First Things First - Wemby boosts NBA All-Star Game, Tyreek Hill released, latest on A.J. Brown, will LeBron retire?

Episode Date: February 17, 2026

(00:00) Wemby's impact on NBA All-Star Game, Tyreek Hill-Chiefs reunion looming?(39:47) Will Baker and Bucs bounce back next season?(49:28) LeBron retirement talks loom (again), George Pickens' future w/ Cowboys, Travis Hunter's new role(01:09:17) Should Eagles trade Jalen Hurts over A.J. Brown, who's next season's Patriots?(01:20:50) Danny's Top 5 players in NBA All Star Game, Dunk Contest woes(01:34:18) Was All Star Game fixed, addressing NBA's tanking issue(01:55:22) Dr. Danny's NFC East offseason cures(02:07:41) Should Bills trade for Brian Thomas Jr?(02:16:23) A.J. Brown follows Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers on IG Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Live from New York, it's the show that doesn't take vacation. Until next week. Until next week. Yeah, next week we'll take some vacation. I'm Danny Parkins. That's Super Bowl champion Willie Colon. Hoops in the news. So we brought an NBA champion and the three-time All-Star Antoine Walker,

who will get to in just a little bit. You ready for a three-hour sprint, Willie? Me and you, baby. Let's do it. Let's absolutely do it. We got a jam-packed show for you today, including news out of Miami, the Cheetah might be in line for a reunion. Back with Patch Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs after Tyree Kill was cut in Miami.

More football, of course, still awaiting. I'm expecting this to take months. It's like Groundhog's Day. You never know what's going to happen. When will Aaron Rogers make his long-anticipated return to the Pittsburgh Steelers at 42 years old? And finally, one of the top voices in the NFL is projecting Max Crosby, Caleb Williams. should they even play the season? Or just give the Lombardi Trophy

to my Chicago Bears. That is the topic that we will be discussing. So we've got a very, very busy show. But we began in the world of the NBA. They've been trying to figure out a format that works. And that bottom line score, 4721, feels like they were not successful. But actually, if you watch the game,

it was pretty competitive. Adam Silver has tried a lot of things, but they landed on Team USA versus the world, and a lot of players weighed in on the format for the game. Take a list. I ain't going to lie, Wimmy set the tone. He came out playing hard, so it's hard not to mess that. So, that's what happened.

It's a game we love, you know. It's a game I personally cherish. So being competitive is the least I can do. It's for you guys to enjoy, and, you know, for us to come out and compete and have fun, too. So, you know, if the format is making us play well, then we could keep going. I like this format. I think it makes us compete because it's only 12 minutes.

And the three different teams, you separate the guys. And I think it was really good. So, Antoine, you were a three-time All-Star. You played in the 98 All-Star game famously at the end of Michael Jordan's career. Did this format work? Did you like it? Yeah, you got to like it because of the competitiveness. I mean, even though I'm a traditionist, I'm a old school.

but you have to like it because these guys actually competed a little bit. They played hard. When you look at it, the games were competitive, I think, besides the last game. But I think you had to do something to get these guys to compete. And I think mixing them up, the Europeans, we know are dominating the NBA. You can arguably say you got four of the top five guys, a European guy. So I think that he did a good job of kind of separate making the Americans want to play and make sure that they have an opportunity to beat the overseas guys.

So it brought a little excitement toward it. It was good to see the games kind of played more more competitive. So I've always said that the All-Star game is a little bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I love it. Like one of my favorite memories of childhood was going to the All-Star game in 1997. Oh, you win. I went with my dad in Cleveland for the NBA at 50 when they celebrated the 50 greatest players ever. I was like, this is the coolest thing in the world.

Everybody is there. And it was a celebration of it. And so I'm in. I watch it every year and I love it. But the last few years it has gotten embarrassing. And I do not think the format was the reason why this worked yesterday. The format was fine, and it was leading into the Olympics and the NBC partnership. And so the Team USA versus the world thing, I do think that it made some sense, given it being an Olympic year.

But to me, Victor Wenbanyama, who's trying to stake his claim as the next face of the NBA, when he did his media availability on Saturday, and he did it even earlier in the week. But he kind of called everybody out. And we saw, we could see this headline. Wembe Njama vows to bring competitiveness to All-Star Game. And then you heard Anthony Edwards on the court after. To me, you could go back to East West. You could do Team USA versus the world.

You could do old guys against young guys. Whatever you want to do, as long as they care. Like, as long as there is just a modicum of professionalism and effort, I'm not asking for there to be flagrant fouls. I'm not asking for it to be the equivalent of game seven of the NBA final. but just a little bit of give a damn, and you can put on a show and have some pride. So to me, Willie, it was not the format.

It was effort. And so if you love the format, great, we can talk about it. But to me, clearly, the tone was set by Victor Wenamma. If you loaf, I'm 7.7. I'm going to pin this shot against the rim and embarrass you. To me, this was a question of effort, not format. Yeah, but the format provoke change, right? Because you got to think about it.

Game one was the young guys versus the world, right? So it allowed the older guys to sit back and say, all right, let's see if Wembe's actually going to show up and be the bully he said he was going to be. Let's see how Ant Man is going to respond. We saw both of that. And I think because of game won and because of how Anthony Edwards responded, how Wimbi started the game, we saw a competitive outfit that we just haven't seen these past couple years. I'm going to be honest with you, D.P. I had no plans on watching this.

I'm going to be honest. I didn't because of what we've seen in the past. I'm not going to waste my Sunday listening to a bunch of buildings. complain about, oh, we have to play in an All-Star game, right? I was very much going to say, hey, man, I'm going to do my daddy-duty list and hopefully eat my chicken by 6 o'clock so I can be ready to go for the show today. What we saw was a competitive competition against guys who actually put forth an effort that we were used to seeing.

We're talking about rebalding, closing out on shots, picking rolls, LeBron actually running back in transition, guys actually shown up and fighting. So for me, I loved it, and I think it was because of the four-minute. Now, listen, the stripes got. You know, they played three-street games. It was a wrap at the end of the game. But I think if you used to put a cap on the overall night, I thought it was a, it was a win for the NBA, Torn.

Yeah, I think so, too. But I think we also got to look at this. When I came into the league, the game was played really hard. The Michael Jordans, the Isaiah Thomas. Those guys play hard. Larry Bird. So when I was coming in, those guys were transitioning out. Then you have, we came in the league.

Now our game was played, I think, pretty competitive. I was lucky enough to play three All-Star games. I never heard guys talk. about not playing hard, but also, too, I'm going to put a little light on it. The prize money is totally different. You know, you know if you won, like, I think when I play, you can won $50,000 was for first place if you won, and then the second place thing got $25,000. So guys play hard.

Then I know the prize money has gotten much higher now for the guys. That was an incentive to play really hard for the All-Star game. So I think it's different ways you can make it exciting, but I just loved it. I grew up being a fan of the game and, like, couldn't wait for an opportunity to play in the All-Star game and showcase against the world. I think now it's totally different because I even like it if you just, uniforms to me as important. Getting exclusive uniforms, not even, you know, that stuff is important.

Everything about the All-Star Weekend was special and we just have to get back to that, performing in front of that. I still love to see how many celebrities were going to be in the front row. You know, you want to, you know, play against, you know, play against, in front of those guys. So everything about the All-Star Weekend is about that. It's about showcasing the league and putting the best product on the floor, but guys got to compete. You know what I like yesterday.

They competed. I don't know if the format is going to stick because we got to think about it. The Europeans are going to be consistently be good for the next four, five, six, seven years. They probably will. Yes. Yes, I said they probably will. If that's the case, if that's the case, this format works really, really well. Yeah, I think that it, you know, we might get to a point where it can be 12 and 12, like Team USA against the world.

That would work. Twan, it's funny that you bring that up about wanting to perform in front of people. Anthony Edwards said it, and I know you guys might think this is crazy, but I actually believe it. Like Anthony Edwards said his favorite person in the world is Barack Obama, and he wanted to put on a show in front of him. If you remember on a podcast with Tyrese Halliburton, like a year ago, President Obama was like, you guys got to give more effort in the All-Star game. I actually believe that if Barack Obama was courtside, it should be like Rihanna, Barack Obama. Sidney Sweeney, put Leo DiCaprio, like put people that you, Dr. Jay, like, put people that you want to impress court side and be like, no, you have to put on a show. Like, Twan, if that was court side, if it was Rihanna, Barack Obama and Dr. Jay, I'd imagine you're not, how could you loaf through a game like that with those people in attendance?

I know it sounds ridiculous, but I actually think that it made a little bit of a difference last night. No, actually, you make a whole lot of sense. I'll take it into the regular season. I love to play in New York because you're going to play in front of Spike Lee and the stars in New York. And L.A., Jack Nicholas, and those guys on the front road. I mean, I think that's what we guys get up for, to play in front of the other, people that we see on TV that we admire. That's something special for NBA players to do to be able to perform in front of that. That's what we've grown up watching.

So to get that back and get guys that believe in that is great, and that's going to be great to see. I do like the NBA for at least taking a chance and really trying to figure this out because I've never, I don't know. if you guys would have thought about it, I'd never would have thought about putting the Europeans up against America. I just wouldn't have thought of that. So I think that was very creative and innovative to put that into play. And like you guys say, if it can hold and stick, which I think it will, I mean, we might have something here for the next 20 years. Yeah, I think, you know, they got the idea partially from what hockey did with the Four Nations, which worked out. And again, like, I mean, I remember Kobe Bryant taking it seriously and Dwayne Wade is a, Dwayne Wade broke Kobe's nose in an All-Star game. Like, you know, because you were you were trying to

to keep up with the level of competition of the guys before you. So Victor Wembenyama coming out there and be like, I'm playing hard. Yeah. Because Yokic did not play hard. Everybody didn't play hard. But, you know, if Victor Wemba Jama is going to be in the league for 15 years

playing hard, that's going to make a difference. And also think about what else we saw. We saw Saw Kauai Lennon show up. We saw vintage Kauai Linnis. Like, we saw we saw Kauai how he played with the Spurs and how he played with Toronto. Like he showed up and put a show on in his building. He's been missing. Even though he's been having a relatively good year,

nevertheless, man, we saw the stars rise up to the occasion. And I think also, man, if you're, if you are the world team who didn't have Janus, right, who didn't have SGA, you now have to go into next year like, oh, we'll be back. Oh, I like that. Oh, this is what y'all did? Oh, y'all think y'all them, y'all arrived. Oh, we'd be back. And so if you're the world, man, this has extra momentum going into next season.

I think it was a win overall for the night. All right. So let's get to what the story of the weekend was in terms of like a macro issue facing. the NBA and it was front and center at Adam Silver's press conference. It was the first question that he was asked. He was asked about tanking and what he's willing to do or not do in order to fix the issue. And there were multiple questions on the subject. So here's the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver, on tanking. I think what we're seeing is modern analytics where it's so clear that the incentives are misaligned. I think when you maybe further answer your question,

Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view. And which was what led to those fines and not just those fines, but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams behavior. All right, Antoine, I have a lot of feelings on this, but I will begin with you as the NBA champion and three-time All-Star. How do you fix tanking in the NBA? It's going to be tough to do because I was in a situation when I was to self-s after my first year, we won 15 games. So we had an opportunity going into the second year where we could possibly have two lottery picks. And I just felt like my rookie year, I mean, we kind of shut it down the second half for the season.

And as a rookie, I'm just playing. I'm playing 40 minutes a night. I'm trying to acclimate myself to the league. But I felt like, you know, necessarily we wasn't putting our best foot forward. But it's tough to do because you're trying to build it. It's hard to build through free agency because every team doesn't have money. And usually you have to build through the draft. So I do see why teams say, hey, look, let's build through the draft.

We can't make any progress this year. We can't make the playoffs. So now let's play our young guys. I have no problem with that. And then sometimes you may sit your veterans late in the year last 20, 25 games. You lessen their minutes. But to the integrity of the game and playing the game, we shouldn't do that. We should compete night in and night.

out. But unfortunately, I think it plays a part. I think teams necessarily wouldn't necessarily want to win. I mean, a game that's not meaningless. You know what I mean? They don't want to win that game. It's not going to improve them if they can get a better pick in a draft. They're going to do that. But I was a part of a team that we was in that situation where we had two lottery picks coming up. We won 15 games. I was going to team was 15 to 67. I'm not saying we could have won 35 games, but we probably could have deal a little better than 15 to 67. So there's two conversations with points that need to be acknowledged. The first one I think is what you are speaking to.

Tanking is smart. Under the current rules that largely allow it, like a team like Utah who if they don't finish in the bottom eight or the top eight of the draft, they lose their pick to Oklahoma City. They are highly incentivized in a great draft class to get a top pick. So I understand why Utah management wants to lose. It doesn't mean, like, yeah, tanking is smart if it's allowed. It just shouldn't be allowed.

Like, the team, understandably, if it is only going to be punished by money, these teams are worth $4, $5, $6, $8 billion. You find them $500 grand. It means nothing to them. Yeah, it's noise at that point. Right. You have to really be willing to be punitive and not say Utah. You cannot sit players in the fourth quarter of games before Valentine's Day.

The games have to mean something. And I watched that whole Adam Silver Press conference, and I thought that was the story of the weekend. He seemed angry. He seemed embarrassed. And he seemed open to everything. Like, he said that everything was on the table, including straight up taking away draft picks from teams.

I think that's where we're at, though, D.P. I do, too, but he hasn't. Like, the Mavericks a couple of years ago, they blatantly tanked at the end of the year. they got fined, you know, a mid-high, five-figure amount, whatever it was. Maybe it was six-figure amount. I don't remember exactly, but they got fined a couple hundred grand, which is six figures. But they didn't lose their draft pick.

So who cares? It meant nothing. I think putting in the pick protection idea is a good one, saying you cannot pick in the top four of consecutive drafts is a good idea. But if these like little rule changes don't eliminate tanking and you have to straight up take draft picks away from teams or drastically one-day- talk about getting rid of the draft entirely and do like a rookie free agent system. Like you cannot allow your games to mean nothing because that will turn off your product.

But also I think Twon can agree to this. Like players don't tank. It's the front office and coaches that do the tanking. No doubt. As players, we just show up and do our job. When you start seeing guys who are healthy sitting when there's a competitive game going on, that's a problem. When you start looking at rosters getting weak and solely because there's a race to the bottom,

That's the problem. What's another problem is right now, a lot of these guys is out of their hands, right? I don't play the players at all. I don't play the players at all. Right, but we're the one weird because I'm sitting here with Twon. So I'm like I played in the end base and my bad, Twan. But I'm sitting here saying like these are the guys who get ridiculed, right?

Because if I'm getting pulled in the third, even though you paid your ticket to see me finishing the fourth because I'm a closer, that's not a me problem, right? That's the front office and league problem. So these guys are facing the wrath. I do agree with you, D.P. I think right now if you start throwing out money to a bunch of billionaires and you're finding them 500K 100K, that's a slap on the wrist. If you start threatening draft picks because the ultimate aim in Tankin is the ability to get the best player.

