The Fumblerooski Podcast - Don t Make It Weird Ep 466 The Fumblerooski Podcast

Episode Date: August 25, 2026

On today's episode, Deshaun Watson is named as Cleveland’s QB1! Is it just because of the money? 49ers owner Jed York was arrested, will he face any real punishment from the league? Did the Patriots make a bad move by cutting WR Kayshon Boutte? Will Joey Porter Jr. get his new deal from Pittsburgh or will he get traded? Can Jack Strand insert himself into the Falcons QB1 competition? CJ Medeiros and Justin Tucker debate these topics and more!

Deshawn Watson has been named Cleveland's QB1 for some odd reason. The owner of the 49ers is in some hot water. The Patriots trade young receiver, Kishon Booty, seemingly out of nowhere, sort of. Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers are nowhere near close on an extension. And could there be a third quarterback that... is in the running for Falcons QB1, maybe. This is the Fumble Ruski podcast. It may not have always showed it in the staff sheet,

but you can see him making throws when he needs to make the throws. Back-to-back games where he has three touchdowns. Someone's got to get that six or seven spot. He's an elite wide receiver as a rookie. Truly a lose-lose scenario for both sides. Welcome to the Fumble Ruski podcast powered by Secret Web Consulting. I'm your host for tonight. CJ Maderos with me, of course, is my good friend and co-host, Justin Tucker.

We're back with another CJ Justin episode. These are always fun. So, you know, no Adam, no Chris, no problem. Let's get right to it. So, oh, boy, Evelyn. You've got a QB1. Yes, I do. Yes, we do.

It is Groper Cleveland himself, Deshawn Watson, winning the QB1 battle over everyone's with an epa baby Shador Sanders. So, Justin, you know, you're an AFC North fans, is your domain. I'll let you take first crack at this. What do you think? I think Cleveland is about to have a mutiny if Deshawn Watson does not play up to snuff. I think the fans grow tired of this. I think they're tired of ownership, and I think they're already tired of the head coach,

even though it's not the head coach's fault that he has to start Deshaun. I think this is a very bad situation coming off the fact that Deshaun Watson might have had one of the worst press conferences of all time. That was bad. And then he gets named the starter. I'm not going to lie. That contract is literally, if not the worst. It's one of if not these were worst contracts in sports. It's been so bad, and there's not been any good to come from that contract.

The time they made the playoffs was in spite of that contract. And, oh, man, they're going to try this one more time. I hope Deshaun Watson can rekindle something of the past. I hope he can get his confidence back. But my lord, we haven't seen that in years. Hell, we haven't seen it in Cleveland. We have to go back to 2020 and watch him play with the Houston Texans. This is just who, ironically enough, have their own quarterback problems to deal with.

Deshawn Watson is a mess. He is a basket case and he is going to ruin Cleveland season. him, not just because of his play, just because of the situation that surrounds him. And it's unfortunate because they put all their eggs in this basket, even though there were already cracks in the eggs and in the basket. I don't know what the hell Jimmy Hassan was thinking when he got to Sean. It was a bad deal. It just, the whole situation was bad. And another irony, Baker-Macon.

field turned out to be a franchise quarterback. He just needed to get away from Cleveland to show it. Oh, my God. This is horrible. It's unfortunate. I think this would have been swept under the rug if, you know, his play was better. But unfortunately, his play has been bad, which, again, if he's not doing good on the field, they'll look at his off-the-field things and, like, we know how that goes.

that's a horrible place to start. So it's been nothing but disaster. Hopefully, either he plays good enough for him to continue to be the starting quarterback and they actually get some wins, or he only plays the two away games. And so when he gets home to Cleveland, they don't boo him out of the building and they start Shador. Those are the only two somewhat positive outcomes from this. I don't know what came to this. decision. I think it's a bad decision, especially because he wasn't out and out playing Shador

