The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hour 1 - Russell Wilson meeting with the Steelers

Episode Date: March 8, 2024

Jason McIntyre steps in for Colin and explains why he's doesn't see Russell Wilson as a great fit with the Steelers He defends Celtics star Jayson Tatum from recent criticisms following their loss to the Nuggets NFL reporter Dianna Russini joins the show to breakdown where each of the top quarterbacks will end up in free agencySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. On the Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 is big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors.

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Radio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Welcome to the Hurd. It's a spectacular Friday show, Jason McIntyre. That's me, in for Colin Cowherd, who's gallivanting in Chicago this weekend. Who knows what he's doing in the Windy City. I am joined today by Alex Curry, Alex. How you feeling?

Oh, I'm great. I'm fresh off a little vacay, so I am, like, back, ready to hit the ground running. I also love how you intro, like, it's me, Jay Mack, I'm here. We're here. We're going to have a great Friday. Just need to remind people who I am. Alex and her, is that Dodger Blue or Chicago Blue? I don't know.

If we're going to go Blue, I'll go Dodger Blue. Dodger Blue. 100%. We're like two weeks away from opening day. Yes. For Dodgers opening day. And listen, baseball's getting exciting, NBA getting exciting. We've got to start with the NFL, Alex, because we've got some breaking news.

Yes, we do. You know, I host the show. We get some breaking news. Last time it was Cam Newton. going toe to toe to with him. Now we got Russell Wilson. Breaking news to start the show.

Russell Wilson was in New York this week meeting with Drum roll please, the New York Giants. Yes, we don't know. They're calling it an exploratory meeting. And now Russell Wilson this morning spotted at the airport

by the athletics Diana Rusini, who will be joining us shortly. Diana says Russell Wilson's on his way to Pittsburgh today. Russell Wilson headed to Pittsburgh to meet with the Steelers and Mike Thompson. Now, we don't know who is recruiting who at this point.

We'll get to that shortly. But it's funny, you know, Russ has been through a lot here in the last three years. It's been a little topsy-turvy, and I saw a funny quote recently. A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. And let's be real, this is a crisis for Russell Wilson, who it seems like, folks, is kind of trying to get recruited to play for teams. We don't know, even know if he's a definite starter anywhere. We think he probably will be.

but Russ has been through some turmoil the last few years. And I do want to be clear at the top, I'm not a Russell Wilson hater. I've defended him many times. And not just because people tell me I look like him in the right lighting. I like Russell Wilson. I think he's a Hall of Famer. He's been to two Hall of Fame. And I also need to add he has as many playoff wins, I believe, as Dan Marino and more than several other pretty impressive quarterback.

Like in the playoffs, Russell Wilson has been good. However, in recent years, he's been on the struggle bus. And let's remember, Seattle kicked him to the curb. Thanks, but no thanks. Thank you for your service. Adios. And they kind of booted him. And he goes to Denver.

And his first year with Nathaniel Hackett was forgettable to say the least. They fire Hackett. Sean Payton. Oh, sure. I'll come work with Russell Wilson and Denver. They didn't get to the end of the season before Sean Payton and Denver realized, yeah, this isn't going to work. Not at this salary.

You're not the same quarterback you used to be. So he's now been basically booted. And this week he's kind of been, I don't want to be too harsh, but he's been laughed at as being, you know, part of the worst trade in NFL history. I don't know if I'm ready to go there yet. We'll break that down another day. But let's be clear.

This is a crisis for Russell Wilson. It reminded me of that scene in Moneyball. I'm sure you guys have seen it, Brad Pitt, who plays the character of Billy Bean. And he's talking to David Justice. And David Justice is just basically giving him the business like, yeah, you guys are paying me a lot of money. And Brad Pitt goes, we're not paying you a lot of money. The New York Yankees are paying half your salary to play against them. That's what they think of you.

And folks, around the league, like Denver's paying Russell Wilson in the neighborhood of $37 million not to play for them. And so, yeah, is he attractive to Pittsburgh on the cheap? Sure. But I do have to wonder, is this a good fit for Russell Wilson? Now, Con and I pushed back on this, I believe it was yesterday, maybe two days ago. I don't know culturally that Russ fits there, okay? He had some issues in the locker room in Seattle, and now he's going to another defensive heavy team in Pittsburgh.

You know how that worked out with him in Seattle. The Legion of Boop, they didn't like him. They did not get a lot. They didn't like how Russ got all the accolades. You think Minka and T.J. Watt and that impressive defense is really going to love if Russell comes in and win some games. Pittsburgh won 10 games last year with a poo-poo platter of Trubisky and, was it, Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett?

Maybe Russ is an upgrade from them, sure. but I don't know that he's a great fit. We had Peter Schrager on the show this week talking about Russ as a potential fit in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is committed to Kenny Pickett. I could tell you that. I've heard from many sources around the league and a source inside that building.

