The Herd with Colin Cowherd - HOUR 2 - Lakers, Niners

Episode Date: February 24, 2022

The priorities of LeBron James have changedWhat will the 49ers do with Jimmy G?Guest: John Middlekauff Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/liste...ner for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:02:26 Oh, good to have you in. Live in L.A., it's the herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, IHeart Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and FS1. This is good stuff. Joy Taylor's joining me. The change is just everywhere. Fast, furious, movement, mobility.
Starting point is 00:02:49 It's the world we live in now. I do, you know, I think about that sometimes. We talk about change so much, and you and I are pretty embracing of change. Even if it's something we're not super comfortable with, kind of space it and find a way to adjust to it. I do wonder how people deal with. People who are truly resistant to change just naturally, how does this all play for that?
Starting point is 00:03:12 Well, I think it creates anxiety in people. I think people that most people, I would say half the population is completely reluctant to change. 40% of America never moves out of the area code they were born in. They want to be close to mom and dad. so and they'll use excuses well i got to take care of my mom i got to do no no she's an adult you just don't want to move and that's okay i mean i when i moved back east i really felt that like all my western friends have been to new york they've traveled most have lived out east out east
Starting point is 00:03:49 i knew people that had not been west of denver and i mean educated people with incomes like out east there's a belief this is where the country started there's nothing out there to see and it was like you've never been to Seattle. You've never been to Denver. Really? You've never been to Phoenix or Scottsdale? Really? And well, and then they go out there and they're like, man, I don't like it out there. Yeah. It's nice. It's a reason a lot of East Coast people retire out west or down south or in Florida. So there are a lot of people for a lot of different reasons that just don't like change. They're fearful. Yeah. They're just not comfortable. You know, they are intimidated. They don't like the frenetic page. of a big city. What just any kind of change at all? Like technology or, you know, cultural change. Like everything just feels overwhelming to people who don't like change. And I'm not judging.
Starting point is 00:04:40 I think I'm, I'm, have people very close to me who are not changing at all. Like they're not moving. They live in the same place to their lives. They're going anywhere and they're comfortable with that. I'm just built differently. So I guess it's just easier for me. But it just feels like especially with technology that things change fast. So fast and more frequently than they ever have before.
Starting point is 00:05:00 When I got into this career, I used to get 25 years ago, and I'll even start sooner than that. So when I started doing syndicated 16 years ago, think about it. It's longer than that. It's about 18. Let's just say 20. There's no podcasting. Right. You couldn't monetize.
Starting point is 00:05:19 There was no Twitter. You couldn't monetize it. Now I used to get one piece of paper at the end of the month as a syndicated host. Here's your national ratings. now I've got nine different platforms I'm on. Even my little volume podcast, we're on TikTok. It's YouTube, TikTok, podcast. And so this is, I just think when I'm watching all these changes, it's just you can fight it,
Starting point is 00:05:42 but it's not going backwards. And, you know, it's interesting because Russell Wilson, there's a lot of talk. Russell Wilson has changed his social media to look like where he's from Virginia. You know, a picture of family members, the Seahawks are no longer on it. Now, a year ago, this shows you how fluid the NFL is, speaking of change. A year ago, Russell Wilson, there was leaks of four teams that he'd be interested in. None of them makes sense today. A year later, none makes sense.
Starting point is 00:06:16 Remember that Schaefter tweet, Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, Bears drafted a quarterback. Saints lost their legendary coach. Raiders love their quarterback, and Dallas paid theirs. So in one year, those four make no sense. I do believe Russell Wilson will not finish his career in Seattle. But when you leave, fit matters. It matters for all of us, right? You're a lawyer.
Starting point is 00:06:40 There's law firms you wouldn't fit too much ego. Law firms, you'd love the ego. You know, fit is really important. I don't think Russell and Sierra, who are a glamour couple, should go to glamorous cities. Miami, below average owner. New York, both franchises. of Vegas below average owner. Those are glamorous markets.
Starting point is 00:07:01 I don't think they should go to those. I think you have when you, and this is where I'll give it a strong opinion because I've moved a lot. You have to go to places that sort of share your worldview, share your values, and that's why Fox is a better fit for me than the place I used to work. It's a more daring entrepreneurial company. That's my personality.
