The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Seattle WINS the "Big Game", Patriots STRUGGLE, NFL Awards

Episode Date: February 9, 2026

Former NFL scout John Middlekauff reacts to the Seattle Seahawks dominating defensive performance over the New England Patriots in "The Big Game." He talks about how this Seahawks team looked as impressive as the Legion of Boom defensive teams. Next, John talks about what happened to New England and if he thinks the Patriots should be concerned about the future or if this is a team that should get back to this game. Later, John dives into the other news of the weekend surrounding the NFL starting with a few QB's that could be on the move, reacting to Matt Stafford winning the MVP, and finally his reaction to Lindsey Vonn's fall in the Olympics. Finally, John answers your questions in this episode's mailbag segment.  Follow John on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for the latest.  All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet Use promo code “3ANDOUT20” on https://nicokick.com/zone for 20% off at checkout! Check out Gametime - the fastest growing ticketing app in the US, and the official ticketing app of 3 & Out and GoLow -  for tickets to all of your favorite NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAA teams. Concert and comedy show tickets, too. Go to Gametime now to create an account, download the app and use code JOHN for $20 off your first purchase. #Volume  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Hey guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you.

you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio. Nonstop workout music and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight. When your hardest hit, it's what things seem worse that you must not quit.

Don't quit. Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets momentum. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it. For free. Have a great day. I heart radio. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life?

That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are? I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I told myself can then shape my behavior, and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. The volume. What is going on, everybody, John Middilcoff 3 and Out podcast? Super Bowl Sunday.

Well, it's great if you're a Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawk fan. It is not good if you're a New England Patriot fan because that, at one point, it was 9-0, and it felt like a blowout. So the Patriots got overwhelmed. I actually just had a buddy send me a tweet about Will Campbell saying that Will Campbell allowed more pressures in this game than any player did all season in an individual game. So it did not go well for the left tackle.

We'll talk for Super Bowl. We'll talk Sam Donald. We'll talk to Mike McDonald. We'll talk to Seattle Seahawks. We'll talk to Patriots. We're going to have to dust themselves off, improve their team, and come back swinging. I also recorded before. the Super Bowl, some stuff on

Stafford winning the MVP, the Hall of Fame guys, Pierce, the Atlanta Falcons past rush here, got in some trouble. And what was the other thing? Oh, the quarterback, Schaefter about Tua and Kyler Murray. Those guys are going to, teams are going to try to trade them. Derek Carr is going to return, potentially, we'll see. So we'll just be a lot of football going on. Before recorded this, went on with Colin,

who was just, you know, beaming ear to ear about Sam Darnold winning the Super Bowl. So, I mean, it was a cool moment. Very genuine, cool moment, which we will dive into. But listen, I need you subscribe. If you listen on Collins' feed, subscribe to Three and Out. And all of our content's on Netflix as well. So go check that out on Netflix.

Appreciate everyone who came along the ride for the season. And it's been a long season. So I'll probably do a couple more podcasts this week and then maybe take like a week off before the combine. Also need to help my wife. We have a four-year-old that kind of beats to his own drum. So we'll dive into that later on The Dad Diaries. But we're going to talk football tonight. So let's just dive right in. Let's just, I want to read a tweet that was forwarded me from Logan Swain.

One of our big wigs here at the volume. He put me on a group text with column. And here was the tweet. After Sam Darnold won his first game as the Jets quarterback, Todd Bowles had this to say, trying to calm the fans down. We won one game. I can tell you after about 100 more of them, whether we have the guy or not. Right now, it's a little early. The Super Bowl was Sam Darnold's 101st game.

and I think part of any good organization is the ability to sustain winning regardless of players, coaches, and general managers. Can you sustain and elevate players from other teams that did not have success? Obviously, you have to hit on like a Cooper Cup. Get a guy who was a really excellent player, getting a little older,

you can get for cheap. That's part of the NFL business, right? The Packers, the Ravens, the Steelers, all the good teams do that. But can you take players who are viewed as distressed assets, as viewed as not good enough to play the role in which you're going to ask them to do, and then have them excel? Because we all, you got to hit on draft fix, right? You got to hit on the right coach. But to be really good at the NFL, can you find distressed assets and make them contributing players. What they did was Sam Darnold, and really the last couple years was Sam Darnold. I said this coming into the game.

It's one of the more genuine stories I can remember. It's like kind of a human interest story. I just recorded with Coward. And I completely agreed with him. There is a lot of life lessons to be learned when it comes to the way Sam Darnold handled his career. I've been fired a couple times. It sucked.

And it's hard for people in my life to relate. My dad was a farmer. If you got fired, it was because you, like, show up late or not working hard. Certain industries, coaching, the NFL, radio, crazy shit happens. You almost get hired to get fired. And there is a level in anyone listening to this that are in competitive, whatever field you work in that is highly competitive, you're not always going to win.

You are going to take some Ls. Anyone listening to this in sales, you are going to hear no way more than you ever hear yes. Anyone tried to find their future wife. You know, you're going to have some bad dates. You're going to have some people stand you up. You're going to have some people ghost you.

Guess what? Part of life, dusting yourself off. Getting yourself off the mat. having a good positive outlook on the future. Because optimism and hope and a positive mindset does matter. And one thing was evidently clear about Sam Donald, the way every player that played with them, going back to the Jets, but definitely in Carolina, the 49ers, and Minnesota.

The way they talked about the guy. I'm guilty of this. I'm sure many of you listening are guilty of this. It's easy to be negative. honestly it's easy to not take accountability and listen i've gone through about four weeks now of not sleeping much it's easy to get in some contentious fights in your own home no one had any sleep and to point the finger and to put the blame on someone else instead of taking accountability and pointing the finger at yourself and saying what can i do better what did i do wrong how do i get better and when you do that

I do think it opens up the ability to improve and to get better. Now, Sam was a third pick in the draft. Part of the field he's in, he has physical attributes. He's 6'5, he can move, he's got a big arm. But when you've watched him conduct these interviews, when he was asked during the Super Bowl about the jet situation, he never MF them. He never did what most of us would have done.

I'm sure I probably would have done that. Taking some shots at the organization. It was low-hanging fruit. No one would have blamed him. His comments would have gone viral and everyone would have agreed. Instead, he did the opposite. He said, I thank them for the opportunities. I aspired to be an NFL quarterback and they made me an NFL quarterback

and they gave me an opportunity to start. And do you know what good organizations do? They see that in the guy. because football, like tonight, you know, talking to Shirm at the Super Bowl party, who obviously played for Pete Carroll and the great teams in Seattle and then for the Super Bowl team with the 49ers. It's not just evaluating, like obviously certain guys are bad guys, but they're great players, just pro sports you're going to need them.

Most though, of the really, really good teams, their great players are also their hardest workers and best teammates. even some of their crazy guys. I've told this story before. Bobby April was our special teams coach when I was with the Eagles. His son, Bobby April the 3rd, just became the linebacker coach

for the Buffalo Bills. And he was the special teams coach in the early 90s for the Atlanta Falcons. And I used to pick his brain like, what was it like coaching Dion Sanders and like the prime of his career? He said, you know the funny part is? Everyone talked about Dion.

