The Herd with Colin Cowherd - 3 & Out - Tua to the Falcons, Malik Willis to Miami, Eagles vs Packers & NFL Storylines
Episode Date: March 10, 2026On this episode of 3 & Out, we break down a wave of major NFL storylines across the league. The quarterback carousel continues as Malik Willis signs with the Miami Dolphins, while reports link Tua... Tagovailoa to the Atlanta Falcons. What does this mean for both franchises and the evolving QB landscape in the NFL? We also dive into the latest surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, two teams with big expectations and plenty of questions heading into the season. Plus, we take a look at several key teams and players making headlines around the league — including the Las Vegas Raiders, Ravens star center Tyler Linderbaum, the future of Travis Kelce in Kansas City, and what’s next for Mike Evans. We also break down the outlook for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears, and take a broader look at the always-competitive NFC East. Follow John on Twitter, and Instagram for the latest. All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet 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. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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NFL free agency off and running deals galore.
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Today was more fun than I.
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Just a free agent jam-pack show.
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And let's just dive into some football.
I do want to start, because I actually think this is the coolest story of the year, is Malik Willis.
and I also think it's kind of an inspiration to,
I don't care what you do in life, right?
I'll promise you this, when you're young,
there is a small percentage of people
that, like, walk into a room when they're young,
I don't care if it's in the NFL,
I don't care if it's in Wall Street,
I don't care if you're selling insurance,
where everyone in the room goes,
this guy's going to be a star.
Let's be real.
Most people do not believe in you when you're young.
No one, and I repeat,
no one should believe in you
more than yourself.
But when you are in jobs like
Malik Willis, public job, play quarterback,
and you do not play well,
everyone's going to shit on you.
It's going to be a universal take.
I was guilty.
I thought based on Tennessee,
you know, he's a raw product coming out of college.
I'm like, listen, I've heard great things about the person.
Seems like a very impressive dude,
but he couldn't play dead in a Western.
And then I remember when the Green Bay Packer traded for him last year,
I thought it was a dumb move.
I was like, this is, you're going to make,
Malik Willis, your backup quarterback, and Matt LaFleur and Goudicins immediately shut us all up.
Because Jordan Love got hurt week one, and then immediately they won a couple games with Malik Willis at quarterback.
Now, granted, it was a run-heavy operation, but still, I thought that was like one of Matt LaFleur's crowning achievements so far as the head coach of his tenure at the Green Bay Packers.
Like, you can win games with Malik Willis.
and then this year there was really no disputing it.
Like the guy could play.
And I think the NFL, like a lot of our businesses, right,
this is not the NBA, right?
These guys that are going to get drafted in this crop of DeBanza,
the dude of Kansas, Boozer's Kid.
Like these guys are going to be viewed as stars the moment they come into the league.
Not whether they live up to the hype or not, who knows.
But that's kind of way basketball works.
Most of the best players in my life,
life in basketball were drafted extremely high.
Even a guy, well, Steph Curry wasn't drafted one.
Yeah, he was drafted seventh.
You know, Michael Jordan was drafted third.
Magic Johnson was drafted one.
You know what I mean?
Shaquille O'Neal drafted one.
I think in this day and age, Kobe Bryant wouldn't have lasted until wherever he went 12.
Right?
With the internet and video, like most people hadn't seen him play at Lower Marion.
It was a little harder to get tape back then.
We're in football.
We see it all the time.
and I'm not just talking, you know, position players,
quarterbacks as well.
No one would have thought that Kirk Cousins would make $300 million
and be a decade-long starter.
Not in a million years.
And I think a Malik Willis comp,
if he just becomes a good player, is Dak Prescott?
Now, he's got a bigger arm than Dak, but really mobile,
super smart, high-level guy, just needed to improve.
If you watch Dak Prescott at Mississippi State,
you would never have thought he would go on to have a 50,
year NFL career.
And where we currently sit in
2006, he's one of the more consistent
passers in the league.
Improvement over time, work ethic,
practice.
It's really the only sport
where you practice
way more than you play.
Even in the pros. Wednesday, Thursday,
Friday, all offseason,
all training camp. Even Saturdays
the day before, you're doing walkthroughs.
The whole point of football
is you are given the opportunity to improve.
Great players improve constantly because it's right in front of them.
All you do, the majority of the...
You only play 17 games.
Yet, all off-season, all training camp, and all season,
you're on the field every single day.
You're practicing, live reps, even if you're not being tackled to the ground.
So if you're willing, which Malik Willis clearly was,
to put in the work, to put in the sweat equity,
McAfee, I was watching today
as free agent frenzy, which was extremely
entertaining, gets them on the phone,
where was Malik Willis?
On the grass, just finished a throwing
session. If you are wired
the right way in football,
if you have the mental and physical toughness,
if you have the desire
to be a better player,
it's easy to throw out of like, I want to be a great
player. Do you have the desire to just
improve? Try
really hard. What do we talk about yesterday
with Max Crosby? His greatest
attribute is simply as effort. He literally plays harder than everyone else in the league. That is a
skill, right? And that skill, the ability to play hard is what? You have to work hard because your
cardio has to be at a super high level. Why could Steph Curry for 15 plus years run circles
around everybody all game long and not get tired? Because when we weren't watching during the
day during the off season, his training regimen, you couldn't even argue, had to be elite.
Football is no different.
The difference, though, is unlike some of these other sports, you were spending a lot of times
with your coaching staff.
And that's out of your control.
We saw Malik Wilson, Tennessee, which was at the end of the Vrable tenure.
It was just weird.
Everything was off kilter.
And you need good coaches.
You need a good scheme.
You need people that believe in you.
and in football, when people believe in you and then you're willing to reciprocate it,
good things can happen.
Now, this is the best case is Malik Willis just got almost $50 million guaranteed.
Think about that.
If I would have told you a couple years ago that a team would give Malik Willis three years and $70 million and $50 million guaranteed,
I rounded up a little bit, you would have been like, you are out of your mind.
That's the most insane team in the history.
of sports.
And honestly, when that deal came up today, I'm like, that makes perfect sense.
And here's the other thing.
Specifically in football, you never know.
You never know who's going to be around you.