Starting point is 00:07:24 And there's three places I think Russell, Wilson should key in on. The Steelers, the Broncos, and the Colts. I think they share his values. I think they're committed and focused. I think there's adults in the room. I think they have a history of winning a lot of games. I think the Steelers, Broncos, and Colts absolutely fit.
Starting point is 00:07:42 Also, all three feel like they're a quarterback away from competing at a higher level. Two of them have offensive coaches. And so those are the organizations. I think Denver with Russell Wilson would absolutely be in a Super Bowl bubble. Pittsburgh with Russell Wilson would be in a Super Bowl bubble. I think the Colts would need Russell Wilson and another dynamic offensive piece on the outside. But their defense is good. They're running games good.
Starting point is 00:08:07 They have an offensive coach. So to me, if Russell's going to move, I would zone in on teams that are built to win now. There's no reason he should be in a rebuild. Try to get an offensive coach if you can. And they should share your values. Washington, first of all, Washington wanting Russell makes total sense. Their image and branding is they're a mess and he's Mr. Squeaky Clean. So he is great for their brand.
Starting point is 00:08:41 They got to clean up their brand. They think a logo is going to do it. And Ron Rivera is going to do it. No, there's Washington's a mess because of the owner Dan Snyder. Bottom line, Russell gets in there with Rivera, the new branding. All of a sudden, a couple years, you're like, oh. It was a good operation. Remember, we thought we thought Tampa was Lucy Goosey,
Starting point is 00:09:02 Ebor City cocktails at 430. A year later, hell, six months later, Brady comes in. We're like, well, focused organization. They are committed to excellence. That's what Brady did for their brand. They were like grownups. They went from talented 30 interceptions, James, goofy, Lucy Goosey to, oh, adult in the room,
Starting point is 00:09:23 totally changed the brand. We were saying virtually overnight. I never knew their operation was so smart. It's so many good players. They're drafting for depth. They don't even have any needs. That's what a great brand does. Russell's got a very ascending, intense, committed, squeaky clean brand.
Starting point is 00:09:41 Totally get Washington saying he could do us some huge favors. If he went to Washington, the net worth, the value of that franchise would go up $500 million in a day. I'm not joke. Remember when LeBron went to Cleveland and we're going to? like he just made Dan Gilbert $600 million. LeBron's brand with the nose diving calves made them finalist favorites. When Brady went to Tampa, there's no question the franchise is worth more. But the difference is Brady's old and leaving eventually.
Starting point is 00:10:13 You put Russell Wilson on a four or five year deal in Washington, and let's say that organization's worth $2.5 billion. It's worth $3 billion tomorrow because he cleans up so much of the ugliness on that brand. So I get them wanting him. But if I was Russell, I would think long and hard about dissociating yourself with what has been really a tire fire. But not for a couple years, for a long time. My buddy John Middlakov as a former NFL scout really tied into the NFL college football and the Bay Area. And I bring him on once or twice a year.
Starting point is 00:10:51 I got him on my podcast network, one of my friends. John joining us now live, former NFL scout for the evening. Eagles years ago. So let's talk about this, John. So there's a story about Adam Schaefter suggests the Niners could keep not trade Garoppolo. So now that's Steve Young, Joe Montana, and Schaefter in a three-week period that are all kind of saying, you know, Tray Lance, may not be, may not be ready. What am I to make of that? Well, I think Tray's a major project. And you saw in the two games he started last year, he has a long, way to go. And he's not coming from Alabama or USC or Texas. This is a guy coming from
Starting point is 00:11:31 Division I, AA that the year that the COVID really hit in 2020, his season got wiped out because he played in, you know, in a smaller division. And I think when you look at it from an economic standpoint, you know, Matt Stafford or Aaron Rogers, these guys that make, you know, 35, 40 million dollars a year. Jimmy's cap hit last year was 26 and Trays was six. So, combined they were $32 million. This year, it goes up a little bit. Jimmy's hits like 27 and Trays is seven. So you could economically justify it and go, well, our quarterback room is, you know,
Starting point is 00:12:10 $34 million. Now, the problem with that is you've invested all this in Tray Lance and the number one benefit you get from drafting a quarterback, you know, obviously the greatest deals in, you know, NFL history were Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott. guys that become starters in the third and fourth round that make a million dollars. But even when you get a first round guy, a Justin Herbert, Josh Allen, obviously Patrick Mahomes, they're only making $6, $7 million. So the quicker you start them, you could move that Jimmy Garoppolo $27 million.