He was making like rap videos. He's wearing crazy clothes and he had all the dances. He always sat in the front. front of the meeting. He always took the best notes. He always knew exactly what we were doing. Like football character, obviously personal character, treating people well and being a good guy matter, but football character shows when you watch a team play. It shows when you watch Sam Darnel play. And obviously John Snyder's ability to pick these type players going back 15 years to the Earl

Thomas, Cam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, KJ Wright, that whole crew, to the way these guys play. It looks the same. They fly around the field and they just destroy people. Their football character on that football team, from Sam Darnold to all the guys on defense, is elite. It's just evident when you watch them play.

Their physicality on defense. And part of being a good organization, Seattle wins a Super Bowl, John Snyder came from Green Bay, where they have been winning my entire life. Well, when I came into my own in the mid-90s watching the NFL, it was Mike Holmgren, Ron Wolf, Brett Farf. Last time I checked this year when they had made the playoffs again,

none of those guys were around. It was Matt LaFleure, Brian Gutikins, and Jordan Love. Previously, it was Ted Thompson, Mike McCarthy, and Aaron Rogers. It's like, can you sustain as an organization as you change in and out different personnel? because the standard within the organization has kind of been set. Now, in a weird way, the GM has stayed consistent. And I think John Schneider has brought like this Green Bay sustainability to Seattle,

which is now kind of like a coastal Packers or Pittsburgh Steelers. When I was in college, Bill Cower quit. They hired Mike Tomlin. They didn't skip a freaking beat. More than likely, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be competitive with Mike McCarthy. The Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh, gets fired. I would imagine they'll be good next year. You know why?

Because it's an organizational mentality. And even as Seattle went into a little bit of a lull during the end of the Pete Carroll kind of Russell Wilson, Gino Smith years, they were still going like 10 and 7, 9 and 8. It's not like they were 2 and 3 wins. It's not like they were the Titans. It's not like they were the Raiders. It's not like they turned into the New York Giants.

They were extremely competitive. They just were missed some pieces, and their ceiling wasn't that high. But they were building, they were adding good players, and they made incredible personnel moves. They really did. Starting with the coach, which is the most important person. To go from Pete Carroll, whose resume is, I mean, pretty unique. He's coached like five different NFL teams.

He's won national championships in college. He's won Super Bowl in the pro. there ain't many people with that resume. So even if it was time to end, it's not easy to replace them. Ask New York Giants fans how hard it was to replace Tom Coughlin. Hiring coaches is like drafting players.

It is really, really difficult. And they hired Mike McDonald, who by a second year, I mean, at one point in time the night, I think we would all agree you could have just given him the MVP. It's like, you know, Kenneth Walker's numbers were good, but they weren't like all-time great.

You're not going to give it the field goal kicker. Donald was just doing a solid job. I was like, I'd give the MVP to Mike McDonald. I really would. He is destroying Drake May, who finished second in the MVP award, and Josh McDaniels, who's been an offensive coordinator in like 10 Super Bowls and like 50 playoff games, and he's just taking him behind the woodshed, bending him over.

Josh is saying uncle and he's not stopping. It was like, this is an ask. They got no clue what's going on. You got Drake Maysian ghost. You got Will Campbell who can't do anything on the outside. The rest of their offensive line are swimming. You got pressures coming from all over. They are just working them.

And every single play kind of looked the same. Pressure, D.Bs flying around. It had some parallels to that team. What was that? 2013, 14. I mean, we're talking over a decade ago. Wasn't quite the same, but had some similarities of just absolutely overwhelming the opponent.

And that's what they did. And to me, it was an organizational, dominant performance, starting from Schneider to McDonald, to the entire defense, to all the personnel moves. I mean, they traded Russell Wilson, which at the time, I'm not going to lie, I got to take a huge L. I thought it was insane. Now, I wasn't on a tech, I didn't have John Snyder's number at the time, so I didn't get all the reasoning. But I disagreed because I was like, you don't have a quarterback. I mean, they had Gino, but at the time, no one thought Gino was going to be as good as Gno turned out to be. But you're going to trade Russell Wilson to Denver.

You got no quarterback. This is going to be a problem. He goes to Denver, residence history, they suck. They get the fifth pick. They take Witherspoon who look like fucking Ronnie Lott tonight. Over the next couple of years, they're taking JSA, they're taking a stud guard, they're taking Eam and Warre. They're signing Sam Darnold.

Teams is awesome. I mean, if it wasn't for Stafford, who was kind of like the Rogers, Peyton, Brady, right now in the league in terms of he's got like 15, 18 years of experience. He's seen it all. He still has the big arm. He's kind of mastered the position mentally. So even though he's playing the best defense

and the best defensive coordinator in the league, he can have success. Also helps that he's got Puka Nakua, who's like Adrian Peterson mixed with Jerry Rice. Like I've never, a wide receiver coach in the league said, no wide receiver plays harder. He's like, that's one of his superpowers.

How hard Puka plays. He just kind of owns Seattle. And Devante, you know, future, to me, is a Hall of Fame player. So you got two wide receivers, McVeigh, that's just a batch up that they're able to handle Seattle. No one else can't. I mean, he's played even Kyle Shanahan today.

He said in the pregame, like, you're asking me for tips. I mean, I haven't scored touchdown on him the last couple weeks. He's dominated them. He's owned them. I mean, this guy was, listen, we can debate, like, should Drake May have been in the MVP mix? He did have a good season.

He was playing, you know, nobody. but he was still kicking their ass, made him look like a JV player tonight. Absolutely punked him. So, congrats to Seattle, just a complete ass kicking, validation of just an unreal season. I mean, I thought they were undervalued

coming into the season to win the division. Not in a million years would I have guessed that they would win the Super Bowl. And, you know, a lot's going to be saying, where does Donald rank? He's a really good player. I mean, I saw Jimmy Garoppolo lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl,

MC championship game and just be an incredible game manager. I saw Alex Smith with Jim Harbaugh and then Andy Reid have like a six, seven year run where he was just a really, really good player, right? And both of those guys had a big time, like their ceiling wasn't that high. That's the thing with Sam. He can play games where his floor is solid and just be a game manager, but he has a high ceiling because he can move and he's got a huge arm and he will fucking throw some bombs. So, and he's under a very, very team-friendly contract. And let's face it, once you win

the ring takes a little pressure off you. You're not trying to prove it to everybody week in, week out. And back to the darn old mindset of, that's not really the way he's wired anyway. He's not really a chip on his shoulder guy. Like Tom Brady is a chip on a shoulder guy. Aaron Rogers is a chip on a shoulder guy. And I think that goes back for the For both those guys, you know, Rogers plummeted in the first round. Brady didn't go till pick 199. Sam Donald won pick three. Sam Donald was like, I was drafted in my own class above Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

That was the thing that happened. Sam Darnell was drafted before Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Think about that. Those guys have made a combined $500 million, they've won three MVP's. Sam Donald was drafted ahead of him. And now, unlike those guys, he's Super Bowl champion. And this is weird. Like he's not a Super Bowl champion where this guy's a first bout

Hall of Famer like Brady or Mahomes or, you know, Peyton Manning. But he's not a Super Bowl champion like Brad Johnson or Treddilfer. He's kind of in this weird middle ground. Like he's 28, 29 years old. He's just finding his stride these last couple years. I think if he was a stock, I would invest more money into him. I don't know why this. can't just maintain.