Your position coach within a year could be the offensive coordinator somewhere else.
Your offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator could immediately become head coaches.
The assistant GM that you see in the cafeteria that you see a practice could be
running a franchise within six months of the summer.
That's how fast it flips.
Think about when Malik Willis got traded to the Green Bay Packers.
Jeff Halfley had just left college and became the Green Bay Packers,
the defensive coordinator.
Two football seasons later, he's the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Oh yeah, with the assistant GM of the Green Bay Packers.
So two guys that had a front row seat and Jeff Halfley,
every single day at practice when Jordan Love was healthy,
who do you think was servicing the defense?
Who do you think was playing scout team quarterback?
This isn't college or high school where you got a bunch of quarterbacks out there.
It's the backup quarterback.
It's Malik Willis.
Who do you think was part of that trade and talking about his development
and just having a front row seat every single day?
The general manager.
And that's the thing in football, even if your team's average,
your guy can become a head coach,
let alone if you're a good team like the Green Bay Packers.
You know, Joe DiMaggio said this thing
that the reason that he always played hard
because he never wanted a kid or someone in the stands
who might be the first time he's ever seen him play
to be disappointed in watching.
And I think when you bring the mentality of like
every single day I'm trying to impress the people I'm around
because as we see in the NFL,
these guys constantly get spread all over the league.
All of a sudden the guy that was my quarterback coach,
three years later, he's the head coach of the New York Jets.
That's how fast it flips.
And Malik Willis took complete advantage of that,
clearly on the field,
from improving, doing everything he could do, get better.
And then at the end of the day, like, regardless of what you do,
your opportunity comes, you got to come through.
And sometimes you're ready and sometimes you're not.
and this year Malik Willis's opportunity came through multiple times.
One opportunity, he got the chance to start,
so he got to prepare all week, did excellent.
But to me, the most impressive game that Malik Willis has played in his career
was this year against the Bears when Jordan Love got caoed.
And he had to come in, and he was excellent.
He was playing in a cold environment.
He was playing in a game that was not game plan for him specifically.
And I thought he was, I remember,
watching that game on my couch thinking, this guy's good.
Like, this guy's good. Now, is it going to go well in Miami? Do I believe this guy's going to
become some top 10 quarterback? I do not. But I have seen a guy who's constantly improved.
I have seen a guy who has gotten better at every step of the way when he finally got around
credible people in the Green Bay Packers. And then these guys get their opportunity.
They kick to it of the curb who goes to the Falcons. I mean, does anyone like short
left-handed quarterbacks with below-average arms like Kevin Stefansky.
I mean, what, what are we doing?
Like, I'm trying not to shit on the Falcons.
Kevin Stifansky seems like a nice guy.
We'll see how it goes with Ian Cunningham.
But you signed Tua Tongue by Loa?
Like, that feels like the better version of Dylan Gabriel in Tua.
And I mean that as, I guess, a compliment.
But Dylan Gabriel, to me, is like a borderline UFL player.
and to me too, he starts for you consistently this year.
You're winning five or six games.
And that might be the case anyway with Pennix.
I'm out on the Falcons.
I really am.
I know everyone thinks Stefansky is like some Shanahan, McVeigh, LaFleur, Kevin O'Connell level guy.
I don't necessarily.
And clearly his evaluations when it comes to quarterbacks are atrocious.
I mean, they just simply are.
So the dolphins take a historic, historic just deadcap hit in booting Tua.
And I also think the one thing we've seen with Tua and Kyler is that you better be very careful with who you give a big contract to.
And I think the day and age of seeing average guys get $200 million is over.
because we just have two examples with, you know, $299 million in dead cap.
The wherever Kyler ends up landing, the Arizona Cardinals are going to have to pay him $36, $37 million this year.
You just can't make those mistakes.
It's one thing if you sign a guy and then he's kind of up and down and, you know, Jalen hurts, right?
He's got to play better.
Jordan Love, he's got to play a little bit better.
You know, there's no, there's nothing wrong with saying you've got to play better.
but it's like when I want immediately out of your business
and I'm willing to take a $55 million dead cap hit
or a $99 million dead cap hit to just get away from you,
that is a sign that you signed one of the worst contracts
in the history of the league.
And it's one thing like when the Denver Broncos made the deal with Russell Wilson,
I supported it.
I'm not going to act like I was against it.
I understood it.
He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
Some might say he's still a Hall of Famer.
I think it's kind of up for debate how it ended.
But he was one of the best players of his era.
This was a team that was desperate.
But he wasn't your guy.
And a couple years later, you have a new coach,
and it just goes kind of haywire, right?
But the Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins had these guys in house.
Like, they knew how talented those guys were.
That they knew their warts.
And they still signed the deals.
And it completely blew up in their face.
Two teams that have been, obviously the Eagles have been to a couple of Super Bowls in the last four years,
the Packers have been one of the better franchises in all of American sports for 30 plus years,
have a lot of turnover.
And looking at the Eagles today that lost Nacobie Dean, the lost re-blankenship,
I understand why they lost Jordan Phillips when Jordan Phillips signed with the Carolina Panthers.
And to me, nothing sums up free agency quite like that.
and I get the Panthers are a little desperate.
They need more help up front.
Under no circumstances,
even of how he had the available cap space,
I couldn't see him signing Jordan Phillips to four-year, whatever,
$30 million a year and giving him $80 million guaranteed.
That to me of all the contracts today was like, damn.
Now, I went on with Colin the last couple days.
We had a couple podcasts out to go check that out.
I do have a philosophy when it comes to signing guys that aren't going to go to the Pro Bowl, right?
Or not going to be probably all pros.
You're going to have to overpay in free agency.
That's part of the exercise, right?
These guys are available.
You've got multiple people bidding on them.
It drives up the price.
It's basic supply and demand.
Like, this is a basic economic exercise.
The reason these contracts are bigger than they would be
if someone had just given this guy an extension a year ago on the team
is because you have people bidding for their services.
But once you pay that guy, like last year when the Patriots gave Milton Williams a ton of money,
it seemed crazy.
It's like you're going to give a guy who has never been a full-time starter.
Even the year that the Eagles won the Super Bowl and he had his breakout season, he was good.
