The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Andy Delivers; Mahomes' League Now; Shanahan's Earned Rep; Around The League; Mailbag

Episode Date: January 21, 2020

In this episode, Middlekauff looks at Andy Reid finally getting back to the Super Bowl after a string of championship game disappointments, why Patrick Mahomes is so unique compared to all other NFL QB's, why Kyle Shanahan earned his way to becoming one of the top coaches in the NFL despite having famous coaching dad, and gives his take on headlines from around the league. He also answers listener questions in Middlekauff's Mailbag. Follow John on twitter @JohnMiddlekauff and go to theherdnow.com to find the latest content. Subscribe now! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel, help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter.

Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her.

What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, Wreck, my mama want you to weigh better. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season, and I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was harmed. you just understood.

That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Mark keep coming until he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball.

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ten dollars more go to 1 800 flowers.com slash tune in that's 1 800 flowers.com slash tune in what is going on everybody john middle cop three and out podcast super bowl is officially here the kansas city chiefs versus the san franciscoe 49ers Miami two weeks from Sunday. So about 12 days away. And we finally made it. And that was a pretty interesting AFC and NFC Championship.

I think the NFL has to be pretty happy with their matchup. Patrick Mahomes, who's just an absolute rock star, and we'll get into him a little later against the 49ers, who are really kind of the Yankees of West Coast football. They played yesterday in their 17th, be 16th NFC championship.

And they're headed to their seventh Super Bowl. So it's the brand of the Niners with the talent of the Niners versus Andy and Mahomes, you know, one of the all-time great coaches the last 30 years trying to win his first Super Bowl. This will not be a Super Bowl shy or short on storylines. So I'm pretty excited me personally. You know, I born and raised in Davis, California. The 49ers basically owned from north of L.A., and you could argue, they have a ton of fans in L.A., up through to Oregon, you know, from 1981 to 2000.

And I was born in the mid-80s. My dad was a diehard Niner fan. Every single human I knew was a Niner fan. They owned this region. It'd be like living in Philly. You just grew up an Eagles fan. The difference is we technically had two teams, but the Raiders, I mean, I can't even, if you're not from here, it's harder to describe.

The Niners are in just a completely different stratosphere. And that's not, I'm not trying to take shots of the Raiders, it's just a reality. That's what happens when you move and the Niners dominated. And they're just the Marquis brand around here. And for as crappy as this like last eight or nine years have felt, they've been to four NFC championships and they've been, this is their second Super Bowl in the last nine years. Think how many franchises would sell their soul?

for that. Like the New Orleans Saints would sell their soul for that. And just a reality with this franchise is they've had some big, big time moments. You know, they really have. And then Andy Reid, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't probably be talking into a mic. He changed my life professionally, him and the Eagles franchise. And just I was lucky enough to work for him. And it wasn't just being around him, but like all the coaches that he had. I mean, from Matt Nagy to Sean McDermott to Doug Peterson, Got to see a lot of guys that are now head coaches in the league. And Brett Veach, who's a good friend of mine, who's now Andy, who's always been Andy's tight,

you know, kind of right-hand guy, but now legitimately he's a GM. So it's, I don't know who I'm pulling for, but I'd argue I can't lose. I'm pretty excited just to watch this game. It should be pretty cool. It really should. So we'll dive into Andy, we'll dive into Mahomes, we'll dive into Kyle in the Niners, we'll go a little Middlecough mailbag, some headlines. at John Middlecoff is my Instagram handle.

Slide up into those DMs and I answer your questions here on the pod like always. Well, let's start with Coach Reed. And, you know, one thing you hear a lot about coaches, and I think this is the same for bosses, regardless what industry you work in, the guys who aren't that good at their job are usually a little insecure and they micromanage.

Or they don't have to be. much experience and they micromanage. And they waste a bunch of time and it leads to failure. It just inevitably does. It's hard to overcome micromanagement, right? And clearly Coach Reed hires his assistance and lets them do their thing.

While also giving them guidance and teaching them, I think it speaks to why all these guys under his watch over the last decade and a half have gone on to have success as head coaches. and the other thing that I think, and I say this all the time about my, I know this happens and I read about it forever, but until it happens to you,

you don't really know it. It's like the first time you ever get dumped. You're like, oh my God, I've never, you know, have I been dumped? I guess in a roundabout way, but you realize like, you know, how am I ever going to meet a girl that good looking, that cool, and then you end up realizing you do?

Because it's just what happens? I've been fired twice. I got fired in the NFL. I got fired in radio. Both times led my life to becoming better. Professionally, personally, my own personal happiness, financially. Part of it, it forces you to. And when Andy was fired in Philly, he clearly looked in the mirror,

changed, got back to calling plays. He's always, like one of his greatest strengths is being open to new ideas. Like, what is Andy Reid's scheme? Can you describe Andy Reed's scheme on offense? He'll do whatever it takes to win. Think of all the different quarterbacks Andy's had in 20 years. From Donovan McNabb,

then when Donovan got hurt, he made the playoffs one year with Jeff Garcia. Then he had Kevin Cobb. Then he went to Michael Vick. Then he drafts Nick Foles. Then he gets to Kansas City. He gets Alex Smith. Then he goes for Patrick Mahomes.

He's just opened my mom. He'll do whatever it takes to win. And a lot of coaches don't think like that because they're very stuck in their box, stuck in their ways. And to be that open-minded while having that much success is rare. You know, and always willing to go, can we get better? Can we do something a little bit different to win? It's really Belichick's greatest strength, right? Like, Belichick has no scheme.

What's his scheme? Whatever you don't do well, he's going to do. And Andy on offense, clearly, like, people have given him a hard time. over the years not running the ball, but he always throws the ball to his running backs a lot. I was texting with an O.C. yesterday. He said the dumbest stat in football is run-pass ratio. The ratio you should look for is,

are your best players touching the ball the majority of the time? Just watch the Chiefs. They throw it to 10 and 87 relentlessly. Those guys are the best two players on the field. And then even Damien Williams is a pretty good player too. They hand it to him. but to sustain success in the NFL, like in any competitive industry, is really, really difficult. You can have a flash in the pan.

