The Bobby Bones Show - Lots to Say: Fmr Pro Bowl WR Randall Cobb

Episode Date: September 17, 2025

Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel are joined by Fmr Pro Bowl WR Randall Cobb in studio!  Randall talks about his career in Green Bay and making the transition to the Cowboys.  Randall talks about an experience with Owner Jerry Jones and why he changed teams.   Randall looks back at his path from high school to college and the NFL.  How did Randall's first TD come from a mistake?  We explore Randall start with the Packers and his special relationship with Aaron Rodgers.  Randall goes inside his move to the Jets and the moment Rodgers was injured.  Bobby asks about the Packers being so dominant over the Bears. Randall gives his thoughts on the outlook for the Packers and Jordan Love this season.   Randall recalls his 108yd kickoff return before explaining his latest project comparing training camp to special forces training.   Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel is part of the NFL Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Search 40s and free agents and listen now. Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and IHeart Podcasts. We got lots to say to serve to say. Yeah, we got lots to say. Now here's Bobby and Matt. All right, welcome to another episode of Lots to Say. We did two this week because we had pretty much an hour here

with Randall Cobb. who I think a Randall Cobb is like playing that slot in Green Bay, making all those catches across the middle, being quick when Rogers went to the Jets, he went with them. And also, Randall Cobb was always big for fantasy. Like there'd be just random weeks.

We'd have like 19, 20, 21 points. So super cool that Randall came over. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram, R Cobb 18. And we do talk about the special forces show on Fox. And I'm glad Matt asked about that. he's doing that and so for sure watch that show if it's something

that would interest you. But Randall Cobb, I've got a whole list here. Former NFL wide receiver. Aaron Rogers is the godfather of one of his sons and was at his wedding. So when we talk about Aaron Rogers, know that there's a relationship more than just quarterback wide receiver. He was the

64th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, which is the second round. Pro bowler. All-Rookie team in 2011. First team, All-American went in college. Two-time first team all SEC, 57 career touchdowns. At the time, he set the record for the longest kickoff return in the NFL with 108 yard return, which we do talk about it, scored five game-winning fourth quarter

touchdowns, went back to Kentucky to finish his degree in 2016 while in the NFL, and I could keep going. But Randall Cobb, super nice guy. We were so excited to have him. Here he is. Yes, sir. To the simulator. He pointed it out as soon as he sat down.

He said, I think we're sitting in a golf simulator. We've golfed before, too, huh? We've golfed before. You've seen my game. We've got some work to do. We've got a little bit of work to do. He gets some swings in after right in here. Good to see you, man.

Great to see you, too. Well, let's just start. How much do you keep up with the current landscape of football? I am teetering right now. My wife the other day, last Sunday, she was like, you haven't watched this much football ever since I've known you. And I think last year was a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a transition, you know, not playing.

But this year, I'm back on the couch enjoying it. Let me ask you this. Are you one of those guys that will watch a particular game? Are you a Red Zone guy? I've turned into a Red Zone guy. Both. So I have Red Zone on. And then, like, so the way that I got the set up, I got four screens.

I got the Red Zone on. I'll have two games going. And then maybe we'll see who the third game is down here. Yeah. For the first time this past week, I had a little over stimulus where I was like, I can't watch Red Zone. It was too much. My wife looked at me and goes,

I think this is football for people with ADD. I think so for the first time ever, because that's normally not what happens to me, but it was balancing so much. And my wife was watching a little with me too. She was like, how do you do this?

And I thought to myself, I don't know, I can't. And also it's like I got fantasy. I got, I'm gambling. It's like I got eight things happening aside from the eight games happening at once that a little bit,

I had to take a breath. It had to step away. I stepped away to the Cowboys game, which was then like, 80 to 80 in the fourth quarter, which was like its own Red Zone channel. Insane. That game bouncing so much. We put the Cowboys helmet up here because you had a little stint with the Cowboys.

There we go. So did Cass, Cass Man. A little stint. How long did you play the Cowboys? That was one year's stent. How long did you play the Cowboys? I was a year too. What was that experience like for you?

It was great. It was a lot of fun. You know, we went 8 and 8, which doesn't sound like that should be a lot of fun. But it was a great group of guys. That was Zeke right after he signed his big deal to come back to the Cowboys. I was there that whole year. That was Garrett's last year. He ended up getting fired at the end of the season.

And then they brought in Mike McCarthy, who was my coach, my entire career. And, you know, my wife, she still kicks me for not signing back with the Cowboys. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah. How was that transition, though, because you're with Green Bay for that whole, what, first nine? Eight years, eight years.

Eight years. And then you go to the Cowboys. What was it like just going? into that new environment, culture-wise, because you're used to one thing for so long. For sure. And then you make that transition, go to a new organization, see how things are run. Yeah, I think that, you know, you have this perception of what the Cowboys organization is from the outside. And then once you get in and you start to see, you start to pull back the layers, you start to see how they operate. And I loved it. I had a blast. You know, I felt like

I was part of the Jones family. You know, you see everyone running around a facility. Charlotte's has her own operation. Haley has her own operation. Shai was in the equipment room, who's one of the grandsons, was in the equipment room when I was there. So everyone has their peace, and it really makes you feel like you're a part of the family. Did you feel like the Cowboys, like that was a well-run, well-organized organization? Without a doubt. I mean, between Green Bay and then Dallas, you can see a lot of similarities. I would say the difference is ownership, obviously, right? Green Bay doesn't have an owner. They don't really spend the money.

