yeah, it's just really tough early. And he's no one's going to, he's not going to, that left column is the left column is actually right, but that's flack them. That's, sorry, Joe. The buy week is when he's going to start.

If he, or. Aaron Glenn, then he got the Ravens. I mean, we can always do, you know, there's always ways to find it to be. Max Prosby and. Yes, it doesn't get easy, but it gets easier. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

And he's got to. He's got to play well Sunday. Right. I think he's going to do well. Is Brule losing faith in the Steelers and his guy, Aaron Rogers? Not really. My guy. What do you mean?

He's picked him three years in a row. No. I have the receipts. He's not my guy. I have the receipts. He's your guy. On FIS one, Fox Sports Channel Series. Check out of the podcast.

Gianna, we have number one podcast in the world? Number one podcast, number one YouTube channel. Get on board. We're the best. I'm amazed you can say that. Hey. That word number one? Bruce used to a world of greater

I mean, what do you want to say? We're 400 million behind movies and it haunts me at night. I'm shocked you can say that. Wilde's journalistic standard start and end with the ESP and Cleveland chart. That's it. Head to Steelers camp where Aaron Rogers and D.K. Metcalfe still figuring things out. Mike DeFobo writing in the athletic. While Rogers quick release has married well with D.K. Metcalfe's ability to win on slants, the

He hasn't been able to unlock his big play threat downfield. Rogers did find Metcalf on a deep cross thanks to some blown coverage. But that touchdown is the outlier. Is anyone losing confidence in the Steelers if you had any? Well, Brew had some. Well, let me set the record straight. Yeah, let's hear it. I am not the, or Aaron Rogers is not my guy.

All right, the Steelers are not my team. All I said was that I. have upgraded them from experiencing Mike Tomlin's because you weren't here. Mike Tomlin's first losing season, which is what I was saying for about a month, Nick jumped on it and said, no, that was my take. I now think, and even this news was not good. Like you read the whole story, like it looks like Rogers just hasn't played very well, right? But I still think, Greg, they're capable of winning 10 games.

and I said I'm battling between them and the Steelers to get that second playoff spot in the AMC North. Between them and the Bengals, I'm sorry. A week ago I was leaning Steelers. Now, some of this is also, I'm starting to believe more in the Bengals too.

Oh, okay. I think, look, I get there that the defense is going to struggle, but I'm thinking Burrough and company are here for business this year. So I'm 50-50 now between the Steelers and the Bengals. But, yeah, losing a little faith. Can I tell you? A little bit. So this is why Wilde correctly was identifying you as not so much the Steelers guy, but the Rogers guy.

Yeah. Because, well, three years ago during Predictions Week and Aaron's last year in Green Bay, you picked the Steelers to make and lose the Packers to make and lose the Super Bowl. That happened. What? Are you? Yes, I'm, yes. No, I could not have done that. Because you know, you know, even when I've defended it, I know, I know, you said the NFC championship games.

And it was a whole thing where you were like, and despite that, he's going to do it this year. Then his first, check the, it's on the world's number one YouTube page. Losing my memory. And then his first year with the Jets, me and Wilde begged you not to fall for the banana in the tailpipe. And you did. Who knows what would have happened that year. Exactly. As evidenced by last year, you and you, by the way, picking the Jets to win the AFC East.

You pick him every year. Did I pick him to win the HFD better than Zazz? Did I pick him to my predictions a tad? No. I did pick him, I think, to make the playoffs. No, it was you had, it was AFC East that the bills were going to finish second to make the playoffs. 100%. We had the graphic on our wall for months.

I don't know, Greg. But Hobbs, put it on the screen if you can pull it, the one you show. me before the show because I checked. So, Hubbs is in on this? I said, I was like, is it fudging graphics now? It's from the world's number one YouTube page. Everyone can see it. It's no problem.

You love Aaron Rogers. You can't quit Aaron Rogers. And you're ultimately going to pick Aaron Rogers. I don't know. I'm leaning. You're 50, 50, 50, but Bengals are coming on strong. Greg, do you think he should lose faith considering this report says he can't throw the ball to DK Metcalf?

We were excited. excited about for a while. Yeah, Bruce should definitely lose faith. Wow. You should lose faith. Look, I, yes, I actually picked them last year when he was with the Jets to make the AFC championship game. Yeah.

And I also, towards the end of the year, said, I'm done. I am out. And I'm holding true to that. I have no faith. Like, I understand why there's this idea of, man, it's so exciting because we're, we've been enamored with just his career and it is it is great but this is the resume of Aaron Rogers that we all see like the 10 Pro Bowls the four MVP's the the playoff appearances in the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP and the reality of it is

his coach is has been impressive that he's playing for now as well Mike Tomlin their resumes collectively are impressive first thing you talk about with Tomlin no losing season. What other coach can say that? You don't, you don't have that. And then you obviously know that he won the playoff with two playoff appearances. But the real reality is this is what they are now. When you look at their latter end of their, their resume, like the Steelers playoff appearances, five, no wins.

This is the last eight years. Two playoff. Aaron Rogers, and he was on some good team. Two playoff wins. Like, this is, this is the reality. of what you're getting, and you may not even get that. And so, and when DK, the frustration with D.K. and why we look at D.K. Metcalf and Aaron Rogers as potentially exciting

because of what we've been able to see with Aaron Rogers over the course of his career, he's a great deep ball thrower. He thrives off 20 plus 40 plus yard passes. DK Metcalf, you close your eyes. You think about D.K. Metcalfe, you think about him catching a deep ball down the sideline, scoring touchdowns. Well, if they're struggling to have that type of a connection, who else is going to step up outside of the tight end?