He played like 50% of the snaps.
But if you're going to quote unquote pay a premium over,
Overpay, he's got to be a really good player for you.
And what was Milton Williams immediately for the Patriots?
He was an excellent player.
Plug and play high-end starter on a team that won the AFC.
You feel good about that.
Even if Jalen Phillips isn't Miles Garrett, isn't Max Crosby, isn't Aiden Hutchinson, that's fine.
Can he be a really high-end starter on a team that clearly has aspirations on going back to the playoffs
and winning nine or ten games.
Then you feel good about it.
In a perfect world, would you like to give them $18 million?
Sure.
But in the situation they're in, you've got to overpay, it is what it is.
But you get to a position when you're Howie, you have no choice.
Even if you want to retain a services, which clearly they do,
their edge rush was not great.
They got the two defensive linemen.
Obviously, Jordan Davis is now under contract.
And, you know, Jalen Phillips, or excuse me, Jalen Carter,
it's just a tough situation.
Are you going to be cool with giving him $150 million guaranteed?
I think the Eagles are a little uncomfortable doing that.
I think it's safe to say.
But when you have those two defensive tackles,
if you have a couple good edges,
your defensive line's going to be good.
And Jalick's Hunt is a guy who's really come on.
They need to keep Nolan Smith on the field.
But this is the first year that Jalen Hertz's cap hit isn't nothing.
it's not two or three percent of the cap, it's 10% of the cap.
And next year, that only rises.
And same thing with the Packers, who lost a ton of guys today.
I think a lot of people go, well, they're paying Micah Parsons $45, $47 million a year.
Micah Parsons' cap hit is half as much in 2006 as Jordan loves, which is 12% of the cap,
which isn't everything.
It's not as high as Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Baker.
Mayfield and Matt Stafford, but it's still pretty substantial.
And once you get in a position where you're paying your quarterback a lot of money,
you have to make some other decisions around the margins.
And if you make a bad decision, as the Packers did last year with Aaron Banks,
they gave him way too much money.
And all of a sudden you kind of got up, yeah, we can't pay Quay Walker to keep him around.
We have to cut Jenkins the offensive linemen.
We're not going to resign Romeo Dobbs.
kind of is what it is.
As of recording this, they're not.
Who knows, maybe they end up doing that.
But these are the type decisions you have to make.
You know, Reed gets a bunch of money from the Houston, Texas.
Nacobo Dean gets a bunch of money from the Raiders.
Obviously, Jalen Phillips, which, if you would have told me when the Eagles traded for Jalen Phillips,
that another team would offer that contract in November, I would have been like,
Jalen Phillips is just playing out this season with the Eagles.
He's not going to be around anymore because they weren't going to,
no chance. It's not even an option. So this is part of doing business in the NFL is once you start
paying a lot of guys money, even though you can manipulate the cap, which Howie's probably the best
in the league, you get in positions where you have to make financial decisions. And you have to let
guys who have been consistent winning players for your franchise, they get to a number that you just
literally can't match. Even if you like the player, even if you like the person, and that's part
of football. You got to draft, develop, you got to replace. I mean, the Ravens did it for 20 plus years.
The chiefs are about to attempt to do that, right? Let trade McDuffie, let Jaylon Watson go,
cook the safety. It's part of the league is you got to get some turnover and then you've got to
have the next crop of young guys take their spots. But this is the reason that these teams
signed veteran players. Because yeah, I can hope the guy draft in the second round becomes
even worry or becomes
A.J. Brown or becomes
Nick Chub on the Browns.
But a lot of times that guy,
it's a 50-50 coin flip at best,
becomes a guy that can't be on the field
for a playoff team
and becomes a guy that gets beat out
by a fifth or sixth round.
The draft is a crapshoot.
I love it, you love it, we all enjoy it,
but there's a great unknown, right?
We're all in college graduating classes.
I was in one in 2008.
A lot of people went on different paths.
Some people made millions, and some people now that I graduated with at Cal Poly are probably doing nothing and life's not great.
So there is no guarantee just because everyone starts at the same spot.
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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.
We're starting a trend.
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.
And, 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, 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.
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
It's Michael and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself.
I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.
Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay.
Jen Chinchin win.
I mean, she went down at three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted.
Yeah.
She's an outsider to win the French for me.
And she likes Clay.
Listen, Lena Rubakina is arguably the best player in the world right now.
And I actually can win on any surface.
Because if she's serving, well, good luck.
Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.
Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.
That leads me into the Raiders, who I got to bring up this tweet from Schaefter.
that brought their additions today.
And I've said this forever.
Back when I worked in the Bay Area,
I was adamant that moving to Vegas was crazy.
It's clearly the best thing they ever did financially.
Not only they moved to Vegas,
the financial windfall of the new stadium,
but Mark Davis deserves credit for reaching out to these billionaire guys,
getting them involved as minority owners
and bringing in Tom Brady,
who is clearly part of that package.
Because they've given him an influence.
of cash. It doesn't mean just because you have money, it's going to work. I mean, last year,
hiring Chip Kelly for three years, $18 million is one of the most embarrassing hires in
the history of the league. I mean, there have been countless articles. You talk about a
mailing job, but it does give you the resources to attempt to do stuff like that. And if that $6 million
could have been used on the right guy, they just got the wrong guy, and you can also take
advantage of free agency because you can use signing bonuses. And one thing the Raiders have going for,
them and the Cowboys have going for them if they ever wanted to get aggressive in free agency
is, you know, the Florida teams, like the no state income tax is a really big deal.
It really is.
And I don't think enough people in the media really dive deep enough into it.
When you're talking at the units and the numbers that these guys are making, the difference
of signing with a no state income tax and a place like Illinois, New York, California
can be millions upon millions of net.
dollars in your bank account.
So I know it makes some people uncomfortable, but this is real big business.
This is real money.
So it's like, do you want to keep it or do you not want to keep it?
And when you're a bad team, you got to quote unquote overpay sometimes.
But when you have the capital to buy guys, they're going to be very interested because of the money they're going to get to keep in their bank account.
And we'll get in the Linderbom thing here in a second because I think that's directly tied to Max.
but they signed Quay Walker.