And think about Tanking is the only strategy in sports where if you lose, you get the best player. Like that's a problem in itself. So nevertheless, the system needs to be fixed. And I agree with you. I think right now it's threatening the integrity of the game to the point where it's hard to watch because you don't know what you're getting and getting. on an in-in-out basis. And I think I have to go ahead, Tuan, real quick. I would just add this, too, and let's be honest.

When you get a draft, like we're going to probably have this year, you guys, we got a ton of great, great young talent in the draft this year, when you're possibly talking about 10 to 15 guys that can probably change a franchise. That's when we start to hear about this tanking stuff. You know, when it's a good college product coming into the league, that's when you hear this. So the league has to be aware of this. We got to, you know, start paying attention to this.

And then you all know, because guys, it's not the players, players have incentives in that contract. You know that. They got games played, you know, scoring type. They got all type of different bonuses in their contract. So players want to play, especially if healthy, they want to play the 82 games because they got too many things riding on it. So they don't want to do it.

So you're just coming from up top and they're banking on these draft classes. I think we're hearing about it this year and we'll talk more about it's because this draft class is so deep. Everybody wants to be in this draft. You know, last year was a little different. everything was about Cooper flag last year. It was just about the one pick. This year, everybody wants to be the draft

because you're talking about potentially eight to 15 guys that can change a franchise. Twan, good stuff. And, yeah, to be clear, I do not put this on players. Coaches are general managers. It's the commissioner's job to fix this. We'll talk to Antoine Walker a little bit later on in the show. But we've got major news, Willie, coming out of the NFL.

One of the most explosive players of this generation. Tyree Kill is available in an expected salary dump. Miami Dolphins have released Tyree Kill. In addition to they got rid of Bradley Chub today. So Miami into full rebuild mode. But Tyree Kill, if healthy, coming off massive knee injury, he's been flirting with the chief. Now, this is not from today, but this is, you know,

saying he needed to go home. People thought is he referencing Atlanta? Is he referencing Kansas City? He also put something out when Eric B. Enemy returns back. Tyree Kill has openly talked about his fondness for his time in Kansas City. So everyone is going to connect those dots. Do you? Do you expect a reunion for Tyree Kill and the Chiefs? I don't, man. And we got to be careful. Nostalgia will get you in trouble.

You're talking about a third two-year-old quarterback coming off a major knee injury. And we're looking at a team right now, valid they're deficient at the receiver position because, Wyatt, because Marquis Brown is going to be a free agent along with Juju Smith. Nevertheless, man, you're also talking about if you're, if you're the Chiefs, man, you have some serious cap issues, right? Like, they're in the business of shopping for a low-value receiver instead of an impact guy like Tyree Kiel. And you don't know if you're even going to get the same guy back. I think if you're the chiefs right now, you have to focus all your eggs on getting,

get all your attention on getting Travis Kilsie back in the building because he was the ultimate security blanket for, for Patrick Mahomes. And you got to figure out, you got this damn good Sam Limeback and Leo Chanel, who I think should remain a chief and you got to keep him in the building. So I think they have some other needs. I understand of looking back into the, you know, in the record book you say, hey man, we was them. We had this guy on the roster, but I don't think he's him anymore solely because of that knee injury. The knee injury is massive, right? And neither one of us are doctors because it's not just an ACL tear.

It's multiple ligaments and the dislocation. And he's going to be, you know, 32 years old. So what I guess what I would say is he can't be the move to fix the offense. But he can be a move to fix the offense. Like if you are going to, like, because they're going to restructure deals, right? They can restructure Mahomes' deal. They can restructure Tray Smith's deal to do something with Christian. They're going to be able to free up the cap space.

And I don't know how much Tyree Kill is going to command on the open market. He might be on a one-year prove-it deal coming off of that injury. But if we look at what Tyree Kill did in terms of production, on a per-game basis, and again, this is pre-injury. I understand that. Yeah, yeah. But since leaving the Chiefs per game, receiving yards per game, catches per game, yards per catch,

this is still a top 10 receiver in football. So if I was saying, okay, I need to bring the light show back, to Kansas City. Well, it hasn't been there since he left. Correct. So is he the only thing to bring back? No, but if you use the ninth pick in the draft on offense and you add another piece at right tackle if you replaced Juan Taylor and you add Tyree Kill, like if it's like a three pronged approach and Tyree Kill is one of the three prongs, I think that's totally reasonable. But just saying, no, we're going to bring back the light show because of Tyree Kill. It's not 2019 anymore. Well, I also got to tell you the reason why he was relevant he had the impact he had

during this time as a chief because they had a run game, right? And when you have a run game, that forces a load of box and then you can blow the top off of defense. Right now they don't have a run game, right? So now you're talking about an aging, aging tight-in and Travis Kelsey. You have a quarterback in Patron Holmes who's coming off an ACL injury. Now you've got another guy coming off an ACL injury. Like, let's keep it a buck.

It ain't it anymore, right? Like sometimes you can look at the pitches and it's like, yeah, I used to have once a hot girlfriend. Then you look out on Facebook, she dropped to gain 30 pounds, right? So at some point, you got to realize, At the best move for the Chiefs right now is when you were in championships and you were dominating playoff games is when you had a defense. They got to get back to reinvesting in that defense because you going into the next season, you can lose Trent McDuffie. And that's going to be a major blow to that defense, especially on the back end because that's one of the strengths of their team.

So offensively, they're going to have to figure it out. But defensively, you're really going to have to revitalize what that defense was and why you were making those playoff runs was because of that defense. They certainly have plenty of issues. I just, I'm a little surprised. because I'm not at all saying that Tyree Kill is going to come out here and command like a $30 million per year, multi-year. I don't think he's going to be, he's going to command that type of money at his age coming off of it. But like, would I, I would think basically any team would be willing to roll the dice on Tyree Kill.

Not what that need. Because so you, his game is speed. His game is stopping go. His game is blowing the top off defense, putting them on the island, what cornerbacks are literally fear of afraid of his speed. You're talking about a guy coming off injury right now. By the way, he's been playing in Miami, right? Now he has to go back to Kansas City where it does get cold again.

So all those things play a factor. And you're talking about, you know, establish yourself in the offense that you haven't been a part of in quite some time. I think there's a lot of ifs for a team that's looking to kind to just get back on par. And I don't know if he's the answer because of his injuries. Do you have a team that you would like? What I would sit is, man,

it's not much risk and it's all reward. Because if he's bad and it's a one-year deal and we're not giving him a ton of money or it's an incentive-based. Well, if he's bad, who you have then? Who else do you have? I guess that's kind of what my point was. It's like, if you use the ninth pick, you know, there's people talking about them taking love,

the running back out of Notre Dame and trying to make him like a Jamir Gibbs type. Okay, well, now that is a major thing that you've done. If you had an offensive lineman and the ninth pick as a weapon and Tyree Kill, it's like, okay, if Tyree Kill doesn't work out, it's fine. Markey's Hollywood Brown hasn't always worked out for them. Like, I'm not expecting Tyree Kill to come back and be Amon Ross St. Brown.

I'm expecting him to be a guy who can produce but is not necessarily need to be wide receiver one. Yeah, but you're expecting him to have an impact. If there was a team for him to land on, if I'm being totally honest, if the Colts get rid of Michael Pittman Jr., I would like to see him as a cult. Because even if you don't get the same cheetah, you still have Tyler Warren, Jonathan Taylor, in the office line, and whatever you do at quarterback, you'll figure out in the off season. But there's enough if he's not that guy.

So I would like to see him land on the Colts, if not the Chiefs, on another team. Well, it'll be a massive story going out throughout the offseason where Tyreek Hill, who assuredly will be a Hall of Famer, ends up playing next season. But we're still waiting news on when Aaron Rogers will announce whether he's playing football or coming back to Pittsburgh, Willie Cologne, and an old friend. You love talking about this. I do. You do.

I do love him. You know what? I really, really do. Check out the podcast. A billion views was so two weeks. ago. Big beat. You know what I mean? Subscribe to the YouTube page. Check out the podcast. The guys are on vacation, but they're still podcasting what we're doing. So it's always a good place to catch up on the latest in the first things first universe. But now, yes, I do love talking about this

with Willie Cologne and my good friend. You're just not positive when you talk. All right, well, we'll get into it. Andrew Philopony from 937, the fan in Pittsburgh. We'll join us here in a second. When will Aaron Rogers make his announcement? Jeremy Fowler says both sides are still open to a return and we'll see when it's coming down. But Willie, are you optimistic about a Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rogers, return? I am optimistic, and I'm optimistic because I feel like once McCarthy got the job, I think priority one was having open dialogue with Aaron Rogers and feeling where he was at in his transition on either coming back or hanging it up.

Nevertheless, man, I think for a lot of people, people are saying, man, we've seen the ceiling, we've seen the act. I think we're done with Aaron Rogers show. And I have to remind the people, and this is not what the Steelers do. They're always going to be a present franchise. They're always going to be in the billing of winning games. I understand this opens the window now that you have a new head coach of kind of saying, hey, roll out the young guy or going to the draft and get a young guy and let's see what happens

and build for the future. But the Steelers feel like they can still compete. I've said it time after time. The best team doesn't win the Super Bowl, the most opportunistic. And I think Aaron Rogers, as a quarterback for the Steelers, gives the Steelers an opportunity to win football games and hopefully land into playoffs and make it run. I know it hasn't happened, right? But nevertheless, it's good to be hopeful and wishful than saying, hey, starting the season, realizing, man, we don't have a shot. Pony. I give them no shot with him. I'm not

wishful or hopeful whatsoever. I think the ceiling with Aaron Rogers back on the Steelers is being mediocre again because that's what he was last year. His record, his stats in games versus great teams. You talk about, you know, get in and then hope you have a shot or a prayer. He was horrible against the playoff teams they played. Look at these numbers here. One in five record, 14 points per game, six touchdowns, six interceptions plus two fumbles on top of that. If the Steelers bring back Aaron Rogers, to me, it'll be the worst decision they've made as a franchise since they drafted Kenny Pickett. You are drawing dead as a team. If you bring him back, we know what Aaron Rogers is at 42 years old. He is. He is.

no longer a quarterback that's capable of getting the Steelers passed just an invite to the playoffs. And being the sixth or seventh best team in the AFC, that's not being relevant. That doesn't make you a Super Bowl contender. That just means your cannon fodder for whoever you play Wild Card weekend. Yeah, and I would agree from this standpoint that Aaron Rogers didn't play his best football MVP like. But I also have to sit here to remind you that the Pittsburgh Steelers and Aaron Rogers, they grew up this season. We talked to a lot of guys in that locker room.

He forced those guys to grow up. Now, the production always wasn't there, and I think Lars Bricard is a scheme. Arthur Smith lives in a 12 personnel with two titans. We didn't get the best out of that. D.K. Metcalf, we saw a shell of him, especially late in the season. So they're going to have to figure out in the wire receiver two position, who's going to be the guy outside DK that can have another impact. They're going to have to figure out that.

I think if they revamped this roster with Aaron Rogers, you're going to get a shot. You're going to be surprised that this office can home. Numbers don't scare me. I'm not, I'm never infatuated with a guy I can do a guy. cannot do. I like to see the tape and I like to see a guy produced. What I see is an old guy who could still spin it, a guy who's still competitive, a guy who still commands a locker room and an old man who's fiery and ready to go on Sundays. It's about having an opportunity to win games. Aaron Rogers gives us that. And we also got to understand this defense for the

Pittsburgh Steelers, who we highly invested in didn't show up in a major way for us at time. So it just wasn't on Aaron Rogers winning and losing games. I thought he was a stabilizer and we just need more around him to build, Andrew. Well, you scored six. points in a playoff game. Okay, so the defense was the highest paid unit in the NFL defensively at $170 million. Unless they're going to be the 2000 Ravens or 85 bears, six points ain't going to cut it. If you actually look at Aaron Rogers production last year in the playoffs and regular season combined, his passer rating in QBR was lower than Russell Wilson with the Steelers in 2024. I'm here. Nobody was clamoring for Russell Wilson

to come back. Look, even if Aaron Rogers, gives you similar numbers or improves them a little bit from last year. What does that do for the Steelers in the big picture of the long term? So they're more competitive in the playoffs. Great. They're picking 21st or 22nd again. That gets you further away from the next guy who's going to be your franchise quarterback. Willie, you were on the field with a guy that took you 87 yards to win a Super Bowl.

The Steelers got them because they went 6 in 10 the season before. not because they were dead set on being 10 and 6 and going to the playoffs. Terry Bradshaw, colleague here at Fox, he's got four rings. Why? Because they went 1 in 13 the season before he showed up. That's how we got him. So you're not the only person who feels this way, Willie. I know the organization does.

But this fallacy or myth that the Steelers have to be decent every year, their two Super Bowl winning quarterbacks happened because they stunk the year before they got him. So, Pony, that's interesting. and I know you were addressing Willie there, but like, Willie tells me every time I bring this up that they just cannot stomach a rebuild. But you just referenced it. The last losing seasons, get them Bradshaw and get them,

Rothelisberger. You're talking to these people every single day in Pittsburgh. Like, do you? Because, hey, play Will Howard, lose 13 games, draft a quarterback next year, and then let Mike McCarthy develop that guy. Like, do Steelers fans, does the organization, and maybe that's two different questions,

but like, does the town have the, stomach for a rebuild. Danny, they've played nine consecutive years without winning a playoff game. Yes, they want something new. Mike McCarthy, even though he's old, yes, he's a very old coach. This is not a typical Steelers move, but it's different. It's not running Mike Tomlin back for another year. For me, that was a breath of fresh air. Aaron Rogers would be a half measure because they're trying to get this, like you're saying, have it both ways, change of pace, but also remain competitive. Believe me, fans would be all four. I think more fans, actually, would sign up for Will Howard as the Steelers quarterback, including me next year in

Pittsburgh, than Aaron Rogers. Because look, even if it doesn't work out, you have your answer on Will Howard. You know he's not your guy. And then you go into a deeper quarterback pool in 2027. With Aaron Rogers, if he's good, there's no upside. He's probably done after next year. So I'm ready to the page right now. The last thing I want is for September to roll around and for Aaron Rogers to be the Steelers starting quarterback. We live in two different realities. I definitely want to see Aaron Rogers roll back out there. And I think the bottom line, if you've used to roll Will Howard out there, he's God awful, I think a lot of years is out there with barring over their terrible towel. I think they'd rather have an opportunity to potentially get in to not have a shot and not

play a meaningful game in December. And I know, and I get you a point. They've been through playoff droughts. But nevertheless, I look at this team right now. this present team. One of the things that hurt them outside of having a receiver 2, their run game has been insufficient. So my point is there's more things to do in the kitchen to build this team up. Allow this, a lot of front office, Mike McCarthy and everything

that he has in front of allow him to build this team up. And we see what happens next year. But right now, I'm comfortable with Aaron Rogers walking through the door. And I think more the other fans will be happy playing meaningful games in December just saying, you know what? Can't wait for the draft. See what happens. Just wait a couple of months. He'll go

into the darkness. And then, Willie, I'm guessing you're going to up getting your wish. All right, Pony, let's talk about my team now, the Chicago Bears, because Bill Barnwell today wrote about some trades that he thinks should happen, and it included DJ Moore and a first round pick, which is the 25th pick in the draft going to Vegas for Max Crosby at a 2027 fifth round pick, and that would bring Max Crosby to the Bears and he would get to team up with Caleb Williams, who he praised quite a bit on his podcast. He described their matchup as being back and forth all day. You could take a listen to Max Crosby talking about Caleb Williams.