We know they're a run first team. You've got to support Aaron Rogers in every area of your offense at this stage in this career. And so for me, I'm out on them because. So what is your, do you think they could have their first losing season? I do believe this on the board. I do believe it's on the, and again, Mike Tom is a great coach. he's always found a way

that is going to be tough. I will say this quickly, Nick. Yeah. My problem or my concern going into this season has been is Rogers going to, you know, act up, destroy the culture, whatever. Now it's like

you probably say, yeah, he might just not be good. Correct. He hasn't played really well the last three years. Right. That's the point I think that where while,

and I have been in lockstep the last couple years is even if you get best behavior, he's not the player people think he is. And the fact that he's not the player that people think he is tends to bring out some of the bad behavior. And bad behavior, I put in quotes, but you know what I mean? Not actually bad stuff, but like the lack of accountability and the issues that are, you know, pointing fingers, not thumb stuff, pops up for a lot of aging legends. And the other thing that we had on the screen at the very beginning, but I saw on my paper, is the athletic outline Steelers' Issues emerging from camp, run game, vertical pass game, who's wide receiver two, and young tackles struggling. You know what another, too long didn't read?

The offense. The run game, the past game, the offensive line. That's the offense. Tight ends though. Friar move. And DK. And it said wide receiver. for two. So D.K. when he's not going vertical and fireman. I mean, that's, that ain't great.

No. It ain't great. All right. Head to the coast. Stafford. This week to week. Has it practiced in training camp, period. And today, friend of the show, Ian Rappaport, says he's got an aggravated disc and had an epidural. Not good. Bat signal went up for Jimmy G. who's currently running the offense. Brew roasted you yesterday about Stafford. It wasn't great. Eddie ever. Yeah. Are you worried?

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, they, if he doesn't play, they're cooked because they might pretend. Yeah. They, yeah. They don't play. Don't do it. Don't do it.

Great. Okay. I mean, here is, here is, here is their backup quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo, since he left the warm bosom of Kyle Shanning. hand. Now he's in the warm bosom of Sean McVey. But I thought his body betrayed him, Brew. It is. He's had a few years to reclure.

What is it? He's had a few years to get it back. That won't play. And so, yeah, of course I'm worried. I think McVeigh, you know, I think McVeigh is a top five coach. I have him ranked higher than some coaches. Oh, he's won a Super Bowl too. So it doesn't matter.

I was going to say some of your coaches that have won a Super Bowl. Lost one too? Yeah, he's been to two. I think McVeigh has an argument, an argument. He's second best coach in football. I love Puka, and I think they've done a really good job on the fly rebuilding that defensive line post-Aren Donald retirement. I thought that was remarkable. But the offense won't work without Stafford.

And Stafford, we're talking epidural, and you know what I mean, that right now he couldn't do, you know, LeBron's Pilates workout, that is concerning to me. Well, look, I put a call in or got in contact with our guy, David. David Chow from NFL doctor. He brought up two comps. One, who guys who've had this

situation, because it's about the nerves, he said. Tony Romo, who had to get surgery because of this, but Philip Rivers, I think it was 2014, who had this condition and didn't miss a game. and Rivers like Stafford was an Ironman, right?

So I think Stafford will play. Florio reported that he's going to start working out this week, later this week. I think it'll play. I just think it'll hamper him like it has in my, not this injury, but the various injuries he has, has had have hampered him over the last three years. Yeah, I think it was, was it yesterday or a couple of days ago when we did the one to 10, how worried we were. And I was, I was a seven.

And you were a 10, actually. Yeah. Like, I'm very concerned. And I can understand getting the epidural and why you would do that, you know, minimize the inflammation and just feel good. Anytime you can, I've played in this league. And I've been in situations where I've got an injection. And it feels great for a period. And then what doesn't happen is the opportunity.

that that truly provides for us to then work on like the biomechanics of how we're moving. Guys don't do that because and what I'm talking about is- You don't feel the pain. No, it's not even about that. The moment you get these shots, these steroid injections, there is no more pain. Most case scenarios. And so naturally, you're like, oh, man, it feels good. I don't even feel that anymore.

And so you go performing as though there's nothing wrong. And then when it wears off. And then when it wears off or it, yeah, wears off, then it's like you haven't fixed anything. And so my concern is if it works, great. He's going to be able to perform. He'll be able to get on the field. But I look at down the road and if it doesn't work for the entirety of this season,

Stafford's, this is his last year. Like, he can't keep doing this. And so it's, but to your point, if he's not available, and he's not available to be Matt Stafford. Matthew Stafford that we know he can't. They're done. Thanks. So the, it seems already.

The guys are right. They're, well, no, the whole, the glass quarterful is they are doing the rare team thing rather than understating. They are overstating the injury because. part of the negotiation member, he was want to be traded, get more money. Part of it was be ready in September. We'll give you most August off, buddy. And you know what I mean?

That is the, I'm not saying I think that's likely, but it's not off the board that he is, that the plan was for him to miss a lot of training camp, but they don't want to say that public. They started one in four last year and then turned it around, so maybe they start slow and pick it up. We've got Sean Payton talking about Bo Nix, but before we go, we also, courtesy of our first thing for us news desk, they found your predictions week that you were claiming was a fake doctored AI tape. Take a listen. We'll be right back. To the following predictions for the entire year. Their roster or paint.

Who finds a caveat to bail on his prediction midseason. It is. Fresh Sean Payton excerpt from Seth Wickersham front of show. And his new book, American Kings, all about quarterbacks, where Sean Payton reveals how he became enamored with Bo Nix as a prospect at Oregon because of his processing speed and lack of negative plays. Peyton even has his own proprietary algorithm. I found this article to be complimentary of Bo Nix, obviously, and good access from Seth. Also, lots of Mahomes compliments. Oh, yeah, listen, Sean Payton.

For some reason, that usually. Everyone Sean Payton's met for the last decade he has led with, you know, I was going to draft Patrick Mahomes. The problem is he told everyone he had met right before the draft. You know, I'm going to draft Patrick Mahomes, and that's why he wasn't able to draft Patrick Mahomes. So this, listen, I reached out to Seth because I love Seth and I'm excited to read the book, because Sean Payton's proprietary algorithm, which is the most basic arithmetic imaginable. It is take all the interceptions, all the sacks, all the fumbles, and then, divide the number of attempts by that number and come up with percentage of bad plays.