They signed to Kobe Dean,
who was just like an A plus character guy,
and if he's healthy, is a good starter.
Jalen Naylor, every time I looked up from Minnesota,
especially when Jordan Addison was injured or in trouble,
like you talk about a guy, he ran a 4-5 at the combine,
but I feel like the guy plays like 4-3.
He's averaged like 15 plus yards of catch.
He's had a bunch of touchdowns,
even though he hasn't been that productive in terms of reception standpoint.
point. I like Jalen, Jalen Naylor.
Quitty Pay, Eric Stokes, Malcolm Coons, they bought a bunch of guys on defense, right?
And you lose Max, their defense wasn't very good to begin with.
You just buy a bunch of guys on defense. And listen, just to get your franchise going in the
right direction. Like, do I think the Raiders are just going to win nine or ten games this
year? I don't. But do I think that they can just be a credible football team when you
turn on the television in October and November? I do. And I also think,
this allows them to use that 14th pick on offense.
You can either take a sweet wide receiver, you can take a sweet offensive lineman.
You don't have to like really think about a need.
And to me, I would use that pick somewhere on offense, 100%, not on defense.
Because I just think you get the opportunity, the Oregon tight end.
I don't, not sure if there's a receiver worth the 14th overall pick.
Definitely has an opportunity to be an offensive lineman worth the 14th overall pick.
then you get Mendoza, you get your center, which, let's face it,
they gave Tyler Lindemam a lot of money.
He makes dramatically more than the next highest paid center.
Don't mind overpaying a center,
which is going to touch my rookie quarterback every single play of his career.
Like that kind of matter.
Maybe not the total length of his career,
but for the next several years,
Lindembaum is going to be right there with Fernando Mendoza.
In the meetings, on the practice field,
every single day.
They should be attached at the hip.
And obviously he's played a huge,
had a huge impact on the Ravens
with Lamar and the offense.
And I also think that if you're a Raider fan,
you look at it simply like,
us trading Max to the Ravens
and the cap space, which he takes.
Lamar has the biggest cap hit
as of right now they could restructure his contract.
In the NFL.
In the NFL.
For example, Jordan Love and Jalen Hertz
are 31 and 133.
$36 million, which is the biggest on both their teams.
Hertz is 10% of his cap.
Love is 12% of his cap.
Lamar Jackson is more than double Jordan Love.
So you're talking about a guy in the high 20s, his percentage of their salary cap.
So part of trading Max Crosby to take up that space is Linderbaum is not even an option for them.
Because I'll get into it later this week when I'm sure we'll do a
mailbag, maybe in a couple days when things die down, is someone asked me, why didn't they
transition tag the center and just use that money to try to work out of deals? Because they don't
have the cap space. They don't have the financial flexibility. And once you get Max, who ain't
making $5 a year, you got to make some tough decisions. And the Raiders were able to pounce
on that because I think there were countless other teams interested, specifically the Washington
commanders when it came to
Linderbom's services,
but the Raiders, and this is where
like 20 years ago, they don't get them
because they wouldn't have had the money
to give just a historic deal.
But now with these billionaires, like, cut the check.
It means little to nothing to them.
And I think it's a massive, massive move for them.
I really do.
It gives them credibility for their young quarterback.
Because when you remove a guy like Max,
which the Ravens are really going to benefit from,
being the heart and soul of your franchise, the work ethic, the team captain.
It's hard to replace that.
And this is not, you know, no one in the NFL tanks and doesn't add veteran guys,
that's not the way it works.
You need people that know what they're doing to look up to, right?
Or for your young guys to look up to.
You know, remember Sam Hinky when they did trust the process,
they would have no veteran guys.
So as they started drafting good players, they're good players.
and they kept tanking, like Ben Simmons and Embed
are just looking up to scrubs.
It's like that's not a good way to set the culture in your organization.
You need guys who have won to be around.
It's why I think, listen,
the Chiefs were not comfortable with the contract
that Trent McDuffie got.
And they knew when they traded them what the numbers were.
They were not going to give that money.
And they have to make financial decisions.
They have, you know, Chris Jones makes a lot of money.
Patrick Mahomes still makes.
a lot of money. Obviously, a couple
offensive linemen make a lot of money. They just gave Kenneth
Walker a lot of money. But
they just couldn't do it. I think if you're a good team
and you pay a guy like that, you better be very sure
of the person. The chiefs love the guy, which clearly the Rams do too.
It's much easier to bring them into that locker room like, we've been winning.
He's like, oh yeah, I've been winning too. I got multiple Super Bowls.
And I've been to another. So like, oh yeah, and then
one of the Super Bowls we won,
Debo Samuel and all those wide receivers
for the 49ers, I shut him down.
I locked them all down.
I was fucking incredible.
So you bring in a guy to your locker room
who's going to be making more than the majority,
basically everyone on your team,
he better have some pelts on the wall.
If you're a good team,
if you're these teams like the Raiders,
who's going to be jealous of Tyler Lindembaum's
contract. Like, no one has a leg
to stand on, right?
And it's no different, like, okay, I bring
Max and he's making a lot of money, everyone in the Ravens organization will immediately
respect Max. I got a text from a scout on their team that was like just super fired up. Don't
blame him. I would be too. But when you are a good team and you bring one of these guys on,
like the Chiefs, you bring in a guy like Kenneth Walker, easy for him to get in the huddle with
Kelsey and Mahomes going, I'm a champion too. We're all champions. You're a champion. I'm a winner.
I know how to win. That really, really matters. So,
And that's what makes it difficult.
I think why so many teams,
you look at all these Packers guys getting signed,
all these Eagles guys getting signed,
because you feel like they know how to play in big games.
They know what January football is like.
They know what preparing to win a division is like.
They know what preparing for a playoff game is like.
They just, that type credibility as a player
when you're paying for it really, really matters.
So I think all these variables in free agency get factored.
it in. And like back to the Rams thing, I think it's easier to be like, listen, this guy's
going to be way richer than the majority of the players on defense. But it's like, what's Jared
versus going to say? Like, hey, Jared, I, a couple time all pro and I've won rings. You want to
win a ring? I can help you win a ring because I know what it takes. I've been in a defensive
meeting room that for three straight years, we were playing in the Super Bowl. So I think you've got
to be careful about making those decisions, which has happened in the history of the league. You
Bad teams, they signed like Albert Hainsworth to a historic deal.