If I wasn't good at speaking, I could have a good podcast every once in a while. Hell, some of you listening might think, Middle coffee, you suck. Maybe you do. But to sustain success, you have to be willing to just grind and grind and grind and grind in the sport of football. it never ends. I would be shocked if Coach Reed did not go to the office last night I guess if you're listening to this on Tuesday or Wednesday

after he won the AFC championship game just to maybe watch the diner game on tape or maybe rewatch his game just to kind of make a couple notes so he could head into Monday and hit the ground running. As someone told me at the Combine two years ago that has worked with Andy for over a decade that this was like 2018

He's like, I'm telling you, this was obviously the offseason two years ago. Maybe the year they got Mahomes in that draft. It would have been going into Mahomes's rookie year. There might have been Mahomes. That might have been actually going into a second year. And he said, if you go by the office on like a random Saturday or Sunday, even like when we're off and we're not even working, his car will be there. His work ethic is second to none.

And this is a grinder's leak. Lazy people get exposed. A famous coach once told me a player can, you can overcome dumb with a good work ethic. You can overcome lazy with special talent, especially early on in your career. It's impossible to overcome lazy and dumb in the NFL. And the NFL, some of their coaches,

like not every coach is smart. Not every coach is good. And I think Andy'd be the first to tell you, like he's not the smartest guy to ever coach in the league, but his work ethic. I mean, clearly he's really intelligent, but his work ethic is second to none. And for whatever he might lack and just, you know, football, obviously his football knowledge is so immense,

but it's because of his just daily grind for however many years he's been a head coach, and clearly he was like that well before. And he's just outworking everybody. And when I say, like, I sometimes think that, like, outworking people can be a little overrated. In football, though, the stuff. studying of schemes, the studying of your opponent. If you are being efficient at it, you could do it all day 24-7,

looking for little nuances of what you're playing. Just read up on how long Belichick works during the week. It's just incredible. And I'd say him and what's, the thing that stands out about Andy is most people, once they start making so much money, and he's accumulated so much cash over the last 15 years, It'd be human nature.

Like, you know, I can come in today a little later. Or I can go home today a little earlier. And you ask anyone with the Chiefs, that's just not the case. The other thing, though, is willing to roll the dice. He's always been willing to take huge swings. He was like that in Philly when they went out and got Terrell Owens. He was like that when they acquired Michael Vic, which ended up kind of having that unreal 2010 season,

and I was there for it. He was like that right when he got to Kansas City. He was dead set on getting Alex Smith. He was available. He traded a couple second round picks for him. And then once he realized, and he loves, and let me repeat, loves Alex Smith. He'd probably tell you it's his favorite human

he's ever been around in the NFL. Or right up there on the rankings of guys, and he's coached a lot of players. But it was clear that their ceiling was capped with Alex Smith. But they were making the playoffs every year. They were winning the division. They were winning double-digit games. something that the majority of the NFL would die to half.

And he didn't hesitate to make a move and swing for the fences. And he got Patrick Mahomes. And it changed the trajectory of the franchise. I mean, it changed the trajectory of the NFL. And he's the ideal coach for Patrick Mahomes. Because what makes Coach Rito special is while being a quote-unquote offensive guru, he's not a micromanager like I said with his coaches or with his players. And as you saw yesterday, and we're going to get into Patrick Mahomes in a second,

sometimes you got to let the painter paint. You know, sometimes you got to let the guitarist just let it rip. And it's one thing to kind of force the guy to just read the music and play the song exactly. Sometimes your best songs come when they're just jamming. They're like, oh my God, did you hear what we just did? and for a guy that was around Brett Fav and I think those guys that were around Brett Fav understand that when you have something special

you got to just let Mahomes cook and you're watching Mahomes and when he plays in the construct of the offense and it works it's beautiful but his best plays are really when he just kind of ad-lips and I think that anyone in Kansas City would tell you that he can't coach that you can't corral it and harness it

but you also have to celebrate it. You know, it's not something that they want to take away. They want to balance it to keep them healthy and to be smart about it, but they encourage it. And this gets back to, he understands, like, when I say don't micromanage, you hired or you draft these people for a reason. You have to let them be them.

And part of a coach is to know what we need to work on and what they kind of already do well. Isn't Belichick's thing always like, don't tell me what the guy can't do, tell me what he can't? And when you tell me what he can, then it's on me to get that out of him. Well, it's clear that Mahomes has these ad lib plays out of the quote-unquote structure of the offense that have taken the chiefs to levels in which they've never been as a franchise. They had never won the AFC in the history of the franchise. Think about that.

for 50 straight years. There's been a lot of good Chiefs team. Never won the AFC. Hell, they had never been to the AFC championship game. Now, they had been to the Super Bowl, but the AFC and the NFL and the NFL didn't merge until 1970, and their two Super Bowls were before that. I had to do some history lesson.

And now they're there. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly. what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff

nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports slice brings you close to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to SportsSlice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 and the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host and your favorite therapist, Kear Games.

And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses.

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growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clivert Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliverts Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff,

like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up To me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her.

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And the first five years, like, there are the first six years, I guess the first five years, because Mahomes was six and seven for coaches. coach read were awesome they were making the playoffs every year they were a factor but they were you could just tell like i don't know if this is going to work and now they got my homes i think we all start thinking to ourselves and he's winning a super bowl whether it's this year whether it's next year whether it's in three years it's happening to me i i would bet the house on that and you know just it couldn't happen to a better guy get right to the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with one eight hundred flowers dot com from classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate-covered berries, gourmet treats, and more.

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We can change that. Learn how it belonging begins with us.org. Brought to you by the ad council. Okay. Let's get into Mr. Mahomi. Patrick Mahomes. He won the MVP in 2018. He now has led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

in first-ever AFC championship game. And it's pretty freaking clear that some cats aren't meant to be caged, right? Some guys aren't really, don't thrive in structure. And that's what makes Mahomes pretty unique. Because if I was doing a write-up on Mahomes, like a scouting report, first, before I even dove into the talent, what makes his ad lib ability so special is he checks every box you look for in terms of the intangibles.

Like, Fav, you look back and you even hear Fav talk and some of the NFL film stuff on him. He's even, he admitted he didn't really know what was going on. He didn't know what a nickel defender was. He was kind of screwing around and partying. Mahomes, in terms of work ethic, focus, doing whatever he's told, is off the charts. And then as a human, clearly he's teammates love him.