Sanders and people actually want to see Shador Sanders play. I don't get it, but hey, it's Cleveland. This is what they do. Yeah. I agree, honestly. And the thing with DeShon Watson is, well, let's be honest, we can both admit, you know, I called Shadur and Nepo Baby earlier, and both, Let's be real. Shador outplayed him. And he didn't even set the world on fire. He just looked somewhat passable. Watson looked like a dumpster fire, a complete, utter train wreck, mind you, in every sense of the word. And keep in mind, he is currently on a five-year, $230 million dollar guaranteed contract.

this is to be distinctly understood. Yes. That the reason why they're starting him is solely because they have to. That contract's so bad. Yeah, they have no choice. Like, you can't have this five-year, $20, $20 million, fully guaranteed ball and chain

rotting away on the bench. Like, that contract, I genuinely believe, is the only reason he's starting. But for Cleveland, fear not, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. this is his last year on that deal. Like, dead serious. This is the last year that a Shaw Watson contract,

and you know that the instant the regular season ends, and Cleveland is probably not in the playoffs, barring some sort of God, I don't even know, this falls outside the scope of a miracle. I guess we'd have to call it divine intervention. They will help him pack his bags and send him on a plane to Cancun. Yep. And look, when we see how to Sean Watson has played, right, he has been the starting

quarterback for LeBron's, or he's who should be, for four seasons thus far, missing one of them with an Achilles injury, which, by the way, was the one that he tore back in the 2024 season. So he's torn the same Achilles twice, which, you know, we talk about one being iffy, but twice, the same one? I'm sorry, that's a death sentence. So think about this. Across technically four years, he has started 19 games. He's gone 9 and 10, has a completion percentage of 61.2, has thrown for a whopping 3,365 passing yards across 19 games, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Horrendous. You know what, I'm sorry. I got to say, move over Albert Hainsworth.

This is genuinely, I think, the worst contract in the history of the NFL, possibly even in sports history. Maybe it's Bobby Benia, you know, Mets looking at you. It's not. No, it's not. I just say, but he always old Bobby Benia today to this day, and it's funny. But going back to football, just when you look at him in the preseason and in practice, the arm is just cooked. this ball placement is horrific. The ball itself does not get to the target.

His mobility is still kind of there, but it's greatly diminished. He's not as shifty as he was. Like I said, there's just nothing to like about this. There's just not. And let's be real. You and I both know. Like, let's just put all our cards on the table. We both know.

he's not going to be the starter for long. He's on a very tight leash, and let's be real for the Browns. You have to play Shador Sanders at some point. And the reason I say you have to, like you absolutely have to, is solely because you need to know what you have in him, because if he shows enough of a flash,

which he did, you know, last season wasn't ideal, you know. But every so often there was a glimmer that, hey, maybe he could be somewhat serviceable. You know, maybe he takes step forward. Maybe he doesn't. I don't know. But you have to know what you're going into next off season because let's be real.

You're playing for the future, all right? You are playing for the future. You have to know if you have anything in Shador Sanders. And by that, I mean maybe he can start next year. Maybe you could flip him for assets this off season. but you have to know what you have in him because this is going to be a very deep possibly, you know, a lot can still happen. But this is supposed to be a very deep quarterback class in this upcoming draft.

And you have to know, do I grab, do I roll with Shador? Because unless he puts up an MVP caliber season, you and I both know, Deshawn Watson's not coming back. Yep. It's over. it's over stick a fork in that Achilles that man is done at least in Cleveland so really I don't know Justin I just I understand why they're starting them though even though

Sanders did look better which wasn't a high bar I will grant you but it's still a bar and it's still a bar that Sanders cleared they're only starting wants it for the money that's that that's all it is Yeah. That contract is so bad. NFL owners colluded to make sure no other player could ever get that contract because they hated Cleveland for giving Deshaun Watson that type of money. That is an actual thing they did. They hate that contract. But let's be real. Well, let's really be honest. I'm going to say something that could upset a lot of people, but it's fair. I know people get upset. owners colluding to lower prices for athletes, but after that Deshawn Watson deal, can you really blame them? We need to be honest with ourselves.