How do things typically maintain? When you're in good places, back to the Ravens, back to the Steelers, back to the Packers, what the chiefs are now. These good organizations just sustain it. They are well run. We saw it this year with the hiring cycle.

I mean, there were some, some of these teams are terrible. We'll talk about it a little bit later, but the Atlanta Falcons, now these guys all got fired, traded a first round pick to trade up to pick 26 for a major red flag guy. You might want to Google some of the details coming out about James Pierce. Pretty ugly.

Like, bad organizations just do dumb shit over and over and over again. The good ones kind of know what they're doing. And when you got a Hall of Fame GM and John Schneider and Mike McDonald, this is a league in a sport. I guess in college, you know, Sabin, Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning, we talk about defensive guys. You could be a star in college as a defensive guy. In the NFL, we kind of hold offensive guys

to a different level of esteem. We just do. I mean, look at the league this year. Andy was kind of the king coming into the season, right? Five out of last six Super Bowls. Sean Peyton, even though his offense sucks, like, well, a Super Bowl champion, Drew Brees was his quarterback, from McVeigh to Kyle to LaFleor to Kevin O'Connell,

to kind of to Liam Cohen, this whole crew of young offensive guys, we talk a lot about because we talk. Quarterbacks are like the movie stars of this whole reality television show. And all of a sudden, this guy, Mike McDonald's, like, well, was he like a college football? No, he didn't even play at Georgia.

He was like coach in high school and he became a GA for Mark Rick. And then he just shot up like a rocket ship, got an internship with Baltimore Ravens, and never looked back. And John Harbaugh took that guy on a ride to the moon. and put him in a position and he kicked everyone's ass.

And now two years later as a head coach, he's putting together these game plans. Again, besides Stafford, no one can touch this guy. He is dominating Kyle Shanahan. He has owned him going back to Baltimore. He took Josh McDaniels and Drake May made it look like,

you know, like when you, anyone that follows or watches high school football, I guess it happens in college sometimes too. When it's like Ohio State's playing Rutgers, and you look up at like the ticker and it's like 30 to nothing in halftime. You're like, that game's probably not even that close. It doesn't happen that often in the NFL.

And that's what it felt like tonight. From a schematic, a physical standpoint, from a game plan standpoint, like it's not even fair. And we could nitpick like, you know, were they trying to drop Drake Mayback and throw back? That's kind of their offense. They morph from what they were with Tom, which this is going to sound like I'm like,

this isn't supposed to be a like more of a dink and dunk. Tom would dink and dunk you to death. Throw to the tight ends, obviously throw to the backs constantly. You just get rid of the ball, get it out of his hand. This is like let Drake kind of drop back,

scramble around, throw some bumps. I mean, throws a great deep ball. That's not going to work when you couldn't block these guys. And I got a news flash. You can't really block these guys. Because it feels like all their defensive linemen are sweet. And if their DBs see any daylight on a blitz, it's a wrap because they're going like 90 miles an hour.

I mean, Witherspoon, the night, it looked like he was Ed Reed in his prime. Ronnie Lott, Troy Palomalu. I mean, the way he's avoiding guards and tackles and just chasing his ass down was incredible to watch. And it gets back to Mike and how good he is with these DPs.

It's like that a couple years ago when he was with the Ravens with Kyle Hamilton and kind of that whole unit. They were the number one devens in the league. They were an unstoppable unit. It's like they had the MVP at quarterback. They have the number one defense. That's why guys like me put $5,000 on them to beat the Chiefs.

And then they didn't. But it wasn't his fault. If you could go back, the final score of that game was 17 to 10. He allowed 17 points in an AFC championship game. You allow 17 points. Teams have a pretty good chance to win. And tonight, they scored 13. It was kind of a fake 13.

I mean, I was, I mean, they scored 13 in the fourth quarter. So that game felt like, I mean, at one point in time, what was the score? I mean, it was 19-0-0 in the fourth quarter, and it didn't even feel that close. Part of it is Myers, the field goal kicker for Seattle doesn't miss. But now Seattle's a champion, like I mentioned. I mean, there's only two other guys in the NFL, I told Colin this. Howie Roseman, Nausee Newsom, have won multiple rings with two different coaches and two different different quarterbacks. That's really hard to do. That's really, really difficult to do because you

have to rehaul the organization. You got the personnel standpoint from a coaching standpoint. That's a major challenge. That speaks to an organization mindset, philosophical from the top down. And I just think Seattle, I have so much respect for the way they've operated. Going back to the Richard Sherman teams, I remember seeing those teams in person when I used to live in the Bay Area. And there was a period post Jim Harbaugh where they went to Tom Sula and Chip Kelly. Those games were really, really ugly in the sense that Seattle used to murder the 49ers. Russell Wilson owned them. And the physical out, they used to just, it wasn't a safe environment, 49er players. They would get killed. And that's how it kind of feels with this Seattle team.

If you're not fully healthy and you don't have like a Hall of Fame level quarterback playing at a high level and some sweet wide receiver. these guys will murder you. And that's what it felt like happened the night. Because I was thinking this. It's cool to go to Super Bowl. Anyone that's a big fan of a team, pick the team, the Vikings, the lions, the Giants, whoever you are.

That winning the championship game and spending the next two weeks, thinking about the Super Bowl, depending on where you live and what you got on, maybe going. It's an awesome. There's nothing like it. The buildup, this isn't like baseball or basketball where it's like, oh, we lost game one, we'd get him game two.

There's one game, there's 60 minutes to go to the Super Bowl and get throttled. I don't think there's anything worse. I mean, go the World Series gets swept, it's like, whatever. You go to the NBA finals, get swept. Like, it's kind of a slow bleed game after game. Football kind of, it's like, okay, this is a series. And then you just kind of keep hoping, keep hoping, and just gets worse and worse. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet, Florida's Sportsbook.

I know it's tough when no football makes me sad. But like the song says, I bet I will survive. With Hard Rock Bet, there's always something every single night. Hoops, hockey, so much more. Plus, all the great same game parlay, live betting, and player prop options you're used to. And did you know that Hard Rock Bet is the official sports fitting partner, the Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic? So they know their basketball. Hard Rock Bet app is the only legal sportsbook whenever you're in Florida.

So if you live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan, coming to states near you as well. If you haven't signed up for Hard Rock Bet yet, there's never been a better time. New signups can double their winnings on their first 10 bets, max 50 bucks. That's right. If you would have won 100 bucks on your bet, you make $200. plus Hard Rock Bet offers new promos daily. Download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit today. Payable and bonus bets, not a cash offer, offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida,

offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. You must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-833 play-wise. In Indiana, if you are someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler. Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia.

