The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 and Out - Stafford Narrative, Burrow Mindset, Sean Payton's Future, Coach & GM Hires, Brady Retirement Talk, Mailbag

Episode Date: January 25, 2022

John discusses how this season has changed the narrative on Matt Stafford, why it matters that Joe Burrow is obsessed with football, where Sean Payton could wind up if he leaves the Saints, the latest on coach and GM hires around the league, if Tom Brady could really retire. He also answers listener questions in the Middlekauff Mailbag.Follow John and The Volume on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest content and updates and check out FanDuel for the best wagering and daily fantasy action! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel 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 a cappella 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Using your Aspiration Zero credit card helps fight climate change. It's true. See, Aspiration Zero plants a tree each time you make a purchase, and tree planting is one of the most effective ways to combat global warming.

Track your progress in the app and earn 1% cash back each month you reach carbon zero. Aspiration Zero, one card, zero carbon footprint. Learn more at aspiration.com. The Aspiration Zero MasterCard is issued by Beneficial State Bank Pursuant to License by MasterC International Incorporated. Beneficial State Bank member FDIC 2021. Whether you upgrade your car because you need to or because you want to, eBay Motors has all the car parts you need. Over 122 million of them from new rims to seat cushions.

All at the right prices. eBaymotors.com. Let's ride. The volume. What is going on, everybody? John Middellcock, three and out podcast. I'd be lying if I said my juices weren't flowing if I was still excited from the weekend.

I have not come down off the high the high that is the National Football League. What a time to be alive. What a weekend. It really is remarkable. We have the Final Four set now. Still, the Allen, Mahomes. Hard to get that out of my hand.

we're going to dive into a lot. Stafford. I saw a quote Joe Burrow had that I think is very, I think is very important. He said it to Albert Breer in the Monday morning quarterback. Some OT rules. There's a lot of buzz out there about the overtime. Have a couple thoughts there. There's a rumor, not a rumor.

I mean, it's a story. Sean Payton might take a year off, have a take on that. And then just kind of the hiring cycle, Brian Dayball, because Joe Shane, I think is the way you say his name. Hired as the Giants General Manager. Might hire Brian Daibald.

They clearly just work together in Buffalo. Jonathan Gannon is a guy that's getting some buzz. Dan Quinn now is interviewing with everyone. So we got some movement there that we'll dive into. And then, of course, the Middlecough Mailbag at John Middlough is the Instagram. Slide right into those DMs. And we will answer them here on the show as well. Golf Pod will be out on Wednesday.

Go Low, at Go Low Pod. You can find it on Instagram. Tori Pines this week, moving it up. But this is a football pod. They're moving it up actually to avoid the NFL. Wednesday through Saturday and give championship Sunday a day of its own. Genius. Smart move, PGA Tour.

Let's dive into some football. I was thinking about this today with Matt Stafford. And he was a pretty polarizing player the majority of his career. Remember when he got drafted, the rookie weight. scale was not in place. You could make like $60, $80 million as a rookie. Remember the contracts? Guys like Matt Stafford, Sam Bradford,

and Adama and Sue were signing in the mid-2000s. They were immediately making more than the majority of the NFL. And then he played forever in Detroit. Let's face it, historic wasteland. They're two best players in the history of the franchise, retired at 30. Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. Tells you everything you need to know.

Now, listen, I feel for Lions fans. The highlight of their year, every single season is Thanksgiving Day. And I'm a believer they should get that game. Like, their grandfathered in, I have no problem with it. But when Matt Stafford went to his, I guess, management owner at the end of the season last year, before Dan Campbell was hired and said, it's time for a change. Well, listen, sometimes we all need a change. You know, I've changed career multiple times.

I bet anyone listening to this under 40 has changed careers a lot. My generation jumps around jobs. My parents had the same job my entire life. My mom worked at the same place for 30 years. My dad had the same job his entire adult life. Like that generation, they did one thing. We change a lot. We're not quite like coaches, but we are not set in our ways.

We can adapt and change on the fly. We're more open-minded. And sometimes when you make a change, it doesn't always work. and sometimes when you do make a change, it works. We've all been relationships, anyone listening to this, unless you married like your high school sweetheart, you've probably broken up with someone.

And if you're married, you dated different people. Well, there's typically a reason that you break up with someone. You think you, I don't know whether you can do better, whether that person isn't right for you, and you just think that, you know, it's just best to make a change. Now, you never know how it's going to play out. Sometimes it can be scary, but in the sport of football,

unlike dating, well, kind of like dating. When you hit the open market, you kind of find out how valuable you are. And when Matt Stafford hit the open market and it was clear, he was available for trades. You know the two guys that were at the front of the line willing to trade the farm for him? Sean McVey and Kyle Shanahan. Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers, desperately wanted Matt Stafford. Sean McVey had the inside track because ultimately they wanted Jared Goff and not Jimmy Garoppelo. Now, you could argue that didn't age that well because the 49ers would have done the exact same.

trade. Two ones, a three, and Jimmy Garoppolo for Matt Stafford. But it was kind of an inside job because the former GM for the Rams was now the GM of the Lions and they did the deal. And let's face it, during this season, I'm someone that had been critical of Matt Stafford and I love the talent. I know players who have been around him in Detroit, they swear by the guy. They love the guy. I root for the human being. I root for humans as much as players. If you're a great player, but I find out you're kind of a slapy, a bad guy. Like, I'm not a huge fan. But when I, and because I have access to people,

when I go, Middlecoff, you love this guy. This guy is awesome. It's why I pivoted so hard on Lamar Jackson. I started hearing stories from people around him. They're like, bro, this is the greatest guy we've ever been around. I'm like, I'm in. You know, so I naturally root for good guys who were talented.

But then you watch the season and let's face it, he struggled to shake the Detroit thing. Like that was a problem. He looked like Detroit, Matt Stafford at times, even down the stretch of the season, right? That Ravens game, the pick six, the Niners game, the debacle that was week 18. But they still won the division

and they still control their own destiny in the sense they had a home playoff game. And then that Arizona game, and we can say whatever they want, Arizona was a sinking ship and they were. He was awesome in that game, completely dialed. And then the game yesterday against Tampa,

but awesome. Biggest throw of his career. Obviously, he'd never even been to the second round of the playoffs. The dime he throws the Cooper Cup. You can say all you want, he's wide open. We've seen, Emmanuel Sanders was once wide open. Jimmy Garoppel threw it over his head. Wes Welker was once wide open.

Tom Brady threw it over his head. Like, not every pass is perfect, even from great players. So we saw Aaron Rogers. Like, he hasn't been perfect in the playoffs. Matt Stafford needed to hit that pass, and he did. Sean McVeigh changed the guy's life. Changed his career forever. first year, boom, NFC championship game.

And think about this, he goes to the Rams, and that mindset of we'll trade any picks, we'll do whatever it takes to win. Kind of like an NBA team, just trading first round picks. They don't give a shit. Well, they've already been proven right. Who cares about the first round pick if you're in the NFC, if you're hosting the NFC championship game? And here's the other thing.

As the season went on, lose Robert Woods. Now, they didn't know this at the time, but they were super aggressive to get Odell Beckham. Listen, I'm not the biggest OBJ guy, but he's looked pretty good. the last three or four weeks. Looks really good. He was really good yesterday. He's been good the last two weeks. And then, you know, their defense needs a little umph,

second, third round pick, whatever. We're living in the present. It's all about winning the championship now. Our owner just bought or paid for a $5, $6 billion stadium. Here's a two, here's a three. And I thought it was kind of crazy. I'm like, and listen, I thought it was wrong. This guy's going to be a free agent.

He's not quite the same player. Those are valuable picks. Well, now, who gives a shit about a pick at the end of the second or the third round when Vaughn Miller is getting you sacks every single game and he looks like a Pro Bowl level player. It worked. No team has been more aggressive with draft capital

and cash to try to improve their squad on and off the field. Sofi Stadium, I've been to a lot of places in really the world. I just a little traveling to Europe. It's one of the most remarkable sites I've ever seen. And I've seen the Sistine Chapel. I've seen the Coliseum in Rome.

I've seen Jerry's Palace. I've seen some pretty cool places. That fucking thing blows you away. And then on the field, every chip in the middle of the table. Stan keeps giving them the go-ahead. They keep risking the picks. It's 100% worth it. Because right now they're sitting 60 minutes away.