They like Pickett. They took him in the first round and they think Pickett's got a future. But for $1.2 million, and Denver is paying the load on all of the rest, yeah, take a meeting with Russell. Yeah, see what he's about. And if he mixes with Tomlin,

and he meshes with Arthur Smith. I think it's certainly a fit that makes sense when you look at the 32 seats at quarterback around the league. Yeah, and he made a good point about Arthur Smith. Arthur Smith rehabbed Ryan Tannahill and turned him into a productive quarterback for a minute or two. And sure, Russ could be reinvigorated, but I just don't know if it's a great fit for him there.

And at the top of next hour, I'll break down what I believe are my five best fits for Russell Wilson. And I'll tell you this, Pittsburgh, in a division with the reigning MVP, the reigning number one seed in Baltimore, in a division with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, who, oh, by the way, went to the Super Bowl a couple years ago,

and then you got Kevin Stefansky and the coach of the year in the Cleveland Browns, and I think Deshawn Watson, despite some struggles, he's still better than Russell Wilson. Like, how can Pittsburgh be at the top of his list? But I think that kind of sort of speaks to the desperation of Russell Wilson. Now let's move to the NBA, and last night's incredible.

incredible, unbelievable game between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics. It was a finals preview. And folks, I'll take seven of those, please. Thank you in June. What a game. Jason Tatum on the struggle bus. And I know the calendar says, what, March 8th today? Yeah, March 8th.

But it's also known as Kill Jason Tatum Day because anyone, podcast you turn on radio, TV, you go on social media. Jason Tatum's not clutch. Jason Tatum's a choke artist. Did you see the shot against Cleveland this week? And folks, we can do this in the NFL when there's 17 games. Okay? We can do that. It doesn't apply to the NBA.

Like you see Tatum here, down two, had an open three, and he missed it. He had five turnovers and five baskets. Like, that doesn't cut it for a first team all NBA guy. I love Tatum. I'm here to remind you he is a clutch basketball player. How soon we forget America. Two years ago, Celtics on their way to the finals, game six, win or go home, against a Milwaukee bucks in Milwaukee in Janus.

And Tatum goes for 46 points. I remember, because my son had a club basketball game, and we're driving home from the tournament. I have the game on in the car with my son and his buddy in the backseat. And Tatum is going off. Now, I'm not watching because we're in traffic out here in L.A. But they're listening to Jason Tatum, he's beating Janus. He scored 46 points in game six, and they win the series of game seven.

Last year in the playoffs, surely you remember, Jason telling everybody, The Sixers are not good. The Celtics will get them. And of course, Sixers are up three, two in game six. Jason Tatum won for 14. He started one for 14, right? We go to the fourth quarter. What happens?

Jason Tatum goes off. Jason Tatum scores, I believe, 16 points in the fourth quarter on the road. Celtics win. And then game seven. Does it get much more clutch than that? You know, you can tell me all you want about a clutch NBA game in March. I'll tell you game. Last year, Jason Tatum, 51 points against Joel Embed, who was, oh, that's right, he was the MVP of the league.

Yes. And Tatum went off in a clutch performance and the Celtics advance. So don't tell me this Jason Tatum is in clutch nonsense because he had two, he had a rough week in the fourth quarter. Oh, whoopty damn due, it's March. Okay? Come back and check with me in June when the Celtics are in the finals. Now, the real problem Boston has, if you watch that game, they ain't got no answer for Nicola Yolkich, who is the best player in the league. I know I've been saying Luca, and Luca's on a heater for straight

triple doubles, 30 plus points. But you saw it down the stretch. They have no answer for Yokic. They tried Drew Holiday, who's an amazing guard, really locked up Jamal Murray last night. Try Drew Holiday on Yokic. They're throwing the kitchen sink at him, and it didn't work. Yokic, when it mattered most, goes right at Porzingis and gets a bucket. And if you guys notice, I don't want to pick on Porzengis, like he was all right, but the legs were not there. Here's the bucket if you're watching on FS1. You just went right at him. Porzengis 9 of 23 shooting.

Yeah, that's going to happen when you've got to mark up Yokic in the paint. And then, of course, Yokic flips this crazy, like just tossing hook that Aaron Gordon catches and dunks. And Aaron Gordon just dunts everything. Yokic is not a great matchup for the Celtics, but he's not a great matchup for the league. Anthony Davis has no chance against Yokic. We saw that in the series. There is currently no answer for Yokic.

and I don't think it's too hot of a take. I love Shaq in his prime. I watch plenty of Shaq and Kobe. I watch Shaq in Orlando. Yokic is a modern Shaq, except with triple doubles and three-pointers. Like, he does it all. And you can't stop him right now. And he makes it look effortless.