It's like, that ain't going to work.
And it never does.
So I think speaking of legendary players,
I haven't talked to anyone on the Chiefs about this.
And I have, Kelsey's one of the best players I've ever seen.
He's everything you want in the prime of his career as a guy to go to battle with.
He came up with huge place.
He was so talented.
His rapport with the quarterback was elite.
his ability to work with the coaching staff and Andy.
It was one of the most special things we've ever seen.
But last year, like a lot of players in the history of the league,
kind of looked like he was trending in the wrong direction.
Look like his arrow was pointing down.
And I think sometimes, you know, Bill Walsh made this famous
and then Belichick copied him and a lot of other guys do the same.
Andy's made a career of doing this is sometimes you just let a guy go a year early
before you get burned a year late.
and you could argue it was a couple years ago
the chiefs could have kind of pivoted.
Now it's hard when you're winning Super Bowls,
but last year, you saw signs.
And I thought that the chiefs
will go in another direction.
The thing I underestimated is clearly they have a connection,
they have a belief in this guy,
they want this guy around,
and there's a value in which he brings in the locker room
that I can't quantify.
Because I'll be honest,
if you would ask me, what would you do?
I would have said it just would have been one of those situations
where I'm not offering him another contract.
Now it's easy for me to say, sitting in my office, talking on a podcast,
Coach Reed might say, well, it's like, it's not like our receivers are, you know,
beaten down the door.
He still is a valuable player.
Yeah, he had some bad drops last year, but we don't think that's necessarily because
he can't catch anymore.
And we're giving him a $12 million contract.
We're not giving him two years, $30 million.
But, yeah, I mean, we're hoping we can get a little bit more out of him.
And his practice habits and what he brings.
the table Monday through Saturday when none of you guys are watching still matters.
Because that's the only way I think you could justify bringing him back.
And listen, there is an intangible connection just of he's one of the best players in the
history of the franchise.
His number is going to be retired.
He's going to get a statue outside of our organization.
He really, really matters for the city, for this team.
I just think you've got to be careful doing business like that.
but maybe he, like Mahomes, is just a pretty unique player that it's hard to just quantify
by a number on the salary cap sheet, right?
Because Mike Evans, I look today, Baker Mayfield has one of the biggest cap hits in the league.
Okay, if we go to, because Mike Evans joined the 49ers,
and if you go to the internet and you look at the cap hits for quarterbacks,
I didn't quite realize this.
I had looked at it before today
of obviously Lamar, which we talked about
is one of the biggest. Jared Goffs is massive.
Josh Allen are the top three.
Tua, which is an epic disaster, is fourth.
You know who's fifth in terms of biggest cap hit in the league?
Is Baker Mayfield at 52.
Basically $53 million,
which is a huge number in almost 17.5% of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers salary cap.
Now, they made a couple little moves today.
they signed Anzolone, I think Kenneth Gainwell.
He was a really good player.
I mean, I like both those two signings, but they were, I don't want to say on the margins,
but they weren't that expensive.
But like Kelsey, I would say that Mike Evans holds a unique place in the history of Tampa Bay.
When you think of the most famous Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
you clearly think of the late 90s, early 2000s, Lynch, Ronde Barber, Warren Sapp,
Derek Brooks, that group.
then I think, you know, Tom was a higher gun.
But to me, the most famous player post that group is easily Mike Evans,
who was going to go to the Hall of Fame, who was Jason Light's first draft pick,
who I think I saw today, Schrager say that their families are friends.
They have a special connection.
But you get to a point, the 49ers offered the guy like three years,
60 plus million dollars, and I'm sure a lot of guaranteed money,
it's like, we can't go to that number.
and he's going to be 33 this year in the fall.
And this is where I kind of thought that the chiefs would do with Kelsey.
Now, it's different because Kelsey won more soup bowls.
They've been to more soup bowls.
I just think Travis is a more historic figure for the league slash the popularity element of,
you know, the Taylor connection.
It's just, it's a unique thing going.
But Mike, when it came to Tampa, I thought it was kind of similar.
but you get to the point where you kind of got to make a tough decision.
And we would love to keep you, but we got a number,
and we just can't match the number that you're being given.
And one thing that the 49ers really, really value is smart, tough players.
I mean, when you think about the best players on the 49ers are smart and tough,
Fred Warner, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey,
like Mike Evans fits the mold of their crew.
The only thing that makes me nervous
because I can't quibble with
he got banged up this year
when he broke his collarbone
but the previous two years
with Baker Mayfield
Mike Evans accounted for 24 touchdowns
Mike Evans is a fucking monster
when he's on the field
now we'll have to see who the other wide receivers are
for the 49ers but if Pierce all can stay healthy
big question mark with Kittle coming back
from this injury you know we think
they're going to figure something out with Trent
you got Purdy you know you got
Christian McCaffrey probably got to add another
running back. Maybe Drey Greenlaw, who just got cut, comes back. This is going to be a team
that is going to have a bunch of high-end guys like they did last year, but going to be older, right?
Kid old McCaffrey, Fred, like, these guys got a lot of tread on the tires. Mike Evans got a lot
tread on the tires. But I get it. Like, I got no problem overpaying Mike Evans a little bit,
you know, relative to what they like, what they need, gives them a red zone target. I mean,
that's been one problem for them.
It's why Joanne Jennings has excelled.
A couple years ago,
they're two wide receivers were Debo and I.
You're not big guys.
Right?
So Juan Jennings and George give them their,
listen, Brock Purdy, six foot one.
Sometimes you just kind of,
I can't really see any need to throw up a 50-50 ball in the red zone.
And that's what Mike Evans excels at.
Throw him a jump ball,
corner the end zone,
and let the dude play hoops.
What a career.
What a career.
Looking at the history of Mike Evans,
right now, career earnings, what would you guess?
My guess would have been probably $110 million, $130 million.
And that doesn't count the 49ers contract.
So when it's all said and done, Mike Evans is probably going to make $175 million.