Now, they're basically their rival. McVeigh beat them three or four times. Shanahan's won the last six games. That game that they won this year. Really, the two games, the Niners won this year. Their season was in the brink early in the season. They were three and five, played them on Monday night, beat the crap out of them. Week 18, they literally had to win to get into the playoffs.

So there's going to be, if the Rams had won that game, they would not be playing the Niners this week. Think about that. So there is going to be things of this game. It's got a little bit of a vibe of Seattle 49ers way back with Harbaugh and Pete Carroll because of the rivalry those coaches had. Now, it's a little different once upon a time. Harbaugh, you know, and Pete Carroll had the What's Your Deal moment at the 50-yard line, Stanford, USC.

So there were some build-up, some Pac-12. This is kind of, these guys have worked together, even though it feels like they're friends. I don't think they talk that much regularly anymore. This is awesome. I mean, I can't wait. Enormous moment for Matt Stafford. Like, ultimately, Jimmy Garaplo is always going to be a really polarizing player. But Matt Stafford, some people talk about him, like one of the best players in the

league. You win the NFC championship game, you go to a Super Bowl. You know, he's going to start validating his career and his critics. It's going to really look like Detroit were the village idiots that entire time. I saw this quote from Joe Burrow. And I thought it really encapsulates why the four teams are left and why the good teams in the NFL consistently win. It's why the Patriots and the type guys they built for so long. And it always comes up during draft time. whenever you find out a player, like, you know, this guy's, this guy might like playing piano more than football.

You know, this guy likes, this guy might want to become a doctor while he's playing. And teams are like, you know, I'm a little iffy. And all the media, you know, they're all from academia, they get very bothered by that. Why do you care about other interests? No one cares about other interests. It's, is football your number one priority?

If football's not your number one priority, and I'm going to draft you high or I'm going to sign you to do a lot of money. You know, we got issues. You know what Elon Musk's number one priority? Tesla. You know what Jeff Bezos is number one priority forever? Amazon.

You know what Tom Brady's number one priority was the majority of his life? His football team, playing quarterback, Peyton Manning. Just go around all the top players. Say what you want about LeBron James, what he does for his body and is locked in for basketball's his number one priority.

If football's not your number one priority, priority, I have to question if I want to invest a lot into you. And Joe Burrell said this to Albert Breer, right after the game. We have a lot of players that it really, really matters to. And when I think about these four teams, like one thing's clear with Joe Burrell. Football is his number one priority. Now, you're like, you know, your family or faith. You know, when I got involved in football and I think it's a longstanding kind of motto is

faith family football. Family football faith. However order you want to make it. But football has to be a priority level in that, right? A lot of people, family, God, come first. And rightfully so. And for the best, football's right there with them. And I would argue anyone that's super successful in business, whatever they're doing,

they could be a chef, they could own some retail store, they could sell fucking Mercedes. Whatever that business, if they're at the top, it means a lot to them. and it's why when the draft comes around, the media gets so uncomfortable when we like, we don't really want balanced guys. I want football to mean everything to you. And the best part about this industry,

if it does and you're good, you get paid a premium. And then you can retire at 32, 33, 34. You have the rest of your life with a ton of cash in the bank. You get to do something very, very special and be highly compensated for it. But it is hard at the highest level

as you saw this weekend, if you don't truly, truly deep down in your bones, really give a shit. Like, I think a big reason the 49ers overcame kind of mediocre quarterback play, their team is littered. And I mean littered with complete football guys. You watch the reason that Josh Allen could go toe to toe with Mahomes. It's not obviously he has special talent. Do you understand how the energy and the effort that guy has put in over the years?

what football has to mean to that guy to improve to that level? Do you know why the Kansas City Chiefs are going to their four straight hosting their four straight AFC championship game? Because they're best players and they clearly, and really they got four.

Chris Jones is right there too. Honey Badger got Catoed. But did you see Chris Jones on the sideline getting into it with his guys? He's their best defensive player and he's so locked in and so fired up and then their core guys on offense, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelston,

and Tyree Kill, football, you can't even dispute it. When you're best players, and it means everything to them, and they truly care about winning, and winning isn't just, winning is their life. Because it is with coaches, right? You see Andy Reid or Sean McDermott or Sean McVeer, Kyle Shannon, or Bill Belichick, like, they are obsessed with football. Football to them, they care about it.

Like, it's humanly impossible to care about football more than the coaches do. It's an unhealthy addiction they have. It's why when they can find players that are on their level, you see it with Peyton Manny, see it with Tom Brady. You're now seeing it with Mahomes and Allen. And I think Travis Kelsey is that way. In my backyard, I see it with George Kittle and Fred Warner.

These guys love football to just every core of their being. You can win big. Every team has guys that, random guys that care a lot about football. maybe a backup. But if those are the guys in your team that it really means something to, you have a ceiling. The reason the Bengals

went from Joke to now in the AFC championship game is because their best player, Joe Burrow, is a football addict. And this game of football means everything to him. And I'm not, you know,

I'm not saying more than his parents or more than his faith, but it's on that level. And when you have that, the sky is the limit. And I think it's cool to watch Aaron Donald, in that game against the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night football

was fighting people up 28 to nothing, was trying to rip a guy's head off as they're beating the living piss out of them. You don't think playing in these playoff games mean a lot to 99? A guy that if he never played in the playoffs this year is going to the Hall of Fame. You don't think it means a lot to him? J.J. Watt came back from his arm getting basically ripped off. You don't think football means a lot to J.J. Watt? So when the draft comes up and we have these controversial takes on guys,

did you see the viral video that went on Kvon-Tibodh? How he talked about why he went to Oregon over Alabama? Don't be surprised when he slipped in the draft a little bit. Get ready for it because it's coming. I'm not saying he's going to go in the second round, but when he's like, damn, how did this guy go ninth overall? Google, Google the video. Then holler back in me.

I also was thinking about this. And I vividly remember, I think Tom Coughlin, when they first went on their big run in 08, and they ended up winning that Super Bowl. But I think it was in the NFC playoffs. He used to address his team, and the videos would go viral on TV or whatever. I mean, I think it was a little pre-like Twitter and I guess Facebook was there, but he used to be like, be humble in victory. And I was watching Kyle Shanahan's press conference, and he was just saying, like,

we easily could have lost that game. and in this game, the margin for errors are so small, it's why you have to be humble, right? Any person listening to this, you know, if you're old than, you know, past probably 35 or 40, you've had something professionally that has rocked your world. It is, it's not that hard in this country we live in to go from the penthouse to the outhouse fast.

Now, luckily, because of the opportunities capitalism provides, you can go from the outhouse back to the penthouse or at least back to, you know, a solid place in the building, pretty quick. But it's very easy in this world in business, like in football, to get humbled very, very quickly. Some stuff's out of our control, right?

Things happen and it can just rock your world. It's why when things are going well for you, especially economically, you know, the people that pump their chest and brag get kind of exhausting. It's why no one feels sorry for them when shit hits the fan. Right? And I was texting with a buddy

last night on the Chiefs. And I was like, you know, it's got to be the cool. And he's been there for a while. It's got to be the coolest victory. He's like, this place was berserk. And I'm like, you know, for as awesome as your building is going to be tonight and definitely tomorrow on Monday morning, can you imagine how shitty that Bill's vibe is? I mean, it was a bad bounce here, a screw up by the special teams coach there.

Like, it's, the margin for error is very, very small. Very, very small. And he's like, you know, what's funny is I was walking out of the stadium. I walked by the Bill's locker room. And it was sad. And the difference, what makes the NFL so awesome, when you just think about the history of the league, right? You know, where I live, and this happened before I was ever born,

and it's one of the most famous plays in league history, is the catch. It literally was a throw that Joe Montana a couple feet higher, Dwight Clark can't make it. It goes right over his head. Think about the game that the Patriots, that elevated them in his stardom was the famous kick by Venetary in the Tucker rule game.

What if he slips? What if he hits the upright? Maybe he never becomes Adam Vinetary. It's not like most of the winners in the National Football League, in the playoffs. Win these games by 20, 30 points. Most games come down to a bounce here,

a drop here, at the highest level. And think about all the Patriots Super Bowls. They've been a ton of tight games, you know, whatever. one six. Think of all Brady's wins, slash, and his losses. It's why when you think about

the Chiefs, like they had that incredible Super Bowl victory against the 49ers when they were down late and they came back. They've also had some devastating losses. The year before, they lost an overtime at home to Tom Brady. They were 13 seconds away from losing that game.