They kind of hoard it all. And the cowboys everywhere you go, it's luxury. You know, we had, they were doing construction at the facility in Frisco the year I was there. So we had, like, valet service, like, when we're pulling up for practice. I was a year before that. We were at the ranch, and I was like, there's no valet. Crazy. And everybody's like, oh, it's like the Taj Mahal, right?

Yeah. And then they had, like, a member's only restaurant that, like, you would see businessmen out. watching practice, like having work meetings and enjoying lunch and having drinks and watching us practice. So it was a different experience than what I had in Green Bay, but it was a lot of fun. Now, you say it, you talked about Jerry, but did Jerry also come and talk to the team sometimes before? Oh, yeah. That was the thing that blew my mind. Yes.

Because you never see that, right? You come in after a game and the coach addresses the team, talks, says what ever he's going to say. Jerry was the first one to always talk. And it was, that blew my mind. It did. And then he would have the media in there, like to have his press conference before they started interviewing the players or the coaches. So that was definitely different. But it was cool. I really enjoyed that. And I have a pretty cool story with Jerry just right after they hired McCarthy. I went to the press conference. And as we're leaving, he puts his arm around me. Like, I didn't want you to get lonely down here. So, like, in my mind, I'm like, oh, yeah, you're ready to sign back with the Cowboys. Easy. No question. Then Houston come in later with the offer that I just couldn't refuse. Whenever your coach comes down to Dallas, because it wasn't like he left Green Bay to come to Dallas, right? Yeah, he got fired.

He was gone. It was out for a bit. He was in the basement watching film, is what they would say. Yeah. And then he came out. Was he the reason that you came here? Was his knowledge of you? Is that what helped get you to Dallas?

No, so I went to Dallas the year before. So I was on three separate teams in three years in a row, and all three coaches got fired. So I think we have a common denominator there. But 2018, McCarthy got fired. 2019, I go to Dallas. Garrett gets fired right after that season, 2020, the COVID year.

They're hiring McCarthy. And I end up going to Houston. So you didn't play with him. You were there before he came in. But it was crazy because after they hired him, I think the assumption was, like, I'm signing back for sure. So, like, all the coaches that were on staff currently were like,

Hey, like trying to tell me to put a word in for, you know, that next season. So you grew up in East Tennessee. You were a three sport athlete growing up. When did you know that football was going to be your path that you were going to take moving forward? I probably, I was a late bloomer. I'm young from my class. I started school of five. I graduated high school of 17.

I probably should have been held back a year. Probably would have opened up some more opportunities for me. But I play quarterback in high school, undersized. at a two-way school. You know, we had 500 kids in our school. But we had a dominant football program. All four of my years, we won a state championship, 55 and 5. Wow.

I didn't play into my junior year. Like, we had some guys in our team. Some dudes. Number one, tight-in, defensive end in the nation, ended up going to Florida State, or running back to sign with Tennessee but had to go to Juco, defense end, quarterback. This is all the same school. All the same?

Privatts. No, this is a. No way. This is a. This is a public school. I was going to say, are you a boarding school? No, we just had some guys. I mean, it's a really small community, but just like athletes galore.

So for me, I didn't play, like, I didn't start until my junior year. So, like, I'm always, like, looking up to these guys. I would go to camps. I remember going to Clemson camp. And the quarterback coach there told me that, you know, my best bet was go D3. So in my mind, I'm like, you know, if I can go to a Vandy or a Wake Forest, and, like, get into one of these really high-level institutions. Like, I can go and get a great job after my career is over, right?

That's where my mindset was. And, you know, I went to Vandy. They didn't offer me. I went to Wake Forest. They didn't offer me. I'm out there playing DB, receiver, quarterback, like anything, like anything, at looking for a scholarship. And finally, I get my first one before my senior year from Middle Tennessee State

and then Kentucky offer not, not, too long after that. And then Tennessee came in like late into my senior year. Is that where like Middle Tennessee opens up a door for other coaches to look at you? Does that happen at all? Where a scholarship's offered and you're like, I got this and the other coaches may be like, hmm, all right, if they're offering you, maybe I should investigate why they're offering you? Do that happen at all? I think so. I think you would say so, especially when you start getting into some of them top tier schools. I would assume that USC, if they see that somebody is offered by Notre Dame, they're going to check out this kid, right? They're going to

see what he's all about. I would assume that that happens in sports. Why did you go to Kentucky? The coaching staff. I was there. Rich Brooks was the head coach when I was being recruited. Randy Sanders was the quarterback coach, a guy that coached in Tennessee for a long time that I had a lot of respect for.

Joker Phillips was an offense coordinator. And I just felt really comfortable. We had grown in a relationship. I could trust what they were telling me. They told me that they would give me an opportunity. to play quarterback, but like, they're not guaranteeing that anything happens from that. And that's all I wanted was a chance. So you wanted to go to college and play quarterback.