I said it the other day with Khalil Mack.
There has never been a better time.
And it's only going to get better to be a good football player.
And now college, like you're a good football player in college.
you get seven figures.
And then you come to the NFL.
If you can have a long career,
you are going to, at minimum,
make $100 plus million.
And if you play wide receiver,
if you play defensive end,
if you play tackle,
if you, obviously quarterback,
if you play corner,
you're going to make several hundred million dollars.
For a long time,
it was like, you know,
kids play baseball.
Like, that's easy to say when you're on a,
you know,
I saw a headline,
will Kyler Murray go back to baseball?
You guys understand that baseball,
like he doesn't just,
go to the big leagues. You think
Kyler Murray being paid $36 million
by the Cardinals is going to ride a
fucking bus in New Mexico
and random cities in
Arizona and Texas
in the South? Are you out of your
gourd? Are you out of your mind?
No chance.
And I just think that
great time.
Business is moving. Hey, it's us to
Jonas Brothers and guess what? We have some big news.
What's the news, huge news? We've 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 did 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.
Oh, 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.
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, 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.
The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis, and I know firsthand because I competed there myself.
I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris.
Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay.
Jenchian win.
I mean, she went down in three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted.
She's an outsider to win the French for me.
And she likes Clay.
Listen, Lena Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world.
right now and I actually can win on any surface because if she's serving, well, good luck.
Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.
Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports.
The Steelers.
One main question I have for the Steelers is who's going to play quarterback?
Is who's going to play quarterback?
I think Mike McCarthy, the branding on Mike McCarthy is,
there has never been a more accomplished and consistently good at his job individual
whose brand acts like he's a scrub, who acts like he's not any good.
Because his resume is Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh.
Yet John Harbaugh just got $100 million.
Mike Tomlin will take a sabbatical doing who knows what this year,
traveling, probably do some TV, and we'll get $100 million next year.
Yet Mike Tomlin gets hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and people fall out of their chair
laughing at the Steelers.
It's like, listen, guys, it might not be the sexiest hire, and I do think it has to do
like his weight, right?
Harbaugh, you look at John Harbaugh down, I saw him at the Combine.
He looks fantastic.
I mean, he looks like he's got like 7, 8% body fat.
There's a coolness factor with Mike Tomlin.
Mike Tomlin ain't exactly, you know, on GLP 1.
Like, he's not the skinniest cat at this point.
Maybe he will be when he goes away.
I think the thing with McCarthy is he goes away,
like he takes a year off and he gets bigger,
and then everyone just makes fun of him.
Like, that's just that jolly fat, shitty coach.
It's like, no, guys, actually, a couple years ago,
the Cowboys, three straight years, 12 wins.
Won the division twice.
If you want to quibble with his playoff success,
okay, has he underachieved with the Packers
and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs?
No disputing that.
He's lost as a favorite multiple times.
with the Cowboys, the year two, when they were playing the Niners on the road,
he should have won. Listen, Dan Quinn's defensive performance, that game was atrocious,
Dax hit the bed the other two games. Some of the Green Bay games we could be critical of for sure,
especially the Seattle championship game. But like Mike McCarthy is, let's not act like he's
Pat Schumer or Joe Judge here. And they made an emphasis today to get offense.
Rico Dowdow is a good player. Like, I didn't understand why they didn't
give the ball to Rico Doudal more.
So the running back position, I like the Iowa running back last year.
They drafted him the third round.
It was a disaster.
He had the one play where it was the kickoff returner, bounced off him,
and then he basically never played the rest of the year.
That pick looks like it might just, you never want to just overreact to a rookie season,
but I don't think a rookie season could have gone worse.
But here's the other thing I'd say about Mike McCarthy.
Mike McCarthy was there, Devante Adams rookie year.
You might want to Google that one or Google Devante talking about.
It did not go well.
And within a couple years, Devonte was one of the best wide receivers in the league.
So part of his ability is to coach guys up,
is to help change guys' career.
Guys who are playing crappy, make them good players.
He is a really, really good offensive coach.
So you add Michael Pittman, who, I don't want to say falling off a cliff,
but a couple years ago, Michael Pittman was one of my favorite players in the league.
I mean, it wasn't that long ago.
he got 109 balls in the season.
And then last year, banged up, you had Tyler Warren, their offense changes.
Pierce really excels.
And he kind of gets lost in the shuffle.
Has some DJ Moore vibes.
So you could argue with Michael Pittman and DJ Moore, we're kind of buying low.
Everyone's out on them.
But it's kind of because their market value is we could revitalize it pretty quickly.
They're actually a stock that's undervalued.
And if Michael Pittman's healthy, like he's,
He's a player that's going to translate to cold weather to that division.
He's a tough, high character, just physical guy to go over the middle.
That kind of complements D.K., who was like a Ferrari, right?
And you get Dowdell in there, and you get McCarthy.
But the question mark is simply, even if Rogers comes back, I mean, last year, you know, 42 years old,
he's got a torn Achilles, he's got a broken hand.
It's like, can his body last in this NFL?
Now, I don't know what their other options are.
They don't really have any.
They drafted, I always get Will Howard and Riley Leonard mixed up.
They got one of those two guys.
I think they have Riley Leonard's on the Colts, Will Howard's on the Steelers.
So listen, I don't think you bank on one of those guys.
Could they draft like a Nussmeyer type in the second or third round?
I definitely think they could.
But maybe they are still.
And again, I'm recording this.
around dinner time on Monday, because I held out for as long as I could for the podcast tomorrow.
Could they be in the Kyler sweepstakes?
Have a hard time seeing McCarthy.
I mean, when we think about the guys McCarthy as coach recently and the like.
Honestly, Post Rogers was, obviously, Dak Prescott, he won some games with Cooper Rush.
Right?
So to me, guys like, would a cousins?
To me, cousins can't move in the cold weather.
Don't love that.
They don't really have any options.
It's no one's fault.
but I do wonder if they just draft a guy,
but we saw Rooney talk.
Like, this is a team that never plans on just like,
we'll be cool with winning six games one year and having like the seventh overall pick.
That's not how this franchise thinks.
It's not how they're wired.
It starts at the top.