And there is, there really is, and I try to think about this a lot for myself. And it's easy, like in the media world. You got to like promote stuff on social media and sometimes it can be really exhausting. I mean, it's, it's part of the deal and you don't have a choice. But it's, it's one of those that sometimes like, I just can't. I'm not feeling this. And I think a lot of players is why I have so much respect for these guys, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, even Matt Stafford, just the way they conduct

themselves. You watch Tom Brady after that game. There's a humility to them. And wins or losses. Because it can easily go the other way. and the victors get to write history and there are a lot of times I bet if you look back like a bad bounce here and this goes for sports that it's very very easy to be on the other side it really is

and unlike business where if I went bankrupt tomorrow I can battle back I can come back if I lose a devastating game as a coach or a player in an NFC championship game in a world series in a golf major there's no guarantee I ever get back to that spot that might be my one opportunity

that I can define my life for every Tom Brady and Joe Montana who gets all these spots look at Aaron Rogers I say it all the time Aaron Rogers is one of the best players I've ever seen any sport I feel like is he ever gonna make a Super Bowl again

I mean shit I don't know it kind of feels like no as crazy as that sounds so I know we got a lot of pro athletes listen to this it's just you know there is something to be said and I'm not saying you get to celebrate But there was a video yesterday where Mahomes sprinted to go see Josh Allen.

There's a humility that I think this game in life humble you at the moment's notice, especially when you start feeling yourself. The NFL conference championships are here. And to celebrate Fandual's sportsbook is hooking new customers up, 30 to 1 enhanced odds for either conference championship game. Rams diners, bingles chiefs. Five bucks can win you 150. Any team to win either conference.

championship, simple, easy-to-use app, America's number one sportsbook, it's Fandul. If you're already a customer of Fandul Sportsbook, they're hooking up all customers, $50 when you refer a friend, plus your friend will get $50. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the game.

and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying.

Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, This platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Always use the promo code Colin when signing up, safe and secure, payouts in less than two hours, Fandul's Sportsbook, check out the Apple.

America's number one sportsbook. 21 plus and present in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia, or West Virginia refund issued as non-withdruable site credit that expires in seven days. Max refund 10 bucks. Restrictions to apply. See terms at sportsbook, Fandul.com slash web. Gambling problem, call 1-800-gambler. Visit fandul.com slash RGFarl in Colorado, Jersey, and Virginia. Or call 1-8009 with it in Indiana. 1-800-270-17 for confidential help in Michigan. Tennessee Redline is 1-800-8-9-9-7-89. Or go to 1-800-gambler.net in West Virginia.

or call 1-800 next step or text next step to 533442 in Arizona. This clip is brought to you by State Farm. At State Farm, they know it's important to ensure the things you love. They also get that everyone has a budget. That's why they have options, like insuring your car and your home, getting you great rates on both. It's a good idea to consider State Farm. For surprisingly great rates, like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Call or go to StateFarm.com for a quote today. If you could talk to me a little bit about the process you went through, and I think it's good to not pat yourself on the back, but to put it out there so other people can kind of hear what it takes. Like, I don't know. I always look at like this. Like, what do I want? I wanted to be a WWE superstar.

All right, what does it take to be a WW superstar? What are the tools I will need to give me every possible opportunity I can get? And so I took the tools of acting classes, improv classes, wrestling school, everything I possibly can to knock on the door of WW. The people of the, everyone on that real world show would wear my t-shirts, would always ask me to do the MIS. Like, they were so supportive. Like, you don't get it that very often.

Yeah. Really don't. Listen to the MyCultura Podcast Network available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Can I tell you about my friends at LinkedIn? Listen, it's a new year, 2022. We're all trying to find people that hire for those of, of you listening that are in HR, running small businesses, wherever you are.

And LinkedIn makes it easier than ever to find people you want to talk to faster and for free. Create a job posted minutes. I've done it on LinkedIn jobs to reach your network and beyond to the world's largest professional network of 770 million people. Focus on candidates with the right skills and experience. Use screening questions to get your role in front of the most qualified. then use simple tools to quickly filter and prioritize who you would like to interview and hire.

It's why small businesses rate LinkedIn Jobs, number one, in delivering quality hires, first competitors. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to faster. Did you know that every week nearly 40 million job seekers visit LinkedIn? Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash john. That's LinkedIn.com slash J-O-H-N, John, to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Another big story that's going right now is Sean Payton and whether or not he wants to come back,

whether he's going to quit, whether he's going to retire, whether he's going to take a sabbatical year. And I think about this with just any person that's been somewhere a long time, but especially coaches, you know, even like CEOs, you know, CEOs aren't talking to everybody every day. Like Bob Iger just retired from Disney or whatever. whatever. Bob Iger's not talking to everyone in the company day in, day out.

When you're the coach, everyone that matters in your building, the players, the assistant coaches, the executives, like you are impacting them really on close to a day to day basis. That your message, your body language, everything you're doing. And I just wonder, Sean Payton has been there for whatever, when did you get there, 06, it's now going into 2022. Maybe it's just time for a change. maybe it's just time to like take a deep breath take a step back and eventually I'll go coach somewhere else it's just time to throw a different pitch

I saw it happen to coach reed now he got the eagles fired him but it's the best thing that ever happened to Andy he got to go to Kansas City he got to kind of restart and the rest is history they've been kicking ass and taking names ever since they did it with Alex Smith and now they've gone to a completely different level with Mahomes but like it was just time for a change You know, Bill Parcells used to jump around a lot of places.

It was healthy. Now, he probably did it at a rapid rate more than most guys. But if I had, could advise Sean Payton, if you were on the fence and you are thinking about, like, do it. Go. Call it. Just tell the Saints, like, I'm out, man. You don't owe me any more money. I'm going to take a year off.

Go hire a new coach. Go in a new direction. And let's face it. He's looking at the team. They're in Capel. They have no quarterback. Like, it's just time. I think he should step away.

And then immediately take a year off, take a deep breath. And then he'll immediately be, there will be so many teams trying to hire him next year. And the number one team we will talk about is, will he replace Mike McCarthy? I mean, I could see Sean Payton replacing Mike McCarthy in 2023. That has a chance to be the story. But when I saw the owner say

When she asked about it She's like who knows These stories on Champate Like I think he's done I think he's over it Like listen Taysam Hill Heineke

Not Heineke Simeon I mean but see the names I'm listening James who's got a torn ACL Like this is He led a good life with Drew Brees They won a ton of games They had a lot of success

They won a Super Bowl They were on the fringe of another Super Bowl If it wasn't for a bad call They played in some epic playoff games. He had an incredible run. I think he's a fantastic coach. But, you know, go somewhere else. Doc Rivers did it with the Clippers and then he went with the Sixers. It's just healthy. Get new people, new people hear your voice, your message. And I think it refreshes you. I think sometimes would change. You know, sometimes change, like you don't need to just change to

change. But when you're in a place for a long period of time and you start feeling, I don't know if apathy's the right word, but you just don't have the same juice. You hear this a lot with players why they retire. It's because they don't have the same energy to go to practice. Yet when you hear guys in the peak of their powers, you know, like when I hear stories about Mahomes at practice, when I go to the Niners and watch Fred Warner and George Kittle and Use Check and Debo practice, like, God damn,

these guys love to practice. Well, it probably gets hard to practice after 15, 20 years. It's why if Brady retires, maybe he just got tired of the grind and the discipline that it takes to kick ass and take names. and I wonder if Sean Payton just the brand of the Saints and just dealing with the team and now the quarterback situation and he's such a good coach, they're never going to be drafted high enough. Just like, hey guys, I'm just go our separate ways.

Not every divorce is a negative. I've known people that have gotten divorces in their 70s like the best season they ever made. They wish they would have done it 30 years ago. If he's thinking this, he probably was thinking this years before. But now because of their cap and their quarterback situation, he can do it. And it gives the Saints a chance to just completely reset the franchise.

I actually think it would be a win-win. I also was thinking this, watching Joe Burrow play. Think about the Miami Dolphins. You get so much credit for tanking in sports because no one loves tanking more than like the analytical elites in the media. They're like, this is the right decision to do.