I did. That was your primary thing. And you actually ended up playing quarterback your freshman year at Kentucky. Talk about that experience. And then when did the transformation start to where you moved to wide receiver? Well, yeah, I came in. So going into my freshman year during training camp, you know, that was two days back in that day, right? So we would have one practice, half the team would practice the first practice.

And then there was like a 30-minute special teams gap. And then the second group would practice, the second half of practice for the first few days of camp. So what they were having me do was I would play quarterback in one practice. Oh, no. You had to double time. I had to practice both practices for the first few days. And then, you know, that led to me having an opportunity. I started as a receiver in the first game,

and I think it was about a second or third game. We started rotating me, Mike Hartline, who was our other quarterback in, back and forth. And then I think I ended up starting like three or four games that quarterback that season. I mean, I think I threw two touchdowns and five interceptions. Hey, statbook. Hey, but I got it in.

I got it in. But we had a game against Georgia. where Stafford, A.J. Green, those guys were on the other side, and it went back and forth. And I remember we had a drive where I let us down the field and then threw a pick, like, on a 15-yard line, opportunity to score. And I was like, man, like, after that game, like, obviously hurt and pain that we lost. But I think it was like the realization of like, oh, maybe I can really do something here. The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday.

Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents.

The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the Combine, the NFL draft, Pro Days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits,

to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team.

Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So when was the transition to where you fully were focused on playing wide receiver? It never really was a full-time thing for me. My junior, my sophomore year, I moved to receiver, but I was still meet with the quarterbacks. My junior year, I think I was meeting with the receivers at that point, but we're still doing a lot of wildcat quarterback stuff.

Like that was a huge part of our offense. So I was pretty raw when I came into the league as far as receiver play. I just hadn't played as much. So you get drafted in the second round, though. So they saw the potential they knew. But talk to me about when you came into that meeting room. They just came off the Super Bowl, right? You got Donald Driver, you've got Jordy Nelson,

you got Greg Jennings, who was a teammate of mine. I mean, you had some dudes. You had Jones in there. Yes. What was that like coming into that room in that environment with so many established guys? It was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I not only walked into a room with great,

players, but great men. All of them married, all of them kids. I'm like, I have nothing in common with these guys, like, besides the football part, right? Like, I'm a 20-year-old kid that's, like, living life. Like, go to Green Bay. Not a whole lot to do up there, you know, outside of football. So got to focus in on the game. But I got to watch them every single day, whether it be practice, the way they operated in the film room. Donald was in year 13, I believe, at that point. Like, I got to see his process of, like, what he did to keep his body fresh and ready to go. Obviously, Aaron's spinning it in a quarterback. So I was very fortunate to be able to play with a group like that.

And I wasn't forced to go out and be expected to play 50 plays offensively. And, you know, like I said, I was pretty raw. Like, my whole role was as a special teamer was punt return and kick return. and like I would come in occasionally on offense, but like my first touchdown, I ran the wrong route. What happened there? Tell me that story.

He gave us a signal and like it was, it was a three by one. And like he gave like I thought he was looking at me like telling me, hey, I need you to run this slant right here. No, he was telling us like slant flat. Right? Oh, no way. So I met the number two.

And instead of running the flat route, I run a slant. He sees me pop open. He hits me across the middle. And I go, score. I had no clue until I got back to the sideline that I ran the wrong route. Oh, what did he say? Yeah, what did he say? But he didn't even tell me. He congratulated me on the touchdown. And then finally like, you know, after the celebration, we were sitting over there,

they were like, hey, you know you ran the wrong route, right? I was like, no, he gave me a slid. He was like, no, like, you got a flat. That is so good. Yes. So I went up to Eugene, Oregon, and we had spent some time with landing in those guys. And they were like, The thing about Eugene is it's great, but there's nothing to do. Like there's some stuff to do, but there's nothing to do. So a lot of those guys stay out of trouble because there's not like a big city to go to where there are a lot of options, a lot of resources for trouble. Is Green Bay like that? It is.

It is. Like, I mean, when you talk about football, that is the haven. That's the place you want to be. The stadium is the biggest building in the entire city, right? Like, if you're standing on top of the stadium, there's no skyscrapers that's higher than that point. The place shuts down on Sundays. After games, like, you're ordering Papa Johns or longhorns to the house. There's not a whole lot going outside of that.

And I think as a young player, that helps because it feels like a college town without all the distractions of the 30,000 kids that's running around and the frat parties and sororities and all that whole scene. So it allows you to focus on what you need to do, you know, when you get bored, you go to the facility, and you're getting extra body work or you're watching film and doing those things. Talk to me about Aaron as a leader. Was he one of those guys that was very vocal and get on you? Like, when you did something wrong, I'm sure he lets you know about it, but was he a, you know, father, like with the facial disappointment when you look at your kid and just

be like, I can't believe you did that. You all saw those games on Sunday. He's still, he's still giving it to those guys. Like, yes, that's what it was. Like, there was an expectation. Like, that, That's just the standard that he has. Like, if you're going to play with him, you have to understand that it's not, it's not, like, you. It's like what he expects from you. And if you want to be on the field, like, you have to hold that standard. And, you know, that was one of the things that was so pivotal for us in our room is we had a bunch of guys that understood ball. And, like, we didn't make mental errors.