He's a magnetic guy, good-looking guy. unique looking with just the hair, funny kind of voice. He's just very lovable. He's just very, very lovable. I don't see how if you watch football, you can't like Mahomes. If you can't, you're just kind of a hater. Because at this point in time in his career, with the evidence we have, he's got to be the most fun NFL player in a long time.

And here's what else we know. They can give the MVP to whoever they want in any given year. And the MVP goes to who has the best season. Like, for example, this season. Lamar Jackson had the best season. He got the MVP. At no point was he the best quarterback in the league. As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center,

moving forward, he's the best quarterback, definitely in the AFC. I guess there can be times in the NFC when Russell Wilson can be the best quarterback. But Mahomes is the guy. This isn't in conversation anymore. So if Deshaun Watson wins the MVP next year or Russell Wilson wins the MVP next year, Now, Russ will be a little different, like I said. I'm just, let's you. Gwance, it's Mahomes.

We're living in the Mahomes world. Let's just enjoy it. But I think what makes him so fun is, like, everyone's different. That's what's great about players. Like, when Shaquille O'Neal came along, we'd never quite seen that before. Then when Steph Curry came along, we'd never quite seen that before.

Like, we'd seen Lamar Jackson before. His name is Michael Vic. we've seen glimpses of Mahomes before his name was Brett Favre but this does feel a little different this feels a little more modern he actually feels a little more complete and just a little more in control of the game but I'm not what Brett Fav did was incredible

that would probably be to me his parallel he's just a very very unique player and this is what makes sports so great sports are not an assembly line. Like you see the, you watch the documentaries or the videos about like the Ford plant or just however they make cars. It's just like, here comes the wheels,

here comes the chassis, here comes the frame, here comes the roof, here comes the windows, bang, bang, and everyone looks the same. Every freaking car looks the same. I have a 2011 Chevy Tahoe. Every 2011 Tahoe looks the same. Just like every 2012, 2012, 2013. Whatever car you drive,

year or that model, and really they stay similar for a five or six year period. And then they manipulate a new body style, but it's basically the same thing. That's not the case with players. Like Patrick Mahomes is dramatically different than Ryan Tammie Hill, who's dramatically different than Lamar Jackson, who's dramatically different than Tom Brady. It's like that in all sports. Like you watch pitchers.

Some guys throw 100, some guys throw 89. Some guys throw sliders, some guys throw fastballs. Some PGA tour players hit the ball for, some don't. Some are great iron players, some are great putters. Now, Mahomes, you could argue, really does most things incredibly well. He's accurate. He has an incredibly powerful arm. He's athletic so he can move around.

But to me, his greatest characteristic, and this is where, he has the far-vian quality is he can make chicken shit in a chicken salad in the blink of an eye. And he has done it countless times the last couple weeks. And this muscle flex of, I'm the best freaking player in the world

has been fun to watch as a football fan. Colin had a thing for a long period of time like you can give the MVP to whoever you want, Derek Rose, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, LeBron James, the best player in the world. And maybe that changed a little bit

the last couple years with Kevin Durant as he aged. But basically from like 07 to 2014-15, it was LeBron James's league. And it's starting to feel like, this is Patrick Mahomes' leak. How do you stop him? Because even when you have him corralled, he can run away.

His arm strength is so powerful and his feet don't need to be set. And they've done such a good job of surrounding him with just track speed that these guys, when the scramble drill happens, they know to do one thing, go deep, run toward the end zone. Because that guy will fling the ball to you. And he does it consistently.

And this gets back to what I said about Coach Reed and their coaching staff. They do an incredible job of letting him be him. And I think you see, and it's not just football, but it happens a lot in football. It happens in all sports. When you force a player to do what you, you want him to do instead of letting him do what he wants to do. Now, there's a balance, because if you're a good coach, when you tell him to do what you want

him to do, it should work. And with Coach Reed, with Kyle Shanahan, with Belichick, with Sean Payton, with the top coaches, for the most part, it's going to work. But as someone told me when I worked in the league, the guys in the other jerseys, they drive nice cars too. They live in big-ass houses as well. They're pretty good. So even the smartest coaches, sometimes you just dial up the wrong play.

Sometimes they just know what's coming. Then it's on the player to figure it out on the fly. And in my lifetime watching football, Mahomes at the NFL level, we see it a lot in college, is the greatest ad lib I think I've ever seen, especially at a young age. Now, Farruthers, and again, I am one, would probably argue he's right up there, and that's fair. That's just a long time ago And my memory

I mean I know I watched it And I've YouTubeed it And I've watched They had Niners, Packers' highlights Running on Friday He was special too And that's what made him a three-time MVP That's why they won a Super Bowl

And Mahomes, I feel very, very confident I don't know who's gonna win this game I really think it's more of a coin flip game You can convince me of any scenario Niners win, Chiefs win Mahomes throws four touchdowns Mahomes gets stifled by the Niners' defense. Jimmy's terrible.

I can see it all. He's going to win a Super Bowl if he stays healthy. It's inevitable. Like, it's going to happen. Back when I used to like LeBron Moore, he used to take a lot of shit, right? Like 0-8, 2009, 2010. He's a choker.

He'll never win. It's like, listen, guys, if we're watching the same sport, he's going to win. It's inevitable. He's too freaking good. And he eventually did. If you watch Patrick Bahomes,

I can't say that for Lamar Jackson. Is Lamar Jackson ever going to win a Super Bowl? I'd actually bet against it. Because in the history of winning Super Bowls, especially the modern era, you've got to throw to win. It ain't a running league with your quarterback. Now, you need to be athletic and run,

but his 100-yard games aren't as applicable come January. They just matter less. Like his 1,200 yards, it's just going to matter less. Can you throw four or five touchdown? against good defenses in January in the freezing cold. That's what matters historically.

And I don't think that's changing anytime soon. I know Mahomes can do that. We actually have the facts now. 11 touchdowns, no picks in four playoff games. He's been beyond special. Really beside his first half against the Patriots, he's been elite in the playoffs. These last two games have been like double middle fingers.