I'm not going to get into that tirade about him being the face of the league. And, like, I'm sure you guys remember, Mike Trout of the Angels was like the face of baseball for a while. It just was kind of anonymous. He could walk into your local TGI Friday. you might not know it was Mike Trout. He's a humble superstar. He doesn't do a lot of interviews. I think he has one commercial.

He's out as soon as the season ends to go ride horses in Serbia. But damn, that guy's good at basketball. I will say this. You can duplicate what Boston has. And I think they're onto something I've been workshopping a take about how the entire league is going to look like the Celtics here in three years. Everybody wants what they have, which is a million three-point shooters, switchability,

pace and space. They're the perfect basketball team right now. Problem is they're facing the perfect basketball player in Yokic, and they don't really have an answer. You can duplicate what Boston has, right? You can find a, you know, Holiday and Porzingis and these shooters and Peyton Pritchard. You can find those guys. You can't find a Yokic.

They're just no duplicating him. And what he was doing down the stretch against Boston has been nervous. I'm still reluctantly taking Boston to win the finals. I'll hang my hat on this. They will have home court advantage. almost certainly in the playoffs. I think they're up by five or six games for home court advantage. And I'm of the belief that Denver, which does struggle a little bit on the road.

They did sweep Boston this year to, oh, yes, yes, they did. But I think the Celtics get them in the finals. I wouldn't put too much stock in Jason Tatum struggling last night. Hell, I struggled in my men's league playoff game last night. You know, I'm not Jason Tatum, obviously. But I digress. Alex Curry, we have a bomb show today. I'm so fired up despite the Celtics loss.

I know. You've already brought your men's league. League and we're not even what like 15 minutes into the show. I think on the bingo card Jason's men's league. There it goes. He's talking about his men's league. Alex vacationing, uh, right? But I mean, we're coming off like that was. It felt like a finals preview last night. It was fire right out of the gates down to the wire. If we could get that. I mean, having a regular season game like that is anything you could wish for and more. That was, that was great. Epic. Coming up next here on the herd, I haven't said this guy's name on the show. I think it's been a couple

months. The quarterback of the New York Jets, I haven't said his name. I will break that streak next. Because he's saying he could play a few more years. Bro, come on, come on, get a clue. That's next here on the herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the I-Hard Radio app. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, The podcast, Superhuman, documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds.

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

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space.

For honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little kill? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.

Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. so I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes.

I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. ...solution, and that's NetSuite.

Learn more when you download NetSuite's popular KPI checklist, absolutely free at NetSuite. dot com slash heard. That's netsuite.com slash heard. Diana Ruscivi, who broke that story on Russell Wilson and Pittsburgh, she's coming up here in about 20 minutes. Let's go to Aaron Rogers for a moment. Yes, I'm finally saying his name again. Just so disgusted with some of the stuff that guys done to the New York Jets. Not that he's ruined them. I mean, he's trying to fix them.

It's a terrible franchise right now. You guys know I talk a lot. Those of you who listen to my podcast, I talk a lot about, like, dad life stuff. And it seems to resonate. When people come up to me, like a Lakers game or wherever I am, the guys who are like, Jay Mack, they know me from the herd. People who come up and are like, oh, Jay, what's up, man, who are like a little more, they know me from the podcast because they're listening to me while they're walking their dog or what have you.

And I try to have my kids well-rounded, right? I don't just push them into sports, right? We got the academics, obviously. They're doing some chess, some dance, you know, whatever it is to become well-rounded individuals. I myself grew up, I think I've told the story here on the show. Every day to start the day, I would get the sports page, the Washington Post. I'd pick it up at the bottom of the driveway, and I would just read the sports section. I didn't care what was going on in the national news.

My dad's already texting me, did you see the speech last night? I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm kind of locked in on sports a lot. So I do appreciate and think well-rounded is good. But then I look at quarterbacks, and I think, man, Tom Brady, I had to do it was locked in. Do you guys remember the story

during COVID where Brady needed to get in a workout with his guys? So he rallied them at some high school football stadium in like Tampa or somewhere in Florida. And there were like helicopters circling

trying to catch a glimpse of Brady working out with his dudes. He was getting in workouts. Edelman sat here and talked about how Brady would fly Montana, Idaho, big sky country. And they would get in workouts.

and really get together on the same page. Brady was about that football, and he lasted forever in the NFL. So now it gets to Aaron Rogers. And this week in whatever podcast Aaron Rogers is talking to, which is what he seemingly does every week now, he gave an interview to someone named Eddie Bravo, Look Into It podcast with Eddie Bravo,

and here's what Aaron Rogers had to say. I got back on the practice field late in the season and couldn't get to a top speed sprinting, but really had been in a good place. rehab-wise from the start and feeling really good. I'm hopeful I can play two or three or four more years, but you need to have some good fortune in there, too. So I don't have any issues with Aaron Rogers talking to a podcast every week,

someone from the Joe Rogan Cabal, he's like playing bow and arrows, he's talking to former punters. Like, I get that. That's his crew now. Those are his people. He's found his tribe. And that's cool. and Rogers has a lot of outside interests from football.