Like, if you had mental errors, it was very minimal. Like, I think I went a few seasons where I had, like, one for the entire season. Right? So that's just kind of what it was. Like, that was the expectation. And, you know, if you went at the ball, like, you got to be where you got to be. I'm assuming he did the work first and foremost with the expectation of you do it as well. Like, he knew it so expected you guys to know it.

Yes. I mean, I always say I got my doctor from Rogers University. Like, and when it comes to football, like, I know X's and O's. You want to talk about protections. I can get into some of that with you just from my quarterback background. So being able to see a defense. from a quarterback perspective as a receiver. That gave me an upper hand for sure.

But yeah, he understood the offense. When you play in the same offense for a decade plus, like it allows you to play free and fast and to understand what the concepts are, what the signals are, where you need to be, why you need to be there, where you are in the progression, like all the minute details of the game. So that was some.

something that really helped out. Now, he was a master also at the line of scrimmage. How much of the offense were you guys always prepared for an adjustment at the line of scrimmage? He sees something. You always would see the signals available and the different adjustments that he'd make. But how much would you say when you go into a week that you've got to just be prepared for him to change stuff at any point?

Yeah, I would say that we had a pretty good idea based off of, you know, when you look at the numbers of what they do on third down or defensively, you have a good understanding. or what teams are going to do going into it with the game plan. But in-game adjustments happen, and that's part of the game. He was one that something could happen in practice in week three, and we talk about it. We talk about it on the field of practice. We talk about it in the meeting room. And we may not hear or talk about that again until week 10 in the middle of a game.

And we have this same look, and it's like, hey, remember X from week three when we were talking about this at practice, and we talked about, like, he's expecting you to know and remember those kind of little details so we can implement them in the middle of a game in week 10. When you go to the Jets, was it a lot because of your knowledge of what he was trying to do and what he was doing? Yeah, I was planning on retiring. I was after my, after going to Green Bay, going back to Green Bay, I got traded back from Houston.

It was like, man, that's a full circle moment. I get to come back to where it all started for me. I was at peace. And obviously the Jets made that move to get him. It's crazy because we had conversations about playing in New York a long time ago. And it was just like, oh, that's never going to happen. But it comes to be, and we had that moment and that opportunity. And it was a great situation.

You had Robert Sala, who I thought was a great coach, defensive-minded, Aaron was going to have a little bit of flexibility offensively to implement some of what he does. They had a great running game with Breece Hall. We felt like we had enough pieces there and then four plays into the season. The whole thing blows up. Was that the longest season of your life? Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt.

And I was actually surprised they kept me as long as they did. I thought that after that they would start making moves. What do you remember in-game about that? And how fast did you know what had happened with him? Nobody was talking about it on the sideline. We were trying to figure out what happened. I think they were trying to keep our mind in the game and not tell us exactly what it was.

So it wasn't until halftime for me. I walked in the halftime, immediately ran back to the training room, and I just seen him laying on the bench, and as soon as he sees me, it was just like, he started crying, and I was like, dang, man. stuff. So I knew what it was at that point, but yeah, and then we went out and finished

that game and somehow... You won that game, right? We won, yeah. It was like a crazy punt return to end it. Knowing him, did you think that he was going to come back and play the following year? I thought for sure that he wouldn't want to go out that way.

Like, I thought for sure, like, that would be the case. And there were a lot of things that I saw during that season. We talked about organizations. like after being in Dallas and being in Green Bay and seeing how certain things are run, you realize some of what's happening that's more than football. And it's like, I'm sorry, I'm good. I'm good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm good. So, you know, it was unfortunate, but, you know, he obviously played that second year in New York. And, you know, I think anyone that came off of injury knows that that first season back, you're not quite up to your standard because, you know, you're not. You've been rehabbing the entire time rather than focusing on your training. We saw it with him, saw with Kurt Cousins. Right. You know, that Achilles usually, they say you can come back,

but you're not fully back until a year and four or five months. Easily. Did you think about maybe moving to Pittsburgh for a little bit? What's crazy is my favorite childhood team growing up was the Steelers. I grew up a Heinz Ward fan. Like that was my guy. Randwell, Cordell Stewart. My dad was a huge Pittsburgh fan because Lynn Swan's grandmother lived across the street from him when he was growing up.

So Lynn Swan would come back to town and play pass with my dad growing up as a kid. So I grew up like with fatheads of drone Bettis and, you know, some of those legendary Steelers moments that I remember watching my dad on the couch. Like I was a huge Steelers fan growing up. But no, at that point, I was, I was ready. You made some, what, five game-winning catches in your career? Does one stand out to you in your mind? Because in the most pivotal moments, you stepped up in these games. Yeah, I would say probably it would probably be the Bears game, 2013, to get us into the playoffs.

Walk me to it. Walk me to it. Special moment. Special moment. So 2013, I broke my leg mid-season. Like, low hit. I thought I blew everything out. Just had a plateau fracture.

missed 10 weeks. Aaron broke his collarbone, same season. He was out like eight weeks. We both come back for that Bears game, and we had to win to get into the playoffs. I think I played like 20 snaps that game, just on a very limited basis. I think we had like three-fourth down conversions on that final drive, and then it was fourth and eight from the 48, and we're in the huddle during a timeout. And Aaron, basically, Basically, he's like, hey, okay, this is what I'm thinking. Jordic was at three. Hey, I want you to run like a deep cross.