Our matchup was, it was, I mean, all day. You know what I mean? All day. We're going back and forth. And he's competitive, bro. I'll give it to him. Like, he was getting back down. He kept getting back up and kept trying to make plays.

And yeah, he definitely earned my respect. So something tells me Crosby would be opening, open to teaming up with Caleb Williams. Pony. Would you like that trade, DJ more in a first for Max Crosby? Would you like it for the Bears? I don't like it. I love it for the Bears because, let's face it, Danny, and I know you have a problem telling the truth

when it comes to your team sometimes. They were the biggest fluke in NFL history last year. Oh, all right, they had six, they were. It's true. They had six wins when trailing in the final two minutes of games. That had never happened in NFL history. They were more like a 500 team than a team that went through the divisional round.

Their stats were. not good defensively. They were 23rd points allowed and I think 25th total defense. So they were bad. Okay. This team is not as close as their finish suggests. They were competitive against the Rams. Congratulations on all your success. But to me, there needs to be a roster upgrade, especially on defense. And if you're telling me right now that you can get, I would say conservatively, one of the 10 best defensive players in the NFL who Chicago would love, by the way, just his personality and attitude, And all you're giving up is your third best receiver because burden has come on

and Adunze is going to be the guy there. Plus you've got Comette and Loveland and a first round pick that's late in the first round, that would be an all-time heist for the Bears. And yes, you could actually feel like they're a playoff team for next year because without this trade, I think the Bears finished third or last place. Okay, well, I'll address that part of it in a second,

but I'm with you. I would love the trade. And I think that Max Crosby is a perfect bear. and they were 21st in sack rate, 27th in pressure rate. And so, like, he would address a massive issue. Now, they spend a lot of money on their defense and their front seven because Montez Sweat is paid like he is, you know, Micah Parsons, and he is not. And then the guy they signed from the Colts, Dai O'Dingbo, he had a terrible year,

and then he got hurt. And Grady Jarrett was not good last year. And Pickens has only been okay. Like, they have really, Jervon Dexter has not lived up to his draft position. So they absolutely need to upgrade. their front seven, and Max Crosby would do it. What I would say to you, though, about the Bears is, and for spurts of time, they were elite,

and they ended up pulling games out, rabbit out of the hat, and all that stuff. That is all true. I'll concede all points, and their defense was atrocious, but their offense was so young, Caleb, Burden, Manungai, Adunezah, all under 23 years old. They're bringing back all of those guys. They're bringing back all five offensive linemen. Year two in Ben Johnson system, year three for Caleb in the NFL,

I expect all of them to take a massive leap. So if the offense can actually perform consistently like they did in stretches and in particular the fourth quarter, Pony, I don't see any reason why the Bears can't have a top five offense in the NFL next year. Okay, great. But Danny, they have the profile to be a team that is a serious take a step back team in 2026. And you know this. They were number one in the league in takeaways. They were best in the league at giveaways. Their turnover differential was by far the best in the NFL.

Go look at the history of teams that do that. They come back to earth the following season. So they are not going to have the same turnover luck. And that is not going to produce an 11 and 6 record next year, even though, yes, they have guys in their offense that second year under Ben Johnson will do better. but I just, I refuse to believe that they're going to take care of the football as well as they did next season. And that went along way in determining their record, Willie, last year. Yeah, Pony, you're way more doom and gloom than I expected on the Bears topic.

Nevertheless, man, I think if they were able to acquire Max Crosby, he makes them dangerous. I think the Bears go from a cute story to a legit outfit and in a dangerous team for next season. I think now you take the attention off Montez's sweat. Everybody gets re-enlined and be in position. And now you have Max Crosby, who's a closer. Right. Very much like how Green Bay sees Michael Parsons. And I agree with you. They have they need some upgrades.

And that's nothing they're not aware of. I think Dennis Allen goes into this off season and say, all right, we put all the money in the office last year. It's time for me to go shopping and he will do so. You kind of upgrade the lineback position. You revamped the secondary and you take what you have in offense, the continuity and this leadership by Caleb Williams and the rest of this young outfit. And now you add a Max Crosby on the defensive side.

I'm, I'm with D.P. And listen, I love going against them. I think the bears are a more dangerous outfit going to. to next season, then you're giving them credit for a pony. It's just a question really, Boney, of like, can the, because I agree with you, they will not be number one in takeaways, and they probably will give the ball away more, and I'll give you one more where they'll regress. The offensive line will not be as healthy as it was this season.

But can the addition of a guy like Crosby and the progression of all of those young guys in the offense overcome those statistical regressions that you and I are anticipating? I mean, the other thing that is not what you want to hear is, even though he was spectacular with unbelievable throws late in games against Green Bay and the Rams. I'm also just not convinced that Caleb Williams is the guy yet. He was a 58% passer. He cut his turnovers, interceptions, way down. They weren't very high as rookier to begin with, but it's not like he's a reckless player per se. But we're comparing him to guys from his draft class like Jaden Daniels, who's already gone to an NFC championship game, and Drake

May, who just took a team to a Super Bowl, and had the highest completion percentage in the NFL and was a vote shy of being the MVP. I think there's a scenario next year where he is the third quarterback in his division behind Jared Goff and Jordan Love. So you don't want to hear that, but that's just the reality of things. Great spectacular clutch player. I don't see him as an elite player in a 60-minute football game enough, though. Go get Max Crosby. Go get a defense. I will bet on his talent and his coach any day of the week. Pony, we will talk to you a little bit later on. in the show. Good stuff. My friend, we used to an NFL pod. I would take him all the Christmas card list.

Yeah, you know, listen. That's why he's the absolute best. We might have the best weirdest and the weirdest and the wonderfulest from the weekend. This video is unbelievable. It's all coming up on FTF. It's time for Danny's weird and wonderful. Okay. Which makes sense because I'm Danny. That's your name. That's me. And I like to start positive. So we begin with Wonderful. Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona.

500 on Fox, racing for Michael Jordan owned 2311 racing team. And the guys did such a great job at Daytona last Thursday and Friday, but you might have remembered the old most to gain, most to lose list. Well, on Nick Wright's Most to Lose list, it was Michael Jordan across the board. Chicago Bull Michael Jordan, Horned's owner Michael Jordan, NASCAR owner Michael Jordan.

Huh, that's from Friday, Flash cut to Sunday and there's the champ Michael Jordan recreating the iconic trophy. He said it was like he won another championship, Willie. That's wonderful. That's hard to believe. How much do you think like it looked like he was crying? Like he was that emotional. He's talked about his team and everything they endured and how they did the win was so big.

To see Mike cry over another trophy, I thought I would never see him in another lifetime. I think I think he loves winning. I think he loves competition. And so when his fishing team does well. It makes him happy. When he wins money on the golf course, it makes him happy. So I bought it. Like that celebration, I thought it was genuine and I think he was extra motivated.

Jordan is our walking, breathing Buddha. So we just got to rub Michael Jordan if we want to win. I've heard worse ideas. Oh, weird. We go to the Olympics, dual moguls. There are two people doing molders at the same time. You're going the wrong direction. She finishes the race going back.

He, excuse me, finishes the race going backwards. Going backwards, I, that's a flex. I got to say every time I watch an Olympic event, I'm more amazed than the time before. I would have been, I would have been horrible because chances are probably wouldn't have been wearing underwear. So that would have been troubled for me. Oh, you wouldn't have been able to do the moguls? Yeah. That, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that's, that's, that's, that's, there's a cat to my athleticism there.

I believe it. I believe it. Let's go to wonderful, uh, really incredible story. I would say maybe the signature moment in the history of the live tour. Anthony Kim wins. Live Golf Adelaide. His first title since 2010. This is a man who had been 16 years between wins.

He had been battling alcoholism and drug addiction to such severe levels that he shared. He would go into the porta potty during golf tournaments to do drugs while competing professionally, away from the sport for years, chases down John Rom, Bryson Deshambo, and wins this golf tournament with a flawless final round with his four-year-old daughter. in attendance. This was truly an incredible sports moment. Yeah, it's a story of triumph and resilience. And who knows what this man has been through when the lights weren't on them, man. So to see him kind of hold on to his family in this moment, it's everything.

I mean, it reminds me when we saw Stafford getting to MVP with his daughters. It just wraps you. You know, you caught up in a moment. So congratulations to the young fellow right here. Yeah, Anthony Kim. It was a really, really incredible story. Let's get back to the weird. You know, you're supposed to do spectacular dunks in the dunk contest.

I don't know if Jackson Hayes got this. Did you watch this? You know, I caught the. highlights will yeah yeah is is weird being kind to what this is i watched this and i honestly thought it made me time to cancel the slam dunk contest like it was so bad and like grade inflation what's going on of 47 the judges look asleep like a 47 i i couldn't do it but if every player in the NBA can do your dunk. It's probably not. I don't know if you saw Jason Richardson's son participated in this. Yeah, Jace Richardson. Yeah. And big outchy. Yeah. And he was knocked

himself about it. Yeah. Yeah. I was glad he got up. Yeah. We'll get to that later. On the wonderful side, though, Steph Curry's good. From the NBA showtime set, that's a pretty good trick shot. Such a flex. It's just, such a flex. The other thing is, I'd love to know the stats on it. I bet you he's like 30% to hit that shop. Like, I don't think anything there is. I don't think anybody in the NBA can hit that shot. No, but I think he can do it 30% of the time. You think so? Yeah. I mean, well, he does the pregame warm up from the tunnel. Like, I just, the guy is an absolute one of one. It was incredible. He knows voodoo. Yeah, he's ridiculous. So back to the weird, I'm glad Caleb Williams is my quarterback and, and not my

shooting guard because he struggled during the celebrity three point. Don't invest in this. But I don't think this is tells into how he's going to perform next year. Oh, I don't think it means he's not clutch. Right. I saw plenty of fourth quarter performances from him. But I was like, can we cut the camera away from Caleb? Like it was just, it was, it was a lot of bricks. Yeah, you would want to see your quarterback be clutch from three, but obviously that's not

his strong suit. I didn't love it. This I did love. Carl Anthony Towns, Nick Fan, though he sometimes struggles with defensive rotation. The only way the stars team could lose in this spot was if they gave up a three. And so cat goes with the dude to, it's, it's. To get to a lot. It's a hard watch.

As a Knicks fan, it's a hard watch. And look at Wemby at the back. He gets so mad. He's like, what are you? What are you doing? At post game, he's like, we just had to defend the three. That's it. And then we didn't defend the three.

So Carl Anthony Towns bringing his NBA defense to the All Star game. It was pretty spectacular. Sorry, Wemby. Victor Wembeyanama cares, though. All right, now let's go to Tampa where the Bucks closed out the season. They lost seven of their final night. missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019. And Levanti David, we'll see if he ends up coming back.

But basically, he said, we got, we controlled our own destiny and we bleeped the bed down the stretch. So he put it solely on them. Do you believe, Willie, that we're in store for a Bucks and Baker bounce back next year? It's going to be tough, man. I agree with you. This team was six and two at one point and they flat out finish season eight and nine. And I'm sitting here looking at this Buck's defense. Who was the face of this team, right?

Baker, I thought was to me, and maybe I could be. wrong. He surprised me, especially a good five games in. You talk about that shootout he had with Sam Donald in Seattle. And he was like, man, we may be talking about Baker as an MVP. And I thought he tried to stabilize his team for a good portion of the season. It was the defense and Todd Bow's defense who was known for Blitzin, hard nose, tackling, protecting him in the back end. I go back to that game against the Falcons late in the season where Kurt Cousers played, man. They blew that game. Yes, they did. Solely because of how this defensive played. So if you're talking about the future of the bucks,

with your captain, Levanti David, who's played 14th season, potentially, you know, taking a walking out the stadium. The fact that he said this, though, in the podcast made me think Levanté David is coming back. Like, just he's like, we blew it down the stretch, we can bounce back. Like, it seemed like he was talking about coming back, but regardless. When we listened to Todd Bowles at the end of his presses, he had an issue with the guys pride, how they approached their work. This wasn't just an X and O issue.

This was a cultural issue, right? So he was mad at his guys not taking pride at losing games. that they should have won, especially in the fourth quarter. So now you're talking about going into a season where if you look at this buck's defense, they need an edge rusher. They need somebody to close out games. So as much as we sit here and we talk about Max Crosby landing on your beloved bears, he would be a fresh of breath error for this buck's defense because they need

somebody to get after quarterback, especially in that division. Nevertheless, man, could they have a bounce back season? Yes, but defensively, they're going to have to recoup and find a face of it. And find a leader nevertheless because they don't have one on the defensive side of the ball. Yeah, so I think you and I are pretty aligned here. expect the Bucs offense to bounce back because they were ravaged by injury. And generally speaking, I will think that that is randomness and that you are going to be,

you're going to be like, listen, Mike Evans, he's getting older. No doubt Godwin had the massive injury a couple of years ago. But like if you look at players on the offense who missed, you know, five plus games, it's 60% of their offensive line and 60% of their skill position group, including the best guys. So I do think it was the fifth most guys missed due to injury on any offense in football. So I expect the offense to be better just by health. And then you use the 15th pick in the draft on defense. And you have all of your draft picks.

You hit on a couple of defensive rookies get younger on that side of the ball. Vita Vaya might be his last year in Tampa. We just talked about Levante David. You got to infuse some speed and some youth on the defensive side of the ball. You're going to be carried by your offense. I don't think you could be a top 10 defense. But if you just get healthy on offense and a little younger on the ball, defense. I think they can get back on top of the NFC.

And I also think they got to understand that Saints are going to be a different team. The Falcons are going to be a different team because of Kevin Stephansky and what they have are offensively. So now you're talking about division. And by the way, Carolina is a different team, right? So now you're talking about division where everybody you pretty much stepped on the last two years have now arose. So if you're the Bucks right now, this offseason defensively, you have to find yourself in a way that can combat all those offenses that now have arrived. So it's going to be interesting. And it's a big year for Todd Bowles, man. Yeah, Todd Bowles will definitely go into this up.

coming year on the hot seat. Tons of stories from the NBA this weekend, including LeBron James, once again being asked about his future, not exactly committal, but we've got some guesses of what the future holds for LeBron coming up on First things first. Thanks for hanging out with us, live from New York for the second hour of First things first. Danny Parkins, Willie Cologne. We'll talk to Andrew Philiponi in a little bit for a special edition of Frenemones. But coming up this hour, a lot of great stuff for you, including Talk of the Eagles moving on

from AJ Brown to stay, to go. How do you deal with a player as talented, but at times as distracting as A.J. Brown also asking the question, who's got the makeup of the profile to be next season's Patriots, an out of nowhere team with longer than 60 to one odds before the year who ended up with nearly having the MVP and winning the Lombardi Trophy. But we begin the hour in the NBA,

coming off All Star Weekend, where LeBron James, you know, he added another record, 22 consecutive years as a all-star selection. Did not end up playing a ton last night, but of course made his appearance. He spoke on his future at All-Star Weekend. Here's LeBron on his blooming retirement decision. No, I don't. I mean, I think what I want to do at 45, 50 and 55 will be a lot of creating great vibes and fun with my family and my friends.

that's one of my passions, great memories that will last forever. And so that's for sure. That's the most important for me. He also said when he knows, we will know about his future in the NBA. So, Willie, is it more likely LeBron retires or lands somewhere else next season? I think he's going to retire. You do? I do.