Can we really blame them for putting their heads together and say no, no more guaranteed contracts for stuff like this? And if you're Cleveland, I hate to say it, but you deserve this. You screwed over Baker Mayfield, who played through a debilitating shoulder injury for you. You know, you screw them over, you toss him to the side. You brought in to Sean Watson, who had a litany of off-field problems, multiple sexual assault allegations from differing massage therapists,

and you said, yeah, let's just give up our future for him and give him this contract. No, not Cleveland. You deserve to ride this out. Try again next year. They didn't just screw over Baker. They screwed over people, uh, franchise, that had upcoming contracts like Jalen Hertz and Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson couldn't get signed by other teams because they said,

we're not matching Cleveland. Well, yeah. Oh, come on. That worked out in your favor. It worked out in our favor. But if someone actually gave him a contract like Cleveland, it wouldn't have worked out. For an example, Atlanta wasn't going to give him a contract at all. Atlanta wasn't giving him a contract.

Same thing for other teams. And it was like, really? You guys aren't even going to try. Granted, the ratings could match it no matter what. But still, you guys ain't going to throw it out there? And it's not like we had the most amount of money. They just refused to match it. I blame that solely on Deshaun and what happened there.

Yeah. Yep, I am inclined to agree, unfortunately. So we're going to have to move on. From one scumbag to another, 49ers owner Jed York has been arrested. And I know what you're thinking, but what did he do? Surely it cannot be that bad. Well, in the words of WKBN's local news site.com, 49ers owner arrested in local prostitution sting.

That's right. 49ers owner Jed York was arrested, I believe, in East Pard. Palestine, Ohio, and found guilty of two misdemeanor charges after court documents stated he responded to an undercover law enforcement advertisement on a prostitution website. He was arrested on Sunday and posted a $5,000 bond. Oh my God, ready? This is from that article. An affidavit states that York responded to an ad on a known prostitution website. website that unbeknownst to him was posted by an agent with a Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force. The document states that York arranged a sexual activity with a woman in exchange for $140.

He arrived at a set location with the phone he used to arrange the meeting and was taken to custody. The police report lists the time and location of the arrest at 9.35 a.m. at the Wheat Hill Mobile Home Community off State Route 170. and he pleaded no contest Monday morning and Mr. Beat near charge of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools. This guy. What's going on?

What are we doing? Buddy. Buddy. This might be worse than rubbing tug. Yeah, I dare say so. Listen, how do you get cold with your hand in the cookie jar? They weren't even trying to catch you. you. You just so happen to be there.

How do the players look at him now? Because they got to look at him like, oh. So he's like one of us, huh? That is insane. How do you get caught? Can't you ask somebody to do it for you? You don't have a middleman. You do it yourself. Should I say what I'm thinking right now? I'm not sure. You know what? Why not? It's a free country.

Could it be that maybe, just maybe, when he was planning all this out, he was thinking with the wrong head? That very much could be a possibility. I'm just hoping. I don't know what the hell I'm hoping here. This is embarrassing. And quite frankly, I'm not sure how other players are going to look at them the same anymore. Can you imagine bumping into the owner? It's like, hey, what were you doing last night?

Yeah. Say, hey, I found your mugshot, Mr. Owner. Oh, my goodness. Look, Your Honor, it's funny. Did you know that he filed for divorce from his wife in May of this year, the Big 26? No, I did not. How much? I don't know.

It just says, you're a good. his wife, Danielle, have two sons. York filed for divorce for his wife in May, 26. But yeah, two sons. One example you're setting, Jed. His real name isn't even Jed. It's John Edward York. So Jayette Jed, I guess. Yeah, fair. It's just so funny this whole thing. It really is.

Yeah, he sentenced to one day in jail in order to pay $150 fine for disorderly conduct long for $1,000 fine for possessing criminal tools. Justin, this dude is loaded and he's engaging in prostitution.