I'm coming for everyone. And there ain't a soul who can stop me. It's been fun to watch. And I think sometimes you just got to enjoy it while you can because the thing with sports, while I said everyone's a different player, the truly, truly great transcendent players only come around every so often. Think about it. If he is the next Brett Farf or even the better version of Brett Farf, we waited 25 years.

Like, Rogers wasn't really like Far. Rogers was more probably like an Elway or a marina. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo.

Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. Breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves. Their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real.

From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slic Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your friends. favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month,

I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession

of the thing, and we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro.

Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person. Join me, Kear Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast. Learn the Hardway. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys?

this is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, the Cliverts show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes,

hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Come on out. Quarterback on office blue with 42. Hey, ref, my mama want you to wave at her. What? Hey, Miss Parker. Listen to The Clippers Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody! Please! But there's so much more to me than that. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hippocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions.

Sike, I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian friends as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit.

Hey, cream. Cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrat, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrat as part of the My Cultura podcast. Network available on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

You know, he was probably more like Elway, where Mahomes is the better version, more than likely of FAR, now will he ever win three MVPs? Will he ever, you know, win a Super Bowl? It's yet to be determined. Like, I'm not trying to diminish Far's resume because it's first ballot hall of fame

or all-time ass kicker, badass. But I think even he did, like, I see a lot of, this guy's got it all, too. And I know Coach reading the guys in Kansas City that were around, I guess it was probably just Coach Reed, who's around far in Green Bay would tell you this too. Like this guy, he's got some unique freaking qualities,

and they have put them in a position where when you get a young quarterback, and I say this all the time with like the bills and even the Ravens, like, hey guys, your quarterbacks aren't exactly Drew Breeze. Get them some bigger wide receivers. Now, I'll give the Ravens credit. They got him some tight ends, but Hollywood Brown, he's tiny. get him a big wide receiver.

The bills, let's get Josh Allen a couple taller wide receivers with some big catching radiuses. Let's do that for him, okay? Look at the Eagles. Like, boom, they got Alshan, they got Ertz, they draft God, Ert's, they, J.J. Artega-Whiteside, I don't know if he's any good,

but they tried to like get bigger catching radius wide receivers. Help your young quarterback out. Look at what the Chiefs did. Tyree Kill, who's small but is unique. Kelsey, boom, they draft Hardiman, they draft, or they sign Sammy Watkins. They just keep taking swings for your young guy. Because when you have a young quarterback, and listen, like I said, Mahomes comes around every 20 years. But whoever you have, you got to do everything you possibly can to surround them with the best opportunity to succeed.

And the chiefs have done that. Mahomes has answered the bell. And it's just been fun watching a guy who is in the, a perfect situation to let his talents, you know, kind of let the cream rise to the top. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1800flowers.com is your ultimate birthday gifting destination. 1,800 flowers has thoughtful and artfully created options that are guaranteed to deliver the best birthday surprise. Shop thousands of unique gifts at 1,800flowers.com for exclusive offers and great value.

To order today, visit 1 800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. What grows in the forest? Trees? Sure. Know what else grows in the forest? Our imagination, our sense of wonder,

and our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect from this and connect with this, we reconnect with each other. The forest is closer than you think. Find a forest near you and start. exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council.

And we're live here outside the Perez family home just waiting for the... And there they go. Almost on time this morning. Mom is coming out the front door strong with a double-armed kid carry. Looks like Dad has the bag's daughter is bringing up the rear. Oh, but the diaper bag wasn't closed. Dipers and toys are everywhere. Ooh, but Mom is just naked.

the perfect car seat buckle for the toddler. And now the eldest daughter, who looks to be about nine or ten, has secured herself in the booster seat. Dad zips the bag closed, and they're off. Ah, but looks like mom doesn't realize her coffee cup is still on the roof of the car. And there it goes! Oh, that's a shame. That mug was a fan favorite.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Just nail the big stuff. Like making sure your kids are buckled correctly in the right seat for their age and size. Learn more at nhtsa.gov slash the right. seat. Visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat. Brought to you by Mitzah and the Ad Council. Let's dive into Kyle Shanahan and think about what really has made his coaching career become this, the Mahomes of coaches.

I mean, he feels like the modern day Bill Walsh. And how do we get here? How did this happen? Now, he clearly is unique that he was, his father was Mike Shanahan, who's probably, a top 10 to 15 coach ever. Multiple Super Bowls viewed as one of the great offensive minds with the zone running scheme ever, right? I mean, he's unique.

He now has a coaching tree of guys all around the NFL. And Kyle, I think, is a good example. It's not where you start. Now, he 100% had a leg up on the competition. His last name was Shanahan. That only gets you so far. Like, clearly, Kyle, who got his first, quote-unquote, big break in football, getting a wide receiver coaching job in his mid-20s with Gary Kubiak, who had played and coached for Kyle's father, that was his in.

But once you get in, it's hard to get in. I didn't know anyone in the NFL. But I worked with Pat Hill, he made a call to Andy Reid, one thing led to another, I'm in. Did it matter that if my last name had been Walsh or Middletoff? Who gives a shit? Once I'm in, I'm in. Then it's on me. Like in any job, whatever it takes you to get in the door,

sometimes it's harder to get in the door. Sometimes it's easier to get in the door. You know what all that matters is? You get in the door. Once you're in that door, it's on you to take advantage of it. Also, it's, you just might not be good enough. You might eventually get weeded out.

Kyle Shanahan gets his opportunity at wide receiver coach like three years later. He's Gary Kubiak's offensive coordinator. and they're putting up yards on everybody. And then his father gets a special opportunity to run the Redskins and he leaves for a lateral move to call plays for his dad. Unique, I think we all would have done it. And it kind of goes up in smoke.

They have the one year with RG3 that went well, they made the playoffs, but the irony is they never wanted RG3. That wasn't the type player they wanted. And in that situation, I think for Kyle, and it ended up blowing up, Dan Snyder fired them all, him and his dad got fired. Can you imagine the highs of highs of going to work with your dad and knowing that the scrutiny and everything that's going to come along with it

and then failing with your dad, like the power that that must feel inside of you? Like, I can't even begin to comprehend that. Some of you listening may work in family businesses, may have had family businesses go under and maybe you had to resurrect it with your dad. I don't know. But I can't even begin to think of failing with your father.