I think you're talking about a Laker team who realizes this is probably his last run as Laker. They're not building this team around. They're going to build it around Luca and Austin Reeves and continue to figure out how they can fill some holes. Nevertheless, LeBron, I give him all the credit to the world to play as well as he's played. He's averaging 22 points a game. He's been absolutely phenomenal at his age. I don't think you've ever seen a guy at his age played this well and is great. But I think at the end of the day, his home is L.A.

You know, I think he's accomplished everything he's needed to accomplish. I think he's answered all the, you know, all the namesayers. I think right now if you're LeBron James is what else do you have to prove? Because I don't honestly know what brings him back, right? Is it a healthier roster? Is it more pieces? I think he realizes this is it. And I think he also understands to some degree,

maybe he's kind of burnt that bridge a little bit with front of office, right? Because they've given him everything he's ever wanted and needed. And this is the product right now. They're fifth in the west. Going forward, they're not going to beat a Denver. They're not going to beat the San Antonio Spurs. They got bunk last year by the Oklahoma Thunder.

So if you're talking about what this team looks at for the next five years, I think he knows, and the front of office knows, it doesn't include a LeBron James a part of that picture. Yeah, so, okay, I'm with you on that I can't see him with the Lakers again, but I don't think he's done. I definitely think that they are building around Luca, and they should build around Luca, and LeBron at his age doing what he's doing. I mean, he had a triple double the other night.

He's phenomenal. I don't take nothing away from his play. And he's a basketball genius, and he's a chameleon. He can figure, you need me to be a pastor, you need me to be a score, you need me to do this. He will do whatever is needed on the court. It's a remarkable thing. I cannot see him playing for a fourth franchise. I don't think he's going to go try to learn something new at this point of his career.

So then you have to question, what's your why then? But the calves. I think it makes so much sense. And I can talk to basketball reasons of the calves here in a second, but also watch LeBron his whole career. Right? Like I went to a all-star game when he was in high school at the United Center. There's a lot of games, D.P. Dude, I didn't.

Very proud. You've been outside for a while now. Yeah, but I got, saw LeBron in high school, watched his whole career as a remarkable athlete. And he does like attention. Like, he's the chosen one, right? Did you hear a statement? He goes, I just want to live. Yeah.

But he like, he holds, he holds everybody, he holds everybody hostage. Because I think this question has been following in for some time. Like, if you know the Lakers are coming to, or you're coming to the end of the road with the Lakers, you want to possibly land back in Cleveland for a team who's ranked fourth in the east, who I think has a lot of potential with Donovan Mitchell. But that would mean other people have to move aside for you to beat it. Well, there has to be a reconstruction.

Yeah, so, right. So that's the basketball piece of it. Would LeBron take a discount? He basically never has. He's making $51 million this year. No, I know, but he's also, no one's ever made more money playing basketball in the history of the sport. Like, he has his company, he's launched all of his friends' companies. They're all wildly successful.

Everybody eats. Right. Now, he is still worth, based on his production, $40, $50 million. And then what he's actually worth in terms of tickets, merchandise, box office interest, he's worth well over $100 million, right? So he has never really took a little bit of. in 2014, took a very small one with the Lakers for a minute. But would he be willing for his last year to play for the minimum to go try to win a championship where it all started as just a kid from Akron in Cleveland and go play with Donovan

Mitchell and James Hardin and Evan Mobley and Jared Allen? If he's not willing to play for the minimum, the calves are going to need to trade Jared Allen. And that obviously weakens them in the front court, and it weakens them defensively, but Mobley is still great. And I think that they would still, I think they would still make that tradeoff to bring in LeBron James because he's LeBron James. But I think everything that I know about LeBron and his career and how he's operated in the media space, I'll just be floored. If the season ends, they get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. He's like, I'm going to Take some time to think about it.

And then four weeks later, he announces on Instagram that he's retired. Like, I think we're going to get the farewell tour and the long goodbye and the celebration of his career. But see, I think that's unfair to a team like Cleveland who has momentum, right, who's competing in the top five in the east. When you bring along LeBron James, it's about LeBron James. Yeah. It's about the tour. And I get it, right? We watched him in Cleveland.

He's kind of having a stoic moment. The people are on their feet. They're cheering. He's getting emotional. He's crying. We've never seen that aspect of. from them as far as being emotional. You can tell Cleveland is home.

It means a lot to him. Yeah. But if I'm cleaning and it doesn't work out. And you've had to make all these moves. When you've had momentum, the last two years, it would feel like an epic mistake. It would feel like, yeah, we're doing it just because the hometown kid wants to come home.

Well, but he makes you better. If LeBron James plays for you on the minimum contract, he makes every team in the league better. If he plays for you for $50 million, it's a different conversation. And again, I don't know that he'd be willing to play for the minimum. He won't. Maybe not. And especially him and Dan Gilbert, I went back to look through the quotes. He's like, we have a fine

relationship, we have a business relationship. Obviously, it was really rocky. The first time he left Cleveland, looks at it as, so I don't know that he'd be willing to give Dan Gilbert that type of, you know, would amount to in terms of real value, like a nine figure, one year discount. But LeBron is, he's very attuned to what his story is. And I, He's always controlled his narrative. Well, right. But so, like, it's a pretty great story to bookends your career as the kid from Akron who got drafted to the Cavs, who brought the championship to Cleveland to play one last year in Cleveland and do the farewell tour.

It's a pretty great end of the story. And so while I don't think he's going to be a Laker and I certainly don't see him doing a new franchise like the Knicks and Miami's not good enough. Like, going back home to Cleveland for the goodbye. I think makes a lot of sense to me. Yeah, but you, when you watch a happy ending, when you watch the story, you want to see a happy ending. If he doesn't win, right? And this thing doesn't go according to plan.

Now we're looking at LeBron as a loser, right? I don't think so. We're looking as a guy who we sold a bill of goods to saying, hey, man, you come to Cleveland. We have this Disney type ending. And if it doesn't land, we're like, well, thanks, LeBron. Like, nobody wants to go out like that. Yeah, but I mean, listen, he's not going to go out a champion this year.

This Lakers team cannot win. Fact. I know people, listen, it's the Lakers and it's Luca and Luca dragged that Mavs team. And they need a big. They don't have a big. There's a lot of things holding them back. And the deadline's gone. Correct.

So they cannot get good enough defensively this year to win in the West. So he will not win in L.A. So he's already, to use your word, go out a loser. Like, I don't think that will tarnish it. And if he also, if he plays for the minimum, man, it'll be like, the narrative will be, man, LeBron did it for the love of the game. Yeah, but I also think when you see what he's able to accomplish about bringing it Brani in-house.

Him walking off the court. Finally, his final goodbye, whatever that is, as a Laker, feels better than me. Then Lannon and Cleveland and it ends bad. Maybe, maybe. Walk off the court with your son. Also a great end to the story. Let's get back to the NFL here, talk some Cowboys, where it's been reported that the Cowboys plan on franchise tagging wide receiver George Pickens.

The franchise tag window opens tomorrow, but the deadline isn't for a couple of weeks. NFL insider Ian Rappaport noted, though, that Dallas may be willing to entertain trade offers for Pickens once he's tagged. that even a second round pick might be willing to get it done. Willie, do you think it's better for the Cowboys to keep George Pickens or trade him? Well, you don't get rid of a 26-year-old alpha receiver. Like, it just doesn't happen. I fell in love with George Pickens this year because I felt like he finally found a home

with Dak Prescott and C.D. and that whole offense, what scares me about Pickens is, and there's an old ad is, I don't know if you ever heard it before, you can't feed a full tick, right? Like, if you give him his money. You always have great sense. Well, you know, I'm privileged to that. I saw a lot of games. You got great times. Can't feed a full tick.

Well, I've been on punishment a lot. But I would say this, what bothers me, I go back to the game against Detroit when CD got hurt. Yeah. And he got knocked out. And they called for him to show up. This was a moment. I was like, man, finally he's going to have this stage Detroit. In Detroit, he's going to have this big monster game.

He's going to rally this team. They're going to get after it. They leaned on him. They couldn't find him on tape. That's what bothers me. So I, there's no question. So isn't that a reason to trade him? No.

The fear of the fear of it? of giving him money and then he's going to do the knucklehead thing again? No, because if you're Jerry right now and this Dallas Cowboys team, I know the EU is probably the favorite to win the division, but if you talk about they revamping this defense, now you have Dax, CEDY, now you're talking about Schottheimer in year two, I think the Cowboys are dark horse next year. I think they're a legit threat, especially to offensively. Now they can do some things in the back end.

I think they can be a lot more better at a team and a team that can pretty much show up in the playoff time. You don't get rid of George Pickens because what he means to you all. He blows the top off defense. He's a mismatched nightmare. So I think you keep him in the house. You try to make it work. I would franchise tag him.

I keep keeping the carrot over his head, keep chasing it, and get the best out of him. So listen, I think that a smart, like economics-based, analytics-based approaches, hey, we traded a third and a fifth for George Pickens. He gave us a career year in catches, yards, and touchdowns. He was second team all pro. And then we trade him for a second round pick. and then we get a second round pick, and then we use that money to sign a guy like Alec Pierce in free agency, who's a really good receiver,

but he doesn't have some of the effort issues or those types of questions. I think that is like a really fundamentally sound, smart way to run a professional football team, and it doesn't sound at all like the Dallas Cowboys. You know, like I just, I don't, like, I think you could like right brain talk yourself into that being the logical thing.

thing to do. But my gut, what I think is going to actually happen is they're going to offer George Pickens, the franchise tag. It's going to come right up until the deadline. And then he's going to reluctantly accept it. And then we're going to be talking about him missing minicamp. And then we're going to be talking about missing OTAs. And then we're going to talk, no, of course. They're talking about missing OTAs. And Jerry is going to talk about wanting to sign him to a long-term deal. And Pickens isn't going to agree. Sounds very on brand, by that. Well, that's what I'm saying. Painting the story. consistency with the Dallas Cowboys.

To the production room, I would like us to please control room. Can we get a scoreboard somewhere in the studio for a number of times we do? What are the cowboys going to do with George Pickens this time? Because it was the same with C.D. Lamb. And it was the same with Micah. And it was the same with Dak. And what Jerry will do is he likes the drama of the off season. So George Pickens is going to be one of the main characters of drama of the off season.

He'll ultimately play for Dallas, ultimately be a distraction. and I'm sure produced, because he is a wildly talented football player. So my expectations is that they will keep George Pickens, but this is not going to go smoothly. Right, but I would also play Big Brother for a second for George Pickens and tell him fit matters. He fits in Dallas, right? When you have Dak Prescott and CD and that combination of guys

and the momentum you're able to acquire at the end of the season, you have to feel like next season, man, we can make a legit run. He lands on another team. I don't know if he's going to have the same type of production because mostly a team that can pay for a guy like him is not necessarily a good team, right? They have money to spend and cap to kind of use. Well, and remember, he was a first round talent who fell to the second round because of some questions about character and discipline. So a one year fully guaranteed $28 million deal, it is the biggest contract he is signed.

I'm not taking the money away from. But I'm saying he might, while all players want a long-term security, one year fully guaranteed $28 million. It's not a bad deal for the bag. But you also play to win. And you want to go somewhere where you can win. Just because the money's great. Not necessarily you're going to win.

That's every guy in free agency deals with that. Yeah. Well, listen, I expect him to be in Dallas and I expected to have a lot of turbulence on the flight, I would say, to get there. Another interesting story, a big report today coming out in Jacksonville, that the Jacksonville Jaguars, they're planning to make Travis Hunter a full-time cornerback and a part-time wide receiver. can look at his stats after his rookie year, and they were what he would, right?

Played seven games, honestly a massive disappointment, given what they traded up from the fifth pick to the second pick. But in terms of just the plan, scrapping the idea of full-time two-way player, full-time corner, part-time receiver, do you like this plan going forward for Travis Honor? Yeah, it's pretty dumb that we've now come to this conclusion when this should have been the plan once he left Colorado. Like, I felt like this should have been the plan.

Yeah, you and I disagreed on this one, but you're looking more correct than Yeah, because I think it's harder to play cornering this league. It's a bigger adjustment. If he would have had a year under his belt when he was solely focused on a position, I think he would be a better ball player. And the Jaguels would be in a better position rolling him into this position. I think it's easier to adjust at the receiver position because of packages and situations of formations you can allow him to eat.

Nevertheless, man, when you talk about a guy now dealing with a knee injury and potentially losing Craig Newsom to free agency, that's going to be an issue. There's going to be a lot put on this plate to show up. I think he's a world-class athlete. I think he's a stud. I think he could do things that a lot of guys on the field can't do that are his built like him at his position. Nevertheless, when you look forward to his upside, I would take away receiver. To be honest, and I know it's hard.

I'd be like, well, Willie, you know, focus on one side of the ball. For me, it's necessary for this defense because of how we look at the Jacksonville Jaguars right now and what led this team to have the potential and go into Denver and beat Boone. next in that team was their defense. Probably Trevor Lawrence had a big game, but it was the defensive side of the ball that stood up. So to stabilize this defense, man, I would say, young fella, we know what you can do, but this is what we need.

We need you to be a locked down number one corner for the Jacksonville Jaguar. Now, you can say that what I'm about to say doesn't matter because it's about the past and it's a sunk cost and you just need to move on. But if that happens, it was a terrible trade and it was a terrible pick because you traded up from five to two to take a corner.

that's ridiculous. But I also... Like, they gave up the fifth pick, a second rounder, a fourth rounder, and their first this year, which is the 24th pick in the draft. Like, you don't give that up for a cornerback. Like, he, if it is, like,

he needs to be Patrick Sartan. He needs to be Devin Witherstool in order to live up to it. And I'm not saying... But Patrick Sartan plays one side of the ball. No, I understand. But I'm saying the level of corner that he needs to be in order to justify just being the second pick

in the draft is, like, you need to be a top. two or three cornerback in football, plus all the extra picks you gave up to get him. So, like, I'm glad to hear they are not abandoning the idea of him, at least, contributing on the offensive side of the ball, because the only reason to justify that trade-up is if he is a truly special transcendent type of play. I think it's good to have options. I love that he has the ability to play receiver.

But when you talk about possibly losing Craig Newsom, as I mentioned, possibly losing Devin-Loyd, the star lineback for that team for Jacksonville. you're going to show up, you don't have to show up this season. Because listen, the Jaguars, their record gets harder next year, right? The schedule, excuse me. Like, they play the AFC East. I know they'll probably walk through that, but they got the NFC West, right? We know what the NFC West looks like from a quarterback standpoint and receiver's standpoint.

You're going to need this kid fully invested. And you've got to worry about value. You're already dealing with a knee injury as he gets older, more injuries, more things happen. So for me, I would tell this young fella, I love what you can do, but this is what we need you to do. On your side of the ball. And I understand it. You remember when Brandon Staley took over the job with the Chargers? And he was like, I'm going to go for it on like every fourth down.