He's made that very clear. He's a do-your-own-rearch guy. Does he really want to elongate his career the way Brady did? Well, if he does, would he be doing locked in a room with Garrow Wilson and the wide-receiving group, Alan Lazard, and he would be getting these guys on the same page. You want to play into your mid-40s? You've got to kind of do what Brady did, right?

Isn't that? I mean, look at LeBron James. He's going to be playing into his 40s. the guy doesn't put any food in his mouth that isn't authorized by his trainer. He is a specimen at this age. He's playing at one of the highest levels ever seen in basketball. Jordan couldn't do half this stuff LeBron's doing now at this age. Like LeBron puts in the work.

I don't know. Aaron Rogers went into a darkness retreat. I think it was like this time last year, maybe a little earlier. And he was like, oh, I might retire from football. Let's see what happens in the darkness retreat. And now you're saying you want to play two or three. three more, four more years? You know what this is, guys, right? We talk about it all the time. It's called misdirection. So what have been the stories about the Jets the last two weeks?

Negative this, negative that. Mikul Hartman taking a dump on the Jets. They stink. Their organizations are a joke. Nobody's on the same page. The offensive coaches stink. The special teams, blah, blah, blah, blah. All negative. All. So Aaron Rogers, in his leadership role, is now pivoting. Hey, everybody over here, jazz hands. I'm playing three or four more years. Talk about that. Talk about that on the herd, Jay. Don't talk about me, Cole Hardman. Let's focus on me.

It's all about me. Well, I've got some bad news for you, Aaron. Have you looked at the history of recent quarterbacks going into their 40s? Outside of Brady, right? Brett Farve had that one really good year in Minnesota through the errant pass and cost them the NFC championship game. You know what happened the next year, right? Injuries, 19 interceptions, career, done. Over.

Look at Kobe Bryant with the Lakers. Off the Achilles injury. We all love Kobe, obviously. It was all about Kobe. The team paid Kobe. The team was awful. They were mired in the wilderness until LeBron pulled them out. Okay?

Go look at the history of these quarterbacks in their 40s. I'm just telling you, coming off in Achilles, it ain't going to be easy. I'm obviously rooting for the Jets. I've rooted for my entire life. My kids make fun of me. Wait, why do you root for the Jets, Dad? Oh, I was born in New York. So? They're terrible. Why do you do it?

And this is what I do. I punish myself rooting for the team where I was born and haven't been to the playoffs in forever. Maybe Rogers gets us there, but I'm dubious he gets them there this year. And then two or three or four more years, I got to see that one. Let's go to Alex Curry with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

But Jamak, if you're looking for the positive because this is your team, right, with Rogers, don't you want that mindset that he has? that he wants to play three to four more years opposed to, you know, maybe my body's giving out and this is it. Once I come back, I'll just play out my contract and that's it. That's the attitude that you want from your leader and star player

it's I'm going to do whatever it takes. He's still a four-time MVP. He's still one of the greats. You know he's going to give it everything that he has. I would say actions over words. He got injured. He couldn't really show any actions last season. Could not, but now he could. And he's like,

he's just doing this whole Joe Rogan podcast circuit and that's fine. Hey, do your thing. Build your brand because after football you're going to need something. Yep. I just, I don't know. I'm dub. Let's just say I'm duby. How do you go from darkness retreat to, oh, yeah, three or four more years? I'm just saying, this is your team. You've got to find positives here, right? See, Alex, thank you for pulling me out and he wants to continue playing, meaning he's going to give it as all. Focus on that for a little bit. I like that. I'll take it. Okay. Let's stay in the NFL here because the bills have had trouble getting over that hump in the playoffs, falling to the chiefs again this postseason. Now,

the scouting combine, Shaw McDermott said it's not a matter of if, but when Josh Allen and the Bills would lift a Lombardi trophy. Now, take things further, McDermott elaborated on his confidence, saying he knows how to develop players and that he would maximize Josh Allen's potential. Now, the Bills had a roller coaster of a season. Now, if you're going to have a roller coaster season, they did it the right way. They started down and then went on the up. Once they fired their offensive coordinator, they went on a bit of a winning streak. streak. They finished since they fired the OC. I think they finished the season seven and two, including the postseason, right? So if it's going to happen, it went the right way. And they ended

up winning the AFC East, but once again, they still lost Mahomes and the Chiefs in the postseason. If there was ever going to be a season, it really felt like it was going to be this past season for the Bills. And Josh Allen, when you have Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on a, quote, down year, which they ended up winning the Super Bowl anyway. because it's Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. So it's just, it's hard to believe all this when we saw last season, even when they went on that great run of seven and two, Josh Allen put this team on his back.