He's being $140. Yeah. Got a $150 fine for one thing and a thousand for another and sentenced to one day in jail. That man is paying more in fines than he did in actual experience. Like paying for the actual prostitute. I know.

know it's the oldest profession, but still, can't you just get up like a high paying escort? Like, I still can't believe that. How do you get caught? He might be an idiot, but he's a billionaire. I don't get it.

Am I the only one of the things he's getting off weirdly light? I can't be, right? Because look, if you or I did this, we would be up to our neck in legal proceedings for the next three goddamn years. And I know good and damn well, the NFL is not going to do shit.

Maybe they'll find him, maybe they'll find them a few grand, but that's it. Like, so, so what? What? Like, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just, I am so done of celebrities and people who have any kind of fame, basically being untouchable. I say it every time an athlete does something horrible, I say every time an owner or coach does something horrible, Or by horrible, I mean, like, illegal.

Yeah. So if anyone else did that, you know, we would, yeah, we'd be thrown to the slamer. But again. Are we NFL doing things? Probably not. We wouldn't be able to afford the lawyers they can buy. So it makes it easier for them to get away with certain things because they not to maneuver the law to their advantage. True.

Just remember one thing, kids, if you're listening or why. watching. This could be you. This could be you. That's his mugshot. Yeah, that is. For those who can't see, I'm showing his mugshot. Wow. Funny. Funny. Funny stuff. What a time to be alive, huh? I'm not that happy know. We're going to get into more NFL news, including the Patriots trading, K. Sean Booty. Joey Porter Jr.'s contracts. still mate with the Steelers and the ever-evolving Falcons QB1 competition, the gift that keeps on giving, giving me a headache, that is. This is the public podcast.

It may not have always showed it in the stat sheet, but you can see him making throws when he needs to make the throws. Back-to-back games where he has three touchdowns. Someone's got to get that six or seven spot. He's an elite wide receiver as a rookie. Truly a lose-lose scenario for both sides. Welcome back to. To the Fumble Ruski podcast brought to you by Secret Weapon Consulting.

Once again, I'm C.J. Maderoos with me once again is Justin Tucker. Sorry. I'm trying to point you. There he is. Because everything's flipped like on the camera and it's weird. But moving on to, oh my God, this hurts. The New England Patriots are dealing. a young wide receiver, Kisham Booty, to the Houston Texans.

Since I'm Pat Spanan. Can I go first, Justin? Yeah, you can go first. This is your team. Why is it? Explain to me, Justin. Why is it that whatever New England trades a good player, they get fleeced? You know, Rob Grunkowski,

Chandler Jones, Shaq Mason, Stefan Gilmore, like when they trade away one of their good players, every time they just get fleeced. And I'm tired of it. And don't get me wrong. I do actually think that a lot of fans were saying we should get a second form.

I think that's a bit much, honestly. Like, I really do think that his values being overrated. But we got, what was his name? Jalen Reed, who's like a depth peace safety from the Texans, and a 2028 seventh round pick. No, that's highway robbery. I'm sorry. that is disgusting.

And to be fair, I know booties in a contract year, but that doesn't mean I have to accept this. I mean, theoretically, I don't have a choice. But like I said, I do think fans are overrating him just a little bit. But it's just so annoying. Every time they trade a player. Like, they just keep getting pleased again and again and again.

It's so just, it's just, it's anger-inducing, you know? Like, they're, it's like medically impossible for them to get anything good, like at least a fifth, perhaps a four. But just a backup safety and a 2028, 7th, not even 7th from this year. So last season, for those who don't know, he had 33 catches, 551 yards, and six touchdowns. Season before that, he had 43 catches, 589 yards, and three touchdowns. After being, I think, six-round pick by New England. I mean, don't get me wrong, he wasn't necessarily a world-beater, but, no, he was pretty good. I generally think he's a very good player,

but honestly, the rumors were swirling, and you could make a very real case that the writing was on the wall for the guy. But, Justin, there's one thing left to say. New England has too many outside X receivers because, you know, they acquired A.J. Brown. they find Romeo Dobbs. You already have Matt Collins as well.