That would be stronger than failing individually, for sure. So that instance of going to Washington and failing, really, was it their fault? I mean, they never wanted RG3, ever. Now, they did want Kirk Cousins, but if they had Kirk Cousins, would they have probably just won some more games with Kirk Cousins from the jump? Maybe. Who knows? Maybe it was destined to fail.

You could argue in Washington it was. then he tries to get his career kind of back on track goes to the Cleveland freaking Browns and again was clear like he's a pretty good offensive mind did not want Johnny Mansell abruptly quits kind of a weird situation there had to be a point in time in his mind

where he goes is my career like is my reputation around the league how am I going to get this back I was talking to a coach the other day on text he's like you know my reputation in the league or, you know, people worry a lot about their reputations, just in general, what people think about me, how they don't think about me, is it in a good light, is in a positive light. My take is in 2020, and every year that we move forward, reputations, like when you're in good graces or when everyone's talking shit about you, has never come and gone at faster rates.

One day you could be the village idiot, the next day you could be a genius. and part of it is just the media cycle, social media, the pace in which society lives. This ain't 1974 we're all watching the baseball game. Everyone's in the fast lane now. We forget just as quickly as we learn. You could argue it's sad. Regardless what you think about it, it's just a reality.

These are the times we're living in. Matt Nagy was a genius two years ago, and then he doesn't make the playoffs, and everyone thinks he's an idiot. It's like, well, they didn't go 3 and 13. They went 8 and 8 with Ms. Trubisky. It's going to be okay. If Nagy makes the playoffs next year, everyone will be, okay, maybe Matt Nagy is one of the good young coaches.

He'll be okay. Same with Sean McVey. Everyone's like, oh, McVeigh is an idiot. And I've even said, like, Sean, you've got to be open-minded. And if he comes back and they go 10 and 6 and they're in the playoffs, he'll be fine. He's not an idiot. Matt Nagy and Sean McVeigh will be okay. Trust me, I'm pretty confident in that.

But when you look at Kyle, then he goes to Dan Quinn, someone who's, he's gone on record this year, he didn't know him. And when he got with Dan Quinn, he said, I've never been around a guy like this. So here's a couple things. One, failure multiple times led him to Dan Quinn. Someone if he was just not quit Cleveland, never would have happened. And then he realized, because I think Kyle could be a little surlier, could be a little darker, I guess, would be a way to describe him.

realized that this Dan Quinn guy, it's like a bald Pete Carroll. He's bouncing up and down. We're shooting hoops in the meeting rooms. Everything's fun. Two years later, we're in the Super Bowl. We had one of the great offensive seasons in the history of the league. Mattie Ice won the MVP. Say that out loud.

Matt Ryan won an MVP. I like Matt Ryan, think he's a good player. But say that out loud again. Matt Ryan won an MVP. What an incredible accomplishment for Kyle Shanahan. He's having the best year of it. his life. Boom, they go right to the Super Bowl. Boom, they're up 28 to 3

in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, Belichick, Brady, in the midst of their dynasty. And they lose the game. So in his greatest individual professional season, he ends up having probably his most devastating loss beside like his most devastating career

part with his dad of getting fired. But an individual game had to be Atlanta. But there was some light at the end of the tunnel because he had already accepted the 49ers job. Then he comes to the 49ers, and their team is terrible. I mean, God awful. He hasn't cut all these guys, got to bring in all these new players. The first year, they get Jimmy at the end,

so really their record was better than their actual team look because they were 1 in 10 by the time Jimmy showed up, and then he won the last five games, and they went 6 in 10. Then the next year, it looked like, they might be a competitive wildcar team, Jimmy Terres his ACL. So in two years, you're like, God, what is going on? But to me, the one thing, I always said about Kyle Shanahan is those two years when shit was hitting the fan, the team

just was not winning any games. The second time, once Jimmy gets hurt, clearly they're going to draft in the top five. I watched a guy. Every press conference, after a win, after a lot more losses, every week when it was just ugly, 49er fans were pissed, and handle it like he was 55 years old and had been coaching in the league for 20. years. And a huge reason he was prepared for that was because of the experiences he had just gone through. And think how many coaches in 2020, like, have never been, have never called plays.

Joe Judge has never called plays. He's ran special teams units. But besides maybe a trick play, you don't really call plays. You just go, punt return, kick off. Now you coach it during the week. But think of the difference in experience levels of Kyle Shanahan and Joe Judge. I'm just using him for an example. I'm not some Joe Judge hater. I'm just showing you that like, when Kyle Shanahan in 2017 showed up to a disastrous situation, he had been calling plays

for almost a decade. He had been fired multiple times. And on the grandest stage of all of sports had one of the most devastating losses we've ever seen. Now, he wasn't the head coach, but he was leading the offense, and he did get a lot of shit for it. Like Kyle, why

didn't you run? And I do think it's a fair question. And if you've seen him during Niners 10 year, all he does is run the ball. And he shoves it right down your throat. And he did it to Green Bay until they said, Uncle. I texted a buddy in the league probably about third quarter in the NFC championship game. And I said, only Kyle Shanahan can run out the clock in which they were doing. Jimmy Garoppolo threw eight passes, six of eight for 77 yards, an all-time line.

And make it look fun. Running reverses, running sweet like zone, shotgun, gun runs out of the stress. It was just awesome. It was fun to watch. Double reverses to Debo. And it was just gashing them. They had no clue what was coming in the third and fourth quarter when all Kyle was trying

to do was run out the clock. He's a brilliant coach. And part of it is clearly the way you grow up, whatever you do. Usually, listen, my dad was big into sports. It wasn't like I didn't randomly get to sports. We watched a lot of games in my own. Now, I don't love football anywhere near the level in which Kyle likes football. I'm more of a general sports guy.

I clearly like football a lot. I've dedicated my life to it professionally, but not at the level in which Kyle. I don't eat, breathe, and sleep it every day. Not by any means. And to be a great coach, you have to do that. And I think a lot of coaches think they do, but Kyle truly does. I know Coach Reid truly does. I know Sean McDermott truly does.