And he carried them down that stretch. What does that mean? I'm going to maximize his potential. Like Josh Allen's already not awesome? Like, I don't know, man. I think part of it's the coaching, no? I mean, they had Kansas City at home and lost the game. Like, yeah, win that game.

You have to win that game. I mean, yeah, Alan, you know, butchered it. There were two bad passes and they missed the field goal, but Sean McDurton, really? I'm going to maximize his. Josh Allen's already one of the best players in the league, isn't he? This is tough. When it gets to this and you're making your choice, okay? We're going to stick with Josh Allen, say the franchise, right?

If there is turmoil between a coach and a player, we saw this in Denver. They chose Sean Payton over Russell Wilson. This could be a conversation that you have with Josh Allen. Do you feel like this is the right leader that can bring you to that next level? And if Josh Allen believes that it is, you got to go with it, right? Because you've got to be on that same page if you want to get there. It's got to be between what he thinks is going to work if you're going with Josh Allen and he's your guy to get you to the top and raise that Lombardi trophy.

It's weird. The defense had like a crew for like five years. They were all together for that long run. And now slowly but surely two safety is gone. The linebackers are winnowing. The window is kind of closing for that. Like I said, I think last season felt like that would. their year. That was your best shot with the Chiefs who still won it all having a down season,

which is crazy. All right, now to the NFC North. Justin Fields will surely be traded this off season with the Bears expected to draft Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. And the Vikings may also be looking for a new quarterback with Kirk Cousins entering free agency. With the uncertainty, oddmakers have made Fields the favorite to start week one for Minnesota at plus 300. Now, this is interesting because that would mean it would be a big trade within the division. I still think Kurt Cousins is going to end up back

in Minnesota. Who's that number two? Is that Trey Lance? That's Trey Lance. This is to start week one for the Vikings if you're listening and not watching. I thought Trey Lance was on Dallas. He is. They're anticipating Dallas shipping.

Some sort of trade. I mean, the Vikings got to do something. They got to get a quarterback, right? I still think Kurt Cousins are going to make an offer for Kurt Cousins, still coming off of his injury. He's done great things with the new leadership there

once he was there and when he was healthy. Can he get them to the top? I don't know. Interesting that you say Cousins, they don't even have them listed there. They don't even have him on there. What?

What's Vegas trying to say? I can't imagine that they know something here. But I feel like Kirk Cousins is kind of, with everything happening in free agency and trades and whatnot, Kirk Cousins is kind of

that kind of first domino effect wherever he goes, I think then we'll start to see, like, how big is the market really for Justin Fields? Because, yeah, you're saying this, but nothing's really happened yet. They have the first overall pick. We know that they're going to go get another quarterback. There's so much young talent in this draft class. If I could get anyone else plus 1,000 or plus 10,000. Also, they were in the same division. They know who he is. They know what he can do. Yeah. I'm duby. I don't know. I don't know if I agree with Vegas.

Yeah, I would go Russell Wilson. Yeah. I think that makes a much. To the Vikings? Oh, did I just give away the top of the second hour? Damn it. Oh, okay, little tease. Let's, we'll save that.

We'll move on. On to the NBA here. Bad news for the Warriors last night. Not only did they drop a tight game to the Bulls, but Steph Curry twisted his ankle late in the fourth quarter and limped to the locker room. Steph was unable to return and his status is currently unknown. Teammates are bracing for him to miss time, but the final diagnosis has yet to be revealed.

Now, this would be. absolutely devastating for the Warriors. He's obviously the heart and soul of their team. He is their lead score. Their record and their team rating with and without Steph also just kind of shows how important he is. They're 33 and 26 with Curry, 0 and 3 without him just this season. And then the team's net rating with Curry is plus 2.0 without Curry is minus 11.1.

So he is the difference maker not only on the court with what he does. does, but just emotionally for this team. He brings everybody together. He makes things happen. I haven't looked at their schedule, but you've got to figure to shut him down for at least a week, and they still should be fine with the placement in the West. I think the Jazz or the 11th, and they're not going to, barring the Warriors lose 10 straight. Jazz are not catching them.

The only thing I think that would change is 9 and 10 in the play-in, nine would host the game. So if the Warriors can host. Yeah, they're currently at 9. They're 9. Lakers should pass. Lakers are at 10. This is a week. They should because they're, what, a game behind them.

Lakers schedule is so tough. It is tough. Is it bucks? Who do they have to? I mean, they got a rough schedule. I think it might be bucks tonight. It's looking like Warriors Lakers in the plane. That's what it's looking like in the playing tournament.

We would lose LeBron or Curry. Two of the biggest names that you want to see playing throughout the postseason. Yeah. And the NBA needs those guys. They do. So this is just all hope for everybody that that Curry is going to be okay. Jeff Curry. Oh, Alex with the News.