And there's too many outside guys. Like you need someone in the slot. And Kisham Booty's not a slot guy. And after you just traded for A.J. Brown and you just handed that contract to Romeo Dobbs. Booty, unfortunately, is the odd man out. And when you have to pay Christian Gonzalez and then you're eventually going to have to pay Drake May.

Yes. you don't really have a lot of options, and it just sucked. Like I said, this was a future dump. It's not quite a salary dump because he's on his rookie deal, but it's like a hypothetical salary dump, if that makes sense. And it's just really annoying. That's all it is.

It's what it comes down to. Obviously, DeMario Douglas is probably going to move into the slot because that's where he operates best. and that's all there is too. It's just really annoying. Don't look at the positive. Efton Chisholm. He's on his way. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

I forgot. Yeah, no, Fent Chisholm. Can he play in the slot? Yes, he can. He's a little white man who plays for the Patriots. He can play in the slot, I promise you. All right, then he could be your next slot guy. if DiMario Douglas goes down, F. Getson Chisholm.

He could be your backup there. There's potential here. I was shocked when I saw what happened because I wanted your guy's reaction to this. Because I didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. I kind of thought the Patriots weren't getting back full value for it, but I was like, they kind of neat,

what you're called, DB, deaf. So I was like, okay. Safety specific. Yes, something and he's like a backup. That's what he's going to be. And who knows, maybe that seven for our own pick might turn out to be something valuable. Yeah. I do have to admit, honestly, Justin, there is a bit of irony here.

Yeah. Truth to be told. I just want every Patriots fan to know, this is low-key. It sucks. Granted, like I said, but this is a good problem to have. To every Patriots fan, I say, need I walk you back to 2023 to 24 where they literally couldn't buy a receiver. They were winning bidding wars for wide receivers.

They kept offering the most money, but they were taking less money to sign elsewhere. Like I said, they literally couldn't buy a receiver, and now they have too many. because at one point they had drum roll preys AJ Brown Romeo Dobbs Kashon Booty DeMario Douglas Mac Collins

Efton Chisholm and Kyle Williams Like I said And they all have shown flashes Especially like Kyle Williams's preseason Has just been An insane deep threat Therefore You really can't complain that

much, honestly. I mean, Tuck, maybe you agree. Maybe you don't. But I'm just saying it's kind of a good problem to have because, like I said, you couldn't like, you couldn't find a wide receiver

at all. You couldn't, you literally couldn't buy one. And now you got too many. So, I, so you know, silver linings. Oh, I'm going to say it. Let's say is,

You no longer have to hear May to booty. That's no more. Yeah. And you know what? That's sad. When you had Drake May, Stefan Diggs, Kishon Booty, that meme page, Drake May Lover would say, may I dig in your booty? I'm sorry.

That's funny. Drake, me, he's going deep for booty. Can't say that no more. I'm sad. now it's C.J. Stroud and Cajon Booty. Meanwhile, that Texan's receiver room is pretty solid. You know, you have Nico Collins, Tank Dell's coming back from injury. I guess.

You had Cajon Booty. And then they have Jalen Pult, Jalen Higgins. No, Jaden Higgins, and Jalen, Null. That's it. That's my fault. Higgins, I think, actually went down with an injury, and I think he's, like, done for the year. That is.

You still have, no. But you still have Noel and on top of that. You're one, two, and three. I mean, Collins is number one. I imagine Bouty's number two, and Dell is going to be three. You know, he can be number two, but he has to show that he can. I got to see him again before I'm, like, before I'm committed to him. Yeah, that sucks because Tank Dell is so good.

Man, he was so good at his rookie year. him and C.J. Stroud had a connection. But like I said, he just can't stay healthy. So honestly, you know what? I wish nothing with the best

vacation on booty unless he plays New England. Then I hope Carlton Davis or Christian Gonzalez straps him up. But he can do good somewhere else. And now Tuck moving back into your territory, the AFC North, Steelers Star Corps.