That's why they hired Mike McCarthy and not some random younger coordinator
up-and-coming guy because they want to win nine or ten games this year.
And if you told me they just had a capable quarterback,
I'd be like, yeah, they could win
nine or ten games this year.
One rumor, again, internet rumor.
I'm not Shafter here, but love a good internet rumor,
is they were sniffing around on Tyson Baygett,
the Bears backup quarterback from like Division 7,
which I do think the Bears signed Case Keenham today
is a backup quarterback,
and it's not like they got them for 800 grand.
I mean, they gave them a couple of your contract,
like $5 or $6 million.
So maybe they are, hey, listen, they really want a second round pick for Tyson.
Maybe they end up give in to like, hey, give us like a third and a five.
I definitely think the Steelers are going to have to do something.
Because what they have, even the Rogers thing, there's no guarantee that Rogers can stay healthy at this age.
There's no guarantee that he's going to give them a yes or no anytime soon.
He's kind of beating to his own drum, him and his wife, who is the most mysterious wife in the history of wives.
I mean, I could, if you're listening to this right now, I can find you on Instagram and know more about your family in two seconds than I can about Roger's wife.
But he is wearing that ring, so I'm glad he's happy and happy wife, happy life.
So yeah, Tyson Badgett to the Steelers, that'd be kind of fun.
The Bears signed Kobe Bryant, who I saw a bunch of the former Seattle guys tweeting like, you got a stud.
I didn't quite realize just how productive this guy's been the last couple years.
Multiple times starter now for Mike McDonald's since he got there.
Seven picks, I think seven force fumbles, a bunch of PbUs, just a smart, really, really good player.
And, you know, the Bears signed Devin Bush.
They signed a defensive lineman.
They signed some defensive guys because I think you can plug holes with veteran defensive players
and at least just get bodies of people that know what they're doing.
but one thing that
I Google I'm like
where did Bryant go to college?
He went to Cincinnati
and he played on a team
with Alec Pierce
with Sauce Gardner
so between the three of them
Pierce got well over $100 million today
Sauce got a massive contract
a couple years ago
Bryant got like 40, $45 million a day
I mean that's $250 million worth of player
on a non-power-5 program
There's a reason that team was, now, they played a BAM in a bowl game and got their ass kick, but was like competing to run the table.
The reason Luke Fickle got the Wisconsin job was getting offered jobs left and right, because they had elite NFL talent on their roster.
I mean, I didn't quite realize, I'll be honest, I didn't know that much about Alec Pierce until the last couple years, and definitely this year.
I did not know that Kobe Bryant played for Cincinnati.
Maybe it was just wasn't as dialed into their roster.
To me, Sauce was clearly their most famous player in Desmond Ritter.
But that is, that's a good job, whoever, you know, building a non-power 14.
But that's the type of stuff that we talk about all the time is the ability to build the team
that's going to have a bunch of NFL talent on is basically impossible now at programs like that.
Now, Cincinnati technically is a Big 12 program now.
but Cincinnati is not keeping
if Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon,
want Alec Pierce, want Sauce Gardner.
Listen, Ash and Genti is the last of a dying breed, right?
He was offered seven figures, most people thought it was like Texas,
to be the running back a couple years ago,
and he denied him.
And he was like, loyalty, these guys stood by me,
and I think the most boys he could pay him was like 300 grand NIL.
Those days just sadly,
and as someone that loves college football
and someone that loves, like, I got my start at Fresno State.
But these programs, when I was at Fresno State,
we would have had multiple guys making seven figures.
I mean, Derek Carr would have got a substantial amount of money.
Ryan Matthews would have got a huge contract from one of the big programs.
We had a ton of wide receivers and corners and offensive line.
All these guys, I mean, we would have lost 10 guys a year.
So, props Cincinnati, no wonder they were really good.
And props of the Bears, who I think when you look at it,
that division, which I thought last year coming in, was stacked.
It's got question marks.
I mean, the Green Bay Packers have lost a lot of core guys.
Now, you can say they were trending in the wrong way.
You can say that they're no longer good players relative to what they were.
Totally understandable, but you still got to replace those guys.
Like, someone has to replace Quaywalk.
Someone has to replace Rash.
Sean Geary.
Someone has to replace that guy.
And I think anytime you're in a position with a lot of new guys,
even though at a franchise that is great at drafting and developing and figuring
things out, it is a challenge.
Minnesota, like, I just, their quarterback situation, I can't take seriously.
And the Lions, like, they're just some question marks, right?
I mean, they're very top heavy.
They got new offensive courts.
Can that revitalize them a little bit?
But I think the Bears are in a really, really good position.
I mentioned this to Coward.
If Caleb Williams can just improve 5 to 7%,
just some of those basic routes that he was overthrowing,
he hits.
You know that out route on 2nd and 7
just would put them in 1st and 10 instead of being in 3rd and 7?
He hits that.
You know that wheel route in which he airmails or skips?
he hits Menundi in stride.
If he can do some of that,
he doesn't need to be Drew Breeze or Steve Young
from an accuracy standpoint.
But if he can just be more consistently accurate
on the basic shit,
to me, I like them to win the division.
Because the Packers have a lot of question marks.
I mean, the best player on their team
is coming off an ACL injury.
Right? To me, the Minnesota Vikings,
I'm sorry, your quarterback positions,
J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray or whoever,
like, I'm out.
And the Lions, who I'm not selling all my stock.
I'm still a stockholder.
There are just some question marks to be answered
if they're going to get back to win 12 plus games a year.
I'm still a believer in Dan Campbell,
and I really like their high-end talent,
but their offensive line definitely needs to improve.
And, yeah, I mean, defensively,
can they keep core guys healthy?
Because every single years, they drop like flies.
I would say the same thing for the NFC East.
You know, this Eagles team is just going to be a lot different.
than it has been in years past.
They lost some core guys today.
They got some major question marks internally with some key guys.
What happens with A.J. Brown.
And you look at the Cowboys, like defensively,
you add Gary to go with Quinn and Williams,
you got multiple first-round picks.
If you can keep improving the defense,
you know the offense is good.
Like, they could just be a credible team next year.
And the New York Giants clearly are going to be dramatically better
than what they've been.