Blow it up. Blow it up. And remember the Dolphins legitimately blew it up. They were trading people. they traded Tunzel, they were just resetting the whole thing. And then for whatever reason, because everyone's shitting on them, like us normal people, they kind of pivoted toward the end of that season and they won, I think, three of their last five games, including that final game against Tom Brady,

where I think they were like a 17 point underdog. And they ended up getting the fifth overall pick. So they lost this generational quarterback in Joe Burrell, which would have been the no-brainer. It's easy to say Herbert now, but they would have taken Joe Burrell if they had a brain. So they tank basically 80% of the season, then they get to the end of it, and then they screw it up, and they don't get Joe Burrowed. But then they had the opportunity, and they take the wrong guy. Just think about that.

What a disaster the dolphins are. They tank, they can't tank right, they tank for a quarterback, they end up getting by four. Burrow and Herbert and Tua, if you were ranking them, Tua wouldn't be three, it'd be like 10, because that's how big the gap is between Burrow, Herbert, and him. It's the size of the Grand Canyon. And now they don't have a coach. They just, what a disaster franchise.

What a joke. They have this owner with all this money and they can't figure out shit to save their life. And it's the biggest reason all these good teams like Andy Reid is going to just consistently win. Even Belichick, like once he just got Mack Jones, listen, I think it's pretty average. But like Belichick's going to win 10 and 11 games every year.

Because there are franchises like the dolphins and ironically Brian Flores could beat them but like they just won't be able to figure it out the Jets they just never figure it out and when you have teams that just can never figure it out it's a huge advantage for teams that just like yeah we know what we're doing we're good and it's why

the cream always rises to the top and then I was seeing like Joe Shane who got hired like I think I talked about in the last podcast I would have hired Adam Peters now I don't know this guy at all never even met him and I understand I was texting with a guy that's close to the franchise that said,

and I think it's been reported that basically the final two was Adam Peters and this guy. And they went with this guy, which, listen, I mean, reading about him, reading the story, sounds like a very, very impressive guy. And I think one thing, and I know we get some personnel and some scouts to listen to the show, if you were in the office, I was reading about this guy, one huge advantage that John Mara told people that him and Adam Peters had is none of these teams are looking to just hire a scout. there are going to be people in the league that are excellent scouts.

Well, being a GM is about a lot more than that. And one thing that Brandon Bean allowed Shane to do is start being and bringing him to all these meetings of everything in the operation. From the medical stuff with the trainers to the stuff with the cap to everything that's under the general managers watch. Travel, meeting with the coaches about different scenarios.

Because when I was a scout, I just sat in my office, Watch players wrote them up. That's all I did. I never did anything else. You know, besides like pick up food and stuff when I first got there, right? Go drop guys up at the airport. But once I became a full-time pro scout and a college scout,

all I did was write it up. And that was awesome. It was fun at the time. But like I wouldn't have been, like I was a long way away from ever, you know, because at the time I was like, I want to be a general manager in the league. But I mean, I had a long way to go. I've done way more with money and business and numbers since I've been in the podcast business that I ever did in the league.

So for these guys that want to take these steps, you have to get, especially once you become the two or three in your organization, you have to get your hands on other things because no one's going to hire you as a general manager in the NFL. And clearly these general manager jobs starting to come open a little more often. But you have to have a feel for agents.

You have to have an understanding of the cap. You have to know how to, you know, work with assistant coaches, which is something, I mean, I did as a scout too. That was, that's something that should come natural to any good scout, like being able to interact with coaches. And especially the college guys get to do it all over the country. So that's something that most scouts are going to have in their back pocket. But the cap stuff, the medical stuff, dealing with trainers is a huge point of

difference for these guys. It is no longer, I remember when Trent Balke got fired from the Niners. It was just a meathead guy watching tape. What was the vibe on him? Now, you know, and that kind of, when you get that kind of vibe on you as a general manager, he just wants to watch tape 24-7 and not interact with anyone, that is no longer the job. It might have been a long time ago, but now that these franchises are $3, $5 billion, you're signing players, you know, your star players, the $60 million guarantee.

And if you have a quarterback, you're spending $120, $130, $140, it is encompassing a lot more. Now, one thing that's going to be interesting with this guy is the New York Giants job can make you a legend, right? Their bar is extremely low. They have multiple high picks. They have the opportunity to hire a coach. This guy's going to have the chance to become a really, really famous name in the league. If he hires the right coach and it kind of feels like it's going to be Brian Dayball, they were just together in Buffalo for a long period of time.

Now, we'll see. There's no guarantee. Dayball's interviewing a lot of different places. it's hard to get a feel. These coaching hires, typically we'd have three or four of them already taken place. It doesn't even feel like we're that close. We're starting to see some of these teams

like whittle it down to final candidates. Maybe the Broncos because they're general managers already in place, but I haven't heard anything out of Jacksonville. Minnesota, you've got no clue what's going on there. The Giants now we feel like we got a little direction. But who knows? Maybe he's got a curveball in, you know. I do think that Brian Dayball,

what I've seen him do offensive, feels like he'd be pretty good. Another guy that's got a ton of experience who's failed before. I think that's a big deal hiring coach. Have you failed? Because if you're gonna fail, especially when you get hired,

most time you're gonna go to really shitty teams. So you get used to losing some games. That was the problem with Urban Meyer. He didn't know how to lose. It was the first preseason game and a starting center was like Urban, bro. This game doesn't mean anything. You gotta relax.

He didn't get it. Of course he didn't. He's a college guy. He doesn't. get the league. And it's why to me, Brian Dayball, I don't know him either, but just watching his work now very closely the last couple years and looking at his resume, Belichick Sabin, but also been a lot of other places, now went kind of independent with Sean McDermann, got to run his own unit, got to mold Josh Allen. I think that would be a pretty, I would feel pretty good if I was a New York

Giants fan and I got this young, up-and-coming, smart general manager, and we got Brian Dayball. I mean, you just had Gettleman and Joe Judge. Like, come on, give me a break. Joe, Joe might be an impressive guy, but he's special teams coach. Like, Joe, let's coordinate offense before you become a head coach.

Like, you don't know anything about offense. It's hard to, you know, this isn't 1982. We're not looking for CEO guys that are 39 years old. And it's why he was completely over his head. He couldn't do anything. Couldn't improve.

I mean, his move when he fired Jason Garrett was to hire Freddie fucking Kitchens. It's like, come on, bro. Out on you. The other name that just makes me shake my head little bit is Jonathan Gannon. And knowing people with the Eagles, I have heard this guy is a very, very impressive individual. He's a good leader. He's really good with players. He's just an impressive. People really, really like the guy. And I think there are a lot of guys like that in the

NFL. You meet him. You just go, this is an impressive guy. This is a type guy I want to have on my coaching staff. I want to be around. Well, if you just watch the Eagles play defense this year, they weren't any good. So part of just being an impressive guy, Robert Sala was like that, right? Robert Sala is beloved. Everyone loves the guy. Super high character, great with players,

great energy guy, good to fans, good to execs, can manage up, can manage down, total package. But then Robert Sala, at least, I mean, he had four years as a defensive coordinator, he goes to the Jets and he stopped being a defensive coordinator. But at least deep down, I know that if like shit hits the fan, Robert Sala can call defense.

I've seen him do it before. And he did it for several years. Well, Jonathan Gannon has been a defense coordinator one season. One season. And the defense was atrocious. It was absolutely terrible. Now, just because you're a bad coordinator

doesn't mean, you know, or you have a, you coordinate a unit that is not high statistically, it means you're going to be a bad coach. McCarthy, when he got hired to the Packers, now it feels like a lifetime ago, the 49ers were not good on offense. Packers hired him, he goes to Farvin Rogers, and he has a lot of success, despite being a pretty polarizing coach.

But, you know, resume speaks for itself, won a lot of games. I think some of these guys like Jonathan Gannon are, and I just talked about yesterday on the podcast. Like, age means nothing to me. Like, it doesn't bother me that he's 38, 39 years old. What bothers me, he's only coordinated a unit for one year, and it was terrible. So when I hired, even like LaFleur, LeFleur, really benefited from going to Aaron Rogers. He'd only been a coordinator one year. Sean McVey had been a coordinator several years.

Kyle Shannon had been a coordinator for almost 10. So if I'm going to hire a young guy and he's got the leadership stuff, which matters, which matters. Like you saw Robert Sala this year, it was a disastrous situation. But he handles himself, he's mature. Like, I like that. But eventually he's going to have to schematically separate himself because this is a schematic sport.