Joey Porter Jr. He's been a bit of a stalemate with the team. ESPN was reporting on this. And how do you like this? Mike McCarthy, the head coach of Steelers, said that they're an impasse with Corner Joey Porter, Jr. He's on the Pupp list right now. He aggravated a back injury, but he's still, they got to pay him, right?

I don't want to admit there, but Joey Porter Jr. has become, in my eyes, one of, if not the most underrated corner in the league. It's weird because, like, if you watch him play, that is a man amongst boys. Steelers found themselves a good one, especially after they've been struggling to land, or just obtain a star corner for a while now. but hey, they have Joey Porter Jr. And but now they're an impasse. And, you know, McCarthy's like, oh, I love the opportunity to coach Joey Porter. I know our defensive guys love the opportunity. Oh, but we're at an impasse.

And, you and Jalen Ramsey, you know, who's also on the Steelers in case you forgot because he's a little on the wash side. was saying, oh, we need the whole secondary out there. They got to pay Joey Porter, Jr., and we need some other guys that are out there as well. So, yeah, and here's something else, right? This is from Roundtable Sports. The Steelers, it says, can't offer Joey Porter, Jr. A contract extension that he would sign. They can't offer it?

Not. They can't. and if you're the Steelers, the clock is picking because you're now in a race with the Patriots who have to pay Christian Gonzalez as well. And Porter, I don't think, is on the same level as Witherspoon or Gonzalez, but I think he's a tier below and he is deserving of a brand new payday. And absolutely worst, he's a top 10 quarterback, maybe number five. But the Steelers, it's a money thing, you know.

they just can't make them the highest paid core in the league. Like, they just can't do it. And if you're a Steelers fan, don't look now, but the trade rumors are swirling. I mean, they're not even swirling with Gonzalez in New England. Like I said, I had a bad feeling, but that, but a feeling is not a rumor. Teams are starting to make calls. And I don't know. Like, they're, the odd, I mean, the odds of them getting traded, I think are very low.

truthfully. Yeah. But I do think that every day they become a, it becomes a little more likely. And just remember one thing, Steelers, Porter Jr. was a second round pick, so you can't kick the can down the road and activate a 50-year option. So, I don't know. And the more you wait, the more his value goes down. truthfully. You know?

I mean, that's just how it is. You agree, right, Justin? The more you wait, like the lesser... It's not that his value is going down per se, I misspoke. But it's solely that you just won't be able to get enough. Like, the market will shift out of your favor, the more you wait. And the last... And if you do have to trade them, the last thing you want to do is get fleece.

So what's a Ravens fan's perspective on this, Justin? I need to hear what you think. It's fine by me. Either pay him the contract or don't pay him. If you pay him, congratulations. You kept around a defense piece you should have kept. If you don't pay him, congratulations. You're making the AFC North look easier for the Ravens to win.

So it doesn't matter to me. I think it depends on what he's asking. If he's asking to be paid top of the line, I think if he's asking for that type of money, he needs to prove it this year. Because I don't think he's better than what you look. He's not better than Surtain. He's not better than Weatherstone. He's not better than Gonzalez.

And I think there's like a few others, but he's in that. He's the tier below it, like you said. He may not be top, but he's right among there. And I do think he's underrated in some aspects. But at the same time, you got to prove that you can be a lockdown. corner. I think he's very good, but I'm not sure if he's shut down yet. So if you're asking for like true number one corner shut down money, you're going to have to prove it this year because they're not going to give you that

contract right now. Maybe in the future, if you prove yourself this year. But until that moment in time, there was a reason why they went out and got Jailum Ramsey. Yeah. Even though he may be washed now and he has to play safety, there was a reason why they got him in the first place. Whether it was to help you or to be on the other side of you, it doesn't matter. I think he will get paid eventually. I'm not sure if the Steelers are willing to give top money to a corner, but we'll see. I kind of want to see what they'll do.