Hey, it's us, the Jonas brothers, and guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band. Before Jonas Brothers was... This is how you guys remember it going down?

Yes. I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. and finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before.

And he knows. Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall.

And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense. And when IT's first, friends stop by like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash will get that thing. That man, hell get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers why he got the ball like, after you go through a training camp with that I said, you figure it out real quick.

Get your ass up and down the court, and you're going to get the ball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Arriva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedipausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it.

Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with the Adamani Arriba, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden, I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be.

Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How hard can it be? How can it be? Getting naked at 50 with the new guy. That one's kind of hard. Well, that's lighting.

They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears or tears of laughter, and dive into it, unfiltered and unbothered and ask, how hard can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of my Cultura Podcast Network available on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Keith Giamanka seemed like a mild-mannered suburban dad, but secretly he became someone else, a master of disguise who went on a crime spree.

At the time, did it seem like a crazy idea? It seemed very crazy, but I felt so desperate that I felt it was the quickest, easiest way out. Do you allow yourself to think about how it could go wrong and what that might look like? No, I didn't want to manifest that. I was trying to manifest success. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man.

This is going to change my life and my family dynamic forever, because everything that had existed prior in my reality is, now untrue. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is, getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is, getting a new one put up in its place.

As long as there's a politics of race in America, there's going to be a politics of remembering the Civil War. To get to school, I had to go down Robert Lee Boulevard. Get to the grocery store, I had to go down Jefferson Davis Parkway. If you're an historian and you leave out half of what the history is, you're not doing your job. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 goes deep on both of those things. The fights, the politics, the people who won, and my personal campaign to add something to the Kentucky State House that's actually worth the wall space.

We are more than our bodies. We contain essence. We contain spirit. How do you represent that? They are just fueling a fire that is really catching. You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I got nothing but respect for Vrabel and Josh.

I think Drake's, I think we've kind of jumped the shark a little bit. Like he's just the next Josh Allen or what. Like, okay, let's just, as he plays better, he's a really good player. He's got a ton of talent. Long way to go. young guy, high ceiling, but like it's hard to become a superstar. When you talk about Mahomes or Josh or Lamar, let alone the Brady's, the Mannings, the Drew breezes, the Rogers, those guys do it like a decade straight, 15 years straight.

In Brady's case, 20 years straight. It's hard. A lot of people in the NBA, not a lot, but there have been some one or two-time All-Stars. There aren't that many guys that, like, for a decade straight, I was the second best. center in the league. You know, it's really, really difficult to be an elite player year in, year out. Everyone's gunning for you. And this was a humbling moment for him because he got punked tonight by Mike in that defense. I mean punked. I was going to guess he threw for 130 yards. He threw for 295 yards. I kind of stopped paying attention to the last five minutes. They've got to be

some hollow fucking yards on those last couple drives. 295 yards. His stat line does not reflect. 27 to 43 for 295 yards. Sacks six times. Not all his fault. I mean, his left tackle is not a left tackle. It's just not a left tackle.

Right? There are certain things you could get away with in sports. Right? Like, uh, like Dremont's a good example. Not this version, but like in his heyday. He's like 6-5-66. Dremont's not very tall. but he's got elite instincts, he's got long-ass arms, and he's fucking very physical. So historically, he's been able to play defense against guys that just from a height standpoint doesn't make that much sense. But when he gets the right guy who is big and is also tough and really skilled, there's

not much Draymond can do, right? And pitcher, right? If you do not throw a great fastball, but you throw off speed, you've got to be located at an elite level. If you're location and you can't, you know, throw the ball right where you want to throw it, you're going to give out some bumps. Well, as an offensive lineman has a left tackle, when I have short arms, which the combine is right around the corner, and our operation might be there.

People always freak out, like, why do we care so much about hand size? I don't know what kind of matters. Have you ever been into driving rainstorm trying to hold a football while Will Anderson or Miles Garrett is chasing you? like being able to grip the ball. Remember Michael Jordan when he used to palm the ball and put a guy, like it kind of helps, you know? And I just think you watch Will Campbell,

which seems like a great guy. My cousin played with Logan Mankins at Fresno State. By the time I got to Fresno, Logan was already in the Patriots. But Logan was a great, all mountain west or whack, whatever the conference was at the time, left tackle in the NFL. When the Patriots drafted him, they moved him to guard. Now, in fairness, it's not like the Patriots have other options to put it left tackle.

But I think we all have to agree when you watch just good tackles in the NFL, he is not going to be one of them. It's not going to work. Your functional strength, I'm not talking about how much you bench press. Like, let's say he benches 350, and in five years he'll be able to bench 425. Or whatever he squats, that number will go up 25% over the course of his career. I was taught your functional strength, meaning when you, You run into me as an offensive lineman.

The strength that I can show you really in college, but definitely early on in my career, never changes. Your strength that the weight room can change, but your functional strength on the field stays the same. When it comes to kind of holding the point against a defensive lineman, anchoring down and just stoning them. And physically, he is completely outmanned in the NFL. And he'd be like, well, he played the SEC, I get it.

he's smart, he tries hard, but there is certain positions. If you're a man-to-man corner and you're slow, you got no shot. All these wide receivers can run. If you are a left tackle or a right tackle and you are not strong from a functional standpoint, these guys are going to run through you.

Because the one thing you would say in the NFL over the course of the last however many years, six, seven, the amount of defensive linemen who can play that have come into the league is pretty crazy. And a lot of these guys are very versatile. You can line them up really over the center. You can put the guy over the tackle.

Aaron Donald used to line up when he played the 49ers, their right tackle suck. They'd put him over the right tackle. Or if their left tackle is injured, it wouldn't matter. I can put Jalen Carter at a nine technique, meaning he's facing like over the tight end, or I can put him over the center. A lot of the versatility in all these players is,

you know, pretty, It's just very versatile players in the NFL on the defensive line. And you watch Will Campbell, he felt completely overwhelmed. Which, again, it's not his fault. He's playing out of position. So I think you're going to have to move him into guard and try to figure that out. And let's face it. Like, I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer because I always,

I honestly feel like I defend Belichick. I mean, cowards, like, saying that he doesn't even belong in the Hall of Fame or it's not that big a deal. Like, I think that's insane. But the one thing you say for Bill and Tom and the Bill Belichick operation when they got to the Super Bowl, they never got their ass kicked.

They lost. They lost to Eli Bany a couple times in some bat-shick crazy games. They lost to the Eagles when they ran Philly Special and Tom threw for 500 yards and for whatever reason Bill didn't play Malcolm Butler. But they didn't get that because that was a beat down.

That was an ass-kicking. And the Patriots got a long way to go because the AFC, like Mahomes, Lamar, Josh, like they're going to factor into this. And you don't have to play any of those guys. You got to play Stidem. You got to play whatever the hell was going on with C.J. Stroud.