Yeah. Right? It was super aggressive. And he went for it. And he went for it. And he went for it. And then for a while, they weren't converting. Their conversion rate was below average.

And then he stopped. And he changed what he was. I was like, oh, man. He was having breakdowns at presses. He was a mental breakdowns. Right. And then your team starts looking around. Like, wait, what do you actually?

believe in. But Dan Campbell, he would go for it on fourth down a bunch, and then even if they would fail, he would keep going in four-run on fourth down because he really believed in it. If Jacksonville believed so much that Travis Hunter could be a transcendent player on both sides of the ball, that they were willing to trade up from five to two, and it was their general manager's first ever pick as a GM. And then seven games into his career, you're abandoning that plan entirely. I don't think it's abandoned a DP. I think, like, listen, if you're serious about going to the playoffs, making a deep run into playoffs, you need to. your best player on the field.

You put him at the receiver position, at the cornerback position, that opens up more windows for him to get hurt, especially coming off a knee. He's going to have to adjust to that. And he's going to be most likely guarding another team's number one receiver. So my point, limit the risk, right? Limit the risk if you feel like you have a playoff outfit that can make a run. You know why you lost their bills? Because you have some miscommunication on the back end.

Your secondary couldn't hold up. And you watched Josh Allen put on the cape and beat you in Jacksonville. So I'm looking at this. say, hey, kid, I love it. All right, I'm glad that you have the Wi-Fi and extra Bluetooth and you got the two TVs in the back. But I just need to get home, right? And the home is the Super Bowl.

That's the goal. And we can't get home without you. So if I can limit those risks and have you when it's ready to go when we need you on the field, fine. That's what I'm willing to sacrifice. That doesn't mean I can't go to you when I need you. So you wouldn't give up on offense entirely, but just master one side of the ball first. 100%.

Okay. Listen, it's reasonable. I just don't want them to abandon it because I was still hoping. that he could transcend the sport. Nick Wright is on vacation, but we're still doing Frememones? How is that possible? You'll find out on the other side, first place. It is time for a special edition of Frenemies.

The only person that Nick Wright and I would allow under this umbrella is our good friend from college in the group chat does great job at 937 the fan in Pittsburgh, Andrew Philopony. We both come from the world of sports radio, so we begin in the very dangerous world of Philadelphia Sports Radio, where Eagles legend Jason Kelsey may know his thoughts on AJ Brown and all of the off-field drama that the wide receiver brings to Philadelphia. Take a listen.

It's incredibly frustrating, right? I think any player that's out there when you're seeing a teammate not, they go all out. Like, that's all you want from your teammates. And that's all we want is fans. And it's a really hard thing to optically watch. I think part of it is that he's a great player and, you know, teammates want him there and know that he can be a dominating force for them. You know, those frustrations, he's just the unfortunate player who allows his internal frustrations to manifest into his play. And it makes him play worse. It makes the offense worse. And it makes his energy worse. Pony, I thought that was really well said by Jason Kelsey.

What do you think the Eagles should do with A.J. Brown this offseason? Well, first of all, shout out WIP that they can still get Jason Kelsey in studio again. As a radio guy, I thought the same thing. I was like, man, in studio. That's a great job by them. So he's either still getting paid bigly by WIP or he's doing that out of the goodness of his heart. Either way, tremendous that he's there and he's willing to say these things. I have done a 180 on this, and you don't know that because we have not talked about these things since we no longer do a podcast together.

but I have for a long time been a big Jalen Hertz guy. I have given that up. I have switched. I have done a real kind of character change on this. And I would actually look to move Jalen Hertz before A.J. Brown. And I understand that that is a very kind of strange admission on my part because it's the quarterbacks who make the wide receivers and not the other way around. Danny, right now, I am.

leaning in the direction of saying, actually, I'll say it. I think we've seen Jalen Hertz's best football already. He turns 28 this summer. I think we've already seen him at his apex as a player. He's an expensive player. He doesn't want to throw the ball over the middle. Their offense with offensive line injuries with Saquan Barclay not being an elite player last year or as good as the year before, we saw Hertz take a tremendous step back.

and I don't think it was only the offensive coordinator. So to me, I know you can't do these things quietly, but I would actually see what I could get for Jalen Hertz this offseason if I'm Holly Roseman. So listen, this is one of those things that sounds great on WIP and it sounds great during Frememies. But like in the real world, can you trade Jalen Hertz? Like trading a Super Bowl MVP who is 28 years old who signs the largest.

contract in franchise history. I don't really have a comp off the top of my head for it. But to be clear, because I'll go down the road with you, I think A.J. Brown is a better receiver than J.L.N. Hertz is a quarterback. Right? So I do agree that A.J. Brown is better at his premium position than J.L.N. Hertz is at his. And that if you do trade A.J. Brown, that is the football equivalent of shooting the messenger. Because what he was saying was, hey, we need to be better at passing the ball.

And like, we're going to, we're going to, this is ultimately going to stop us from winning if we cannot produce more on offense. So, like, I think A.J. Brown was a truth teller, even if over the last couple of years he has done it in ways that you would not love in terms of chemistry and generating good vibes for your football team. But is there any way, like, in reality, that you could see Philly actually doing it because it just, it seems too impractical to me. Well, well, I don't know about impractical. It just, you're right. There's really no precedent for. it, but we're talking about Howie Roseman, who is, I think, by nature, the most aggressive general manager in the NFL. I think he tends to do bold things. I don't think he's a guy who rests on his laurels and just kind of sees what's going to happen. If there's anybody that would break the mold and do something outside of the box, I think it's him. I think the question

becomes, even though we hear all the time about how there's five to ten teams that always need a quarterback, would somebody want to take his contract on? You know, that, like, how, how in demand is Jalen Hertz? Because, look, I don't think they're going to win another Super Bowl with him. I just don't. I think we saw last year the biggest, most puzzling thing about the Eagles offense, in addition to how the middle of the field is just off limits, his rushing numbers went down incredibly. lowest since his rookie year, 421 rushing yards, only eight rushing touchdowns. If you remove more of the dual part of his game, I think he turns into a very average quarterback.

So, A.J. Brown is probably going to be the guy that gets moved. But I don't really see how that fixes things at all for the Philly offense. You take away a source of controversy and angst and stress like Jason Kelsey was talking about, but you're also getting rid of a guy that's probably at worst, a top 10, top 15 wide receiver. And I don't see how that magically makes your quarterback now freed up and what? Now he's more relaxed because he doesn't have a guy on the sideline telling him throw me the ball. Danny, I think there's a chance. I'll make this comparison too.

After Joe Flacco signed that contract following that magical run with the Ravens in 2012, he won only one more playoff game with Baltimore. But they felt like they had to pay him, which I think is. is the same exact situation that we have right now unfolding with the Eagles. Yeah, I don't know how you, like, the only way you justify moving on from AJ Brown, because my guess is that Philadelphia just has a higher tolerance for discomfort, and they're fine letting us talk about it, because he is, he's definitely not top 15. I think it's somewhere between top five and top 10, and he's been a dominant receiver for them

for the last three years. My guess is they just grit their teeth and bear it, and they bring A.J. Brown back next year, but you're 100% right. Jalen Hertz is regressing, and they've got to figure out. a way to get playoff Jalen Hertz to perform for them during the regular season. But you're right, you plugged it. We used to do a podcast together. And so you and I have not talked to the public forum pony since the Super Bowl. And it was a fun Super Bowl in the sense that before the year, neither team was expected to be there. Like the Patriots came in. They were to 60 to one odds at this time

last year to win the Super Bowl. So I will ask you this, which long shot team has the makeup, has the formula to become next year's Patriots. So they were 60 to 1. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl at 60 to 1 as well. That's where they were preseason. So last year was the year of like these offseason underdogs, teams that nobody gave a shot to. I have always been, one of my favorite things to do every off season is find the second year quarterback who's going to make that second year leap and designate that my Super Bowl team. team or team that comes out of nowhere.

Mahomes in his second year. Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow going to the Super Bowl. Caleb Williams. Even Trevor Lawrence. Drake May last year. I mean, there's tons of guys who have done this. So that's why I like the Giants. Danny, I'm a guy that believes the New York Giants with Jackson Dart in his second year.

We saw him have a 91.7 passer rating last year. Malik neighbors only played four games. Look at what New England went from. an incompetent coach and Gerard Mayo to a guy with a track record and Mike Vrable, what he did in Tennessee. I'm not the biggest John Harbaugh fan. I find him to be very smug and arrogant, and I think he underachieve, frankly, with Lamar Jackson. But in my opinion, I think that the Giants, I think 75 to 1 right now,

I think they can win double-digit games because Jackson Dart is the QBIC taking that big step forward this year. So they're going to be everyone's worst to first pick because Malie. Neek neighbors is a stud, even if I agree with you completely that John Harbaugh underachieved with the double-digit leads that they blew, underachieving relative to seed in the playoffs, which their owner talked about at the press conference where they justified the firing of John Harbaugh. My biggest pushback would be if John Harbaugh couldn't break through and win with Lamar Jackson and Derek Henry, why do I expect him to do it with Jackson Dart and Camp Scataboo? I think they will be better.

And I think Jackson's heart looks good, but it's hard for me to imagine that this guy's going to do it with this caliber of talent if he couldn't do it with the caliber in Baltimore. But I'll answer that question for you. Lamar Jackson is one of the worst big game quarterbacks in NFL history among upper crust players. He's terrible in big games. He's not good against the Steelers, his arch rival. He's horrible against the Chiefs. His stats plummet in the playoffs. That's a big reason.

He had Mike McDonald there as the defensive coordinator with John Harbaugh. They couldn't sniff a Super Bowl that he was terrible offensively in that home AFC championship game against Kansas City outside of one throw he made in the first half of this game. I think it stands to reason. Jackson Dart is a more clutch player and a guy who shows up in pressure-packed games more than Lamar Jackson. And you know that. Come on now. Lamar Jackson is not a guy who delivers in January.

And Jackson Dart might be one who does. Key word there might. We have seen Lamar Jackson underperform in January. We have yet to see Jackson Dart in January, period. So we do not know that Jackson Dart could do it. But I will say, a lot of the conversation about Jackson Dart was, this guy plays reckless, this guy gets too many concussions. You actually go back and you watch the extended highlights of his season,

the 27-minute thing that NFL Network put out. He is really impressive. like arm talent, mobility, creativity, off-schedual throws. Like, I do think there is a very high-ceiling player in there in Jackson Dart. The question is, is Matt Nagy and John Harbaugh, the guy to get it out of him? Well, you know more about Nagy. I mean, that's a great question. I don't think, I think their defense is going to be much better, too.

I mean, let's look at that for a second with Abdul Carter. You've got Dexter Lawrence had a half a sack last year in 17 games. is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. If they're just an average defense, I see them potentially winning with a last play schedule, 10 or 11 games next year, Danny. That is my pick for a team. You're right.

They're going to be very trendy and popular, but I think the coach quarterback combination we saw New England worked, and I see it happening in New York this season as well. And you said 75 to 1? I would take that. I would take that return on investment. Andrew Philopony, 93-7 in Pittsburgh.

It's been giving out winners to me since college. and a lot of losers as well. He'll be back later on in the show. Antoine Walker joins us to discuss whether or not that format was a success for All-Star Weekends. Coming up on First things first. I ain't going to lie.

Wimmy set the tone. Like, he came out playing hard, so it's hard not to mess that. So, that's what happened. It's a game we love, you know. It's a game I personally cherish. So being competitive is the least I can do. Well, you heard it from the players

there on the court. A lot of discussion about the new format. Does it work? Should it stay? Team World, Team USA. Are they playing hard enough? Yeah, that's right. Danny's top five players who gave a bleat. Producers are like, you really want us to say that?

I'm like, yeah, I do. Because I've been watching the All-Star game my entire life. I love it. And I was at it in 2020 in Chicago, and it was fine because they cared. Because it was the first All-Star game after Kobe Bryant passed away. And guys cared. They named the MVP trophy after him. So I put together a little list of the top five players

who gave a bleep during the All-Star game, because that's what mattered. Coming in at number five, Cade Cunningham. He's a young guy. He's a guard. He was playing at full speed. He had 11 points in one of the games. Steels running all over the court.

He's playing for his coach. J.B. Bickerstaff, the Pistons, going for the one seed, the team that plays with a lot of intensity and a lot of effort. They were well represented. one of the brightest futures in the NBA. Kate Cunningham did a great job. Number four, Kauai Leonard. He's a replacement.

He's playing in front of his home fans. That's a historic All-Star moment with the 31 points in the game. He was absolutely dominant. He was representing for the older heads out there. And by the way, Kauai Leonard, playing like he's going to make first-team all NBA. He's got a shot at it because he's going to hit that 65-game threshold if he stays healthy the rest of the year. Kaui Leonard, have it a great year. Could have easily been the MVP.

last night. Coming in at number three, you heard him there? Anthony Edwards. He did win the MVP. He said he wanted to put on a show in front of Barack Obama. He said that Wembe set the tone. Young guy, athleticism, guy who cares. Is he going to loaf at times and shoot too many threes? Sure. But in that setting, an exhibition where he can showcase his talents, Anthony Edwards was a spectacular all-star game participant. Going back to number two, Jalen Duren. Same logic with the Pistons from earlier. in Cade Cunningham playing with J.B. Bickerstaff and Duren, this was crazy. He committed multiple fouls in the All-Star game. That's how hard he was playing.

I'm like, Jaylen Duren, I might have to buy your jersey. I really respected it. But then coming in at number one, it was very clear, it was very obvious, it was an early statement that he wants to be the next face of the NBA. Victor Wembeyanama, he called his shot. He was like, if they're not going to care, I'm going to care, and I am going to embarrass them because he's one of the five best players in the world.

He's the best defensive player of the world and it'd be really embarrassing if you kept getting your shot pinned against the backboard by a 7-7 alien who's playing at full speed during an All-Star game. He was mad at Carl Anthony Towns for switching off the three-point shooter. He set the tone early. He set the tone during the week to the media.

It was a very worthy heir apparent to caring about the state of the game and the state of the NBA All-Star game. So we could talk Team USA versus the world, we could talk Elamending, we could talk East West, as long as the players give a little bit, not game seven bleep, just give a little bit of a bleep. Everything's going to be fine. As we bring in Antoine Walker, a three-time All-Star, I understand the format discussion. I get it.

Good job, played in short spurts. It worked. But to me, Twan, the problem with the last couple of years was it was just a half-court shooting contest and guys not running back on defense. A little bit of effort goes a long way in an all-star game. Did you think it was a success? I think it was success. Judging of what we've had in the past,

I would say four or five years to have a competitive game, even though they were in short spurts, like you said before, I thought it was great. And then you highlight your top five guys. Those guys were terrific. Those guys put on the show. I mean, I wouldn't probably want that particular order that you went in, but I thought Ethne was great.

I thought Kauai Leonard was terrific. To be the hometown guy in front of your fans, the performance he put on, I think was terrific. Wambi was, you know, active and great. And obviously, Sean, that he's an MVP candidate the season that's San Antonio's episode. I thought it was great. I thought the guys played with a lot of energy and effort.