I don't think the folks at PFF are terrified that they didn't get to that first, but it's how he was doing it. It was interesting because he wasn't focusing on positive plays. Correct. He only wanted to look at negative plays. So two notes. One is, again, I'm not in the lab with him, but the Caleb algorithm had the wrong info. So he used, he was trying to use attempts for everyone.

And for Caleb, he used completions, which put his number at 18%, which was the highest of any one by a lot down to 11% which was right in line with Jaden Daniels. Actually, you know, it was at like 10. So he would have been a second with Daniels. Right in line with him. I think I think J.J. was at like eight, whatever. Also, for the

record, we had Josh, don't sue us, please, Sean, use the proprietary algorithm and check. And of notable first round quarterbacks over the last decade, Bo Nix does have the best number. The second best number is and we checked it out,

Mac Jones. But the, yeah, it is, I just, I am, the reason I am less impressed by Sean Payton's open adoration for Bonnix is because, and I said this yesterday, but I will show it to you today, I have seen this movie before. Eight years ago, Sean Payton had found Drew Breeze-era parent, and he was ready to tell everyone about it. And his name was Taysam Hill. Sean Payton sees new special team star

as Saints Next QB. That was December of 17. Troy and Joe said it on Monday Night Football. I don't know if it was Monday Night Football. Troy and Joe talked about on the broadcast. A year later, Sean Payton's like, you know what? How about

he could become Steve Young? He talked about that. Well, he talked about him becoming Steve Young and definitely is the next Drew. or Drew Breeze's error, pardon me. And then a year after that, he was still talking about, listen, all right, so maybe he's not the next Drew Breeze and he's not Steve Young. He's going to be an outstanding NFL quarterback.

He started seven games ever. And so I- He did have a blind spot for Taysom Hill. Okay. Or maybe, or maybe it's just quarterbacks who aren't Drew Breeze, you sure wish they were. And so all, listen, proprietary algorithm aside, I will believe. leave it when I see it. That's my take. But I know he's, listen, he's not, he's not quiet

about his love of it, of his quarterback. He's telling everyone who will listen. It's four different reporters now. He's talked about this too. So that's fine. I'm not as intense on the Bow Nick's thing as Nick is, obviously, but what I will say, Nick, and like I said, he's not my guy or anything like that.

But he was good last year. I mean, 29 touchdowns as a rookie without great receiving weapons. No 1,000-yard rusher. In fact, he didn't have a 600-yard rusher. And he had a great offensive line. I get that.

And you got Sean Payton, who's a good offensive coach. So I think, you know, I'm just kind of waiting to see what I'm not really as high on the people that are saying he's going to be, I'm certainly not saying he's going to be a top, what, three quarterback? Top four or five. Top four or five quarterback within the next two years. But I'm open to him being like really good, you know, so I just kind of want to sit back. Is he even in the fluid mix right now? No. He's not in five to 15.

it, yeah, no. I'm surprised if Purdy isn't on the top 100 that Bo Nix was ahead of Purdy. By the way, me too. Yeah, that's surprising. But I'm open to seeing him. It's worked out for him so far. Like, this isn't Taysam Hill.

I'm sorry. I know you keep, you know that too. You know he's not Tatea. This isn't Taysam Hill. No. Tastom Hill didn't start for him as a rookie. He had Drew Brees. This young man started last year.

And to Bruce's point, he played great. Like he played Great might be strong. He played better than what you had expected. Yes. In a lot of other touchdowns by a rookie quarterback, right? They went from a non-playoff team to a team that made the playoffs, 10 wins. None of us had them making the playoffs.

Like it was largely because of the performance of Bo Nix. Like when you have success like that, you don't have the success with a quarterback that hasn't been great all season. He was really good last year. then to come in and have your coach speak highly, like, it gives you more confidence going in. Again, the expectation or the standard has been set because they made the postseason. So why would your coach now come in and be like, look, guys, let's just hold our horses. We know it's year two. We know what usually happens in the National Football League in year two.

No, just set of that, we're trying to win the division. We win the division and have Bo establish himself as the player I know he is. He's setting it at we were about to run the table last year if we didn't get our asses kicked in round one. We were then going to beat the Chiefs. And now we have a superstar quarterback and we can win the Super Bowl this year. Would you want it? Exactly. Exactly, Wild.

I don't like it. He's gassing him up. Okay, then would you like it if Ben Johnson were saying all of this? I don't think Caleb needs to be gassed up. I think Bo Nix does. Okay. I mean, Bo Nix was a first round pick. Go get it, Bo.

Oh. I don't think Drake May needs to be gassed up. Live from New York, show that it's trying something new. Finally, I'm at my rightful position. I think it's a whole huge hoax I pulled on you guys. Like, no, we'll just try it out. We'll see how it's going on. Why is this your rightful position?

Because I'm like, the boss. Yeah, it feels like, you know. Reader of the show. Yeah, it's like, I pass the turkey. Like, you know, you know, the table. That's the turkey. Second hour, first, things first.

Trying something new. Today, Patrick Mahomes talks about potential changes to the offense. And there's a surprise visitor at Chiefs Camp we discuss. It's Antonio the Pierce. Meanwhile, Burrow is going to play in the preseason. Our Sincis's slow start.

It's a thing of the past. Greg Jennings gives us his preseason takes. But right now, we're talking about Micah's hold in. He has to be traded last week. And Jerry Jones said, you know what? No big deal. Don't lose any sleep over it. So we assume that means the deal is going to get done.

And Mike is not going to miss any games. Not necessarily the case. Take a listen. Have you talked to him since the trade request? I have not. No. As you negotiated, start a contract talks with his agent. No.