Is that it? Yeah, that's it. I'll keep smiling at you. Yeah. Alex with the News. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. The Herd Lie News.

My bad on that one. All right. Coming up next, Diana Rusciti, who broke the news about Russell Wilson. We'll talk to her about the latest on Pittsburgh and Russ and the New York Giants. And Russ, what does Daniel Jones think about that? That's next year on The Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays in noon Eastern 9 a.m. Pacific. Hey, it's Ben.

host of the fifth hour with Ben Mallor. It would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking what in God's name is the fifth hour? I'll tell you, it's a spinoff of the Ben Mather show, a cult hit overnights on FSR. Why should you listen? Picture, if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry, in media, sports, and more every week.

Explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben Mather on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all,

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

Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok. Talk Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tapped Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people.

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam Jek. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill, waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me not just because of crack.

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

For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Tomorrow, it's a huge regular season finale on Fox. First, 10th ranked Brighton takes on Villanova at 2.30 Eastern, then at 5. Eighth rings Marquette takes on Xavier. And in prime time, second-ranked Bucon faces Providence. It all tips off tomorrow on Fox.

I think three Biggie's teams could make the final four. Yeah. Nobody else thinks that, but that's just me. We'll do March Madness later in the show. Let's welcome in Diana Rusini from The Athletic. She's covered the NFL for nearly a decade. Diana, big week for you. You're all over this Russell Wilson stuff.

Pittsburgh mutual interest. Let's start there. Russell Wilson now on his way to Pittsburgh with Tomlin. I'm lukewarm on that fit, but you seem to like it. Yeah, hi, guys. Thanks for having me on. It is the start of really the craziest time of year on the calendar because it's a lot of chatter, a lot of rumors, lots of lies.

So it's kind of up to us to try to sort through what's really going down. And the truth is Russell Wilson is in Pittsburgh already. And he's going to be meeting with the Steelers at their facility leader this afternoon, actually, to sit with Mike Tomlin, sit with people from the front office, to just kind of get an understanding of what this could look like. Arthur Smith, the former Falcons head coach, obviously, is the offensive coordinator there now. And when you look at the quarterback spot in Pittsburgh, you know, you've got Mason Rudolph as someone that has been there that has really just been, you know,

up and down for them. But at times he's had some success. But when you look at what Russell Wilson will cost a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers, not a lot of money, right? He's going to be on that minimum deal there to kind of stick it to Denver. But he's not going to cost them a lot of money. So we'll see if both sides agree that the vision is all on the same page. And, you know, Russell Wilson also met with the New York Giants yesterday.

So I think right now he's just trying to get in front of a lot of. of different GMs and head coaches to try to get an idea if, you know, this is a place that he can come in and start, right? Because Russell Wilson doesn't want to be a backup. So we'll see if these are places that he can step in and maybe not even start in New York, obviously, because they've got Daniel Jones, but at least try to compete to get the starting spot. You know, when people are being recruited, usually the teams come to them. Should we take it as a sign that Russ maybe isn't the bell of the ball? That's Kirk Cousins, who will get to in a second. And Russ is kind of picking himself to teams.

Look, I look at this. Sean Payton is one of the best offensive minds in football. The time I've covered it, he is within, he's probably a top two, top three, best offensive mind. And he struggled with Russell Wilson. And there's a lot to blame there from both sides. But if Sean Payton can get the most out of them, it makes you kind of question some things of, all right, where is Russell at in his career right now? And is there enough that an organization believes is there for them to maybe try and give a shot on him?

So look, I don't think teams are pounding on Russell Wilson's door right now going, come here, come here. But he still has some left in the tank. And for a team like Pittsburgh, who doesn't seem to be interested in spending a lot of money at that quarterback position right now, right? Because you've got Kirk Cousins, who's out there, who, you know, we'll see what, happens there with Minnesota, if they're going to able to come to an agreement to keep them there, or if he's going to hit free agency. And from everything I gather, it doesn't appear that

Pittsburgh is in on Kirk. So that just tells you the kind of money they're looking to spend on a quarterback, and it's not a lot. So everybody's doing their predictions, Diana, for where people will land. People are throwing darts. Even some of the gambling odds look insane. I'll say this. Kirk Cousins is the biggest mystery to me. Does he stay in Minnesota? Does he go to Atlanta, but most importantly, Diana, what are you hearing on his asking price? Because when I see Tua, maybe 50 mil, Dak Prescott, like 55 to 60 miles, that's insane. And then you look at Kirk Cousins, like coming off the Achilles, is he 40? Is he 45?

Does he wait to see what Baker gets and say, I want more than Baker, I'm a better quarter? Like, how does that work? Well, Kirk is pretty much determining his market right now because he obviously has the history to prove that he can play at a really high level. But yeah, you're right. You have to consider that 35-year-old coming off an Achilles injury, right? Teams aren't going to be able to run medical on him on him. They're going to probably sign him before he can even get in the building.