I've seen Matt Nagy does. like good coaches do. Doug Peterson does. But Kyle Shanahan then took that, plus his experiences. Like he wasn't just born to call plays. You learn it like anything else. Like Tiger Woods didn't just come out of the womb and hit sweet golf shots. It was, what was Malcolm Gladwell say, 10,000 hours?

Think of the amount of work Kyle Shanahan had put in to coaching, to calling plays before this season. before this season even started. And you go, well, he's only 40 years old. But he wasn't your typical 40-year-old. He started coaching positions in like the early mid, like 2005, 2006, 2007. He was a position coach right next to Gary Kubiak. Then Gary Kubiak allowed him to call plays. Then his father allowed him to call plays.

Then Mike Petten had him calling plays. Then Dan Quinn had him calling plays. It wasn't like, was he? How many plays did he call? Kind of like a Joe Brady or how much does Andy? How much does Andy let Eric Bianney call plays? It was Kyle's calling the freaking place. And clearly as a human, through all that experience, you mature.

I've seen it in myself. I think most people listening, if you're over the age of like 25, you're like, you know, you kind of grow every year. You gain more maturity. I'm just talking about not blowing up when you're in traffic, not freaking out because something doesn't work right. things usually don't go as planned. It's why the older you get, the more experience you have and whatever you do, you're more equipped to handle it. Because the first time you go through something

when it doesn't go as planned, you freak. It's human nature, right? The moment a young gazelle in the African prairie sees a lion, he got no clue what to do. After you've been chased, 10 or 20 or 10, 30 or 50 times, you got a pretty good idea how to avoid the thing. It's no different than a coach. The more experience you have, the better you are.

Bill Walsh became the greatest coach ever in the 80s. He got his job when he was like 60 years old. Would he have been Bill Walsh? Have he got his opportunity at 40? Does it suck to have to wait? Sure. Did Kyle have to wait as long as many? No.

But he also got thrown into the fire pretty early. And he clearly, you know, I've never seen it was a brilliant. mind with Russell Crow or beautiful mind, it sure kind of feels like, yeah, Kyle was born into it. It is the family business. But is there a chance he's better than his dad? And his dad won two Super Bowls.

Now, was Kyle going to win the Super Bowl? I don't know. But I've just watched the way Kyle built the 49ers, the way his players talk about him, in winning and losing. You saw the Cleveland Browns this year. They went 6 and 10. You would have thought they won one game. I watched the Niners win four games.

I watched the way Richard Sherman. The way Joe Staley, the way McGlinchie, the way, you know, these George Kittle, the way they talked about. Fred Warner. I mean, they swore by the guy. They're just like, God, I'm telling you, this thing is going to work. This guy's really impressive. That's not typical. Usually when you lose is like Pat Schumer.

Like, get this guy out of here. We can't fire him fast enough. It was the complete opposite with Kyle. And it wasn't just fake because he ran some loosey-goosey ship. he actually runs, I mean, it's an intense deal. Not necessarily like Belichick, which you got to stand up straight, you got to know the history, just more of the intensity of the playbook. And the standard in which he holds you to as a player,

he's, listen, I don't think it's hyperbole to say he's got a chance to be an all-timer. And it's not even about this Super Bowl. I'm talking about for the future. Like, who's stopping this guy? because he's kind of a guy that's kind of figured it all out at a really, really early age. But it's understandable why he did it in an early age. He started at a super early age. And he was given a lot of responsibility.

And now he's parlayed this into a Super Bowl birth at 40 with the San Francisco 49ers. And it really looks like he's going to be one of the powerhouse coaches for the next foreseeable future. Okay, let's dive into a couple other things. I guess we could start with the other two teams that play. Let's start with the Titans. They had a remarkable season. It's just a remarkable run that they went on to beat the teams in which they did,

given the level of underdog they were for three straight weeks, to go on the road to New England, then on the road to Baltimore, and then even on the road to Kansas City and take a 10-0 league. It was really, really impressive. And I said on the last podcast, I'll continue to say it. I really think that Vrable has a chance to be the modern-day Parcells.

Like, that's, to me, his comp. Like, he's that type of coach. He is, he just falls. Like, he's not Belichick's cerebral. I mean, he is a cerebral guy. He just, he's unique. And I really think he's got a chance to be the modern-day Belichick. Now, they got some questions.

What do you do with Derek Henry this off-season? I would imagine they pay them. What do you do with Ryan Tanyhill this season? I'd imagine you keep on a short-term deal. Marcus Marriota is going to hit free agency. What happens to him? But man, they are, if I was a Titans fan, I'd be pretty excited.

I got a good GM. I got a really good head coach. I got some young core pieces. My team is tough. My team is physical. We have a clear identity. My coach knows what he's looking for. If you're Titans fan, you're in a pretty good place.

The Packers. We can nitpick all we want. about how it looked, and it didn't look that pretty, right? Even the six straight games they won before the NFC championship game, they struggled to beat the Lions, they didn't look that good against the Redskins, the first half against the Giants, their best game was probably the game against Minnesota.

They did have a good first half against Seattle in the playoffs, but when you look at the Packer season overall, it was a major success. They had missed the playoffs two years in a row, they get back to the NFC championship game. Now, once they got to the NFC championship game, they were outclassed, outmanned, and they were just not even in the same stratosphere as the 49ers. Now, here's the question. As of recording this, I'm kind of recording it earlier on a

Monday. There are some reports that Mike Petton might not be back, which I think is a little crazy. Like, I think Mike Petton's a pretty good defensive coordinator. Who is Matt LaFleur hiring that's a better defensive coordinator than Mike Petton? I don't feel like watching the Green Bay Packers that Mike Petton was the problem. I think their offense. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in. I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves,

their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered. Sports Slice brings you closer to the action

with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Sliced Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host, and your favorite therapist,

Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the middle health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough.

Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth. Are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.

Join me, Keer Gaines, is we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, Learn the Hardway. Open your free, I Heart Radio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the Fourth. And on my podcast, The Cliver Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. like being an internet famous referee.

We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me, he goes, hey, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out of my. Quarterback on office blue of 42. Hey, rec, my mama want you to wave at her. What?

Hey, Ms. Parker. Listen to the Clifford show on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, I'm Jared Adano. You might know me as that loud guy who yells out, help on the internet. Help! Somebody!