Even if the Giants who have no talent, that's why I like Brian Daibald. because I know that he can just scheme offense. Now, if Brian Dable says, I'm going to be the head coach, I'll accept your offer, but I don't want to be the offensive coordinator. I'd say, hold up.

I'm hiring you for your expertise. I want you to be the head coach and the offensive coordinator. I want you to call plays. That's the best of both worlds, right? When the chiefs hired Andy, he called plays and he led the organization. When the 49ers,

Hile Kyle Karr-Shanahan, he calls plays, and he leads the organization. When they hired Bruce Ariens in Arizona once upon a time, he called plays and he led the organization. Frank Reich, Nick Siriani this year, that's what I want. So if Jonathan Gannon, like, how do I feel comfortable that he's going to call my defense and be good at it?

So it's pretty crazy to me. To me, he falls under more like what you see in Major League Baseball, what you see in, I would say in basketball, where they get these guys that are going to be the general manager thinks they can dictate everything.

And that's not the way football works. Once the season starts, the head coach is in complete control. He runs practices, he runs the game. So I would just, I'm not necessarily down on this guy. I don't know him.

But I just think we need to pump the brakes a little bit. Say what you want about Kellyn Moore. And I think he needs to improve a little bit. At least he's been a coordinator now for several seasons. I think this will be, if he doesn't get a head job, he'll be going on his fourth season as the O.C. He's called a lot of plays in the league.

Brian Dable has been a coordinator for a long time. So to me, being a coordinator, you know, I know there's been studies that it doesn't necessarily matter. I do think it matters, especially in this day and age, where it's less about machismo and toughness because of the rules

and more about scheming guys open. scheming coverages, scheming routes. This is a thinking man's sport. Look at some of these coaches left. Zach Taylor, former quarterback. Andy Reid, one of the greatest offensive coaches in the history of the league. McVeigh and Kyle,

two of the youngest stars the league has ever seen as offensive coaches. This is not super tough guy league with no thinking. You need tough guy, but you also need to think. So I think there's a balance schematically how talented you are as a coach really matters.

And as a general manager, unless you're like Nick Casario and Belichick taught you everything, most of these GMs are not going to just be like Bill Walsh when it comes to scheme. You are very, very dependent on the head coach. Very dependent on the head coach. So that's something I'm just,

I'm pretty passionate about. And I see some of these teams that I think they're kind of, I don't know, they think they can like circumvent. it. And it's not possible. Like I said, the reason McVeigh and Kyle, their age is irrelevant. The reason they're good is because they can dominate calling plays. Like, that matters.

Hell, McVeigh was dialing up plays with Kirk Cousins with a bad Washington team with Gruden's brother. Kyle had the number one offense in the league in Atlanta. Even Dan Quinn forever was a great defensive coordinator with Seattle when he got the job. Like, I need you to have success on your unit. That makes me feel a lot better. Okay, before we dive into the mailbag, one story that's circulating a little bit. And for the first time, really ever,

I mean, truly ever, it feels like there's some legs behind it because he's put some quotes behind it. It's Tom Brady and his future with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And not just his future with the Bucks, but his future as an NFL football player. And I guess he has his own podcast,

let's go, basically said, like, you know, I owe it to my family and my kids to be there. And the moment that I feel that they deserve more of me than football, it's almost time to go. And I just watched him with Jim Gray saying the moment he feels that he can't give a hundred percent to the team. He's out. And I, listen, maybe he'd have to do some fact checking here. I don't remember talking like this. And there was a story, I think, Sunday morning, maybe it was Saturday morning. maybe it was Saturday morning by, you know,

Shefter or one of those, maybe it was rap sheet. They're like this, there is some talk in the league and really I think with a team that this might be it for Tom. To me, the moment you start talking about that, the moment you start thinking about retirement, the moment you wrap your head around like, I could be vacationing, I don't have to do this. And he's already made steps, right?

Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encourage. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions,

my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.

Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because. of crack.

I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really?

Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your Podcasts. Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way 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. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth,

or 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, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose

on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free, our heart radio app. Search learning a hard way and listen now. The last several years, Tampa and that last year in New England, he stopped going to the offseason activity. His kids are getting older. He's old, you know, relative to the NFL players. He started living a normal life in the off season, kind of Roger style. I'm not coming to any stuff.

I will not be there from the day the season ends till training camp. I will take care of myself. I'm a grown up. I can train. I will see you in training camp. And he's Tom Brady. no one cared. Cool, Tom. Do whatever you want to do. But I think now he's starting to think like, do I want to do this? And the way Tom does something, all of his chips are in the middle of the table.

He, I think, has proven to be the most addicted football player in the history of the sport. He changed his entire life from training to dieting to literally doing everything to ultimately get to 44 years old. And it's clearly what, honestly, I don't think, I think we almost underestimate what we witnessed these last two years. How good he was in Tampa, I don't care who he was throwing to. You know, obviously he was throwing some good players, but the numbers he was putting up at 43 and 44 years old. And ultimately, he lost a playoff game at home.

That's how good his team was. Win the playoffs last year, you know, or win the Super Bowl last year, and this year be good enough to host a playoff game. and they just ran out of bodies. They just ran out of, you know, you need good, like, you can't beat playoff teams without some of your best players.

Tristan Worf's nowhere to be found is a problem. Godwin nowhere to be founds a problem. Like the Rams, like they hit on some of these moves. And I think Tom's coming to grips with it might be over. And I, you just, just watch, just type it into Google. Watch the way he's talked the last 24 hours. He has not talked like that in previous years.

and if this is all we get from Tom Brady he'll just I mean to me you could argue of the last 20 years he's the most he's the biggest superstar in America him or LeBron but Tom's Tom won more than LeBron

Tom's got seven rings went to nine Super Bowls that's never getting matched it's never getting matched Patrick Mahomes could win three Super Bowls and still be four short of Tom think of the likelihood to like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson ever win a Super Bowl.

I think how hard that is. Aaron Rogers has been kicking ass and taking names. Has won. So if this is it for Tom, I think it'll play out over the next couple weeks, maybe the next month. We'll definitely know by, you know, I guess, well, by free agency. But it's uneducated. I don't know the guy, but just start putting two and two together.

Listen to his voice. You know, now, he's a competitor. He loves football, so maybe he just, he still tries to play one more year. But I have a hard time. He won't half in, half out. He's an all-in guy. And I think there's above 50% chance that was his last game he's ever played against the Los Angeles Rams. Can I tell you about my friends at Shopify?

It's the sound of another sale on Shopify, the all-in-one commerce platform to start, run, and grow your business. Shopify gives entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business so upstarts, startups, and established businesses alike can sell everywhere, synchronized, online, in-person sales, and effortlessly stay informed. Scaling your business is a journey and endless possibility. I love how Shopify has the tools and resources that make it easy for any businesses succeed, from down the street to around the globe. Like mine, Shopify powers millions of businesses, from first scale to full scale.

scale. Reach customers online across social networks and in an ever-growing suite, integrations and apps, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and even more. Gain insights as you grow with detailed reporting of conversion rates, profit margins, and beyond. More than a store, Shopify grows with you. This possibility, powered by Shopify. Go to Shopify.com slash John, that's all lowercase, for a free 14-day trial and get full access to Shopify's entire suite of features. Grow your business with Shopify today. Go to Shopify.com slash J-O-H-N Shopify. Shopify.com slash John. Meet Anna Delvey. She inspires loyalty in some, contempt and others, an obsession in everyone she meets. Anna is an audacious entrepreneur. Or maybe

she's a complete con artist. But there's one thing about Anna you're never sure about. Who is she? Introducing Inventing Anna, a new limited series on Netflix. It's the story of the legendary German heiress and social media sensation Anna Delvey, who steals the heart of the New York social scene, along with a lot of their cash. But is Anna Delvey a brilliant businesswoman, or a total fake? One journalist is determined to find out the truth. Inventing Anna, created and produced by Shonda Rimes, featuring Julia Garner as the mysterious Anna Delvey and Anna Klmsky as Vivian,

the reporter tracking down Anna's true identity. Watch Inventing Anna, February 11th only on Netflix. With Windows 11 and Intel, you can do what you do better. With Snap Assist, you can arrange your Windows, programs, and apps the way you want to see them. And with more power to run your favorite apps on a lightweight device, you can get powerhouse performance packed inside a portable PC. Windows 11 and the Intel Evo platform make working from wherever better. Learn more at Windows.com. slash brings you closer.