And I am a Herbert defender, but as his playoff resume right now, sucks. So, and I'm not trying to diminish. They made the Super Bowl. I'm not trying to. That's what you show. I just, it's hard for me to take you seriously. You get your brakes blown off

by Sam Donald and Seattle? I mean, they killed you. It was 9-0 and the gap felt like wider than the Grand Canyon. So props to Seattle, congratulations, Super Bowl champions. Kind of a crazy season. It really was. I think we'll get some more stability next year where... Because Seattle now will just be taken very seriously.

So I think they in a weird way kind of came out of nowhere. New England kind of came out of nowhere. I think both them are clearly here to stay. The Chiefs will be back. And, you know, the bad teams are going to stay bad and the good teams are going to say. The dolphins are going to be bad next year. You know, the Cardinals are going to be bad next year. The Titans are going to be bad next year.

The Jets are going to stink. The Atlanta Falcons aren't going to be good next year. A lot of these teams are going to stay bad. So maybe you get hardball turns them around a little bit, but we still got some question marks with the young. quarterback there. I think we're going to seem the similar same cast of characters next year. And Seattle is going to come in as clearly one of the heavy favorites to, you know, to repeat in this 2026 season. Can I tell you about my new friends, Zbiotics? Let's face it,

after a late night with drinks, I want to bounce back and I want to bounce back fast. Zbiotics is a pre-outcohol probiotic drink that is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. It's been invented by PhD to tackle rough mornings after drinking. You have one before you start. You have a few cocktails, you hydrate during, and the pre-alcohol produces an enzyme to break this byproduct down. Just remember to make pre-alcohol your first drink of the night, drink responsibly, and you'll feel your best tomorrow.

That's why every time I drink, I have a Zbiotics. Ready to try it, go to Zbiotics.com slash three and out now. You'll get 15% off your first order when you use three and out at checkout. Plus, it's backed by 100% money-back guarantee. So there's no risk. Subscriptions are also available for maximum consistency. Remember, head to Zbiotics.com slash three and out and use the code. Three and out at checkout for 15% off.

Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some big news. What's the news, huge news? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a first people to do podcasts.

Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. But this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name, Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, where people could call in and say, hey, Jonas. And then I wrote down on my little notepad, Hey Jonas, and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, actress, mother, lover, and a Gen X woman walking through life one hot flash and hormonal

crying jag at a time. You ladies know what I mean. I'll bet you a paramedipausal chin here you do. So let's talk about it. Join me on my new podcast. How hard can it be with De Anamereva, where I call on my Gen X squads from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate midlife's most fantastic BS. All of a sudden.

And I'd had hanginess happening on my own. I was like, what the hell is that? I was married when I had her, so I didn't even consider how empty that nest was going to be. Mood swings, night sweats, fupas, sex drive. Wait, what sex? Dating at 45. How can it be getting naked at 50 with the new guy? That one's kind of hard now.

Well, that's lighting. They say we can't polish a turd, but we're sure going to try. So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of laughter, and dive into it, filtered and unbothered and asked, How Hard Can it be? I cannot believe I'm about to say this out loud in public. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with Diana Maria Riva as part of My Cultura podcast network available on the Iheart Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano, and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luca and Austin Reed. And finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before. And he knows without Luca and Austin Reeves,

I got to manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's going to be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reid. He has to guard Julius Randall. And then he has to give us everything he gives us on the night-to-night basis on offense.

And when IT's friends stop by, like Quentin Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. nice but get that thing that man hell get the flying he run up the court licking his fingers why he got the ball like after you go through a training camp with that Isaiah you figure it out real quick get your

ass up and down the court and you're going to get the ball so listen to point game on the iHeart radio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts Keith Gianmanca seemed like a mild mannered suburban dad but secretly he became someone else

a master of disguise who went on a crime spree. At the time, did it seem like a crazy idea? It seemed very crazy. But I felt so desperate that I felt it was the quickest, easiest way out. Did you allow yourself to think about how it could go wrong and what that might look like? No, I didn't want to manifest that.

I was trying to manifest success. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you'd do? discover that your dad has been living a double life. That is not the look of an innocent man. This is going to change my life and my family dynamic forever, because everything that had existed prior in my reality is now untrue. Listen to Deep Cover the Family Man on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is. getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is, getting a new one put up in its place. As long as there's a politics of race in America, there's going to be a politics of remembering the Civil War. To get to school, I had to go down Robert Lee Boulevard.

Get to the grocery store, I had to go down Jefferson Davis Parkway. If you're an historian and you leave out half of what the history is, you're not doing your job. I'm Akila Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 goes deep on both of those things. the fights, the politics, the people who won, and my personal campaign to add something to the Kentucky State House that's actually worth the wall space. We are more than our bodies.

We contain essence. We contain spirit. How do you represent that? They are just fueling a fire that is really catching. You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, let's hit on some stuff.

that happened before the Super Bowl in the football world. And the NFL honors, I think, was on Thursday night. And we found out that Matt Stafford won the MVP. It was the most valuable player of the NFL. And I think anytime we talk a lot about this with young quarterbacks, guys that go to places that are just bad. and you know, Kevin O'Connell, ironically, said this a couple years ago that organizations let down quarterbacks, more than quarterbacks,

let down organizations. Now, we'll see with the JJ McCarthy situation. That might not even, I mean, some guys aren't good enough. Right, but Matt Stafford, who was the number one overall pick, who everyone in the league said this guy can really play, was part of one of the worst run organizations in the league. I mean, they were really, really bad for really most of my life. definitely the internet age, right? Post-Berry Sanders, and even when Barry was there.

I mean, they're two best players of all time. We're tired of 30 years old. Barry just quit. Now, granted, Calvin Johnson had injuries, but he's like, this ain't worth it, and just left. And sometimes you get a guy like Peyton Manning who's been injured, right, or Brady, who's really, really old. Aaron Rogers, kind of same thing. They were just kind of ready to move on. They go to a new place, and Rogers, you know, post-packer career, obviously did not go well. post-Akelys. I guess he was pretty impressive year in Pittsburgh, right, from a just respect standpoint, like playing through a broken bone in his left hand. But most people thought, like, could Peyton Manning still play with the messed up neck? Then he wins the MVP. Leeds his team, you know, was major key to

one of their Super Bowls. They didn't win it, but he got there. His last year, they won the Super Bowl, though he wasn't as good of a player, but it kind of validated like, hey, guys, I can still play. Same thing with Tom, when Bill moved on. kind of won the argument. Like, you should have kept me. The thing with Stafford, it was like, this thing is just run its course, give him a new place.

And it was between two places, Sean McVeigh and Kyle Shanahan. And Sean McVeigh, they had Jared Gough. They were offering the same trade. One just included Jared Gough and the other include Jimmy Groplo. Newsflash,

the Detroit Lions made the right decision to go with Jared Gough. But I thought Matt Stafford was an under 500 quarterback, who most people would have said, really talented, but is he that good? And listen, you look at the numbers, you look at the wins and losses, and you can tell me winning and losing isn't a quarterback stat.