No. Danny confidence that he will be on the field against Philadelphia. Again, no, absolutely not. That has to, a big part of that is his decision. Danny, your reaction to Jerry Jones' recent comments. It's all just so unnecessary. I still firmly believe that Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys will get a deal done. I don't agree with the rhetoric that it's just like he's going to eke above T.J. Watts,

41 million a year. I think he wants to shatter it. I think he wants to set a new standard. That's what Bruce said as well. You mean Jerry or? No, but Micah. Micah. Yeah, I agree.

Like, T.J. Watts, 30. Mikea, Miles Garrett's 29. Right. Micah Parsons is 26. Like, I think he wants to set the standard for an edge rusher and then have that new standard stand for a couple of years like Justin Jefferson did in the receiver market. So 45 million a year. Does he want 50 million a year?

Does he want $200 million guaranteed? because the record for guaranteed money for defensive players, Miles Garrett, at $122 million. So I think he wants to shatter it. But Jerry Jones is just weird about this. Like, I looked in his eyes and I just shook his hand and I thought we had a deal done. Man, when he bought the team in 1989, it was for $140 million. It's not 1989 anymore. He's about to give $140 million to Micah Parsons.

So I think Jerry's just stuck in the 80s. So, I mean, but here's the other problem. who knows what Micah wants because they won't talk to his agent. That's the part of this that I think Brew's unprecedented. I've never heard of a negotiation that clearly, it is clearly not the Cowboys' stance of your first contract's not over,

not giving you a second contract. Because Jerry feels like we agreed to a second contract already. So the stance is not, there's nothing to negotiate about because we're not paying you. The stance is I negotiated without the agent and now I won't talk to the agent. But I've never seen a scenario of a player of this caliber that wanted to stay with the team. The team has said they wanted him. And the owner's stance is we won't talk to the agent.

And I think that is, I don't think it's hyperbole to say that's without precedent. I've never seen something like that before. No, I think it's terrible. The word I used in the last hour was hogwash. It's balder dad. Wow. This is balder dyes. He's being disingenuous.

That's the synonym for hogwash. So he's being disingenuous, all right? Like you said, Nick, if you even thought, oh, we got a handshake agreement to use his terminology, you still call the agent to work out the fine print. He even mentioned, you know, the details we still had to work out. out when he bought the team. You worked that out with the agent. The fact that they have been called him is ridiculous.

And I think for other players on the team. Now look, when the Cowboys offered them so much money, the players will take it whether they like Jerry or not. But I do think if I'm a player on this team, Greg, I'm kind of like a young player. They're not paying Micah Parsons? Yeah. Like what is going to happen when I'm up or when it's my turn

or even if I play fantastic? What's going to happen? So I think there's a good chance they still get it done just because this has been Jerry's history. But I am starting – there's a little bit of me now, a small part that's starting to wonder, is Jerry – like, is Michael off asking for 47 a year? Remember I told you I saw the article in the Dallas Morning News, Calvin Watkins, wrote, he wants four years, 200 million, which is 50 a year. I was like, that was the first time I'd see that. You thought it was a misprint. Yeah, I was like, I don't know it's at a month.

mistake is at a misprint or whatever, but maybe that's what he wants. And, and, but to your point, Nick, I don't know how he would know. Correct. If he hadn't talked to the agent, but. So it's really strange to me because one moment we hear Jerry telling the fans, you know, don't leave any sleepover. The next moment we're hearing them say, you know, absolutely not. I'm not sure he's going to play week one.

But when it, when it comes down to contracts, you always have to talk to the agent unless you're not represented by representation like Lamar exactly you're doing your own like exactly Lamar when I think about this situation and I think about all the things that Micah said and how he loves football and how he loves the cowboys and all this stuff it's almost like Jerry and his team and exactly but really Jerry is trying to take advantage of Micah Parsons and all that he's already said and get him in a corner where it's like... It's the only reason this is a bad analogy

but it's a good analogy. It's bad because it invokes bad things but it's the same reason why if you're in trouble with the cops you say talk to my lawyer not to me. Correct. Because I, you guys are one party of a negotiation. I'm not equipped to be the other party to it

and so, and I'm not comparing Micah to a criminal but it's the guy I pay to deal with people like you is who you should talk to. It is not a unique concept. And I think it's totally fine. Mangini talked about how

sometimes after a long period of the agent and the player, I'm sorry, the agent and the team negotiating, negotiating, they can't reach a point. Then the coach or the GM might come in and be like, hey, can our guys have been talking, it's not

getting done, can we talk? That to me is totally different than starting. starting there when you don't even know it's going to be a negotiation. Like that, because it does, yes, the player, the agent works for the player so the player can supersede him. But Micah didn't try to enter into negotiation with Jerry Jones. He thought he was meeting with him about team leadership and then Jerry brought up money. Well, that's the thing too. This should be the easiest type of

contract to do. Superstar player at premium position gets first contract extension with team that drafted you. These always go well. Like we, like, everyone remembers when Khalil Mack was traded, because it was like, oh my God, the Raiders didn't pay Khalil Mack? Yes. What? And then the Bears traded multiple first round picks, most draft capital ever given up for a defensive player. And then they gave him the biggest contract ever for a defensive player. It was like a industry shifting trade. I don't think anyone thinks that's going to happen again. And with the Raiders wasn't, didn't a new regime had come in? And that was one of the reasons. They literally thought it was possible that the Raiders did not have enough cash on hand to pay Khalil Matt.

The old, the old you have to keep it in asking. This is not that. Greg, what do you think about the news that he like actually might miss game one? I think we're kind of, I don't want to gloss over the importance of this because it's not just week one. It also opens up the entire NFL season. Do you think that is a leverage point from Micah? So it would be, I think it would be shocking. for all involved if Micah,

more so probably to the players, because we all, and even us as media, we all know how much Micah just wants to play football and how much he loves the game. However, I think, again, I go back to the point that I just was making, I think Jerry has tried to take advantage of that.