Okay, let's dive into a little mailbag. It goes at John Middilkoff is the Instagram. Slide up into those direct messages and get your question to you hear on the show. We will start here with Bobby. Bobby. Hey, John, Colts fan. Wentz appears to be physically easier, easily comparable to Alan and Luck. He's no dummy.

His Wonderlich score is higher than Luck and Alan. all three guys scored high. Why the heck can't this guy figure it out? Because playing quarterback is a lot like society. There are a lot of intellectuals who are brilliant in a classroom and who could take a test. And it doesn't translate to real life. It doesn't translate to the business world. There are a lot of, you know, good-looking people who are insecure probably about like dating, right?

and aren't comfortable with the, you know, trying to find a mate out at a bar that aren't confident in front of, if you're a guy, a good-looking dude, you just might not have confidence even if you're a good-looking guy in front of chicks. So just because you have the physical skills doesn't mean that it's going to translate to football. We've seen a lot of physically talented players at all positions, but specifically quarterback, not be great players. And we've seen a lot of smart guys be dumb. One thing I learned when I was scouting

and give Howie credit on this one, I remember making a big deal about guys having bad grades and he's like, well, is the guy a smart football player? And I'm like, yeah, he's actually a really, really high IQ guy. It's like, why do we care if he's a bad student? We're paying this guy to be a smart football player and his high IQ, right? On the field.

There was a legendary story when I was growing up that Jason kid, who was a Bay Area guy, to get into the University of Cal Berkeley, which is, I think, the number one public institution in the world. He obviously didn't have to meet, like, the average student requirements, but I'm pretty sure he had to get,

like, a minimum of, like, $750 or $800 on the SAT. And he had to take it, like, five times just to hit the basic number. So you would say, Jason, kids, one of the smartest basketball players in the history of the sport. I just think what you get on a test doesn't mean shit. Now, you need to be smart.

but your intelligence needs to translate. That that to me is the key, and it just clearly doesn't for a lot of people. My question is kind of abstract, so I'll do the best to act, ask it, succinctly. When Jerry Richardson told the Panthers, it seemed like Tepper was already lined up as a buyer. It seems like the Redskins and the Raiders

have targeted by the league as the next teams to be sold for decades, and it seems to be common knowledge that the league wants Bezos in as an owner. So my question is this. Do you think that the league is constantly analyzing social stock of their owners and plotting who they want to get replaced? It seems like the dirt on owners that forces them to sell always comes out exactly when the league wants it to.

Donald Serling, the NBA, to a much more favorable owner and Balmer, being another example. Is this sounding too much like a conspiracy theory, or do you think it's possible? Well, I definitely think it's possible, but I'd have to reread what didn't just, Jerry Richardson get in trouble on something. Didn't he kind of want to sell?

Wasn't he old? Is Jerry Richardson even still alive? Why would Dan Snyd... Mark Davis is different, right? Mark Davis doesn't have that much money. Dan Snyder is filthy rich. Dan Snyder has shown zero. And I mean, zero desire to get rid of the team.

So unless they can force him to get rid of it, which I don't think they can, because they just had an email scandal, let me rephrase that, an email research project, right, where they all got seized, and the only person that got fucked was Gruden, whose career ended.

Absolutely, nothing happened to Dan Snyder. Again, they went all in to get Dan Snyder hopefully in trouble. Remember, there were stories about naked cheerleaders, there were all these things. And the only thing were to come out were Gruden's emails. I just, I don't think either, I don't think Mark Davis going anywhere either. I don't think Mark Davis.

Mark Davis is not selling until he dies. Now, he is older, but, you know, he's, I think he's like mid-60s, but Mark Davis is not just going to randomly, like, oh, just sell the Raiders. Now, if he did, you know, I think they would have buyers lined up for both teams. I think both teams would go for $4 or $5 billion.

I'm a massive fan of Thomas, Edward Patrick Brady Jr. I was very pissed to see the defense not be able to hold up for 45 seconds after Tom closed the gap in points. After seeing Mahomes win the way he did, I can't help but think that someone's coming after Brady's for the ultimate goat status. When you look at all the quarterbacks who's ever played, everyone deep down would agree the most ultimate was Tom Brady.

Do you think it's possible for Brady to get unseated by Mahomes? I love Thomas Brady as well. I just think his accolades, you know, Mahomes is still young in his career, right? This is what? His fifth year in the league? This is his four straight AFC championship game. Yeah, it's his fifth year in the league.

He obviously basically redshirted that rookie year. He has been to four AFC championship games, so that's a very good start. He's won an MVP. He's won a Super Bowl, and he's a seven-point favorite to go back to the Super Bowl. So if he wins this game, he'll have gone to three state Super Bowls.

the only way he can even sniff to start chipping away, he has to win Super Bowls. Tom banked three five years into his career. And the other thing is, Mahomes came into the league. When Brady came in the league, Belichick was 50 years old, right? Belichick's 70 now. So they spent basically, it might have been 48, 49, right?

Andy is 62 years old. Like, is Andy going to coach? 15 more years. Like there are more than likely Mahomes will have a different coach. Now it might be in 5, 8, 10 years or whatever. I don't think Andy's going anywhere anytime soon, but there are a lot of variables at play.

Think about this with Brady. He had three iterations of his teams and two of them won Super Bowls. He had the first one, the Vrable, the Bruske, all those guys, Ty Law. And, you know, what's his name? I can't think of the wide receiver. Troy Brown and those cats.

which was just a tough, gritty team. They won three of Super Bowls, right? Then he had probably his most talented team, which was Randy Moss, Welker, that whole crew, and their defense was good too. They ran the table, they got to a couple of Super Bowls, they lost them all. Then he gets the Edelman, Gronk, McCordy, High Tower, Slater crew,

and they win three more. So he had three different crews of sweet dudes. Mahomes is on his first. Now, I've been around Veach, Veech is good. Andy, Star. They're both legit at their job. But the likelihood, like, you need a lot of things to go right to get three sweet impact groups of guys.

And the chances that they ever upgrade, like, do you know what Hill and Kelsey basically are? The version of, like, Randy Moss and that crew, but they're like winners like Edelman and Grunk. It's going to be very, very difficult to ever replace those guys. Those two specific players. It really is.

So as a Patrick Mahomes superfan, I would say it's basically impossible for him to do that. Do you think the NFL had more parity than normal this year because of the decreased salary cap? No, I think there were some injuries. I think the NFL is just, you know, some of these better teams are just pretty good.

I think the high end of the top eight, nine teams are all pretty even. Look at the NFC playoffs, right? Cowboys Niners, tight game. You know, Rams Bucks tight game. Packers, Niners, tight game. Arizona, pretty gutless. Obviously, the Eagles kind of gutless.

I mean, you had four or five teams in the NFC that can win it. Look at the AFC. All these games have been tight. So I just think it's a lot of good quarterbacks. A lot of good quarterbacks. A lot of good really off, offensive play callers.

Like obviously Kyle Shanahan like as a mid-tier quarterback but he's a lead at his job. Remember McVey a couple years ago with Jared Goff could make noise in the playoffs because he's really good at his job. You used to be like Andy with Alex Smith. When you get a lot of like Andy Alex Smiths,

that just means your league's pretty solid at the top. Once you get like Andy Mahomes, right? Or Brady, whoever, you just, you kind of get a higher end team. Now you could argue that we'll see how it plays out. that Bill's Chiefs game that's very possible

that was a Super Bowl it's very possible that whoever won that game is going to win this whole thing because whoever won that game was going to be a big favorite against the Bengals, the Chiefs are they're going to be favored my guess would be if they play the Rams

the line would be about three if they play the Niners it would be about four four and a half so the Chiefs are going to be heavily favored the next two weeks and rightfully so been meaning to ask you a question. This is from Seth. I'm a Packer fan. And a lot of fans are divided on the situation

that's unfolded before us this year. Looking back on the game against the Niners, we can't really put all the blame on the special teams even though yes, they did cost us to the point where we tied. Actually, more than that, because you guys had a field goal at the end of the first half when Rogers rolled out and hit Aaron Jones, that actually Rogers, if he leads them,

I mean, my score. But Jimmy Ward blocked a kick. And Will Blackman, the former NFL player, tweeted it out. The reason you guys got the kick blocked, which would have put you up 10 to nothing at halftime, which would have felt like an insurmountable lead, the dude puts his arm out to kind of rock Jimmy because he's blocking a guy over him.