Like, if you're a really good player, you're going to win a lot of games, unless you're at a place like Detroit. And by no means he was perfect. But in his five years with the L.A. Rams, he's a Super Bowl champion. He's won an MVP. His record as a starter is

46 and 28. I mean, this year, he threw 46 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He was just dominant. And like Brady said, and I think Manning has said this too, by the end, the game is kind of easy because your mind is as good as it's ever been. And when you play the quarterback position, you know, your advantage upstairs is a huge, huge advantage. The longer you play, the more experiences you've had, you've seen everything. So Stafford now physically, his arm's still good, but he used to be a pretty good athlete. He can't move around at all.

but his ability to manipulate and dominate from an intellectual standpoint when it comes to football is a plus at this point. And he announces that he's coming back, which is huge for the Rams, because they don't really have any sort of replacement on hand. They're kind of desperate in a weird way for him to come back, because I don't really see their options unless they kind of strike oil in the mid-round with some random quarterback. But I think the Stafford resurrection and kind of validation,

is just really, really cool. And whether he gets the Hall of Fame or not, I personally think he's a Hall of Fame level player. Now, once Belichick doesn't go in, who fucking knows, you know, Tony Dungey's on the pregame show refusing to say if he voted or not. Like, Tony, we get it.

You didn't vote for him. Like, just admit it. You don't need to lie here. We all, the elephant in the room, we all know the truth. You don't need to, you know, hide from this. We get it, bro. You hate him.

Your career as a coach would have been a lot better if you think Bill, who was cheating, you think, you know, most people in football go, everyone was stealing signs. But regardless, once Bill doesn't get in, on a yearly base, I have no clue. Lesser names like Tom Brady, it's just coin flip. But to me, the Stafford MVP, I thought he earned it, I thought he deserved it, and really kind of stamped his career. It was the Lions. It wasn't me, guys. Look at me with Sean. I'm a win. I'm a win. I'm a champion. I'm an MVP and I'm a stone cold ass kicker because I definitely didn't lose that game up in Seattle. Defense coverage. That's on you guys. Chris Shula, come on guys. We need you

to be a little better. I did my job. So congrats to Matt Stafford. The Hall of Fame class, I thought was really, really good. You know, sometimes there are some guys that go in. You're like, I don't know. There have been some guys. I've always said, like to me, the Hall of Fame should be you shouldn't even have to think, right? Just say a name. Dion Sanders, Hall of Famer. Joe Montana, Hall of Famer, right? Lawrence Taylor, Jerry Rice.

Like, it's Tom Brady, Peyton Manning. It should be very black and white. If we got to go to a room and debate you, you're probably in the Hall of really good. And there's nothing wrong with that. And now if you're in the Hall, like if Matt Stafford doesn't go in, you know what he'll say? I'm a champion.

I'm an MVP and I made $450 million playing football. I won, right? So I'm not getting caught up on the subjective nature now of the Hall of Fame. But this class to me felt like these are no-brainers. I mean, obviously Drew Brees, who set records for years in the Superdome with Sean Payton, who helped resurrect like the Lions a joke franchise. I mean, their nickname was The Ains. And they were one of the key franchises over the course of his run,

obviously the year that they won the Super Bowl, but just countless big playoff games, they just really, really mattered. And like, listen, is it easier to play in a dome? Of course. Is Drew Bree's the most talented player to ever lace them up in the NFL?

No. But is he everything you want in a franchise quarterback in terms of production, durability, leadership, give a shit factor? Like, to me, that one, you even need to get up

and start listing out of stats. Keekeley is a guy that to me there's like a Terrell Davis component to him. It's like he was clearly one of the best players in the league. And when he was young, it was pretty obvious. He was going to go down as one of the greatest defensive players to ever play. Like it was evident immediately. And in the peak of his powers, he's as good of a linebacker in my lifetime,

not named like Ray Lewis as you will ever find. But he started getting concussions. And he started getting injured. and he just couldn't stay on the field. But, like, I don't think anyone with a brain would argue that Luke Keekely isn't one of the most talented and dominant football players when he was on the field that has ever lived, and definitely of his generation. So to me, no issues with that one.

And then I think Larry Fitzgerald kind of almost symbolizes everything that it is to be a Hall of Famer. He's honestly everything you would want in a top pick. Like when you draft a guy, especially a non-quarterback, second, third, fourth, like really, really high, you're looking to get a cornerstone Hall of Fame level player. I mean, that's best case, but you're just looking to get a guy that's going to be in Pro Bowls and be a guy that's giving multiple contracts for your franchise and basically check every box. And he did, right? Obviously, an elite talent, a dominant, dominant player, a durable player.

Go to his Wikipedia page. Look how many games he missed. He didn't miss that many. Here's the other thing. He was an all-in guy. His character is pristine. He did not play for the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kind of played for a joke organization.

That for a lot of it, had a quarterback disastrous situation. He wasn't exactly playing with Montana and Brady. Never said anything. Kept his mouth shut and just grind it. But here's the other thing that I respect most about Larry Fitzgerald. And I would say this about any athlete. when the lights are the brightest and the games are the biggest, do you play your best? And you could make the argument that Larry Fitzgerald is one of the greatest playoff big game

performances or performers the NFL has ever seen. He was elite in big games. And he also showed like through the course of his career as his speed diminished a little bit once Ariens got there with Carson Palmer's like, yeah, I'll move to slot receiver. What do you need me to do to win? When I think Larry Fitzgerald, I just think winner. I think a guy that everyone who's ever coached or ran a franchise would go, I want to be in the trenches with that guy.

He is, to me, personifies what it means to be a Hallfammer. And, you know, there's a loyalty element that he had that maybe in this world that we live in now in the 2020s, would a guy like that play his whole career for a franchise? like the Cardinals? Probably not. I mean, we're kind of seeing it with Max Crosby. I'm not saying they're apples-to-apples comparisons, but, you know, imagine if Larry would have got like three or four good years with a top six or seven quarterback in the NFL. He had moments with Carson when he was older and the one year with Kurt Warner. But for the most part, he played just in situations that aren't exactly conducive to dominating at that

position because wide receiver more than any other position is by far the most dependent, right? You need the guy to throw you the ball. You need the person on the sideline to call the place. You need the five guys blocking for the quarterback to hold up. I mean, you need all this stuff that's out of your control. And the one thing you always felt like when you threw it to Larry, he was going to catch the ball. You could make the argument. You know, I think most people consider the top three wide receivers of all time in terms of just talent, production, everything, to be Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens. You know, I think Larry Fitzgerald is much closer to that

than like the second and third group of guys that we consider like Hall of Famers. To me, he is just a certified badass. And when you draft tie and some teams are this year that aren't going to be drafting quarterbacks, you're praying to get a Larry Fitzgerald type. Because, you know, you build franchises around guys like this. And the Cardinals literally did, right? He was the poster child of their franchise for, you know, almost, I think, well over 15 years. So, and famously, I think, didn't Lane Kiff and want him, and they ended up taking,

I guess he wanted Calvin John. It was Calvin Johnson, Jamarcus Russell. So Larry was a draft or two before. A couple other news and notes from this weekend. Shefter put out this morning that a couple quarterback situations that their teams are ready. to trade these guys. And that would be Tua, Tanga Viloa, and Kyler Murray. Here's the problem.