Randall, get past the sticks, run a pivot right there past the sticks. JJ, who was playing outside, I want you to run a Puma, comeback route, 15 yards outside of number one. We get up to the line and we realize they're in zero. So zero blitzing everyone, playing man across the board. and I see Chris Conti, who's at safety, who's covering me, he's like standing right where I have to stop. So the ball snap and I come off the ball, and I just remember looking and seeing his eyes in the back field,

and I'm like, I can take it right here. I just throw my hand up and, like, hoping that he sees me throw my hand up. And the next thing I know is I look up and the ball's in the air, and it felt like the little giants. where the toilet papers It's like those are always the hardest one Because it's like it's so easy It's right there just make the play

But luckily I was able to make the catch Dive into the end zone I actually just had that jersey That jersey's been in storage forever Just had that jersey frame I still have the orange stain on it From the Bears logo I still have the helmet with the grass

That was stuck in my helmet That I got put in a shadow box but yeah, that was probably one of those moments that I looked back like, wow, that was, that was special. The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh.

We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg.

Free agency, the combine. The NFL draft, Pro Days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included.

You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis.

Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You guys owned the Bears. We did. Yeah. It was like it didn't matter what year it was, what the records were. You guys owned the Bears. Why was that? I wish I could tell you that I knew exactly why.

I think for a long time, we just kind of had their number because we knew what they were. were going to do and we just knew that they couldn't stop us. And it was just, I think, that confidence that you play with, whereas like, we've been here, we've done that. We know what this field is going to do. Like, you go down to Chicago and the field is beat up. You got to put in those, you got to put in those long studs. Yeah, you know what it is. Like, you know what kind of game is going to be. Like, and you just, you go out there and you just play with a confidence that's unmatched. You were talking about you have the jersey, the helmet. And I remember one day, we were at school and you pulled up and you were, I think you're moving houses.

And he opens up the trunk to put his kids backpack in there. And he's got all these different jerseys. So, you know, you used to trade jerseys and we talked about it. Cass, did you ever do that? I was like, man, it was, but my era was before that. But what's your collection like? Because you have an incredible collection. I saw all those jerseys.

I was like, wow. Oh, they weren't all just yours. No, no, no. No, no. It was all jersey swaps. Some of my favorite ones are mostly my teammates. that I played against that went on and moved to different teams. Micah Hyde and Buffalo, I got a chance to play against him.

I got Aaron's jersey from when I went to Dallas and we played Green Bay in Dallas. I got his jersey from that. I got Taze's jersey when I was in Houston and he was in Green Bay. Those are probably some of my favorite ones. Dante Hightower, who is a guy that, you know, grew up here in Tennessee. We played on an all-star team together, East versus West game back when they used to do that. Was he as big back then?

Yes. Yes. He's a massive view of him. Yes. Is that head of his? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. But that's probably some of my favorites.

How's your body now? It's good. I actually, I played tennis this morning. And I'm like, man, this is nice to be able to move around, have some aches, you know, got to roll out some mornings to get going. I still feel a few of those hits. Got to pop my neck every now.

on them, but overall, I feel pretty good. So Green Bay this year, obviously, they're off to a good start. They made a little bit of a splash with that trade early on in the season. What do you think just the outlook of their season looks like? Because I think that they're a Super Bowl contender without doubt in my mind. Definitely. Definitely. I think they're definitely a contender.

Bringing Micah in just the excitement that's around that alone, the momentum that's built off of that, him wearing number one. who no one's war number one since Curly Lambo, which is mind-blowing, that alone, I think, elevates them to another place. That allows that defense to play a little bit more free. They're able to rush for and keep their eyes on the quarterback, play a different style of the game.

Rashon Gary, who I think is a great player, is now going to have more opportunities with one-on-ones, with all the attention that Parsons is going to give. it. One of the linebackers is playing lights out right now. I'm blanking on his name. My wife would hate me if I said this, but, you know, CTE is a real thing. I do that all the time. Don't I make that joke and she gets mad at me. I think I haven't. Mine does the same thing. She's like, don't, don't kid. Stop doing that. That's not funny. No, but really, but really. What do you think of Jordan? I'm a big fan. I'm a big fan of Jordan just to see how much he's

progressed. I don't know if anyone could have saw that. a few years ago, just to see his ability now and his confidence that he plays with. Some of the things that he was able to add to his game, you know, when I was watching another day, seeing them make the alpha call and try to catch Washington with too many people on the field. Like, that was a huge thing that we used to do. And, you know, people would call it stealing, but it's part of the rules. So we, he's been able to add that.

to his arsenal and understand when and how to get that done. Those little things make a huge difference as a quarterback. And Matla Flore, I think, is an excellent play caller. He puts him in opportunities to win. He makes the game easy and fun. He creates matchups. I love his ability to take something that he saw from the week before and added to the game plan and George's been executing it.

Were you shocked that they finally took a receiver in the first round? Matthew Goldberg. You're like sitting there going, I mean, the laundry list of a high second round draft flicks, including yourself, was wild. But did you think that they were finally going to pull the trigger? I didn't think that they would, but I remember seeing him on the board. And it was getting close to Green Bay pick. And I was like, take him.