Yes. And use that against Michael Parsons because he's talked about this so much. Let's just try to strike a deal with Micah, and then he'll get his agent to sign off on it and Micah's looking at it like no and if he's being advised like we can get more then now he has them in a bind to where they are going to have to come up with a little bit more so I just I think he play I think they get it done I don't I just can't see Micah

with another I can't see the Dallas Cowboys letting them go and trading them or that's not that's not going to happen I think he gets it done before week one if he doesn't Mike is going to get this is like Emmett Smith all right. all over again. The thing is, Mike, we briefly touched on it earlier. He has no leverage. Again, he could fake an injury

and maybe he would. The back just hasn't healed up, whatever. But he can't sit out the season because if he does, that contract just tolls and you're putting off free agency another year. And remember, even if he gets to, if I'm Mike, I want that $24 million

that I obviously want more, but I don't want to give up $24 million. and then Jerry could, if this is really turns into a real grudge match, but Jerry still respects how great of a football player he is, he could franchise him. A year from now. Yeah, you know, having played for 24 and then franchising. Just real quick, I think the point that you keep kind of trying to center us back to is almost, and so good job by you in that regard, getting lost in this, which is the tangible impact on the

2025 Dallas Cowboys ability to get back to the postseason. Yeah. Like that's the part that like we all are, because we're so used to Jerry's nonsense and the way the negotiations work and I think also probably because we have kind of lowered our expectations for the Cowboys this year compared to last year and coming off all those 12 win seasons. We haven't focused on the fact that if you think you can win a championship, this is hurting your ability to do it.

So I asked, so there's two ways to look at it. we were talking about it before the show that I think Jerry's could look at it. One is the Bengals were right there on the precipice and they lost to the Patriots and week one really matters. Like that will come back and bite you. And then when we were talking about, 1993, when Emmett holds out, which feels like a long time ago, but maybe if you're Jerry's age, feels like a little yesterday. Yeah. Like, you know what?

I've been here before. Emmett missed two games. He came back, I think, in week six, and we still won the Super Bowl. So it's like, it's two weeks, did Yeah, yeah. He missed two, but then why would I think he came back? No, he only missed the first two weeks. No, I know, but then I don't know.

Maybe I missed read it. I was literally I was on micro-feesh. So I don't know. I also think some of the leverage here is embarrassing, Jerry. I think Micah's leverage is this is a national stage. We know he likes. So you think he's got a lot of leverage? I do.

I think there was a point. I think Michael has leverage as well. Really? Chris Joel. I don't think the, I don't think the cheats were embarrassed by. Chris Jones. No, Chris Jones seemed a little embarrassed. Yeah, he was there. I think against the Eagles, rivals,

they're the champions, they've got the banner, you're opening up the whole season, and Howie Roseman's this genius GM, and you can't get your main franchise guys. The flip side is, if Jerry's looking at it, like, here's the only

way I can make that opening night game not just about the Eagles. Is if the day before I signed Micah Parsons. Like that's interesting. Yeah, like DAC. Like C, yeah. Like their counterpoint.

Yeah. By the way, that still would be bad for the team. Like that would still be bad for their ability to win that game. But it wouldn't be bad for the Cowboys marketability, which seems to be his number one priority. Yeah, it's going to get ston. Head to Cleveland. Shador Sanders, fourth on the depth chart, but first to take snap on Friday for the Browns preseason game against Panthers. Stephansky saying Cleveland is going to arrest the starters.

And Shador hasn't been working out with them. anyway so it should be okay here's uh stefansky and yet again a shirtless miles garrett we'll rest some starters some players will play obviously holding out some guys due to injury uh as you know and then we'll play shaduric quarterback we just signed snoop huntley as you guys saw we'll see get snoop back up to speed it's funny he's optimistic lighthearted uh but he works hard you know he takes it he takes it seriously uh his craft and he's watching with the others are doing and doing it his own way in which only he can so looking forward to see him doing these preseason games and how he you know manages the

offense but I think he he looks good but all the guys look good right now Greg you're our resident bodybuilder on where we dig into these numbers and were you ever considering doing a press conference with your shirt off no I didn't have that physique when I was playing but what about Now I would definitely I would definitely consider it. I'm taking you over

me. As good as he's definitely definitely. Yeah. I'm taking great. He's in

bulking season. Yeah, I'm taking great. I give him a real shot. Miles is six inches old.

He's What's the story? Danny, your immediate reaction to the news that he's going to start.

Good for Shadour. Most fifth round picks do not get this opportunity. It's an opportunity of

circumstance. It's an opportunity of circumstance. like Joe Flacco is too old, so we're not going to play him in a preseason game. And then Dylan Gabriel, who we drafted in front of you, he tweaked his hamstring, so he's not available. And Kenny Pickett, who is ahead of you on the depth chart and has started NFL games and his first round pick. He also has a hamstring injury. So this is not an opportunity that Shadur really earned. He wasn't supposed to get this.

And now he gets to play with some ones, but mostly backups, against mostly backups, some ones will see. but probably for multiple quarters. Because Tyler Huntley was signed at least, but I mean, why not three? Why not the whole game? I mean, they signed Snoop Huntley yesterday. So in theory, you could play Shador Sanders for all four quarters, and it would be a totally reasonable thing to do for a fifth round pick. So this is an audition for Shador, for the Browns and the league.

I'm shocked that you're saying he didn't earn it. Because, again, and we don't know what the numbers mean, but he's obviously been solid in practice. Dylan Gabriel has had his issues. Kenny Pickett is legitimately hurt. And then Flacco, you understand why he's not playing. What he's saying is that if everyone were healthy, the Browns have said that should or still fourth string.

So in the team's eyes, he hasn't jumped anyone. He came in fourth string. He's still fourth string in the team's eyes. But that's why I said he drew to an inside straight flesh wilds. It is one card in the deck. Exactly. Yeah. But, and everything had to kind of fall perfectly for him to be getting this type of opportunity in week one of the preseason.