And anyone that follows like the NBA trade deadline, I think there are some parallels. There were some players in the NBA, like Anthony Davis, going to be Hall of Famer one day. Trey Young, who's, you know, relatively famous player in the NBA, were traded for nothing. They had John Morant, Memphis couldn't give him away. I think there's an element with these two guys. I think the Miami Dolphins are completely screwed. Schefter put in his report that they're willing to buy down some of the salary. Here's the problem for the Dolphins.

If they cut them, it's kind of like a Russell Wilson. They would eat $99 million in dead cab space. So ideally you don't want to do that. I don't think you could give them away. I really don't. I mean, I do not think you could give to away if you ate the money so much that the other team only had to pay four or five million dollars. I think the only way someone would sign Tua would basically be for a veteran minimum deal.

And let's face it, it's not like I respect him after that big hit that he took in Buffalo. He's never been the same. And this year the player was simply atrocious. He really was. And then there's the factor even before the concussions he could never play in inclement weather. So you look at some of these teams, you know, the Browns, the Jets. some of these teams they're going to be sniffing around for quarterbacks, like he doesn't fit them.

So my guess is it would not shock me at all if the dolphins kind of take a big picture view and just nuke this bad boy and kind of pull Sean Payton and just cut him and eat the money because I don't think he's tradable. Now, Kyler Murray is to me a little more tradable because he's more physically gifted. Right now, he's owed $36.8 million this year.

And unlike Tua, it's not quite as high, but if they were to cut them, same type thing. It's like $55 million in dead money. I do think that they could eat a large, substantial portion of a salary and get him to somewhere like around $10 million. And someone might give you like the Cleveland Browns. I'll give you a six-round pick for this guy. Todd Munkin just played with Lamar Jackson, right?

So there are some, obviously Kyler is nowhere near as good as Lamar Jackson, but some similarities in terms of his mobility. He's got a big arm. Again, I got to get on the cheap. I got to buy as like a distressed asset here. And to me, Kyler would have more value just because he's more physically gifted. But I think both guys would be viewed as pretty major liabilities based on their money. I think they're going to have to get very creative.

I think there is a chance that maybe you could find a team. I attack like a third round pick, which I think legally you're not supposed to do because that's like the equivalent of teams buying a play. Remember, I think the Browns did it to the Texans with Osweiler. They took his salary and the Texans included a second round pick. That's allowed in the NBA. It's technically not allowed in the NFL, though they don't really hold you to those standards. It's not like you're punished if it happens.

At least there hasn't been in the past. But I think both those two guys are pretty toxic when you factor in their contract. Rapsheet reported that Derek Krupp. car who took this year off. He had a bum shoulder. He also didn't want to force like the saints to cut him or put them on injured reserve and basically pay him $30 million to do nothing. Honestly, kind of took the high road.

Leaked out like, I'm ready to come back. I will play. And the first thing I thought of is because Schaefter or Rap Sheeter, one of these guys put out that the Niners aren't going to trade Mac Jones. I do think they would trade them, but it'd be like pick 40. I don't think any team in the league is like giving you pick 40 for Mac Jones. But to the 49ers, Mac Jones has way more value than you just giving them a fourth-round pick. Like, they are just better off having Mac Jones on their team,

especially with Purdy who just missed a bunch of games this year. He's a great insurance policy. So when I view Derek Carr, I go to Minnesota Vikings. Because I can't see Kevin O'Connell going with Tua. I can't see Kevin O'Connell going with Kyle Murray. Well, Derek Carr, who has played in different offenses over the course of his career, there are some similarities. He played for Kubiak a couple years ago

into the offense that Kevin O'Connell wants. He's a little more pass-heavy. But to me, if I can get Derek Carr, could I get him for like one year, $5 or $6 million, and just have him, you know, play the role of what Sam Darnold did a couple years ago. But if you did that,

like I would be, JJ McCarthy couldn't beat him out. And then I think we would just have to acknowledge that J.J. McCarthy would go down as one of the bigger whiffs in recent memory. But to me, when I see that Derek's going to come back, And Derek actually, I was with him at Fresno State when I was with Colin. I think it was in August during training camp.

He was at his house working out. He said he was watching the herd. So he's always, you know, he's an optimistic, positive guy. He's got a good arm. He's accurate. I think he's definitely an upgrade over J.J. McCarthy. So to me, Minnesota, Kevin O'Connell, I would keep an eye if Derek actually does play. That one would make a lot of sense to me.

Because if I'm Derek, I wouldn't just come back to be like the bridge quarterback for the Cardinals or the Browns or anything. Minnesota in a dome. I think that, I can see that one coming from a mile away. And then I'll end on this one. Character guys. This happens in the NFL, right? Every single year, there are guys drafted pretty high that other teams go. Are you kidding me?

Because that player was off the draft board. and it happens a lot with defensive linemen running backs. I mean, it happens with all positions. But it happens a lot with defensive linemen. And in fairness, like, play defensive line, you've got to be a little nuts. Like, you're not exactly looking for choir boys there. You got to be a little crazy. Look at the Hall of Fame.

A lot of nut jobs. Not everyone's Reggie White going to church on Sunday morning before the game. So last year when the Arizona or the Atlanta Falcons traded a first round pick to move up from the second round to pick 26 to take James Pierce. One, I thought it was insane because you never trade a first round pick to get into the 20s, but there was no disputing Pierce's talent from the University of Tennessee. Most would agree just on talent alone that he would have been a top 10 pick in that draft. But there were red flags around him. He was off draft boards. And here's the thing when you take guys off draft boards,

whether it's for character or whether it's for medical, you might look like an idiot. Sometimes guys, character guys, completely turn around their life. You're dealing with human beings. This is why it's so difficult to draft. You're not dealing with widgets. You're not deal with iPhones. You're not deal with Stanleys. You're not dealing with, you know, studio sheds. These are humans. They're all wired differently. I'm wired differently than you. You're wired differently to the next guy. We all beat to our own drum and we all mature at different rates. Some of us grow up fast. Some of us don't grow up till it's too late. And when the Atlanta Fouther, Falcons did that, people went, that is insane.

One, for the value in which they did, the Rams have the 13th pick in the draft because of that trade. And two, because you're drafting a major wild card. And then he plays this season. And anyone who watched the Falcons, the fucker can play. 10 and a half sacks, easily could have won the rookie of the year. He is a powerful, fast. I mean, he's a big time talent. If he had his head on straight, he could be a pro bowler for a long time in the NFL.

Here's the problem. On Saturday night, he was arrested for five different felonies. I'm not going to go through him. You can Google them, but it involves, I don't know if it's his girlfriend or his ex-girlfriend who plays in the WNBA. It does not look good. And there's probably a lot of general managers and a lot of personnel people that their owner looked at him like, will you really pass on this guy? And might have taken some shit throughout the course of the season. Might have taken some shit when their teams played this guy and he caused havoc off the edge. I'll promise you last night when that news broke, there were a lot of people in the league

forwarding that information to either their owners, their presidents, to whoever that matters. And here's the thing I will always say about guys like Matt Ryan. And I saw it firsthand with John Lynch. Anytime you have made a ton of money playing the sport, a football, basketball, you name it.