Please take him. I got a chance to work with Golden for the combine. So like his agent and me, best friends, best man in my wedding. Oh, legitimately. Legitimate. Yeah. Yeah. Ed Berry. Incredible story. We can get to that too. Yeah. But he asked me if I could work with him like exes and O's like leading up to the

combine because that's a huge part of the combine being able to talk about ball, being able to talk the X's and O's. So I got to work with him a little bit and see his passion and desire for the game and his thirst for knowledge and wanting to grow. And like that is the purpose. fit in Green Bay. And one of the things that I continue to try to reach out to him and mentor him as much as I can with is like not pressing because I feel like when I watch him right now, it's like he wants to make a play so bad. And, you know, I think that there is an expectation with him being the first round or the first round pick that the Packers made at receiver in a long time that he feels like he has to live up to that. But the special thing about Green Bay is like,

That receiver room, there's always been so many guys. They've done a great job. Good is getting a great job in the draft of bringing in guys and it not being one person that has to do majority of the work. Like Romeo Dobbs is a guy, okay? Like he deserves a big bag and I'm sure he's going to get it at some point. Christian Watson, when he gets healthy, it's going to be a huge part. Jayden Reed, I mean, now that he's out, you know, it looks like he's going to be out for

a while with his collarbone. I would imagine that this is going to be Golden's time. to get a few more targets and be able to showcase what he can do. Did you ever jump with Rogers' cadence at wider Csia? Yes. Yes, for sure. Because you're definitely farther than alignment and, I mean, just physics. You're not going to get it as loud.

But God dang, that is a tough. Even watching him now, he still got it. He's still pulling people off. Did you have to go on and be like, don't jump, don't jump, don't jump, and still would flinch? Yeah, so it's a funny play. And I actually saw one of the tight end. I think it was Tucker Kraft. He did it the other day against Washington.

I did that once against Washington in, like, 21. He did his cadence and I tried to fake like I was going in motion. That's the best. They got me for it. Yeah, yeah. We used to act like we, you know, if we would jump, we act like we were, you know, fixing our knee pads or something. Did that ever work?

It did sometimes. You could get away with it. As long as you don't like, over the top and then like start looking around like you might be able to pull it off and get away with it that's funny i've messed myself up before where i'm going double canons and i go really hard and i forgot that hey we're doing double can't so i'll step back they called me for a false start because i step back yeah because i moved i moved i can't motion where i am or if you're to too yeah your hands and do that but i also remember when you guys would go like the silent counts i mean he'd lift his

foot up 15 times to try to get defense a show and i'm like how the hell does anybody know that you guys are live on cadence. I don't understand how like teams could get a good jump on it because we would we would have so many cadences. We would have so many silent cadences 32 21 like two fake kicks coming on the third one like there was so many of those we would go on different colors it might be green blue might be the live color it might be purple it might be yellow you just like I don't understand like how anyone and I think that's one thing that is really tough when you go to a new team that you haven't had that consistency to play with, like for offensive line to try, because, I mean, he's used that as a benefit to him for so many years because, you know,

obviously been in Green Bay so long. Most of his offensive line was always the same. So that was one of the things with the Jets that was a little more difficult, and I would assume that it probably is in Pittsburgh as well. Something you mentioned is the amount of time that you and Rogers played together. After that many years, were there times where you did? didn't even have to say anything. You could just make the look or the gesture and just know what each other meant.

Yeah. So there were a lot of cases of that. Like when, you know, if you're giving a signal to someone, like, you might want to be over the top with it, right? Like, to make sure they got it. Well, it would come to the point to where, like, he wouldn't have to look at me. He could just, like, give the signal without looking. And I knew, like, what the adjustment was, what the, what the route he was trying to get to us. So you guys had to do some things off the field.

I know one of the things that you guys did was go to Kentucky Derby because we would go with our crew, right? Yes. And we go the same parties. We go to the Barnes Stable Brown parties. And it always felt like we're kind of sizing each other up because there's like the Green Bay Packers and we had like all the Patriots guys, but we're always on the same row.

What were those experiences like from like a team building? Because you guys looked like you're having fun, but that's a great environment. It is. It was a lot of fun. You know, we always looked at you all with envy because, you know, you're flashing your rings and doing the whole thing. We bring the boom box out there. Bring the boom box.

It was always a good time. We always had a good group of guys. And, you know, we're getting a little older. It's kind of turned into a retirement, get together, you know, as a few guys that are still playing. But it's like, you know, we go back into the old war stories and get to spend some time together and catch up. Tell me about the 108-yard return.

I think it was your rookie year. It pops up occasionally on my TikTok. I think it's still the record or one of the, the longest returns ever. Do you remember anything specifically about that play? I don't remember being that deep. I didn't know that I was that deep. Because your coach was going,

don't bring it out, don't bring it out. Because you wouldn't have brought it out if you knew where you were. Yeah, if I would have known where I was, I wouldn't have brought it out. But I wish they would have gave me the 109. I mean, they went off my front foot. Do you feel like it's 109? It should have been 109.