Please! But there's so much more to me than me. I'm an actor. I'm a comedian. And recently, I've become quite the helper myself. And on my new podcast, Hope from a Hypocrite, I'll be changing lives, helping people in need with my sage advice and thoughtful solutions.

Sike! I'm a comedian. I'm not qualified to give good advice. Join me and my comedian, friend. as we riff, rant, recommend some of the most legally dubious advice known to man. If I'm calling you, even if you're on your phone, let it ring twice. One ring is too scary. Oh, cream a chicken suit.

Hey, cream a chicken suit. This is Help from a Hypocrite, the worst advice from the dumbest people you know. Listen to Help from Hypocrite as part of the MyCultura Podcast Network available on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. was the problem. They can't score any points. Their personnel on offense isn't good enough. They need more weapons for Rogers. Not an old Jimmy Graham and one wide receiver.

I still think you can win with Aaron Rogers. He just needs more help. He is no longer carrying the franchise on his back. It is peak LeBron. Those days are over. He needs help. You need to put guys around him. And I think Goudicent and his resume so far

of being aggressive in a short term as general manager, he will. I'd expect the Packers would be pretty good next year. Now, I'm not, still not the biggest believer in their head coach. How often do really good head coaches get blown out in playoff games? When's the last time Belichick got blown out in a playoff game? Could you see Kyle Shanahan getting blown out in a playoff game? When does Andy Reid ever got blown out in a playoff game?

That's not ideal. You know, I get, they were the underdog for a reason. They were not the better team. But the game was over before the first half even ended. You know, really great coaches that doesn't happen to. And I'm not trying to act like, listen, I thought they would have, they would be a disaster. He was not a disaster. So I'm wrong, you know, in terms of that.

But I'm not going to come out here and say I think he's one of the best young coaches in the league because I just don't believe that. Like I don't see some dynamic coach. And especially if he fires a defensive coordinator, that could be, you know, you might take, thinking you're taking a step forward. You might take a couple steps back. Some other headlines, Philip Rivers moved his family to Florida. he's moved his entire family to Florida. Now the big question is, what will the Chargers do? Dean Spanos is petty.

Dean Spanos is cheap. I can't imagine Dean Spanos wanting to lose his quarterback asset for nothing. The problem, though, is Rivers might be kind of washed. I'm not really sure where I stand on Rivers, the player. I no longer think he's definitely a Pro Bowl caliber guy, but he's probably not as bad as we all think. I mean, just when you play with Anthony Lynn and just some of the, just the Chargers,

and that home field, it's hard to overcome, man. Could he have one last swan song if he played for the Bears, if he played for the Tennessee Titans, if something like that happened? I think so. So I would say that Rivers might have one more swing him. If he comes back with the Chargers, same shit, different pile, they'll just be an average Charger team.

If he goes somewhere else, maybe he can strike lightning in a bottle. Hell, the Tennessee Titans, the Chicago Bears, I think, are two teams that would make sense. The Senior Bowl. starting this week. Justin Herbert is playing in it, which I think is smart, because Tua is hurt, Joe Brady doesn't need to play in it.

Justin Herbert can really establish himself as a sweet NFL player. All the general managers are there, well, except maybe like John Lynch and Brett Veach. I would imagine Veach goes. Lynch probably be 50-50, but neither of those guys are taking a quarterback. This guy can have a big week,

and he can kind of solidify himself as a top three or four pick. even though he probably already is, but I mean, he can hammer it home. He can take the hammer out, put the nail in the wall, and just put it flush against the wall. What's up, everyone, I'm here. And when you have a big arm, when you're a big time athlete, and you're a smart guy, you should always want to go to the senior ball.

That's the right move. That was my mom calling. My little brother's having a baby today, so I guess as a family member, I have to go a little later. That's why I'm recording this early. Bill O'Brien fired more people. Shocker. The guy's always firing people.

That's what he does. He fires people. Like Bill, Romeo Crenel is the problem. Maybe your personnel wasn't that good. Fired his interim GM. Like, it's never Bill O'Brien's fault. Can never fire himself. Clearly, he wouldn't do that.

But he easily points the finger at other people. Feels like the Texans for a team that wins a lot is not really the most stable operation. Honestly, they feel completely unstable. It really is wild that they're able to function. as well as they do with Crazy Billy O running the show. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that.

I'm April Dinnwity host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts. Visit Adoptuskids.org slash podcast or subscribe to Navigating Adoption presented by Adopt U.S. Kids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest.

It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you. Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure and pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you.

Their fearless guide is this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at Discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the ad council. Let's dive into the Middilkoff mailbag. As always, slide up into those DMs. At John Middlecoff is my Instagram. And I answer your questions here from Chris. Question about NFL salary caps.

How do NFL contracts like Richard Sherman's small base, heavy incentive impact the salary cap? And how do teams plan for this type of contract? Is the cap based on guaranteed money or $1,000? total contract paid out at the end of the season. Just curious if there's any loophole here where teams could sign a star player for relatively small base, take a small cap hit. Well, star players never signed for incentive stuff because they always have the leverage to get real money.

And the reason Richard Sherman did it, and really when you say small base, I think like a million dollars or two, his base was like eight and a half, nine million dollars. He just wasn't making 13, 14, high cornerback money because he was coming off the Achilles. he still, whether he made the all pros and the pro bowls and all that BS, he was getting decent money. I mean, hell, he was getting great, but $9 million a lot of money. So full disclosure, I'm not exactly sure. I've talked to people about this, but I kind of forget, you do have to pay for it. Like if I give you a, let's you a super high incentive, like a $2 million pro bowl incentive,

which would be usually right incentives or like $100,000. 200 grand Big ones are like 3, 400 grand but you rarely see like million dollar kickers like Richards was unique I'd have to text

some people with the Niners I'm pretty sure it kind of hits you maybe the next season I hate to even speculate because I'm not exactly sure but I know it doesn't just not it doesn't just not count

it 100% counts I'm just not exactly sure okay love the show I'm in high school I'm a high school senior who is unfortunately Atlanta Falcons football fan. Next season, a Super Bowl or Bus for Dan Quinn?