And then you go into TV and you're making seven figures and life is good. For you to have the desire and the burning itch deep in your soul like, I need the wins and losses. I want to get back into the fight. I want to be in the trenches. I respect the shit out of that because you don't need to do that.

And that job isn't just like drafting players on April 28th. That job is this. Matt Ryan's probably home last night, maybe watching a movie with his boys, and gets a text that we got a problem, Matt. But what's the problem? Well, our star young pass rusher just got arrested on five different felony counts, and it does not look good.

Now, in fairness to Matt, he didn't draft this guy. Terry Fontineau, Ray Morris, all these guys that were fired. What's his name, Ryan Pace, the former Bears GM, who was also just fired. They did this. But when you take the job, these are now your players. This is now your problem. It's like, what do you do?

There's no right or wrong answer. It's like if it is true, do you just cut them? Well, the NFL, you're not really teaching life lessons. And here's the thing as a quarterback. Matt's seen some crazy shit as a quarterback. If you play that long, you've been part of teammates who've gotten trouble, it's not your problem. You might have to answer for it in a press conference

in the sense that a reporter asks you a question, but it's not on you to make the decision of like, yeah, we're going to cut them. Or yeah, we're going to suspend them indefinitely. That all falls on your lap now. And this is why Arthur Blank, I'm sure Matt's making five, six, seven million dollars to do whatever technically his job is, but he's the grand pooh-baw now, he's the boss. And in the middle of the night, or late on a Saturday night, when he's probably just chilling in his big-ass house, you know, just getting ready to go to work in a couple

days, not even thinking anything, he gets this. And then he's got to get with the PR guy, they got to put out some kind of BS statement, and they got to deal with this problem. And this job is really, really hard because that is the job. I say this all the time about these head coaches. Being a head coach is so much more about like, I got this great play on third and seven. It's like, well, yeah, what happens when your 24-year-old star defensive tackle gets a DUI and he blows a 2.0 and wraps his car around a telephone pole and has a broken leg? How do you handle that situation? How do you handle when your linebacker coach gets cancer and has to leave the team for the year and go to radiation treatment? How do you handle that? Like, that's being, that's why this

job is so hard because your entire business is based on human capital. Your coaching staff, your personnel staff, your players, and these character guys, you just never know. It's why some teams go, I'm not even going to risk it. I don't have the appetite to deal with the wild card that doesn't go either way. Because some guys flip it around and become a Hall of Famer. And some guys have this happen. Now, I see some people on the internet go, he'll never play in the NFL game.

Have you guys watched the? NFL, never playing in the NFL again? He's got 10 and a half sacks as a rookie. He will play in the NFL again. So I'm not making any statements. I say all the time, I watch football. I got taught life lessons by my parents. I don't look to celebrities, to football coaches to teach me life lessons. If you're looking to the NFL to set the tone for society, I might need to do some reevaluation, right? So I don't care one way or the other, but there's a night. if you're Matt Ryan. This is a major problem. And it's now on you to deal with it, fix it, map a path forward, which is not going to be easy because it's easy when it happens to a guy that's

not any good. You cut him the next day. You don't give a shit. Treat him like a widget. See you. Pack your shit. What do you do when the guy's got 10 and a half sacks as a rookie? And you also, like, you can say it's, you know, it's water under the bridge. It's, you know, we already, we already paid for it. you did give up a first round pick for this guy for a reason. I mean, he is talented. But there was also a reason he was at pick 26. Because a lot of the teams didn't even have the guy in the draft board.

And I love this too. Like, we found value, found this guy way later than he should have. Yeah, why is he there? Just because you get him at pick 26 or pick 47 when he could have gone pick 7, that doesn't change the human being. Now, maybe sometimes a light goes off, but

in this day and age, I don't know. These guys are already rich. So it's not like he needed to get this money. He was probably making seven figures at the universe of Tennessee the year before. So yeah, I mean, it's just crazy situation and Godspeed to Matt Ryan. The other thing, I'll get out of here on this.

Lindsey Vaughn, who tore ACL in the Olympic trials, what was that a couple weeks ago, attempted to race this morning in the Olympics. You know, part of the reason a guy, like unlike a rolled ankle or a bad shoulder, can like play through it. If you don't have an ACL, you do not have stability. And I retired from skiing in my 20s.

Like I'm not tearing an ACL or breaking a leg. If I go to the mountain, I'm just drinking the bar. I'm hanging out. I don't play pickup basketball and I do not ski anymore. I want no part of a lower extremity injury where I'm in a wheelchair on crutches. No, thank you. And I grew up loving to, I skied a lot when I was probably in junior high high school.

Haven't really skied much since. but had the opportunity a couple times over the last decade. It's like, it's no interest to me. But, like, what she does, she's clearly an all-time great talent. I just have no clue how you could have even, which I respect the shit out of her for trying. This is going to be her last Olympics. But it's kind of felt inevitable what happened because you have no ACL.

You have no stability in your knee. It's part of the reason when basketball, football, whatever, once they heard it. Like, it's over. You can't, there's no change of direction. How could you ski at the speed in which she was skiing? So when you see the video of her tumbling and getting like, not life flighted, but helicoptered out, you went, geez, I mean, that sucks. But wasn't this probably the most likely thing to happen?

I mean, there had to be some people in her camp like Lindsay. We respect the hell out of you for wanting to do this. For, you know, the Olympics, it only happens every four years. You train your whole life for these, you know, specific runs. But your ACL doesn't work. There is zero. And the speed, you're going 60, 70, 80 miles an hour, these crazy turns. These runs are like ice.

I don't think this is a good idea. You just took a crazy fall when you had an ACL. The risk reward here seems like the ratio is like zero to 100. And clearly the worst thing possible happened. I don't even think she lasted 15 seconds before in the, the mid-air, she kind of took a tumble. So, props to her for trying, but holy shit. The Volume. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what?

We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but, you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

Turn someday into right now with Buddy by Jake Radio. Non-stop workout music and expert tips 24-7. Hey, head over to iHeart.com. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free right now. Awesome health and wellness tips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Remember, stick to the fight. When your hardest hit, it's when things seem worse that you must not quit. Don't quit.

Body by Jake Radio, where hope meets moment. Search Body by Jake Radio and stream it for free. Have a great day. I heart radio. Every family has its secrets. But what happens when you discover that your dad has been living a double life? That is not the look of an innocent man. Is everyone lying to me about who they are?

I felt such desperation. I felt it was what I had to do. Listen to deep cover the family man on the Iheart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The story I've told myself can then shape my behavior and that can lead me to sabotage the possibility of connection. This Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast Deeply Well with Debbie Brown. If you've been searching for a soft place to land while doing the work to become whole, this podcast is for you to hear more. Listen to Deeply Well with Debbie Brown from the Black Effect.

podcast network on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.