I think my back foot was like almost touching out of bounds, you know? But it was winter weight, which tied the record at the time has since been broken. But yeah, that play was, it was crazy. I just saw a free runner coming. I was able to make him miss. I saw someone get ready to hit me

and I just, like, tensed up. And luckily, John Coon was there to, like, hold me up and push me forward. And then I just saw green grass and was trying to get home. Man, what's that feel like to run and just feel like green grass? Yeah.

What does it feel like to run fast? No, like when you're going, Do you look up at the scorebar? Are you one of those guys that look up at the scoreboard? I'm like, oh, my God, I'm out. No, I've always thought I was fast, but I never thought I was like that fast. So I'm always like looking back. Like, there's somebody here, like thinking I'm getting ready to get caught.

But that was a special one. Would you prefer kickoff or punt? I have my own feeling on it, but I want to hear what you'd say. I love punt more. Do you really? I would have gone the complete opposite direction. Punt feels vulnerable. A lot of vulnerable.

No, I can't. If you look up, I can still see you. I can still see, you know, I can, I can still see what's going on down there. And I can control that. And I, again, I'm very analytical when it came to the game. I would line up at if the punter's average was 45, I would line up at 46. And that would tell me like, hey, if he kicks it over my head, I should have space. If I have to run forward, it's probably going to be a fair catch.

So that's how I operated. So it was a lot easier to. control the environment as a punt returner, whereas a kickoff returner, you are running full speed through a little bitty gap and hoping it doesn't close up. And I've taken some shots on kickoff. So like I'm a big component for punting. But catching a punt's got to be much more difficult than the kickoff. I would say not because it's a spiral. It's a spiral. Yeah, it's a spiral. It's just like it's just like you get to pass. You run fast. You run fast. What do you think of the new kickoff rule?

I love it. I love that it brings that part of the game back. How many kickoff returns have we seen for touchdowns already this season? Yeah, it's not just a play this worthless anymore. Yes. Yeah, even if it's not a touchdown, like you're seeing it brought out to the 42, the 49, like it matters. And it used to just be, okay, we'll go for the kickoff. All right, another commercial break, touchback.

And now it does. It actually factors into the game, which it looks weird still, but I really like the new kickoff. Yeah, it does look really weird. You know, I think that's the NFL, you know, putting their band-aid on things of trying to make the game look safer. Like, I feel like there's only so much you can do to make that game safer. I mean, it is what it is when it comes to that. They want to make the game safer. Let's take turf out.

But, I mean, there's nothing to do that. What are we going to do that? The 2026 NFL draft is here and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games

may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the Combine, the NFL draft ProDays, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included.

You got quarterbacks on the move? We got teams rebuilding its hope season. Yeah, absolutely. it's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, you were out in LA. He said last week, you were on Good Morning Football. Talk to us about what you were promoting. Yes, special forces. I'm on the Fox show. You're doing the show?

He did the show. I did the show. So I got to to do the show? You should do it. I'm not doing the show. You should do it. I'm not doing the show. No, no, I'm not even saying that, but I have friends that have done it. And they're like, dude, it's hard. Yes. But you. It was it hard for you? The physical part, not as much. It was demanding.

It was a lot. But at the same time, you have real housewives and, you know, influencers that are on the show. Like Eric Decker, Jesse did it. Yes. All together, right. John and Drew. Yes. So we, we, it was seven of us that live here in Nashville. There's seven people from Nashville. Seven people from Nashville.

that were on the show. Where'd you go? We were in Morocco. Beautiful. We were, I mean, as beautiful as it could be for what we were doing. But it was one of the most incredible experiences that I've ever done. It gave me a greater appreciation for the military. I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for the sacrifices that they make.

But to be able to live it day after day after day, to be on edge and the feeling that you would have that you can't, you can't relax at any moment. Because- With the show, why? But they could call you at any time? Or they could just make something happen anytime? They could, yeah, they could, they could call you at any moment. And you would have to be on the parade square, you know, sometimes within two or three minutes. So if you got too comfortable and you kicked your boots off and you didn't fill up your water bottle, you didn't have your backpack packed to a certain weight, like there would be consequences for that. Like I got my whole water bottle. And I can't even remember the name of it, but I'm not supposed to call the water bottle. I get in trouble for that. But you had to keep that full to the brim.

If it wasn't full to the brim, they would take it out and pour it over your. head. So no water for you. And then you wouldn't have water. So it was like you, you had to make sure that you kept all your things prepared because that's just, if you're called out for a mission, then you want to have every sip of water that you can have because you don't know how long until you're going to be back in a safe place with safe water. So that was kind of, we would go through all these courses, but at the same time, you're living the psychological life. of what someone in that position would. How long were you gone?

I can't tell you how long I was on the show. But gone. Like how, what did they tell you before you left? I was gone for two weeks. No contact with family. They took our phone the day before we started. Couldn't talk to my kids. That has to be a psychological grind too.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, which was great, because you're walking into a new environment with a bunch of people, you know, some of us knew each other, but a bunch of people that you don't know, 18 contestants, and you're learning about each other in the moment. And it really took me back to being a kid and having those moments.

Because, you know, like now it's just you can ask chat GPT about anything, right? So it's just, it's different meeting someone and getting to know them on a genuine level. And then after the fact going and reading about, you know, what happened in their life. What was harder psychologically doing a two-a-day football camp or actually being, on the show. Actually been on the show. Really? Yes, because, I mean, football is football.