And we need that. I mean, we need to get this game back to being very competitive. And this is something you look forward to, not just getting names to the All-Star team, and that being it, but actually competing and making the weekend great. Yeah, because I don't, listen, I don't want to pretend like it was always like a playoff level atmosphere.

It was, you know, I remember Shaq going through the legs and shooting three-pointers, Kobe and LeBron, taking the jump ball. Like, I'm all for Ale Ups and dunk contests and showing off a little bit, but like the fourth quarter of those games that you played in, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but the fourth quarter of those All-Star games

that you played in had a level of intensity to them. Yeah, and also, too, I'm going to be honest, the prize money was totally different. Guys used to go at it. I mean, that last, you know, the winning team could, I think when my year, obviously, we're going way back, but it was like $50,000 to the winner, $25,000 to the loser.

So it's a $25,000 difference. You start to play a little harder, see if you can win that game. It's a nice little bonus, you know, for the weekend. So I think that plays a part as far as just being competitive about the game. I do like the fact, and I said this earlier, that the league did make it kind of Europeans

versus the Americans. That brings a little twist to it. And it's because the Europeans have been so dominant. Think about the Joker's the MVP the last three years. Yonnis was there. I mean, they probably want, I don't know. They've been able to think one of the last five out of six years, five out of seven. So they dominated the MVP.

So I think the format was set up really good for the future. All right. So, Juan, All-Star Saturday night is a thing that, you know, dump contests in the past have been pretty historic. This was not that. You know, you had Jackson Hayes just doing this thing. You had Jace Richardson, you know, falling down and hurting his head. That was a very scary moment.

Thankfully, he got up and was okay. But I'm curious what your solve would be for the dunk contest and All-Star Saturday if you have one. Or do you want to just see it go away? Well, I think you can do Saturday night. We probably have to figure out something with the dunk contest, honestly. it's so hard to try to duplicate these dunks guys to be really, really creative.

We're spoiled as fans of the early dunk contests in the early years and seeing guys put on shows was the Michael, Jordan, Dominique Wilkes, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady's of the world that put on shows. You don't have those type of dunkers anymore. So I think we can go over there. I think the three-point contest is great because typically we get the best shooters

in the three-point contests. In some years, you may pick a bum like me. They pick me, and I get, you know, five points or something like that. But I wasn't going to bring it up. I wasn't going to bring it up. I looked it up before the show. It wasn't great.

It wasn't great. It wasn't great. But typically you get the best shooters. And, you know, last few years watching Devin Booker, Steph Curry, Clay Thompson, those guys compete and shoot the ball at a very high level. It's fun to watch. Look at Damon Lillan, a guy who's sitting out with an ACL, but I'm pretty sure he's shooting every day.

He was terrific. So I think you can keep the three-point contest. We may have to do away with the dunk contest. maybe come up with something else for Saturday night. I don't know what that will be, but we can have, no, they can be creative. They were creative this year as far as going European Plans versus America, so they can come up with something. I'm glad you asked.

I'm creative. I got three quick ideas for you, all right? You tell me if you like these ideas. Idea number one for the dunk contest. If you are on your rookie contract and you are healthy and you are asked, you have to participate. I like it. You cannot. So like, you know, Zion, right?

Like, whoever it was, like, if John Moran, like, you would have had to participate if we had. Now, if you're old and LeBron, you can opt out of it. But if you are on your rookie contract, you ask you have to participate. Okay. Three point contest. Steph already says he's in next year. Devin Booker says he's in. Damien Lillard's in.

I like that they're getting it. But what happened to the WNBA aspect of it? Sabrina Yenescu, Caitlin Clark, a little battle of sexist thing. get the shooting contest back. I think that was a great wrinkle for the three-point contest. I'm not against you. I like that, too. I like that wrinkle.

But if you get the best shooters, I think we get a good contest. I think if you continue to get the best shooters, that's something extra if you wanted to add that. All right, I got one more for you. $5 million, first prize, and we do the one-on-one tournament. The WNBA did it. five million bucks on the line to the winner one-on-one tournament. Wemby, Janice, everybody, if you're an all-star, you have to participate, if you're asked.

I mean, I love it. I mean, I love one-on-one basketball. I don't think everybody's a great one-on-one player, but I do like it, and especially if you're going to put the prize money up there, I think the competitive juices will come out. And then a lot of guys want to go one-on-one anyway against each other. So I think that could work. I actually like that.

I think we might need to figure that one-on-one thing out. That's what I'm saying. Get rid of the dunk contest for a couple of years. Make us miss it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. One-on-one tournament. Adam Silver, free idea for you. Me and everybody else have come up with it.

Coming up, some unbelievable video from the weekend, some truly unbelievable sporting. That's Michael Jordan. Got another championship. You're going the wrong direction down a mountain. It's a bad idea. Next, on first things first. Time now for a little edition of Weird and Wonderful On Loan

from Kevin Wilde. So these are the best videos from the weekend. And honestly, not just being a company man here, Willie. Uh-huh. Fox had some great events. Seriously, the guys did an incredible job doing the show from the Daytona 500. It was dramatic down to the end. Tyler Reddick wins the Daytona 500. And he will, by the way, be in studio with us tomorrow, which is very exciting. And I might have to ask him a few questions about my favorite athlete of all time, Michael Jordan who got another win. And he was mocked on this very show on Nick Wright's Most to Lose.

Because, oh, he had all these things to lose and this a reputation and or that a reputation. I watched. I saw what you did, Nick. It wasn't nice. And I think Michael Jordan might have seen it too because when he won the Daytona 500, he recreated the pose with the trophy

from when he was with the team. Look at that. And he was genuinely thrilled. I was happy for Mike. He didn't go through a lot, but I think overall, man, When you talk about adding one to the trophy case, I never expected this one for Michael Jordan. I mean, he loves it.

It's a big trophy he had to hold up there. I mean, his fishing team wins, his golf course is great, and now he has his beloved Daytona 500 trophy. So congratulations to him. From the wonderful to the weird, the Olympics are always incredible. The dual moguls is insane. From planes, trains, an automobile. You're going the wrong direction. Finished backwards.

I know, that's talent. I just think about my ACLs would have been snapped. There's no way I could have survived that. Yeah, you think? You think? I don't think that would have worked out so hot for you. But it's worth trying, right? Can we say that at least?

Well, so that's actually an excellent question. Like, is that the first time they've skied down backwards? Probably not. I don't think there's footage, right? Right, right. There's probably not footage, but like, like, like, the first time it happens, it's in the Olympics. You go down, like, oh, something's gone terribly wrong.

But then you look to your left and you're like, Credit not panicking either. Yeah, well, it takes a lot of, takes a lot of marbles to hang in there. Yeah, no panic, but also, like, when you're going backwards, you've got to assume it's been a disaster. And then you look to your left and you're like, still in it. I won. I won. I know.

Dual moguls is insane. Like, single moguls wasn't crazy enough? You had to add another person to collapse. It's crazy. Like me and you. We're still doing OT. Live from New York, it's first things first overtime. Tyree Kill is available to go to any team he wants.

Is a reunion in Kansas City inevitable for the 32-year-old coming off of significant knee surgery? Also, Josh Allen might need a wide receiver one, and one of the top NFL writers has proposed a blockbuster. We'll weigh in on if that's enough to get the bills over the hump if it happens. And I didn't even have to go to any extra schooling to become a double. doctor. Biggest fix for the Eagles, Dr. Danny diagnoses the problems with the entire NFCE. You think I could have been a doctor? I'm afraid of blood. So, probably not. But we begin with my beloved NBA and a sports guilty pleasure of mine, which is NBA All-Star Weekend. And you

cannot tell by the final score of the final game, 4721, Stars over Stripes, by the way. That was a very highly competitive by All-Star game standards, festivity last night. The guys pretty much universally spoke to both the intensity and the format contributing to the better product. Take a listen. I ain't going to lie, Wimby set the tone. He came out playing hard, so it's hard not to mess that. So, that's what happened. It's a game we love, you know.

It's a game I personally cherish. So being competitive is the least I can do. It's for you guys to enjoy and, you know, for us to come out and compete and have fun, too. So, you know, if the format is making us play well, then we can. could keep going. I like this format. I think it makes us compete because it's only 12 minutes. And the three different teams, you separate the guys.

And I think it was really good. All right, Willie, the guys seem to like it. The product, three of the four games anyway, was highly competitive. Did you like the new format? Did it fix this thing? I did like it. I thought the game finally looked like a legit competition, not an open run out of LA fitness, right?

It felt like we were watching the best of the best, come out and play hard. And you know, the thing about it, too, D.P. And I'm going to take a breath. It wasn't just the format. It was the fact that these guys took pride in the game. That's what I thought. You know what I mean?

Like, it's different to sit here and say, yeah, the 12 minutes, the three teams, the young versus the world, the elders versus the world. Like, it's good to acknowledge all that. But it took a young Frenchman in Wimby to say, you know what, we can pay a lot of money to play this game. We can pay a lot of money to live an elite lifestyle. At least what we can do show up for 12 minutes and put on a show. And I'm glad it took Anthony Edwards, who I think is the face of the league, to show up and say,

you know what, I'll match you one because that is the point. I think me and you talked about it. When we were kids, we ran to the TV to see All-Star Weekend, right? We knew what the game meant the level of intensity, the best versus the best, and we got a show. And we walked away. We went to bed that night with smiles on our face. For years, we haven't had that smile. Now we, I think for NBA fans to die hard as to casuals to say, you know what, we got something here.

And I hope they don't change the format, by the way. I like the format. I think it allows all the guys who are lightly invested to highly invested, be able to show up and play. But overall, overall, I thought it was a win for the NBA, and I'm glad it finally happened. I'm just sad that it took Wimby to set the tone. I would love to see Kawhi or Ant Man step up and say, hey, you know what? It's time for us to show up and deliver. Yeah, listen, I think that the criticism was deserved because the last couple of years were embarrassing.

And it does not need to be game seven of the NBA finals level of intensity. It does not even need to be regular season level of intensity. I'm fine with, you know, Shaq shooting a three-pointer or going through between the legs. It's an exhibition. That type of thing is fine and that is baked into the history of the NBA All-Star game. It is a showcase. But it used to be, but then in the fourth quarter, a real game would break out. It would be a real game would break out, right?

And they had gotten away from that. And I think that the format and the short spurts contributed to it, but I think and Anthony Edwards spoke to it. And you just referenced it too. Yes. Victor Wenbanyama is a worthy face of the league. He basically called out all of his peers in the lead up to this game and was like, I'm going to try.

And if you guys don't try, I'm a bully all of you. And it's going to. Everybody going to get it. And it's going to be noticeable. Yeah. Because if the 7-7 dude is trying and everybody. Everyone else is trying to throw alley-oops or do behind the back, you know, junk passes and not run back. He's already a top five player in the sport.

And he's a one-of-one physical talent in the sport. He was going to embarrass those guys. So I, like, the 12-minute spurts thing and the Team USA versus the world, that novelty, I'm sure that contributed to it a bit. Well, it matters. Don't you think? Because listen, if you don't go out and play and a European player comes out and embarrasses you on American soil. Sure. That, to me, stings worse than not showing up.

But that's a like a patriotism that's like, I think it's a knock. No, and listen, and I do think that it fit. It was the first time the All-Star game was back on NBC, and it was during the day and not in prime time. Well, that's because of Olympics. Well, that's what I'm saying, though. And it's leading into the Olympics. So I think the team USA versus the world thing, like, also just kind of fit with the promos for the Olympics and everything that was going on. But I honestly think that if it was an old school East West game and Wenbanyama would have done the same thing, he would have

if he would have called everybody out ahead of time and played really hard, I think the game would have been an appropriate level of competitiveness, because to me, the salt here is not format. It is simply effort. With all of it, like, if in the dunk contest, the guys were like, wait a minute, Michael Jordan did it, Vince Carter did it, Kobe Bryant did it. It's okay if we miss a dunk or fall or whatever. But like, it's a, because for like for the good of the game, like to participate,

to show a little effort, to grow the game. Like, I do think that that would help the All-Star game. And we saw it yesterday, man. Victor Wembaugh called out his peers, and they played hard. And it was a good product. Just to bump it up a notch, I also thought it was important because KD before the game came out and called out and said, hey, man, I watched previous All-Star games,

starting back, going back to the 60s. Which I loved. There was no level of intensities. Guys just showed up. And then we're like, I don't know about that. Because me and you were saying here, like, as a kid, we recognized that. And then when you see this game, you're saying that, KD, I think you're wrong here.

When you show up and compete and you do it on a world stage, it makes a better product. So you should want to show up, not just for the format, for the pride. And because you get paid a damn boatload of money to be him when the lights are on. Well, and I'm glad you brought it up from KD because Katie is a Hooper and he is a student of the game. And I believe him that he went back and watched All-Star Games. I don't. Okay, fair enough. Who's going back and watched 1960 NBA All-Star games?

Well, I don't know about 1960, but I bet I bet you he watched clips and whether he did or not, what he said, because he did say that pregame or in the Saturday press conference, but after the game, he did say that he thought the intensity was up. You know what I mean? And so like, so whatever the reason was, like, KD's participated in a lot of All-Star games. He knows that this one was different than last year. And by the way, again, I was there. We're not that far removed.

The 2020 All-Star game was great. It was in Chicago. It was right after Kobe Bryant had passed away. They immediately named the All-Star Game MVP trophy after Kobe Bryant. They did the Elam ending where they had the target score. It was great. It was competitive. It came right down to the end.

It ended on a free throw, which was a little bit of a bummer. But it really was a great All-Star. So we're not that far removed from the product being. what it should be. It just became a jump shooting contest for the last couple of years. And by the way, Joker, Yokic was not playing hard. Like, he looked like he could have fitted.

He's also been injured. He's protecting his knee. Luke has been out dealing with injuries. So I understand those two. It's not, it doesn't have to, again, it doesn't have to be game seven. But even Kevin Durant, after the game, acknowledged that the intensity had stepped up a little.

Yeah, when you go on a six-year drought of quality All-Star game, like, yeah. I mean, there's some concern there. I mean, at the end of the day, you're also looking, and it's interesting because I thought KD and PASS was like, well, you know, you yell at us for playing hard, not playing hard, but look at Luca, look at like a joke, and why aren't you calling those guys out? Yeah. And I'm like, because this is an American game, right? You represent America. You're an American story.

You are the face of the league. You know what makes you the face of the league? When you go to Houston and people come out to watch you play or when you land in Denver, people come out and watch you play. When you have, when you warrant that type of intention, yeah, people want to see a different level of brand of basketball. and what they've seen out of regular people. Yeah, well, listen, they're certainly not regular people. They're amazing. No, no, no, no, I understand.

No, they're the 1% of the 1% in terms of athletes. It's not pejorative. It is the fact. And it is an entertainment product. And we've got a lot of options for, I mean, that, it was bumped out of prime time because they were like, you know, it's the Olympics. But that, that event yesterday was actually worthy of prime time. And if they gave us that level of intensity for All-Star weekends going forward,

I would be a satisfied customer. It's just tough to have a conversation about effort. That's what we're talking about right now. I understand. We're talking about effort. Yeah, right. I agree. Just care.