So that is a really big risk when you don't know what your team doctor is going to find. And you got to hope based on some of the videos he's posting and just some of the chatter that he's going to be okay. But I think for Kirk, Jay, it's more about the structure of the deal. I don't think this is so much about him trying to get some high number. I do think he'll get probably around that $40 million number a year. But it's about Kirk being the guy with his team. It's making sure that an organization is committed to him being there, not just for one season, but perhaps for two and three.

So I think that's going to be really the part of this deal that's going to determine where he goes. And it really, the question remains, is Minnesota willing to do that? that, right? Because they've committed almost what, $200 million to Kirk Cousins and they don't have a Super Bowl rank, right? And that's what they want. So you have to figure it's probably really hard for the Vikings owners to sit there and go, yeah, let's do this again. Let's go for another 40 APY for the next three years guaranteed or the next two years. That's tough, right? But we also know how good this team can be and how much Kevin O'Connell really likes working with Kirk Cousins and how he is used in this offense. So you have a team like Atlanta. They're built to win.

They've got the defense. They have the O line. They've got the weapons. Maybe they're going to be adding some more weapons to in this free agency. We'll see if that's enticing enough with a good structure, with a good contract. If Kirk is willing to say, you know what? I love Minnesota. But I'm going to take my services to ATL and it doesn't hurt his wife, Julie's from there too. How much stock should we put in? Zach Robinson comes from the Rams. We know historically McVeigh and Shanahan have loved, been enamored with Kirk Cousins and his play action ability. How much stock should we put in Zach Robinson, who I believe I googled this? I don't think he's ever called plays before in a regular season game.

He hasn't called any. Yeah, he hasn't called any plays, which, you know, we have this discussion all the time, right? Like how much does that really matter? Does it matter? Some people say yes. Some people say no. You know, you have to figure Minnesota's probably pitching to Kirk, stay here. You know who's calling plays.

His name's Kevin O'Connell. He's really good at it. You're comfortable with him. But Zach Robinson has a really good reputation around the league. And yeah, you're right. He's from that McVeigh tree. And I always joke, it's like the Kirk Cousins mob, right? These guys love Kirk Cousins.

But I think really the point of it is that Zach Robinson speaks the language that Kirk knows and is comfortable with. So he could step into this. And with Rahim Morris having that comfort with Kirk Cousins from their time in Washington, there's a relationship there. And I don't think it's going to be a really big step for Kirk Cousins, to go to Atlanta here and figure out a way to be part of this offense. And it may be something he'd be open to.

So I do think that Zach Robinson part of it, the fact that he comes from the Sean McVatry, just helps Atlanta's cause once this tampering window opens up and they can really full court press this thing. Let's go to Baker Mayfield, Diana. Everybody seems to predict he's going to stay in Tampa, but, you know, you heard somebody, I think Daniel Jeremiah floated to Patriots recently.

Money always a factor. I think you said 40 maybe for Kirk Cousins. Does Baker Mayfield see that and say, hey, I got my team to the playoffs last year. We weren't supposed to be there. We were supposed to be terrible, a bottom feeder. I want 45. And Tampa's like, whoa, that's a little too rich for our blood. I don't know.

Salary cap going up. What do you think Baker gets from Tampa? Yeah, I think if Baker Mayfield says 45 to Tampa, they say, okay Kyle Trask here's the football go they're not paying that as good as Baker has been for them and as much as I know they love Baker from the coaching staff to the locker room

I mean we saw everything he did last year it was just it was such a great fit they of course just resigned Mike Evans you know so they have a weapon there that Baker wants and has success playing with but in terms of the money I don't get the sense that Baker's asking

for some wild Daniel Jones type contract type number. I think he's looking for sort of just a fair market price for him and look, this is a guy who's making $4 million last year. So in my opinion, anything more than 30 for Baker

coming out of this is a huge win. But I'm not sure if Tampa is willing to really go anything above that $33, $34, $35 million range for Baker. And you know, you always have a little bit of that

Florida, no tax element, as part of these negotiations, teams try to keep those numbers down by using that because you know the players are going to make more money in that way, and that's great for them, but they don't have to deal with the taxes. So I still think Tampa is going to figure this out, but I will tell you there are teams waiting to see,

and they are watching closely, and Minnesota is one of them. If they don't think that they're going to be able to land Kirk, I expect them to go after Baker right after this. Okay, so wait, you said Tampa 33 to 35. But like Daniel Jones got, I think, 40. We all agree it was a terrible contract. But like Baker, I mean, if I'm in his camp, I'm like, bro, Daniel Jones is, he's the worst quarterback than you.