Starting point is 00:12:43 That's a lot of money to use on the open market. The Niners have a loaded team, but they need help. They need to improve their offensive line. They need defensive players. If you keep Jimmy, it would make Kyle feel better. Because to Kyle, what does a fourth or fifth round pick mean? He's going to try to win the Super Bowl again next year. If he's unsure with Trey Lance, and really, I think Kyle would tell you right now,
Starting point is 00:13:07 he won't know good or bad, I think until after this OTAs, after they get back together, after he see where Trey is, and then they go through about two months of work. And then when he goes to summer vacation, he'll go, you know what, I feel pretty good about Trey heading in training camp, or he'll think to himself, I get a long way to go. And we know coaches sometimes don't like the uncertainty of that. But I do think if the 49ers were able to get rid of Jimmy for a second round pick
Starting point is 00:13:33 and save all that money to then use in the open market here in a couple weeks, you just have to do it. And you have to just dive into the deep end with the young kid. You know, I said earlier, the Packers, if they were a presidential candidate or a politician, the Packers would be Mike Pence. You know, they're like conservatives. A little stiff. They don't like their stuff public.
Starting point is 00:13:57 Right? It's like old school. I can totally respect that. Aaron has become more public in the last year. I know what his feet look like. His Vax stance. And whereas Brady may have not been as rigid as the Patriots are, he bought into the Patriot way because it worked.
Starting point is 00:14:15 Once he went to Tampa, he's having cocktails like the rest of us. But Aaron is like public now and like saying, like, that's what you are. That's not what I am. I'm going to go on YouTube. I'm going to talk every week. I'm going to show you my feet. I'm going to do cleansing. I'm going to talk about my love life.
Starting point is 00:14:28 And I do think at some point they would move off him in a second. Like the cultural fit here is weird. But it's a weird situation, John, because in a year, he can go where he wants. Now they can move him. There's a story today, Diana Rusini, saying, you know, he wants to make sure he could get traded. Also, we know that Aaron, if he gets traded, he'll retire if you send him. to a place like Miami. So give me your, and we also know, we hear a story today, he's going to announce this soon.
Starting point is 00:15:00 So let's just say it happens in the next 10 days. Let's put that aside. All the public stuff you're seeing, he's more animated, more public, more outspoken. Is he not deep down saying, listen, this isn't, I was a nice guy in Green Bay long enough. My real personality is probably not here. I had a conversation last night with somebody that said, you know, he's telling you, he's ready for a move. I'm seeing it in his love life.
Starting point is 00:15:29 Where do you make of all this stuff in the last six months with him? I got to give Gutikins and LaFleur a lot of credit because they don't teach you as an assistant coach or as a scout how to deal with this. And they did a remarkable job over the last year of just putting themselves in position because we can talk about him being a pain and then you know what. he is the best player in the history of their franchise. Now he has some flaws and in the playoffs, you know,
Starting point is 00:15:56 they should not have lost the 49ers. The 49ers did not score an offensive touchdown. And they lost at home. Like that is, that's the worst loss of his career, you know, but he is very, very important to them.
Starting point is 00:16:07 And watching Gutikins press conference the other day, you know, they put themselves in a position to, to keep them around. And ultimately, a little like Seattle, you know, when you trade a quarterback of this match,
Starting point is 00:16:20 magnitude, who is playing quarterback for you? What would they do? You know, we see, we talk about all these other teams without quarterbacks right now, the commanders are a good example. When you don't have one, even if you have good players on the team, and let's face it, this is why I think Aaron's driven a lot of us nuts. It's like it doesn't get much better from a football standpoint. The consistency of the organization, you always win. They do everything possible. I guess they could have done a little bit more in the Ted Thompson regime, but this regime, a little more younger, a little more hip, a little more progressive in terms of the modern day NFL has been very aggressive. They've drafted pretty well.