Just care a little bit for some of the time. And you're so talented. For 12 minutes, we're congratulating effort. It's a low bar. But they cleared it. To the issue that I thought was the dominant story of the week leading into All-Star weekend. And frankly, if you watched Adam Silver's press conference, All-Star weekend itself.

Because the commissioner, first question at the press conference was about tanking, many follow-up questions were about tanking, and Adam Silver did not seem too happy about the state of tanking in the NBA, given that these questions were happening before Valentine's Day. Take a listen to the commissioner. I think what we're seeing is modern analytics where it's so clear that the incentives are misaligned. I think when you maybe further answer your question, are we seeing? behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory, yes, is my view, and which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines, but to my statement

that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of team's behavior. All right, so, Willie, I'm going to take this one, and I want you to react, because the question is going to be about fixing tanking in the NBA. I loved Adam Silver's tone. I thought he was clearly upset. I hated the fine because I don't, I don't, fines me nothing.

Fine. These teams have unlimited money. They print unlimited money. Can I do something deep here. No, I, I know. I know. You're saying it be harsher. Way harsher.

You have to, you have to say, okay, you cannot pick it. If you pick in the top four of this year's draft, you cannot pick in the top four of next year's draft. Major League Baseball has that sort of thing already in place. The White Sox, years ago had the worst record. They couldn't pick until like I think of the 10th or 11th pick in the draft. So you put in protections like that. You can limit pick protections on trades.

Like if the jazz have fall outside of the top eight, their pick goes to Oklahoma City. So that incentivizes them to be worse. You can get rid of those in trades. And then you can start really talking about we're going to take away your draft pick. Or we are going to say there is no draft. or every team that misses the player, every team in the top 10 has the same odds to get the best player. Like you have to, and Adam Silver said,

everything is on the table. And I think it's an integrity of the game issue because these teams, it is smart for them to tank as the rules are currently constituted and as are the penalties that are currently constituted. Because say the Jazz got fined $4 million, $5 million.

If they get Darren Peterson, And Darren Peterson turns out to be Kobe Bryant, it was worth it. So you have to actually disincentivize the tank, whether through rules changes or draft overhaul. Whichever one you want, I'm fine with either. But I finally thought that Adam Silver in that press conference, his tone met the severity of the issue facing the game. I do think it is an integrity of the game issue that we're talking about. Let me ask you this. If you punish too hard, do you trap bad teams into mediocrity?

It's a great question. Because, like, if you eliminated the draft and you said it's a rookie, it's a rookie pool, and you could slot money. You're punished an underclass at that way. Well, right. Like, would a player ever choose Utah? Right. That's the question. And people say, well, what about in the NFL?

It's like, it's different in the NFL because you could only have one quarterback. So, like, if Green Bay needs a quarterback and the contracts aren't guaranteed, you'd go play in Green Bay because they could give you a chance to play quarterback. So would a player ever choose Utah in that scenario? Maybe not. So maybe that's what ultimately stops it. But if you, you cannot have a world. But you can't get rid of tanking, though. Like tanking is never going to stop.

Like I think you can, like incentives matter. I think that's what you're trying to live. Like you got to punish hard. You cannot have a world where the Utah Jazz trade for Jaron Jackson Jr. He is healthy. He's playing with Lowry Marketing it. And you have two all-star caliber players. And then they are.

are sitting them in the fourth quarter of games in the regular season with three months to play. It's just an embarrassment. But his issue was different. Like he was he was due knee surgery, right? They played him. And then they were like, hey, man, we got to preserve you a little bit because we got to get you ready for surgery. Then why are they sitting while in the plan in place for him? But then why are they sitting Lowry Market in the fourth quarter?

They're trying to lose. They are unapologetically trying to lose with. And again, as the rules currently are constituted, it is smart. Because if you add Darren Peterson or Boozer or DeBansta to that core, Utah is all of a sudden scary. And if they fall outside of the top eight, they lose their first round pick entirely. So I don't blame the players, the coaches, or the GMs. This is squarely a league issue.

Commissioner's jobs are to protect the sport, right? The team. The integrity. That's what you're talking about. Well, yeah. Listen, this is a baseball analogy, but you're a baseball fan. you'll follow it. I used to work in Chicago. I would cover Theo Epstein and the Cubs. I had a good relationship with him. He came on my radio show all the time. And then when he left and he became

a consultant with Major League Baseball, did an interview on the show. And I was like, how do you square that when you were running the Cubs, your job was like, hit more home runs, take more walks, strikeouts aren't bad, all that sort of. And then you go to Major League Baseball and you're like, that made the game boring. And then he was like, pitch clock, you know, three batter minimum, bigger bases for more steals. And he was like, because when I was with the Cubs, my job was to exploit the rules. When I worked for the loophole. Exactly.

When I worked for Major League Baseball, my job is to close those loopholes to make the game better. So Adam Silver needs to fix it. He needs to make it so that the jazz cannot sit these players. Well, I think the one punishment we've, I think we've come to understand is I think draft picks matter, because that's ultimately what you're fighting for. Yeah. Like I think about the Wizards right now. You got Trey Young, you got Anthony Davis.

Both of those guys are sitting next year, right? Valley, they're dealing with some injuries. If those injuries are real and they sit the entire, if they sit the entire year, it is an embarrassment. But that's my point. I know. So if you're looking at Anthony Davis, he has a finger. You know, Trey's dealing with, of course. Trey's serious.

No, no, no, no doubt. But the Wizards have said that they expect both of those guys to play the rest of the year. My NBA cynicism on that issue is It's not happening. They won't. Was this a 15th in the East Conference right now? They're not playing. And again, for the team tanking is smart, for the league tanking is a disaster.

And that press conference gave me a little bit of optimism that Adam Silver is ready to get his David Stern on. It only means nothing. Action means everything. No, I know. But get his David Stern on and start actually enforcing some of this stuff. The rules are already there on the books. All right, let's get to the NFL. A big news today. Not unexpected, but still, he's going to be a Hall of Famer.

Tyree Kill is available. He's released. They also got rid of Bradley Chubbs. So the Dolphins entering on full on rebuild mode right now. But everyone is going to be connecting the dots, Willie, of Tyree Kill returning to Kansas City. He has multiple times on social media. You know, I need to go home. People are, does that mean Atlanta?

Does that mean Kansas City? People thought it meant Kansas City. But that was, you know, back in November. Then when the chiefs hired Eric B. The Enemy, he tweeted out E.B. to the Chiefs. Ooh. So Tyree Kill has been keeping very close. tabs on the place where he won a Super Bowl and really cemented his Hall of Fame candidacy.

Do you see a Hill Mahomes reunion in Kansas City happening? I don't. I think from a cap standpoint, I don't think they can afford it. Nevertheless, you're talking about 32 year of receiver who's coming off a knee injury, a catastrophic one at that. Right. It's not, we shouldn't loop it in with Mahomes' right? Because it's right, it's not. Mahomes is a straight ACL.

This is a dislocated knee plus multiple ligaments. Pain it however you want, his superpower is speed. Right. And so the reason you will want him back is because you think he still has a speed and the ability to threaten defenses on their back. And nevertheless, man, as you continue to look at Tyreek Hill rejoining the Chiefs, their issue valid may be deficient at the Receiverment Court because you're losing Marquis Brown, Schuster that may not be there. But the run game is being a big issue for the Chiefs. When the Chiefs were great, the light show is when they had a run game and they can pound the rock between the 20s and they execute at the Red Zone and in the Red Zone. They struggled last year in both departments. So valid, you may want Tyreek Hill, but you're also looking at a guy right now,

and you can correct me, how did he leave that locker room with Miami? Wasn't on the good terms, right? Like, he, there was, so you talk about. Andy Reid does not care about that. But you should, right? Okay, but I mean, Andy Reid has decades of, you know, he will bring in a guy who might be a bit of a distraction, who might say the wrong thing, who might do the wrong thing.

But as somebody who covered the chiefs, I know. the last thing you need. A guy who... I don't know. Listen, I expect it to happen. You might...

Why? Because I don't think he's going to be that expensive. Personally, I don't. There's going to be, it'll be very interesting to see. Because there are legitimate questions, to your point, on how does, how has Tyree Kill, who is going to be 32? Yeah. Coming off of this devastating knee injury, like, is he going to be able to play?

And is he going to be able to play at a high level? So he is not going to get, in my opinion, a massive multi-year guaranteed contract that is like, that is a marriage. You know NFL contracts. These are- Yeah, they can break it down a million ways. And these are one-way. These are often one-way deals unless you are a true superstar. So like if Tyree Kill is signing an incentive-lated contract where you get paid if you produce. Sure.

My gut tells me that he would think Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, I can produce. So if I'm the Chiefs, and that's the type of contract, I do it. But I am not at all interested in Tyree Kill being the savior for my offense. Tyree Kill needs to be one of multiple things. Tyree Kill is not going to Chiefs to be receiver number two. Like, is this not happening. I understand. The bottom line is where we're saying the same thing.

The knee is the issue. And will we get the same cheated that once wore the red and white? What I'm sitting here saying, if you're the Chief's going into the offseason, I got to look at this as, hey, how can I get Travis Kelsey back in the building? can I keep him dear? Two, what's going to happen to the defense that's going to need some restructuring? They need pass rush. Yeah.

Would be their receiving court. Outside of that, I don't see him as a number one need for the chiefs moving into the offseason. Yeah, so I get, we're, I don't think we're as far apart of this as it sounds. Like, I think that Tyree Kill, all of those things could, like, if they use the ninth pick on a pass rusher and they sign an offensive lineman, you know, when they restructure Tray Smith's deal and Chris Jones's deal and Patrick Mahomes deal. And then they signed Tyree Kill to an incentive-lated one or two-year contract. Like, they're not looking at him as being the savior. And I don't think he will be a number one. Like, Rishi Rice will be expected, would be expected to be the number one.

And Tyree Kill would be expected to be the number two. But Tyree Kill, if, like, it's basically a, it's a high upside, low-risk, high-reward play. Because if Tyree Kill does come back from the injury, he's a very special player. You just don't seem to think that there's any chance that he comes back. I think we haven't seen him and Patrick Mahomes on the same field. That connection to chemistry matters. And I think you're talking about a quarterback coming off a knee injury and himself who's going to take time. And we don't know what's his plan of return.

We don't know when he's coming back. He's shooting for week one. We plan for week one. But things happen. So nevertheless, you're talking about two guys who we don't know if he lands in Kansas City, when they will actually be on the field together. So I think a lot matters when you bring him into the building. And if, listen, for me, I like to hire my, I like to buy my car.

with no with no lemons I don't want the lemon right I want a guy who's ready to go fresh off the line fresh off the that's nice I bought a lot of used cars a lot of lemons in my day but again Tyree kill one-year deal incentives and I'm a sucker for getting the band back together you are I love the blues brothers is a great movie you kiss we're getting the band back together you kiss family photos yeah okay I told you that in confidence it's time now for a little edition of Dr. Danny I I didn't even have to go to any extra schooling to get my MD where I put on my stethoscope to show my medical expertise and provide a cure for the ailments of every NFL team heading into the season. By the end of this week, we will go through every division, Willie Cologne, but we begin in the NFC East.

All right, and like a good doctor, I got all my patients charts right here, and I got my stethoscope. So we begin with the New York Giants. They got some issues. Man, I don't even know me. locked in here. Well, the first thing I would say, see, stethoscope, chart, you get it. They have a misallocation of resources, is what I would say. So my diagnosis would be take some of the issues and your resources from the defensive

side of the ball and move them to the offensive side of the ball. Because you have to figure out whether or not that man in the graphic right there, Jackson Dart, is the guy. And so if you just show what they have in terms of money spent on defense versus money spent on offense, most money on the defensive side of the ball. ball versus 29th in the end of. If you are trying to develop Jackson Dart, that doesn't make any sense. So I would use your top five pick on offense.

I would maybe trade Tibido because you've got Burns and you've got Lawrence and you've got Abdul Carter, but you've got a lot of front seven talent. Free up some of that money, reallocate your resources to the offensive side of the ball, right side of the offensive line, a second weapon, whatever you can do, but you need to spend more money on offense so you can see if Jackson, is the guy going forward. Yeah, I agree with you. I think it's the right side of that office line.

You talk about that right tackle and Greg Van Barton. Both guys are going to be free agents. If you really think Jackson Dart is him, you're going to have to protect them. You got to find some guys in a draft, some big uglies up front that can keep them upright so you can develop well. Well, and they're not going to, like, what you don't want to do, the worst case scenario is you come out of this year and you feel like you don't have an answer on Jackson Dart, but it's not because of Jackson Dart. Because they don't have pieces around. It's like, oh, man, he got sacked 40. He got another concussion.

He missed six games. Like, if you, if you come out of this year and Jackson Darts the man, massive success. If you come out of this year and Jackson DART is not the man, not great, but at least you have an answer. The worst thing would be uncertainty. But I also think some of this is on Jackson DART. He's going to have to realize, you know, running out of bounds helps, right? Like taking the necessary shots, maturing at the position is going to keep his longevity,

promote his longevity in the NFL. So I like him. For me, Office in line one, receiving two. That was in my chart. Okay. A lot of hits to the head. A lot. I'm Jackson Dart.

All right. Our next patient here for Dr. Danny is the Washington Commanders. To me, this one is interesting. Tradeback. Mm. You got a lot of issues. Like, this is a laundry list of issues that I'm looking. You've got a lot going on.

Yeah. This is a problem. And I can't solve all of the issues with one knee surgery or with one Band-Aid. But you've got a couple of picks in the first four rounds. If we could show people here what I have the work with. Like, that's not penicillin and a Band-Aid. You need more. You need more.

So you have given up your second and your fourth-round pick in the Laramie Tunsell trade. So to me, you've got to trade back from number seven and get more assets. Because look at all of the issues. I mean, points per game, 27. Second, middle of the pack in sacks, bottom third in yards, dead last an opponent yard per game. Because, I mean, the defensive line hasn't really recovered from losing sweat and the multiple and Chase Young and the pass rush is there. Their back seven was a problem.

Obviously the Jaden Daniels injury, you hope he comes back. But just they had so many problems. They don't have enough draft picks to solve all of the problem. So I think you've got to trade back from number seven. Yeah, they've tried to survive without elite pass rush. Pass rush on the edge. They have no edge rushes. It's been a bugaboo for them for so long.

think right now if you go into this draft you got to find somebody or at least a couple of edge rushers that you can grow and hopefully they can get home because right now as much as you want to protect jaden daniels and much as you want to get you know figure out what you can do offensively they don't have a defense right and this is a division that prized themselves on defense so and a head and a head coach that's why dq was there well so and also like so every mock draft is going to have bay and the kid from miami if he's there going to go going to Washington and and i'm not saying it's not a great fit and if you think he's von miller fine going ahead and take him because he if he solves all of your pass rush and one pick.

But when you just when you look at that team and it's like, okay, you've got jaded Daniels on a rookie deal. You need to you need players. Like you you have you have a lot more whole. I don't they're not one player away from being consistently great even though they are one year removed from being in the NFC championship game. So to me it's like you want to have more dark more darts to throw at the dart board. And let's be honest they've lost some people on their coach and staff that play big roles right like they've had to bump out, bump up some assistance. There's been some, you know, there's been some turnover behind the curtain.