How does he get 40? They need to pay up. Like, I don't know. Let's say Tampa says we're holding firm at 30, 33, 35, and Baker walks away. What do the Vikings? Would the Vikings go to 40? I think the Vikings would be willing to give him a good contract. I do.

I think that, first of all, you sound like Bill Parcells when you talk about the market, right? He's like known for going, you know, the market dictates the price, right? Like, don't get mad at Baker Mayfield for asking for a Daniel Jones contract because the reality is that's what he is. Now, that being said, there was a horrible deal by the Giants. And I'm sure Joe Shane hates it and would love to redo it. But they were in a position where at the time, they felt they needed to do it. So it makes sense for Baker's people to say,

hey, this is the starting number. But his representation is they're just very logical agents. I don't find them to be just these over the top, nut jobs that are trying to just crush teams. I think they're going to try to just get the best value for Baker, but in a fair way. So look, it would shock me if Baker winds up landing. at 40 million.

Could he? Maybe I don't think it's going to get that high. I think that that number for Baker really just sits between 30 and 35, and we'll see if Tampa's going to be willing to go up and get them. All right, two quick ones. Justin Fields, it sounds like if you're playing musical chairs with the quarterbacks, Fields could be the odd guy out. I've been saying Seattle.

We don't know what the new regime thinks of Gino Smith. I think everybody else thinks Gino Smith is pedestrian. and I would roll the dice of field, is that me? What are you hearing on Justin Fields here? Yeah, his market isn't robust right now because it has everything to do with what we just discussed, really, this quarterback market and the domino effect and where Justin falls, right?

And you have to look at it as tiers, right? So you have, it's very rare in free agency. You have quarterbacks of the caliber of Kirk Cousins and Baker-Mayfield available. Right? So this has affected the Justin Fields market because teams are going to want to go. for Baker and Kirk before they want to go for Justin Field. So let's say the team, and there's only eight teams right now that need starters.

All right. So let's say two of them get the two quarterbacks, right? So that leaves you six left. And some of these teams would prefer a guy like Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissette, Garner Minchew, sort of these bridge quarterbacks types that could step in and start week one. They may not finish the years, the starter. But they understand they know what they're going to do. Yeah, I still think there's just a lot of question marks about Justin Fields outside of Chicago.

You talk to Chicago, and there are a lot of people there that still want Justin Fields there. There are people there that think that they should stick with Justin overgoing for Caleb Williams, which sounds crazy. But that's the attachment some people do have in belief in Justin Fields. But I can just speak for the teams I've talked to outside of Chicago. I think we're going to see a second wave of quarterbacks come through. I think that's where we'll see some movement for Justin Fields. And, you know, teams are going to have to give up some picks for him. And I just don't know if they're willing to do that, knowing that there's these bridge

quarterbacks available. All right. We can wrap up with, is Fields have any interest from the Raiders who have his O'C? And if not Fields, what are the Raiders doing? Because it ain't Aiden O'Connell. I think that, yeah, they have a plan. In fact, I think their plan is set. I think they have a quarterback that they're going to be going after.

one of these bridge quarterbacks that we're talking about to come in here and step and run this offense. I don't believe they're in the Justin Fields market. And you're right. Like with his former offensive coordinator over there, sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's a bad, right? Because they know everything about you. But I would be very surprised if I saw Las Vegas hop in this Justin Fields market. Can I have two guesses at the bridge quarterback? Sure.

You don't have to say it if you, because clearly you have some intel here. Is it Sam Darnold? no oh i shouldn't say that yes no what's the what's the right answer which i say all right the other guy was going to guess was jacobi brissette i mean i you know he's it's like the teddy bridgewater kind of type quarterback right the bridge here's the thing with jacoboby though right he's he's a bit of a chameleon in terms of like he can really run in any offense he can do anything he's he kind of speaks the language of all the different offenses because he's built so many darned teams so there's there's value with that yeah you know so

We'll see. I know he has a, he's a nice market right now. So I think Jacobi Bresset is, he's going to continue to, imagine that. I mean, Diana,

just like, great stuff, obviously, but like Jacoby Berset has a nice market and Justin Fields has nothing. Like, the NFL strings. We have to admit,

Diana Rossini from the athletic, great stuff. Keep crushing it and, uh, enjoy the weekend. All right. Thanks, guys.

Thanks for having me on. I appreciate it. Wow. Alex, I just have a hard time. Like, Justin Fields, nobody wants them.

What? Why are you surprised? Oh, my gosh. He hasn't had the record and the history to really back it up. As we all know, Chicago's the biggest fan of Justin Fields. And I don't think the market is as big as they hoped it would be. And it's going to be a domino effect, as Diana said. Yeah, he's really talented.

Coming up next, what are we doing? Oh, my top five landing spots for Russell Wilson. We got Rick Buecker coming up. Power, second hour coming up. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show.

This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. On The Look Back at it podcast. For 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay.

And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year.

It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.