Yeah. You know, before we move on, there is one thing. and Justin, I need you to walk with me on this one, okay? Yes. So there is a problem with the Steelers, like I said, they can't give them that contract. But there is an even larger problem at hand, and it plays into why they can't give them that contract. There is a very large, nasty, perhaps even rabid. elephant in the room.

And what is that? It's called T.J. Watt. As you know, they gave him that huge extension. But for those who don't know, his contract extension was three years, $123 million, and it takes him through the 2028 season. T.J. Watt, I'm not going to slap the injury-prone label on him, but you and I can, we can both, you know,

be frank about this. He has not been healthy lately. And even in 2024, which was a good season, he appeared at all 17 games, where Steelers fans will tell you, he was playing hurt. Especially at the end of the 2024 season,

he was visibly banged up. And the season before that, he played 14 games, so he actually missed some time. but even across 14 games, he only had seven sacks and 55 tackles. I mean, he's still good, but, oh, that's just not looking good. I hate to tell you, but it's been iffy. So it all starts back to 2022.

He only played 10 games and amassed a whopping five and a half sacks. 2023, he bounced back with 19, that's fine, but 2024, 11 and a half, played in all 17 games, but talk, you remember, he was playing hurt. He was banged up and he was there, I think, largely as a decoys that teams couldn't double team Alex Highsmith. Then last season, injuries keep piling up when he plays 14 games, but he was playing hurt long before that. And that's something I mind about T.J. Watt, it's his motor, but he, you know, he wants to play,

but he's playing her. And when he's playing her, he's not hit his best self. And truth be told, that contract, and he's on the wrong side of 30, I think it's causing a bit of a problem. Yeah, that contract may be the thing that's holding everything back. But, hey, it's a loyalty contract, then. Like, he did this amount of things for you, so now you got to pay him, which is unfortunate.

That's true. but I don't think they're going to trade him, but there are rumors that hang around him about not or not they will, but whether or not they should. And it sucks if you're the Steelers because it's kind of like another Joey Porter Jr. thing where if you're going to trade him, do it now.

Because Watts value, I don't think he's going to get high. higher. And let's be honest, that contract on the wrong side of 30 battling injuries. And like I said, I think the number of games he's played is, to put it nicely misleading, because he has been playing hurt. And he's just not passing the eye test. Like, he's visibly not the same. So I think any return you'd get is probably going to be underwhelming. Oh, no. I think he needs to be more of, He needs to start to transition to being more of a rotational pass rusher. I think that's where he should be at in his career. He's already done enough to generate Hall of Fame, like, numbers.

So I think it's just a matter of switching over to get, like, value at every once in a while. He'll generate pressure, and he'll get to the quarterback, but he's not that every down pass rusher that he's used to being. Yeah. Yeah, no, I am very much an agreement. So now we go on to our final topic, the second part of the Falcon's quarterback battle. And ladies and gentlemen, a new wrinkle has been thrown into this. May I introduce Jack Strand? a rookie undrafted free agent from the D2 school Minnesota State Moorhead.

And, you know, nobody really thought about him, right? Nobody really considered anything. It is preseason debut against the Denver Broncos on Friday, August 14th. He was pedestrian. He was 6 of 12 for 50 yards. He took a sack. He also had two carries for three yards. touchdown. But it was against the Colts on Saturday, August 22nd, when he went 12 of 17 for

212 yards and a touchdown, along with nine carries for 22 yards and another touchdown. And we'll see that preseason performance. And Chuck, they're asking questions. The question being, could he compete for the number one job? And according to the Falcons fan page, Falcons Wire, Kevin Stefansky was asked if the rookie Jack Strand was part of the team's quarterback competition. And Stefansky, by the way, hasn't said whether or not Pennix is going to play

on Friday's preseason finale against Miami. He said that Pennix and two or two or two playing first team reps. But all anyone can ask about is Jack Strand. And they asked him, hey, realistically, is he in the mix? And he said, quote, yeah, I think with all our guys, everyone prepares to be the starter. Now, having said that, obviously, we work with our young guys and you want to make sure that we put all of them. Jack included through a process and make sure that they're getting the proper things down when it comes to understanding systems, understanding defense, or what have you.