So that's going to be another issue for, because I mean, Kingsbury, people forget about he was everything for Daniel. So if he's not back or whatever he land, wherever he lands, man, you worry about his development on top of his injuries on top of that. Are you buying me as a doctor? So far. Okay. Again, I have a step.

I mean, you don't, there's no warm, you don't, you don't ease into it. No, I don't have a lot of bedside manner. There's nothing like, hey, you have, your hair looks great. I've been told I have a tone issue. That was mostly, that was by my wife. But, you know, and the comments. Well, she matters. Yeah, yeah, she does.

All right. Next patient to enter Dr. Danny's offense, office, more of an office than an offense, is the Dallas Cowboys. And this one is pretty straightforward. You have to hit on defense in the draft. Like, you, your offense should be excellent. If you're going to give George Pickens and CD, like, if Pickens is going to take the franchise tag and you paid CD Lamb that money,

and you paid Dak Prescott that money, you've got an offensive head coach, like there, and you drafted all your Tyler's on the offensive line. Like, you-rafted all your time. They had, you're having tires on the offense one. You have invested on offense. You now have an extra first-round pick from, right? You have the 12th pick and the 20th pick in the draft.

Quite simply, your defense was the reason you lost games. If we put up what the numbers are, as I'm looking at it here on the chart, in the nine losses, it was like, no offense can overcome giving up a 20. a three touchdown interception ratio. We can get to Jalen Hertz here in a minute. Just the Cowboys defense part for now. Like you need to hit if you draft the 12th pick and the 20th pick.

I know Cowboys fans want Caleb Downs. My guess is he's not going to be there outside of the top 10, but we'll see. But if you just do what the Rams did a couple of years ago with Fiskinverse. And you hit on two rookies in the top 20 on the defensive side of the ball. That can change your defensive identity in one draft.

So I think you just go defense and you hit in the draft. I agree you go defense, but please don't laugh. If I, if I'm the Cowboys, you sell your soul, you go get Miles Garrett. You figure out how you can trade for Miles Garrett. Like you have to, would you give up, you'd give up the 12th and 20th? I will give up the 12th to 20th Jerry's Jet at all expense paid to Cabo. I would throw in instant access around my home.

Whatever I got to do get Miles Garrett in the building, I'm going to get Miles Garrett. You put him on this defensive line. on this team, that Cowboys are legit a playoff team. All right, so I got to pick up the chart again. Where does it say in the handbook or in the medical journals

trade 25-year-old Miles Garrett equivalent of Micah Parsons in order to give up all of that draft capital to get 31? How many sacks did Miles Garrett get last year? He had the record. He was the most ever. Has he not been the most dominant

defensive player in this generation? He has been. Right. But you had the second or third most dominant and you traded him away. And things happen, right? Okay. Sometimes house fires aren't always your fault. That would be very cowboy to trade away Michael Parsons and then give up even more to get older Miles Garrett.

Not older Miles Garrett, the number one edge rusher in the game. There's a difference. Both are true. Right. He is the number one edge rusher in the game and he is older than Michael Parsons. Both of those things are true. But who's coming off an injury? Yeah, Mike is.

Right. So who's healthy? Miles Garrett. Right. Who can elevate your defensive line? Do you want a set? You want the scathoscope? You might as well hand it over now.

Okay. Let's get to the team that was in first place in the NFC East, but we talked about them like they were the worst team in the NFL. If I am a eagle, doctor diagnosing the problems with the Eagles, I am figuring out what I can do to get Super Bowl Jalen Hertz to show up with any degree of consistency in the regular season. Sean Mannion might have the toughest job in the NFL because he's the Jalen Hurts is like 10th play caller in 10 years and he's their new offensive coordinator.

And when you are the offensive coordinator of the Eagles, you either get fired like Kevin Petulow or you get head coaching jobs like Shane Steichen, like or Doug Peterson, right? Like it goes both directions. Like you either get fired or you get a head coaching job because there is so much talent there. And if we look at what Jalen Hertz has done, these numbers are almost unbelievable. It's like when you take cholesterol levels and you're like, what? Like, on intermediate passes, when you have AJ Brown, Devante Smith, and Dallas Goddard, you completed 55% of your passes in the middle of the field with two interceptions against

three touchdowns. The only quarterbacks with fewer passing touchdowns in that range. Kirk Cousins, Michael Pennix, Spencer Rattler, and Cam Ward. It's a hard list. $240 million Super Bowl MVP with a top five wide receiver duo in the game. Like, your numbers don't make any sense. So you have to figure out how you get playoff Jalen Hertz to show up in the regular season. Yeah, when you have a problem with the body, good plays with starters, check the heart, right?

The heart of that team is their offensive line. Lane Johnson is a 36-year-old aging right tackle. You know, you talk about Juergens coming off multiple surgeries. What hurt this team this year wasn't the lack of talent. It was something that offensive line was battered and bruised. And that guy wasn't making throws. Yeah, but the reason why we look at Jalen Hurts, we can question his ability now is because He never felt comfortable in the pocket, right?

There was never times where he could sit back there and dissect a defense. There was oftentimes you saw him really either step up, scramble, or people who were defenses were speeding up his progression. They didn't have a run game to kind of settle him in. We looked at all these, look at all the playoff teams that went to distance. Seattle, what was the number one stabilizer, a run game, right? You talk about Chicago. What was their stabilizer?

A run game. You know what helps a run game? An office line that can help you run the ball. The Eagles didn't have it. That was their bridge to the Super Bowl, a dominant office line. There's no question that is true. There's no question that is true.

Their offensive line was the best in football. Saquan Barclay was the best in football. But when you give Jalen Hertz that contract, and he is at this stage of his career, and he has played that well in multiple Super Bowls, man, the expectation is that he makes that throw. I don't. You've got, you got, that, those misses and that level of a lack of production

on the easy stuff, We talked about it all year. Yes, we did. I mean, it was a big topic. It was, but it was, it was there. But we didn't, but Jalen Hertz was at his best when he had the office line to protect him. There's no question. You saw his mechanics and everything start to unhinged where he didn't trust the guys

in front of him. That happens with any quarterback. So now you're talking about, yeah, I understand the price tag on his head, but he's still a ball player, right? Like when you don't trust the guys in front of you and you're getting extra noise from the outside and your alpha receiver, it makes life hard as an Eagles quarterback. So one way to quiet that noise, get some protection. You're welcome.

Solved off the problems of the NFC East by the end of the week. I'll diagnose everything. I can be a general manager for all 32 teams and a team doctor. Man, that is extra school. My premiums, though, very high. I'm very expensive. You're going to work with your tone. You scared some people.

My tone has been an issue. Welcome back to the OT. In his latest column, Bill Barnwell proposed a lot of trades, and he had one that really piqued my curiosity here. Basically, he said the bills could acquire a number one receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. from the Jacksonville Jaguars for Keon Coleman, who you remember was a main character in the end of season press conference for the bills. And the bills would have to throw in their first round pick, which this year sits at 26th overall. Willie, would you like this for Josh Allen and the bills and believe that Brian Thomas Jr. would get them over the hump, but they'd have to part ways with a first round pick in order to do it. No, I don't.

It feels impulsive. Like I'm not ready to give up on Keenan Coleman. He's a young guy, right? And some guys have to mature. And obviously, we don't know the whole story. We just realize he wasn't available when they need them most. So I get that. And I also understand the bills need to stop being two-dimensional

and grow to be three-dimensional with somebody who would blow the top off of the defense and take some of the pressure off Josh Allen's shoulders. But I think if you want to maximize the window of Josh Allen in his prime, you don't go get a B-receiver, right? You go get somebody who's a legit playmaker, a game record. Brian Thomas Jr., to my understand, it's not it, right? Like, I don't think he is. I think Keenan Coleman has the ability to be one one day.

And I think you just have to continue to allow him to grow. And so I don't agree with the trade. I understand the purpose and the context of it, but I think you stay faithful to Coleman. So the reason that this is being discussed is since Stefan Diggs left Buffalo, the bills have not gotten enough production from their wide receivers. Like this is just a parent across the dad. Last two years, their receivers, those are their NFL ranks on the side. They have not been good enough.

And Brian Thomas Jr., even with his down year last year, drastically outperformed any receiver in Buffalo. Brian Thomas Jr., to your point, his rookie year, yeah, he had some bibles, he had some drops, but he produced. I mean, he was 87 catches, nearly 1,300 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Last year in Liam Cohn's first year in Jacksonville, it was really weird because Trevor Lawrence had a great year. Travis E.T.N. had a great year.

The offense actually got a lot better when they added and acquired Jacoby Myers in the middle of the year. Parker Washington. It was like, why are all of these guys eating? But Brian Thomas Jr. had 48 catches for 700 yards and three touchdowns. So I thought it was a pretty creative. Like basically, Buffalo has to say if they think that rookie year Brian Thomas is the real Brian Thomas. And last year, for whatever reason, it wasn't a fit. with Liam Cohen, then I think this would be a steal for Buffalo because Brian Thomas Jr.

is still cheap, right? He's third year player. So, but you have to do an honest evaluation of which is the real Brian Thomas, his rookie year or his second year? Right. And we, as you just mentioned, the bills don't have a great track record at valuing receivers, right? Because you talk about Stefan Diggs, I thought when they let go of Gabe Davis, I thought that was a big blow to them as well. I thought they should have kept Gabe Davis. Nevertheless, man, your tape doesn't live. When he turned on the Jack's tape and you watch Brian Thomas, he's dropping a lot of balls. There's not a lot of clean catches. A lot of

bobbles. If you're looking at Josh Allen or you're looking for it to add to this offense, you need somebody who's instant number one. Like, listen, I know this is hard to yell out there, but if you say you're going to get a Keenan Allen, like Keenan Alley has tape of him catching balls. He can't stay healthy. He's old. He's old. But like he's somebody. I'm saying,

okay, that makes sense to me because his tape gives me that type of feeling. He can still catch. He could be a producer, especially on third down. I'm just not a fan of it. I think you stay true to Coleman because you got to allow, let me say this, I didn't feel like I was a ball player to year four, right? In an office that I knew, guys that I had played with, I had matured and I understood my role. You got to allow him the same time. I don't think we kind of, we kind of bask in this world where like everything

has to be microwaverable, right? Put a man, let him cook, let's eat. It's not always like that. This kid played in Florida State. You ship him to Orchard Park Buffalo, right? You don't think that's a transition. So I think let's slow the role and see what we get. happens to the kid next year. Yeah, and listen, if you can, like, Alec Pierce, he'll fit on any team, but if you can just get Alex Pierce for free agent money, keep developing Keon Coleman,

then use that pick, the 26th pick on defense. That's another way to go about it as well. All right, want to talk here about A.J. Brown, from one receiver's story to another. Listen, man, Jason Kelsey. It's exhausting, D.P. Hey, well, you know what? That's why they pay you the big bucks.

Jason Kelsey went on WIP in Philly, and I thought he really distilled the AJ Brown situation pretty succinctly. Take a listen to the Eagles legend. It's incredibly frustrating, right? I think any player that's out there when you're seeing a teammate not, they go all out.

Like, that's all you want from your teammates. And that's all we want is fans. And it's a really hard thing to optically watch. I think part of it is that he's a great player and, you know, teammates want him there and know that he can be a dominating force for them. them. But, you know, those frustrations, he's just the unfortunate player who allows his internal frustrations to manifest into his play. And it makes him play worse. It makes the

offense worse. And it makes his energy worse. I feel like all of you guys would get frustrated, but do you allow the frustrations to carry over on the field? It was a good way to put it by Kelsey there. What would you do if you were Howie Roseman and you're running the Eagles with AJ Brown this off season. Well, first of all, I would only trade them if I got something monster in return, like a Max Crosby or Miles Garrett, how I mentioned before. I don't, you would never let go with that type of bully receiver, out for one receiver, unless you got something, you know, of that magnitude back. Nevertheless, man, this is who A. J. Brown is, right? He's never going to change.

It doesn't matter how many times you call him to the principal office. Doesn't matter how many times you call him out on social media. Remember he had that thing where the story was like, Big Dom pulled him aside at practice. He met with the owner. They promised no more social media. But this is who he is. And I don't blame him for being frustrated because we've been on this ride with him for the last two years with success. And now we've seen him not have success last year.

But he makes the, he's the edge for the Philadelphia Eagles on office. Right. Like he's when you wrap your identity around being bullies, he's the bully at that position. I like I love Smitty, but Smitty's not him, right? Like he's a big body receiver who can catch the ball in traffic. who's a threat to the secondary. Devante Smith is great, but he's not A.J. Brown. He's not A.J. Brown.

I think a lot of the woes aren't with him. It's his frustration that we look at Jalen Hertz and we've looked at this offense. And mind you, this is coming from multiple sources. The offense is stale, predictable, and stagnant. And he's watching it. And he's in the film room. And he's saying, hey, man, on third and down,

when there's a hot, I'm the guy you go to. I'm not getting the ball. Right. And so I'm not mad at his grapes. And I'm not mad at that he's vocal about it. What I would tell him is nobody cares. Nobody cares. Like, it is what it is.

Like, this is that in-house problem. If it's going to get fixed in-house, it's going to be by your maturity and your understanding that things don't always happen according to plan. So if I was running the Eagles, I would not trade AJ Brown. Of course not. Well, listen. But unless you got something.

See, because even if you have Max Crosby on Miles Garrett. Well, you need to unlock Jalen Hertz. And I don't think you unlock Jalen Hertz by trading somewhere between. the fourth and seventh best receiver in football. Like since 2022, AJ Brown in terms of his percentage of his team's passing offense. That is not, he's not second on the Eagles. That is second in the NFL.

That's in terms of how much of your passing off, like second highest percentage of targets, highest percentage of yards, highest percentage of receiving touchdowns. Now part of that is because they don't have a prolific passing offense. So the numbers are shrunken down. I understand that. But like, you get worse with him.

I think that sometimes because we in the media, we can react to a clip of him on a Twitch stream or a social media post, and we got to do these shows on Wednesdays when there's not as much content. I am not sure that it is as much of an issue and distraction in Philadelphia as it is outside of their locker room. Oh, this is by far a distraction.

I'm not saying it's not a distraction at all, but like how much does it matter? If he produces, How much does it really matter? Well, it's a distraction because he's not producing. And he's awesome, though, man. He's the face of your office, along with Jailant hurts. Yeah, well, I think he's going to be there next season.

Causing more issues and catching more touchdown. All right, Willie, let's end with a little social media drama. Hazard Brown, come on. It's shocking, I know. Internet sleuths have said that A.J. Brown over the weekend followed Jackson Dart and Malik neighbors on Instagram. We were talking earlier. The Giants need to upgrade offensive.

weapons around Jackson Dart. This something or nothing? Nothing. The SEC connection, Dart went to Ole Miss. A.J. went to Ole Miss. Can it just alumni, loving on alumni? Alumni, loving on alumni. That's quite a coincidence.

It would be something if like he started following the Niners. If he started the Niners, what's the difference? My point is like, why would I care if it's because, I mean, they know each other. Like this is not. Yeah, okay, but you think it's just out of nowhere. He's known them before this weekend. Yeah, I think

I hate Instagram watching. My antenna is up. We're back tomorrow on First things first.