It is, you know, this, sorry to be cliche, there is an element, we'll see on Friday, of be careful what you wish for. Yeah. Like, he has the opportunity that I did not think was going to exist this early to greatly change in either direction. Yeah. his perception amongst, you know, the teams, because he's not just playing for the Browns. If it's true that there is, you know, very split opinions within the Browns about Shador, he's also playing for the other 31 teams. I'm going to bring up the Rams again if Stafford's injury is significant and they think he's going to miss time.

Oh, yeah. You can't have Jimmy, even if he's good Jimmy. He's in, body betrayed him, as, you know, as your only healthy quarterback other than Stetson Bennett, who's Dylan Gabriel's size. Greg, here are the two oddly polar opposite conversations that are happening online. I was like, oh, get Greg's take on this. Some people are saying, this is perfect. This is, he's set up to succeed now.

Big audience is going to be great. Like you said, you get to practice against these guys before the game. And then another side, like, he's actually being set up to fail. He didn't get enough reps. He's been, you know, fourth string, and now he's all of a sudden he's starting. Which way do you see, do you lean towards either one of those takes? Yeah, this is a great opportunity. And if you're Sador, you have that mindset.

I mean, I don't care about what happened and why I'm here and how this came to be. I'm here. And I get this moment and I better make, and I'm going to make the best of it. Like the fact of you're on the field and not a lot of starters, not a lot of ones are going to be on the field, which I couldn't care less about that. When you are a rookie and you have an opportunity to step on a field in the preseason game, I don't care who's playing quarterback. I don't care who's playing receiver, who's at center.

It is my job and my opportunity, my moment, to shine. And if he gets in there, regardless of what the outcome is, if he looks the part, if he manages that offense, if he executes, if they sustain drives, we don't need to see the big play splashes and all that. I just need to see that you are a professional NFL. quarterback now who can run an offense because to Nick's point if they're going to treat you like you're not rising up the depth chart despite what you may do somebody else is going to have an opportunity to say you know what let's go try to get him because we could use him we saw what

he did in that preseason game when he was given that opportunity late notice didn't have a didn't have a real chance people thought we like him but we think you know he interviewed bad big ego how it's going to be. I think a lot of that stuff has been, those worries have been quelled because of how he has handled himself. Yeah, and I'm sorry, I don't want to hear he's being set up to fail.

Even if the Browns were, and I don't think they're, but even if they were thinking that, if you should do it, so what? Like you have to, this is your shot. You have to go out there and play well. And again, I get it maybe what, two series, three series maybe he'll face

the Carolina starters. If that, right. So you're going to be playing against backups and guys, some guys that won't even be in the NFL. For me, I can't, yeah. For me, it's, I don't care who you're going against because in the preseason,

you're not, even if, even if your ones are out there, even if you're going against Carolina's first team defense, the effort, the type of game that they're going to come out and play is not like week one of, the opening season. Like they're not going to be all mentally locked in. They're not getting planning. No, they're not going to be mentally locked in to play four quarters of football.

So you're going to have guys playing at different paces and giving different amounts of energy. His focus needs to be, I don't care who you put in this huddle with me, we're going to make it work. I don't care who's on the other opposing defense. We're going to out-execute and we're going to outperform. Period. Well, and this idea, too, like, sabotage, not fair. He's a fifth round pick. Yeah, but he's not your typical fifth round pick.

You got to admit that. Because of us, though. Because of the media. No, I mean, he did have some success at Colorado. Like, a lot of. And most people did. Now, apparently nobody in the NFL from office. Well, that's kind of what matters at this point.

But most people thought he was going to be a first round pick. But what matters is what the NFL thought of him. Like, there's a real chance that this is Shador Sanders only opportunity in this preseason. There's three games. They have four quarterbacks on the depth chart. This is his shot. Play well. Yeah. Well, we'll be four or five now. Well, now they have five and a six six is going to go to the game. Yeah, four, five. Yeah. Deshawn is going to the game too. Yeah. A lot of quarterbacks. He's showing up. Joe Barrow started very slow. Uh, even lost the Dynasty Gap year three Patriots at home to start the season last year. He also rarely. What? They did lose.

Uh, he also rarely plays in the preseason, which Zach Taylor has decided to change. TIGEL isn't we don't have this target is the biggest playtime for over guys. Uh, we really pegged Washington to be a little more of that. So again, another thing I hate to put in stone, um, a couple series, several series, several series is, is, uh, we'll give those starters. Okay. My response about time. Uh, Burroughs career in weeks one and two, he is,

One in nine, his completion percentage, passing yards a game, touchdown interception ratio, and pass-a-rating, all worse, and then he decides to start turning it up. So, Greg, do you think playing in the preseason will solve since he's slow starts? Well, they're off to the right start. I love this mindset. I love this change-up because in order to get a different result, you've got to do something different, and this is something different. And in their defense, before I talk about it, like, in the –

in the training camps that they've had previously, there's always been someone hampered. Either Joe Burroughs hampered with something, and he's missing time. Jamar Chase is not there because of contract issues. T. Higgins isn't present. So this is the first time we haven't heard any issues or injuries. For their offense.

I'm talking. I'm talking their offense. Because when we think about the Cincinnati Bengals, we're not thinking about their defense. It's about Newflaw Burroughs. numbers. It's about them getting off to a fast start. And for me, this is, I love this, I love this approach.

Because when you watch the team that's on top in the AFC, what do they do in the preseason? They play. They play their guys. You see Patrick Mahomes. You see Kel. You see their guys out there at least for one, maybe even two series in the first preseason game.

And so you know that you've always started in these holes. You can't continue to do that, understanding that it's going to come down to the last couple weeks of the season every year, not only in your division, but even in the conference. And these wins or losses at the beginning of the year will impact, like you did last year. You mentioned it right at the top of this, whether you make the playoffs or not. This is the absolute right thing to do on Zach Taylor's behalf, because or his part, as much as we talk about Burrow and you show, the graphic, how he plays poorly early and improves. This is a Zach Taylor stat more than a Burroughs stat. So like Zach Taylor, and we know if they don't have a good year, his seat is going to be burning up hot, right?