he's doing everything we're asking him to do, but we're not going to put those types of things out there for our guys to worry about. He's got to keep his focus on the day to day. And Tua has not exactly been setting the world on fire. And despite that, he's still splitting reps with penics, Justin. So I don't, on a personal level, I do not think that Jack Strand is in the mix to start for week one. but the fact that he's there, the fact that he more likely than not has secured himself a roster spot as the team's QB3, I don't think he's going to start, but I think there are very good odds that we see him because both Pennix and Tagaviloa are very injury prone. So, Justin, what do you take on this Strand sensationalism?

Strand sensationalism. I take it as. This is a nice little story for preseason. Something to get our interest. I think he's good enough to make the team. I think he's solid. And they'll need an extra quarterback in case Tua and Michael Pennix get hurt. So, yes, they do need three quarterbacks on the roster,

and I think he's more than likely going to be that guy. So congrats to him. I just, I'm not sure he'll be the starter yet. I got to see what Tua and Michael Pettick's doing the record of their season. If they look ass, then I might consider it. But it might be towards like the tail end of the season where they're out of playoff contention. They just want to get a look. I think then they might give them a chance, but I don't think it's going to be any time.

He could be good, but this is preseason. So let's just pump the brakes on. Jack Strand for a second. He's been looking solid, but we'll need to pump the brakes for a second. I'm inclined to agree, Justin, I am. One preseason game does not a quarterback make. And maybe they have something, but I feel like this says more about Tua and Pennix than it says about Strand. If two quarterbacks who are both top ten picks can't beat out.

Now, not only an undrafted for agent, but an undrafted for agent from a D2 school, I think we have a problem. Is it a problem? Tua, I'm not sure if Tua is like 100% healthy to be able to play. Like, Tua is Tua. We already know what's up with Tua. I think, I hope he's fine, but still, I think he should. I'm not going to say he should retire, but I definitely question. in his health. And then there's Michael Pennix with the legs. So it's like, I'm not sure. I just need to

see them in the regular season. And I'm pretty sure Jake and Jack Strand is like what, right-handed? I believe he is, yes. So imagine trying to catch passes from a left-handed quarterback all season, then all of a sudden a right-handed quarterback comes in. It may feel more natural and things like that, but still, it's got to be jarring to go from left to right. I would think, yeah I don't think you'll see any playing time during the regular season because I don't think Tewan

Pennix will be so bad but injuries will happen to them injuries more than likely could happen to him so we might see this Jack Strand sensation we'll see I agree

I just the Falcons fans are so in the pits of hell. They're getting excited over Jack Strand. I mean, can you blame them? They need a quarterback. They were this close. They were this close to winning the division last year.

Well, that says more about the NFC North, if anything. South. South. Yeah, South. God, it's late when we're recording this, guys. No, don't buy our heads on. But yeah, it does say more about the NFC, so I want to be honest.

So that's all I have. to say, Tuck, if you have anything else, I'm down to hear it. But no, I'm all good on the Falcons. I'm good. Well, that's our last topic. If you have anything else, Falcons or not, that's fine. I don't. I've had all the Jack Strand hype I can handle for one evening.

All the Jack Strand hype. Is there anything else I want to talk about? No No Maybe something Nothing worth talking about Yeah understandable

Regular season's right around the corner though Can't wait Cannot wait So That will do it for us tonight Thank you for listening to us You know the drill We have all of our episodes

Available on Spotify, Spreeker, Apple Podcasts, IHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and so much more. Basically, wherever you get your podcast, that's where we are. And, well, if you're feeling so kind, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram at Fumble Ruski underscore podcast to keep both our podcast and get laid a sports on the NFL, maybe see a meme or two. You know, you never know. So with that, for Justin Tucker, I'm seeing.

DJ Medeiros and we will see you next time over and out.