And I don't know who it was on the Niners. Tomahawk chops the guy's arm. It was like a schemed play. Jimmy Ward, I have never seen a field. goal block that easy. Jimmy Ward didn't hit it with his hands. He was like his body. Like the field goal hit him in the numbers. Your special teams were beyond shitty. If you followed me on social media or listen to my other podcasts, we make a lot of fun of the 49ers special teams. It's a running joke, Hightower. He has been terrible. They made

High Tower. The 49ers special teams coach look like Bill Belichick or Tom Coughlin or John Harbaugh, like one of the best specials, or Dave Tobe or something. your guys special teams was a joke let me finish Rogers has opportunities and couldn't capitalize situation now it seems like he's going to retire across the trade given the circumstances in the limited playtime

we've seen on love in our current cap situation what are your thoughts on the upcoming year well here's the thing on the cap situation you cut a couple guys you get cap relief you also when you re-send Aaron Rogers and Devante Adams even if Aaron goes to make 35 40

a year and Devante goes to make 22 a year, you mess with the books. You know, it's like, you know, when tax season's around in a couple weeks, there's a reason we tell our accountants like, let's do some things. You got to, it's not to be legal, but you can amortize the money. So just because you give Devante $75 million guaranteed, it doesn't hit the cap for like three years. So the key is to resign those two guys and push all the money back. And then you cut a couple guys and you have a lot of cap space. Plus, the other thing no one's talking about, the cap's going to rise by $20 million. To me, everyone's making way too big of a deal about your cap situation.

If Aaron Rogers wants to stay, you can extend them and you're good to go. Same with Devante Adams. Now, if he wants to leave, then, you know, I think you trade both him and Devante for a shitload. You trade Aaron for three ones and a two. You trade Devante Adams for a couple ones. Now, I don't think Jordan Love, I mean, from what I saw this year, is any good. he's been in the league two years so I think that's a little bit of a problem for you

now you know I don't think I think the last team in the league obviously they would never trade him in the division but I think Goudicans and LaFleur would quit before they made this trade but let's say they know that they know Jordan Love's not any good that's water into the bridge you've already made the pick what if I told you they really like Trey Lance

would you do a deal with the Niners to get a young quarterback now the problem is the Niners don't have number one picks because they traded them all. But that is a young quarterback who's going to be going into a second year. They got to redshirt in this offense, who is way more physically talented than Jordan Love. Now, I, listen, I'm, what's his name? Trey Lance makes me a little nervous.

He's got a major project. But like, I've already seen, like, Jordan Love's now a two-year project, and we saw him against the Chiefs. He looks terrible. But they would never trade him in the Niners. But I don't know where Aaron. Aaron ain't going to want to go to just anybody. He's going to pick like two teams.

It's going to be like the Broncos or the Niners. And who's the... The Broncos don't even have a coach. What if they hire Dan Quinn? He's going to want to go play for Dan Quinn? I don't know. We'll have to see how this plays out. I think it's a little more complicated than people act.

I'm a Vikings fan who needs help understanding our boy Kirk Cousins. I've watched every game of Cousins era, and while he's got his fair share of stinkers, I've also seen some really good amount of high-ceiling games as well to give me serious hope that dayball or any other offensive mind that Kirk could be really good.

Zimmer's loved to run, especially on second and ten, putting us in disadvantageous positions combined with an atrocious bottom three, a line and a defense that really tailed off the past couple years. Part of me thinks that Cousins is the only thing these past two years that kept us from not being the Jacks. He actually said effing Jacks.

And with those other areas being improved, we could be legit NFC title contenders. Am I nuts? P.S. in something from your last episode. I'm a student manager at Ohio State when Haskins and Burrell were there. Whatever happened to Joe down at LSU between the first and second season

there were to make him what he is now. He was not that while at Ohio State. Duane was the right choice to quarterback and it wasn't really close. As for Duane's lack of maturity and work ethic, that seems to have been his downfall in the NFL. That was one of the most predictable things in my opinion. But if being in the Steelers,

being in the Steelers has helped him grow and be a true pro, then he has a chance to be a good NFL starter because he has the arm talent and his arm talent's elite by NFL standards. I don't know if I'd go elite by NFL standards, but he's got a good arm. I hear you. You know, Joe Burrell might, you're right. He might have just, he might not have been that good at Ohio State. I don't know.

I wasn't there you were. So I'll lean on your knowledge. I think the Vikings have a long way to go. But they do have some sweet core pieces, right? Dalvin Cook, stud, Justin Jefferson, stud, feeling, awesome fantasy player. Whenever I play him in DFS,

he scores me touchdowns. Their own line sucks, their defense is old. Well, how do you, you don't have an unlimited amount of draft picks. I don't have your cap situation in front of you or me. But I would say, yeah, I mean, they could, with the right coach, like Atlanta this year, what'd they go, like seven and ten? If the Atlanta Falcons go seven and ten,

you could compete, you know, nine, ten wins next year for sure. I will give you that. But are you going to hire who's your Arthur Smith? I don't know. Longtime listener first time of the pot. Grats with the success. Keep up the work. I can bet you're getting a lot of questions about the NFL overtime rules. I'm still recovering from a blue ball-like sensation after watching the most amazing game

we've ever witnessed finishing the way it did. I'm just curious why the NFL would not convert to an expanded OT rule system. College football has by far the best O.T. rules of all the sports so I'm baffled why the NFL would not give or adopt these rules. By giving Buffalo a chance to respond,

this would have given the fans more entertainment, which would equal more or longer viewership and ratings. Equaling more money for the NFL. Actually, it wouldn't, the TV deals are set. It would equal more money maybe for CBS, but the NFL has already got there $100 billion. Here's my thing.

I don't mind the OT. There is no perfect solution. Could you just play another game? Could you play another half? Do you just play a quarter and see who wins the quarter? The problem with the college overtime rules, which I am a big fan of, I think the pushback from a lot of people in the NFL would say,

you know, that's not really football. Because you don't just start at the 25. There's no special teams play. You just get to start at the 25. And I think a lot of older coaches would push back. So I do wonder if it should just be, you get a series, we get a series, whoever scores, you know, that's it. I don't have a great answer. I'm not bothered by it.

Honestly, it doesn't bother me. Because partly, because the rules have been the rules now for a while. Like, the fucking rules are set. We've been watching this overtime now for years. And they actually changed it whatever several years ago when it was like, you know, the first team, it used to be sudden death, right? So you could get a field goal to win. Then it changed the field goal, you get the ball back.

I actually didn't realize it was incredible, man. When they won the coin toss and the dude on the Chiefs, I forget who it even was that went out there, he jumped up higher than like Michael Jordan. He was so happy because he knew how big of a deal it was

to win that coin toss. Now, if you want to argue and I won't dispute you, the game basically came down to a quarter. Yeah, it sucks, but that's kind of been the way it's been now for a long time. So it just did not bother me.

Fan of the pod, the way I currently see it, the league's top four young quarterbacks are in the AFC. Mahomes, Alan Herbert Burrell. While the NFC's best quarterbacks are only getting older, is there any chance that the NFL realigns the conferences in the near future to separate those four guys? No. I mean, it's just the way the cookie crumbles.

Forever, the two best players in the league were in the AFC, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. And hell, Rathesberger was there too, Philip Rivers. It's just sometimes the way it was. works. The NFC got to develop some quarterbacks, right? The NFC East, like, figure it out, guys. Kyle Shanahan's got to make Trey Lance

into a player. Has to happen. Whoever gets the Bears job has to make Justin Fields into a player. Part of the sport is to develop some of these guys. People thought Josh Allen sucked coming out of high school or college and high school. Mahomes was

people were not that into him, beside Andy. Hey, double-dipping, because Mahomes and Alan just made my original post look like trash. The quarterback play was the story of the game, along with the few mind-blowing plays by playmakers. My God, best game ever. Also forgot to mention Debo Samuel from the game I referenced above. Special teams defense and Debo. I only joined Instagram specifically only so I could send you a question. What was your question?