I don't think it's Super Bowl or Bus, but it's definitely the playoffs. You're bringing back Matt Ryan. You're basically bringing back the majority of your coaching staff. I think there's going to be clear pressure on them to make the playoffs. They still have a really good offense. They need to play better on defense.

They've got such a slow start. If they can just get off to a quicker start, you know, the Panthers should come back to Earth a little bit. I mean, they're already back to Earth. They've got a new coach. The Tampa Bay depends on what they do at quarterback. You would think the Saints are still going to be really good. But, yeah, it's going to be interesting.

I've adopted the Chiefs as my team since Cronkey decided to scorch Earth in the entire St. Louis Rams fan base. Is it possible that Daniel Sorensen is actually the most important player? Not necessarily the best on the Chief's defense. Is that being a BYU alum Homer? Yeah, he's definitely, I mean, Mahomes, Hill, Honey Badger. there are a lot of other guys more important, but he's made two enormous plays.

The stop on the fake punt, and then the open field tackle yesterday of Ryan Tanny Hill. Now, Andy's got a soft spot for the BYU guys, and Sorensen's been a made guy. And if you tell the scouts, they're like, yeah, we'd probably love a better guy, but that's not, Sorensen has earned his right to be on this team.

You play special teams, you're a physical guy, and he's made two enormous plays in the playoffs. So, yeah, you're always with Coach Reese, he's going to have a BYU guy. He's a BYU guy on the squad and you just hope he's a good player. And Sorenston is a very, very solid backup, which is why he is in the position right now. First half of the San Francisco game down. I think Mosley heard you call him just a guy. I agree. Let's see how it plays out. I don't know who called Mosley just a guy. I'm not really sure what this is. This is just an Instagram. I do think that

Emmanuel Mosley, I've been watching the NFL for 10 plus years being paid for it as a scout in the media. Emmanuel Mosley is one of the best undrafted free agent corners I've ever seen. There are certain positions guard, you see it, running back, you see it, wide receiver, you see it, see every once in a while, safetys. You rarely see undrafted free agent corners playing. Starting on one of the best defense in the league. And he's a starter on one of the best defense of the league.

Pretty nuts. What do you think about the Titans do? need to do to make a legitimate Super Bowl run. It seems like they get killed by speed in their losses this year. Do you think they need to focus on more receivers or maybe more pieces on defense? Yeah, I mean, I actually thought their defense was fine. I think their problem was they're not going to be explosive enough on offense with Ryan Taneyhill. Now, is that them not letting him throw?

Because I had coaches texting me yesterday like Cever Abel. He's getting a little conservative. You got a pass to take the lead and run to win in this league. Now, you can run to win against certain teams, against like the Patriots, who couldn't score. Against the Chiefs, you're not running to win. That ain't happening. You got to pass to score.

Now, you can run also to score, but you got to do both. And they weren't potent enough throwing the ball. So are you going to franchise Ryan Tanyhill? Can you get Phillip Rivers? What are your other options? I don't think Ryan Tanyhill is a lot to come back. I think Derek Henry's coming back.

But I think you maybe get Phil Rivers or someone like that, and you draft a wide receiver. I think they need more explosion on offense. AJ Brown, good player. Derek Henry, good player. They need more. That's not enough. See what the Chiefs are rolling out?

See what the Niners are rolling out? And you would say, God, their offense is still a long way away. They got Kittle. They got Mostert. They got Coleman. Braida doesn't even play. They have Debo Samuels, who's a monster. They trade for Emmanuel Sanders.

Guys like Dante Pettis can't even get on the field. So, yeah, it's about team speed, baby. Let's see if I can find some more questions. Here's a good question. Three and out question. What does it mean when a coach is listening as a position coach, quote, passing game coordinator, quote. Example, Chris Richard was the DB coach and passing game coordinator in Dallas. My dumbass just assumed the OC handles all coordination on the offense with help from the running back tight end wide receiver coaches.

Am I just ignorant or how team structure? I think a lot of times team structure it for pay raises because in every offense, like if Andy Reed your offensive coordinator, well, you're running back coach. and your offensive line are usually in charge of kind of figuring out what you're going to do in the run game. Then Andy, the quarterback coach and the wide receiver coach, probably put together the passing game. Then they meet throughout the week and they put together the plan. Same with defense. You got your coordinator who has the big picture plans. Your defensive line coach is dealing with the pressures.

Your linebacker coach is helping him out. And maybe your defensive back coach is worrying about the coverages you want to play. I think it varies team to team. I think a lot of times the titles can be a little misleading and don't necessarily say the whole story. I'm pretty sure that Chris Richard was calling the defense last year. So I think that's a big reason why that title really he might have just been the defensive coordinator. Since football only has one week left, are you going to continue your show in the offseason? How about you follow the XFL and discuss that?

I go two times a week, 365, baby. There is no stop in this train. And we got the draft. We have free agency. It's never going to stop. So get ready. It's going to keep going. And obviously we got the Super Bowl.

Then we got the Combine. Then we got free agency. Then we got the drafts. Let's kick this bad boy in overdrive. I ain't stopping. You keep listening and we'll keep on rolling. Appreciate everyone listening. Enjoy the week.

I'll talk to you guys on Friday. Tell all your friends about the reen out. Peace. Get right. the romance and find the way to wow this valentines with one 800 flowers.com. From classic roses and bouquets to decadent chocolate covered berries, gourmet treats, and more. Surprise your Valentine with 1,800flowers.com. Right now, get the 18-stem enchanted rose medley for 3999, or upgrade to 24 red roses for $10 more. Go to 1,800flowers.com slash tune in. That's 1,800flowers.com

Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where SportsSlice comes in. I'm Timbo, and every episode, we're cutting through the noise, breaking down the biggest moments in sports and giving you the real story behind the headline. And we're going straight to the source, the athletes themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions in the moment, and the stuff nobody gets to hear. Listen to SportsSlic. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Another podcast from some SNL, late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests

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We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? This is Clever Taylor the 4th. And on my podcast, The Clivert Show, I'm bringing you conversations about all kinds of stuff. Like being an internet famous referee. We're in the middle of a game. This linebacker, this linebacker walks up to me. He goes, A, ref, my mom wants you to wave at her. What? Time out.

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We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was part of you. You just understand. That's how personal it got. Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis coming to, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs.

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