So he's right to say, look, we got to do something different. Morning practices, maybe this is just me. I feel like a morning making the guys get up earlier and be there in the morning does show a little more seriousness. Like, look, we're doing something different. I couldn't tell if that was. I mean, that's how I feel. The story is like he's practicing in the morning because, like, one of their themes is

getting off to a fast start. It rang a little Instagram motivation. I think anything you do differently, like Greg said, we know the definition of insanity. You got to do something different. I don't know. Playing the guys, you know, Brady played in the preseason. Yeah, listen, I, just like, and I've said this before and people be annoyed by it, but I'm just correct.

Just like in the 20 aughts and 2010s, more teams should have been like, you know what? Maybe we should do in the draft. Trade back. The Patriots keep doing it, and they keep always having the surplus of players. More teams, I think, should have looked at. You know how the Chiefs get off to these amazing starts? And I know the last couple of years, the offense will slow early, but the team still wins. Like, what are they doing training camp?

It's like, oh, Andy Reid has them hit and deals with the fact, like, Andy Reid will, will take the tax of, man, Hollywood Brown broke his sternoclo-clivicular, the bone last year in the preseason, and something like that can happen. But we are going to be as ready as a team can be in September, while other teams, the almost working theory for the league has been, can't really judge anything until October anymore. Like September is the new preseason. The chiefs are like, not for us.

Yeah. And so we'd start out ahead. And I would like to give Zach Taylor a break because part of it was Joe Burrow three years ago had appendicitis. And you know what I mean? And then two years ago, the calf. And then last year of the wrist. So like that's not Zach's fault. And I understand the idea of, well, if Joe's not playing, does it make sense to have, you know, the rest of our offense out there?

Browning was cooking for a while, though. Oh, yeah. That is true. Yeah, they were five. But the. They were like quarterback. Yeah. The point that you were alluding to, Bru, is really my take for the Bengals this year,

which is, because I don't think they are, it's going to be different than last year. I don't think that, and maybe they, maybe they don't start off with a horrific, embarrassing loss to a really bad team. But I think this will be Zach Taylor's last year. Oh. I don't think you can go three straight years and miss the playoffs. Can't miss the playoffs. With Joe Burrell. Yeah.

Right, but I'm saying I think they will. Oh, if they do that. I think they are going to miss the, like, spoiler for predictions week. I don't have the Bengals in it. And if they miss the playoffs, I don't know how you can bring Zach Taylor back. Let's talk about the silver medalist. Mahom sat down with Jared Bell at USA Today. Our short.

Talked about opening up the offense more. Most recently seen when he connected with Xavier Worthy late in the Super Bowl, while Gatorade debuted a new flavor, Siriani sweatshirt. There's plays on the football field that I didn't make last year I've made previous years at the end of the day and do whatever it takes to win. Whether it's passing for a lot of yards, not passing for a lot of yards. This sounds like Jaylon hurts, to be honest with you. If I play better, it's going to make it better for the team. So I've got to be better at executing whenever the shots are there making those throws.

Duss, can we actually throw that graphic up just to give the statistical... He's been terrible with the deep pass. We know the last two years. He used to be great. Now he's terrible. It's a bad rating. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah. If you're listening on the podcast, first of all, thank you.

Our passer rating goes from 112 to under 48. And touchdown interceptions in the early years career, 45 to 12. And then the last two years, four touchdowns and eight interceptions. It's not good. You deserve that. Okay, if you're listening on the podcast. Okay. Do the Chiefs have to get these plays back to make the Super Bowl?

No. I don't see how you could sit here and say anything. but no. Like the last two years they haven't had them and they've been, oh, in the Super Bowl. Now, and their last two years they had the 15th ranked offense in each of those last two years.

Now, I love to see it. Everybody knows, of course, I want to see it. And I just think Mahomes wants to do it. Like when you... That I can... You know what? Fake news hat? Had his fake news is real.

I can report that as true. I can report. I can report. Sources close to Patrick. This is what it was, and I bet Greg feels the same way. When you are a superstar, when you have that ability,

you want to play like a superstar. Of course you want to win. But you want to play like a super. If you're a role player, if you're just a game manager, then I don't really care as much about the stats. I'm just trying to win. And of course, I know Mahomes,

that's the number one thing. But still, when I got that a bit, if I can average 25 points, game and I've done it several years and I'm that level of player. I want to average 25. I don't want to average 15. I'm sorry. And I've said this Nick. Setting picks out there. Yeah, I mean

really, I give Mark Aguier credit. I know that's way back but he's the one of the few guys that ever went to a team that was a star player and willingly said, I'm just going to be a role. I've said this Nick is like, like Mahomes the last

two years. It's kind of like LeBron and his prime. averaging 15 or 17 points. Hitting the game winning shot, you know, playing well in the fourth. But still, I don't think LeBron James would be satisfied with averaging 15 points when he can give you 27, 7 and 7. So I think Mahomes wants to do it and I hope he does. Yeah, I think they do.

That they have to. They have to. I think they have to. And clearly they've been able to get to the Super Bowl with grinding out these wins. but you mentioned something and you just reported it. Like Mahomes doesn't want to continue to have to grind these games out. Like, and when you think about the type of offense that they have the potential to be, if this is something that they add back into who they are,

it's just even more scary for every defensive coordinator and every defense. To have the ability for your quarterback to methodically move the bowl. down the field knowing we better not let him get the ball last because it doesn't matter where he's at on the field he can execute but also shoot now they're striking right away so that they're striking with one or two plays what can we do what can we like that just having that in the back of your mind as a defender yeah that is problematic and it bodes well for the offense so listen i i think that they have to do it in order to get the swagger back which is, you know what I mean, what you're alluding to?

Because so I understand it was a weird confluence of events that led to this, which is the way they won their last two Super Bowls, the actual Super Bowl games, and then the way the season two years ago went. The Super Bowl against Philly, they scored 38 points, and the longest play from scrimmage all game was the Mahomes one-legged run. You know what I mean? So, like, that was all.