You know the expectation. You know the expectation. You know what's coming. And a funny story from the show is, you know, sometimes you might have those two days or you may have like that long, hard walkthrough that you're going to do later in the day that coach, like, gives you a bone, throws you a bone. Well, I thought like our DS was throwing us a bone one day. Come to find out that was not the case.

And I took the bait and we all had to pay a punishment for it. So, yeah. Yeah. Dang. Are you happy you did it? I am. I am. Will I ever ever do it again? No. But I am happy that I did it. Again, I thought that I was going to learn something about myself. And I just found out that I'm selfish to think that because it was about me finding out what the men and women that serve our country do for us to have the freedom to have this conversation right now. That's super cool. That's really cool. Yeah, I, my friend Jamie Lynn Spears did it the year before. Okay.

And she was like, hey, a producer's going to call you. And I had done a show. You're done? I did dance with stars. Yeah. That's how I know Greg Jennings a little bit because he won. That was the same year? No, I did it because I won too.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Won one. Yeah. I won one. But Greg won as well. And so there's like a bond. It's like trauma bonding of all the winners of that show that don't come from any background of dance.

And so immediately, like when I got on the show and then I started doing pretty well, Greg would hit me up on DM. He was like, yo, like, Like, I'm proud. We didn't even know each other, but he's like, I know exactly what you're going through. And yeah, it's like, it's really weird. And you feel like you're isolated, but you come out with the people that you did it with. And it's not the same, but you're like, you know them better.

You've been through some crap together. And that's what that show felt like a little bit too. But we were gone for like four months. Did you get to stay in a luxury hotel when you were doing that? I had to work. So no, I had to stay in a tiny apartment away from everybody else next to a studio because I had to work every morning. You stayed in a tiny apartment? Yeah.

Or a halfway. No, tiny, because I had to go live in a different part of the city. Nobody else on that show had to work while they were doing it. That's true. But me of limited, I can't run fast. So I had to work. So I worked and I toured on the weekend. It was a miserable.

It was a lot. It was a lot. What's Greg like as a dude? Greg was great. Older? He was. So Greg was seven years older than me. Great.

I learned so much from him. I learned so much watching him play. watching the way to he move. He ran routes. Watching him as a dad. Great dad. Great dad. I was with him in Minnesota.

Yeah. Great dad. Like, he was a role model for me. I don't know if he knows that or not, but I watched every move he made. He walked into anywhere. I'm watching the way that he talks to people. I'm watching the way that he operated. His football knowledge was through the roof.

he was great. That's cool. Yeah, he's always been super cool to me. Yeah. Thanks for coming over, man. This has been awesome. Yeah. Did you two never played together, huh?

We never played together. No, no. No. Cross the field. I saw you in a picture of his, I don't know, is it a school thing? You were like, I'm here. You guys were both at the same school event or something. Yeah, throwing water.

Water balloons. Oh, yeah, you told me about that. I got him good. So he was trying to scheme it up. up to get me back so bad. He had Decker trying to come tackle me. I mean, I hit Clay Matthews in the chest, and I thought he was going to straight kill me. He was so mad at me. Did you see what? Oh, yeah. You were right there. Yeah, he doesn't play. I mean, he was so mad. But I just, that was, that's one of my joys is to go to that outdoor field day and I get these water balloons. And anybody

that doesn't expect it to come, I mean, I crushed newcomers still. So Cobb came out there. You got me. You got me. How you like Nashville? It's been great. Yeah. It's been great. I love, you know, just the community, just like you said. Just the school that we at, we have a lot of families with similar backgrounds and understanding of life. And it's been fun. I've enjoyed it. My kids are thriving here. They love it.

This is the first place that they've been for a calendar year in school. So they've enjoyed that. Isn't that wild? Yes. Like when they finally get somewhere and you're like, when are we meeting, moving? Where are we going next? Yeah. Like, no, this is home.

This is it. This is where we are. You said you played tennis, not pickleball. You're a tennis player. I just got into it. And I like got into it with her. And I was like, oh, this is kind of fun. You can move around a little bit.

We actually played in a mixed doubles match. And like, you know, me, I'm thinking, roll the ball out there. It doesn't matter what the sport is. Like, we're getting ready to go, you know, no. We got drilled. We got drilled. We got some work to do. I was like, okay, give me five years.

Okay. Randall, good to see you, man. Thank you so much. All right, thanks to Randall Kopp for coming in. That's Matt Castle. That's Kickoff Kevin. That's Brandon Ray. I'm Bobby Bones.

Thank you so much for watching. And if you don't mind, I guess the one-ass. I don't ask for much, but I'll make this one-ass. If you enjoyed this episode, maybe you're a Packer fan. Maybe you're a Randall fan. Maybe you're just an NFL fan. You don't mind sharing this episode of your story being like, hey, here's a podcast. You actually check it out, NFL podcast.

That would help us a ton because we depend on you guys. And we'd like to keep doing it. So thank you. We will see you next week. We've had lots to say. Goodbye, everybody. Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and IHeart Podcasts.

For more podcasts from IHartRadio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The 26 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Rodriguez. After night one on Thursday, Nick Shook, joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh.

We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal. I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL off season. This is where teams are built. Free agency, combine, pro days, trades.

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