Now, are they going to be as good as everyone thinks?
I don't know about that because their quarterback's going to have to prove that he can play the whole season.
And Matt Nagy's calling plays, you know, solely.
He's called some plays with Andy, but the offense is now his baby for the first time since the Chicago Bears.
So can Nagy thrice as an offensive coordinator?
I'm believing him.
Love the guy.
And can Jackson Dart stay on the field?
But they are going to be, their defense is going to be dramatically better.
They paid a punter today.
Well, why do you think they did that?
They're going to try to play some Baltimore Ravens smash-mouth fucking football.
But if your quarterback can't stay on the field,
and they're going to have to balance, like, you know,
they were running like quarterback power constantly last year with him,
which he's actually pretty good at because he's an underrated athlete.
But, you know, you get Scataboo back,
maybe you draft another run.
I guess they got multiple running backs.
You get Malik neighbors back.
You add Isaiah likely.
Their offense is pretty interesting.
The commander is still a lot of question marks.
I mean, they paid tons all the day.
Their quarterback, who was one of the great rookie seasons we've ever seen,
health that to me is the number one thing.
Their team was really old last year.
I just got some question marks there.
They obviously got new coordinators on both sides of the ball.
But that division, to me, is just more interesting than coming in this year.
I was like, Eagles are going to win it.
There wasn't a bigger lock to me.
I'd say them and the bills.
I thought the bills were locked.
which obviously they weren't.
But I thought the Eagles were probably the biggest lock in the entire league
because you just looked around and you're like,
the commander's roster, I know they had a great season just isn't good enough.
The Cowboys, once they traded Micah Parsons, their defense was going to be a shell of itself.
And because they were going to have no pass rush.
And their DBs were already kind of bad.
And the Giants just, you just weren't buying the stock coming into the season,
and then obviously it just got derailed.
But that is not the case now.
That is not the case at all.
And same thing with the Bears.
That division was like, hey, it's going to be the Packers, it's going to be the Lions.
Minnesota, if JJ's pretty good, is now wide open.
And honestly, I lean just the Bears.
Like right now, I pick the Bears to win that division.
When comes to the NFC East, I think the Cowboys and Giants got to be looking at themselves going,
we got a shot.
We got a shot to have a hat and t-shirt at the end of the year.
And the commanders just go, hey, if we just, if our quarterback can play 17 games,
can be one of the better players in the league.
Even if we have some flaws on the roster,
if our quarterback's that good,
we're going to be a very, very competitive team.
Maybe not carried by football gods and angels,
as it was a couple years ago,
hitting Hail Marys when Stevenson's looking in the crowd.
Maybe those days are over,
but we can get back to nine or ten wins.
And I think the Eagles, and that's part of,
listen, the wind blows the hardest at the top of the mountain.
and the hardest part about sports,
the hardest part about business,
the hardest part about anything once you're successful
is other people in your industry
are all coming for you.
Like, do you know how hard the chiefs,
the like five-year run they had
of every regular season game
was the biggest game their opponent played all season?
Think about that.
I'm not even talking the playoffs of the Super Bowl.
I'm just talking by like 2022, 2022,
every fucking regular season game
against the Cardinals,
against the Jags, against the Ravens, against you name it.
Every single team in the league, whoever their opponent was,
that was the biggest game on their schedule.
Listen, it was easier to load your roster.
But say what you want about Sabin, for a decade plus,
he was by far the biggest game every team played on his schedule, right?
By far.
And that's a tax that I don't think we discuss enough.
That's really hard.
It's what, looking back at like the Brady Bates,
Belichick era from like 2010 to 2018, once it was well established, like these guys were
like goat level individuals, they were getting everyone's, I mean, best right shot they could
every single week. And that's what's hard about football, right? That's what's going to be
challenging for Ben Johnson, the Bears. Like, we don't, we don't get to kind of sleep. Like,
no one's like not paying attention to us anymore. No one's like, are these guys good? No, it's like,
Everyone's taking us seriously every single week, every single week.
They're going to approach us no different than they would, the Bills or the Ravens.
Like, this is a real game with a playoff team, like, better buckle up.
Because if you don't, we will lose.
And that's what separates teams.
That's what separate coaches over the course of years, right?
It's honestly probably an underrated part of the Tomlin staff that he never lost.
because it's like the guy just refused to ever have a season
where they just went like 6 and 11.
Just refused.
And I think that is not just respectable.
That's fucking badass.
And in a sports world where these other sports teams tank,
even in the NFL where you have these inept franchises
like the Jets and the Cardinals, you know, winning every single year,
even if it's not the Super Bowl, even if it's not 14 games,
you just being above 500 and being a competitive team year in, year out,
even if that means being the last team in the playoffs.
Like, that's a very respectable thing in the competitive industry.
So I love football.
Fun day.
Jam-packed day.
And a lot of action.
Hopefully we get more action in the next couple of days.
I'm sure we will officially get some trades,
which A.J. Brown is probably the name to keep an eye on,
like, what is going to happen there?
And then we'll see what else shakes out.
So buckle up.
And I'll have you covered.
Adios.
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.
Nice.
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.
and we don't care where you hear it.
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 Podcast,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
What's up, fam?
It's Isaiah Thomas.
And I'm C.J. Toledano.
It's our favorite time of the year
on our podcast, Point Game, the playoffs.
We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season.
And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments.
If we didn't talk ever again, I was hungry.
You just understood.
That's how personal it got.
Wow.
Then after that game 7, Marquis come into it.
He's like, you know, I love you, dog.
You know, it's all love.
This was just playoffs.
This was just basketball.
So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey, I'm Deanna Maria Riva, and on my new podcast, How Hard Can It Be?
I call on my Gen X squad from Ohio to Hollywood as we navigate Midlife's most fantastic BS.
Unfiltered conversations from night sweats to fupas to scheduling sex.
Wait, what sex?
Is it just me or does every woman my age want to look at Pinterest instead of having sex sometimes?
They say we can't polish a turn, but we're sure going to try.
So let's get blunt with laughs, tears, or tears of.
of laughter. Listen to How Hard Can It Be with
Diana Maria Riva on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart
podcast. Guaranteed human.