Question, if a team's chance at a Super Bowl goes down after their quarterback gets paid, isn't the market overinflated? Well, I think the problem is when you get a really good quarterback, to me, where you get overinflated is like, am I paying Kyla Murray? Can I win playoff games with Kyla Murray? Because if next year he doesn't win playoff games,

then we got a problem. Like Lamar Jackson is won one playoff game. Next year's a big year for him. Can he win me a couple playoff games? Justin Herbert. Like I'm pretty confident Justin Herbert's going to win playoff games. It's pretty clear. Mahomes and obviously,

Allen, like, you could win the Super Bowl with those guys. Like, Josh Allen, there's no more arguing. Josh Allen is elite. And Joe Burrell, same thing. You got to take advantage when they're on the rookie quarterback or in the contract. But what are you supposed to do? Overinflated, you know, if you had the money and you bought a $2 million house in 2021, that just a couple years ago would have gone for $700 grant, do you care if you like

the house? ultimately, do you think the Chiefs or the bills care that they're paying their guy $40 million? I'll tell you the team that thinks about it sometimes is like the Cowboys. I've said it over and over. I think individual players can be overinflated. You can't...

There is no inflation on a home that you're not going to give a shit how much it costs and money's not an issue. Like, the Chiefs do not care. If they had to spend $70 million on my homes, they would do it. Same with the bills. It's like some of these people, do you see these celebrities buy these $20 million homes?

Who gives a shit if you got $300 million? Right? It's different for me. It's like, you know, I kind of want like, you know, $1.5 million house. So I kind of got to be picky. I got to be careful. Like, what if the market dips? What if it keeps going?

Like, I don't know. You kind of go around your head. You don't know what to do. I don't have a right answer. But I don't have unlimited money yet. Probably never will. But money right now at the levels of which I want to go is still part of the question. If I had $50 million in the bank,

I'd go to Scottsdale, I'd just buy a $5 million spread right on Silver Leaf Country Club. I wouldn't even hesitate. It would not matter if I was overpaying. It's like, whatever, the house actually is worth $3 million. I don't give a shit, I want the house. So I think that's why you know, you see some of these teams like Kyler Murray, Dak, well, do you think the Cowboys love paying Dak?

Prescott, $40 million? I don't think they do. I don't think they do. Or at least they think sometimes. They can say whatever they want, but he's not an ideal $40 million are about quarterback. But I promise you this. The Chiefs, the Packers,

the bills, even the Seattle, they don't give a shit. They don't care at all. It's only overinflated if you, Kirk Cousins. Do you love paying them 32? Because people think I hate Kirk Cousins.

I don't. If Kirk Couss was my quarterback at $22 million, we'd have a proper price. But I'm paying him 34, 33, or whatever he's making. That's the problem. That's the problem.

How do college players get draft grades? What does it consist of and who grades them? There is a, I think there's like a committee. So if I'm, you know, a cornerback at Oregon, and I'm a junior, and I'm not like some lock first rounder. I put my name into the NFL, you know, through maybe my coach. I don't know exactly people listening to this in the business, exactly how it works, especially college coaches.

They submit the guy's name. And then there is like a conservative round grade. You know, like if, if an elite guys puts in, like, you know, Will Anderson or whatever, it's like first round. But a lot of times I'm pretty sure, and I could be wrong at this, I'm probably going to get text from buddies correcting me. It gives you like a round estimate. Like, you know, second, third round, fifth, sixth round, something like that.

So if I'm a corner thinking I'm going to come out early and I think, you know, I could be a top 50 player. and then I get it back and it says like I'm a fifth, six round pick. You know, I think, you know, there's several maybe general managers, maybe their teams on the committee, and they just say kind of what their draft grade is. And I don't think the other teams know and it kind of goes to the league. I'm pretty sure if that's the way it works.

Could be wrong on that, but it's something in that vein. But it's also conservative. It doesn't be like if you're actually a third round pick, what you might end up being, it might tell you you're a six round pick. and vice versa. It might be like you're a third round pick and you could end up going the fifth round. It's not...

I don't think it's like always 100% correct. I might have to look into that. I know I'm kind of right. I don't see how all these blue checks on Twitter can argue changing the OT rules and push player safety at the same time. The OT rules might be weird,

but they literally exist so teams don't have to regularly play five quarters of. football. It also promotes executing in all three phases of the game, unlike college, where defenses only marginally matter and special teams don't matter at all. I'm with you. Part of overtime should be short

and sweet. The game is the game. It should be, it's why I'm a big proponent, and baseball purists hate me, I love putting the runner on second base in the 10th inning. As someone that watches baseball, like I, in most of these, I'm not staying up until fucking two in the morning to watch you guys play 18 innings. Put a guy in second base, finish

this thing. The good thing about the NFL rule is for the most part it ends relatively quick, even the way it's set up. College can go on for a while. I was watching this year. It was the Penn State, who was it? Penn State, Illinois. They went to like 17 overtimes. It never ended. Now, you're not actually, you're only playing one snap and there are new rules because you had to go for two. It's kind of a weird deal. But I'm with you. I, I, the overtime does not bother me as much as some. I honestly didn't even realize it was a story till everyone on social media, people started foreign me stuff. I got a question for the back. Do you think the Titans could, should move off Ryan Tanyhill for Jimmy G? I see Jimmy in the uniform and getting the Titans

over the hump, not sure what Tanny Hill's cap look like. I mean, I think they're pretty similar players, be honest with you. I'd probably rather have Jimmy at a cheaper number than Tanny Hill. What does Tanny Hill make? 29. Jimmy makes 24. Tanyl can run. Jimmy can't really. They both throw picks. I mean, I mean, both of them are kind of in the same world. They really are.

I mean, I've seen Jimmy throw three picks in a game. That could have easily happened to Jimmy. I, you know, Tanny Hill, maybe Jimmy's just more likable. And to be honest, I don't know anything bad about Tanyhill. It feels like a good guy. I'm just saying that more from my Jimmy experience. Jimmy's kind of grown on me, but he's a pretty flat.

Plot player. Just like Tanny Hill's a flawed player. You got to be able to run the ball with both of them. When you can run the ball, you're fine. When you can't, you got problems. So, you know, Vrable, John Robinson, they're New England guys. I don't know if John might have been there a year or two with Jimmy. But I just, I don't think Tanny Hills, you know, for Jimmy. That's, I don't see that happening.

I feel Jimmy is more likely to go to like the Steelers. The Giants, you know, Jimmy's going to start somewhere else next year, assuming he doesn't win the Super Bowl and stay, which you could never discount. Because Kyle, Kyle ain't into developing. He's trying to win. And yeah, but let's not, you know, Jimmy's winning, his team's winning playoff games. At one point in time that game, I thought he was going to throw up for like 25 yards. Now they drop some balls.

But one thing I'll give Jimmy is he's tough as shit. he's not he ain't scared but holy moly he could have thrown he could have thrown seven picks against the backers easily he threw several times outroutes where if the DB just looking at the ball instead of the offensive player it's picked

he could have thrown multiple pick sixes in that game the pick he threw was to throw a pick in the baby zone as Rich Gannon would say the way he did at the end of the half is just it's unfathomable.

But that's Jimmy Garoppola. He's got that. Now he's got the memory of a goldfish. The next play he could throw a touchdown. But no player in league history can throw a pick six and then a touchdown on the next back-to-back place and just act completely like the pick-six never happened. That probably is Jimmy Garoppolo's greatest strength.

He can make the worst play you'll ever see in your football watching life. And then the very next play, he can throw a sweet pass to Debo and you'll be like, does he even remember? and the answer is no, I don't think he does. I just think he moves on, which is a skill. It's a skill, which he possesses.

But he is a roller, if you gamble on the Niners, holy moly. I also just think of Jimmy G., it's just a cooler name to say than Ryan Tanniel. Maybe that's part of it. Who's your quarterback? Jimmy G. It just sounds cool. Even though when you watch him,

he's not as cool of a player as his name sounds. Oh, Jimmy G., good looking dude. When you go Ryan Tanny, You know, it's just kind of feels like, me. Ryan Tanning Hill, you just say it out loud. You're like, oh, he's probably a bottom 10 quarterback, even though he's actually not bad. I don't know how I ran it on that for so long.

But have a good week. We'll have Golopod on Wednesday. Tori Pines actually starts on Wednesday. And then we'll have another podcast on Friday. Peace. The volume. If you love to be remembered as the person who gives the best birthday gifts, I'm here to tell you that 1-800 flowers.

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 values. To order today, visit 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. That's 1-800flowers.com slash tune-in. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guide, not quite. on Humor Me with Robert Smygel and Friends,

me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, S&L's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella 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 IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human