And he won league in baseball. that year and it was a lot of short passes, but he still threw for 5,000, you know, had 40. The next year, the offense is broken with the drops and in the Super Bowl, the two arguably, the two biggest drives of Mahomes' life to tie the Super Bowl, 11 plays, 11 plays, 64 yards, no huge ones. And then in overtime in the Super Bowl, a 13 play. 75-yard drive, where once again, the longest,

play is Mahomes running. So they did it that way, and it worked, and then last year they have everything going on. But here's why I think it's important. Because in the Super Bowl, I think one of the, listen, the offensive line broke down and maybe Philly is going to win that game no matter what. But one of the reasons I felt Patrick pressed was because being down 14 for last year's chief's team for the first time ever felt like a lot. Oh, that's interesting.

You know what I mean? Like, they got to get it back right now. Before they had ever won anything, they were down 24 in a playoff game. Yeah. And nobody was stressed. Nope. It was like, it was like, all right, it's going to be hard. But that's what's 24.

That's probably like nine plays if we do it properly. And so, and I think that's what led to some of the Mahomes' mistakes was he didn't think we're going to be able to get seven back here. It's like, I got to bang, you know, methodically do it. And so that's why I think it's important. Coming up next, the Mediombudsman. No, that's Thursday. Frashes the party. Oh, wow.

Oh, sorry, Colin. Let me turn my hat around. Yeah. Just objectively, you looked better when you turned it around, man. He did. But here's the problem. He can't turn it around. No, he's stuck.

Right. No, he has to wear. Like that. Today in the press conference, he wore no hat. Well, you have one or the other. This is why Collins the goat. I love that he played into it. That was, I agree.

That was cool. I absolutely love it. But he still, he had to turn it back around backwards. You do. Or else you had. Bend in the knee? Yeah. Maybe you should.

Maybe not wear one is okay. You do not concede. No, he can't. Yeah, he can't. I think he might just have to abandon visors entirely. If I was a cowboy's coach, I wear a cowboy's hat all. With a leather strap down here. I'm like, howdy, everybody.

Bull of them. Chaps. You took it too far. Kind of like cowboy. A little bit. Every time I see him, he has that cowboy. Your frontwards, backwards, doesn't matter. Looks like the media ombudsman, unfortunately, has crashed the Wednesday show.

While we usually corral him to Thursdays at 410, he broke out of his constraints to criticize me for, for posting an inoculous thinking emoji. Inoculus to this great cone tweet. That's why I said, hmm, that's interesting. Some passing stats through 11 days of camp. So here's the reason. Brock Hardy has thrown six interceptions, 110 passes, 82 attempts.

Mack Jones, with those pillowy ball, everybody knows it. 117 completes 148 attempts. Higher completion, here's the, two interceptions. Here's the reason. I just went like that. That's interesting. Here's the, yes. I agree it's interesting.

It's interesting. I agree. I also didn't put it on the show. You put it on your... I put a lot of stuff. I put a picture of I got a new puppy. I'm not putting around the show. Buddy, here's the deal.

Here's the old... If people, listen, if people didn't watch yesterday, I implore you, go to our YouTube page and watch the opening segment. What you will see about 14 minutes in is Kevin Wilde turned to camera, tears in his eyes, and say, I gotta be a little. honest, we joke about it, but I have a real problem with us using training camps.

We don't know the context. Why don't we put it? Okay. Why don't we put the training camp? Why doesn't Joshua? Josh, because Josh is busy. Why doesn't Josh is doing stuff? And so we just pull it.

So we just pull it because we just pull it. And so yeah, he's busy doing that. And so he was right. These two are series. These two like these two like it. Right. But I, as a journalist, wearing makeup, think it's a problem. No.

And six hours later, he's like, hmm, that's it. Then today it comes up like, well, we don't know what's seven on seven. I got to brew. I got to brew. He was like, well, you know, Gabriel was on seven on seven. And Chador was 11 on 11. But then they're all kind of compiled like it's, what's his name? In that movie with Steve Correll and they got the Jenga board.

What's it? I don't know what you're talking. Fractions, come on, Gianna, what's the movie? You know it. Gosh, darn it's about the housing collapse. Oh, the big short? Yeah. It all comes together, the seven on sevens and the 11 on 11th.

All of a sudden, it's one big trunch. Morgan's just acceptance. My guess is a lot of those Mac Jones passes are seven on six. I hate to break it to you, but probably. Greg, should we pay attention to the 80% or not? No. Stop. Can I ask question?

And Brew usually hates this, but he's going to like it. If they were like, hey, training camp stats out, Brock Purdy is 200 for 200, and Mack Jones is zero for 200. Would that mean something? Would that mean something? No, it would mean. Okay.

Well, then they all mean, it just did. We're just arguing about degrees now. And we're just arguing. If one guy is thrown 75 interceptions at training camp, Do we care about the context? Yeah. Okay, exactly. Just degrees.

It's just degrees. Yeah, it's up. We're just. Thank you. Stop. That's seven. Oh, coming up next in 20 hours, Bud List. This is coming up quickly.

The Bud List? I mean, the week's going fast. You think so? Yeah, yeah. Have you been working on the Bud List? Sounds like you haven't, that means. No. I'll be cramming the night.

Okay. Royals about to get swept at Fenway Park tonight. Double or nothing. Red Sox have won seven a row. Dustin May on the mat. We just got from the Dodgers. And Nick is buying lunch for the staff tomorrow. No, not tomorrow, Friday, because I want to give,

I'm buying lunch for the staff Friday. You know what it is? Nice end of the week. No, it's going to be nice. Okay. Is it really? It's going to be nice. And you know what?

If the Wilds won't participate, just because I'm so confident they're not going to get swept. If they lose, if they lose tonight, I'll do it next Friday. I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll buy lunch tomorrow. Well, that's confusing. That's-