Starting point is 00:16:56 They always have good lines on both sides, which is very quarterback friendly. The floor has added the running game. I think Aaron is insane if he leaves. Now, we're all human beings. And, you know, sometimes we just want to change. You guys were talking about it before I hopped on. Sometimes people just want to live in a different place. And if it's just that simple, I can understand because he might be thinking,
Starting point is 00:17:16 put me in Denver and we'll win 12 games, and I get to live in. Denver. Look at Peyton Manning. Went to play in Denver after, you know, a decade and a half in Indy. Never left. He's like, I love this place. Yeah. Who doesn't?
Starting point is 00:17:28 Yeah. Awesome. You know, and maybe, you know, I think Farv was a little bit different. But I, maybe Aaron's just up for a change. But from a football perspective, you know, what, what do you used to always say, right? There's no, no happy happier. Like, it's pretty good. It doesn't get much better than what Aaron has in front of him right now.
Starting point is 00:17:46 Good young coach, a GM that's aggressive, historic brand that he gets. to play for. But it's my ultimate take with Aaron is I have no clue at this point. I'm just, I'm done even trying to guess. If you told me he demands a trade, I'll believe you. If you tell me he's back, I'd believe you. Yeah. Or retire.
Starting point is 00:18:04 I'd believe that. Finally, Carson Wentz, 27 TD, 7 picks. I saw him out duel and go toe to toe with, you know, Brady's and Matt Stafford this year. And I, reportedly Chris Mortensen said, he's done.
Starting point is 00:18:22 what do you make of that? I would take him in Denver if I couldn't get Aaron, would you? Well, I mean, to me, the two Chris Mortensen's reports about Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz have an owner feel. The owner's very angry at both the quarterbacks for letting them down. It's a little different, right? Kyler got them to the playoffs. Carson, you know, blew that game week 18 to the Jags. I just don't see, and listen, I'm like you.
Starting point is 00:18:48 I think Chris Ballard's a stud. It's hard to figure out your quarterback situation. when you don't have one. You see a lot of these teams in the situation. He's got some flaws, but man, I would write it out another year. My theory,
Starting point is 00:19:00 Colin, is they want him to take a pay cut. They just go, well, you're not a $35 million pay cut. We cut that bad boy down by about $10, $15 million. But ultimately,
Starting point is 00:19:10 how could they possibly upgrade? Like, even Jimmy Garapolo, we all watched. He played Jimmy Garaplo. His team won. You know, what the heck's the difference?
Starting point is 00:19:18 So I would imagine Carson Wentz's back. unless something dramatic happens, like a Russell Wilson trade. Somehow Aaron Rogers, I don't know why he'd want to go to Indy, but would do something like that. I think Carson Wentz is going to be the quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts in 2022. Good seeing you, buddy. You got a cold?
Starting point is 00:19:38 Yeah, you know, the head colds, it's out of retirement now, so it's like Eric Weddell. It's back, and it's, uh, he's got me pretty good. Good seeing you, my man. Great stuff as always. See you, Colin. Yeah, it's interesting. He thinks the Kyler Murray stuff and the Carson Went stuff is owner.
Starting point is 00:19:52 Induced. I know the indie situation. Basically, the owner's unhappy and stuff gets out. So, you know, we've said this before. Everybody thinks there's only seven great quarterbacks. I've argued there's only seven great owners. There's only about seven great coaches. Like you, you think, oh, these guys are all billionaires. There's a lot of money handed to people. There's some that inherited it. And by the way, the NFL, if you, there's sometimes you invest in something. it doesn't make you smarter. It just gets really popular. Right?
Starting point is 00:20:25 Like you had to be smart enough to make the money to buy a franchise. I'm not discounting that. But there's a lot of professional sports owners. There's no proof that the NFL owner is smarter than the baseball owner. It says the NFL with gambling, with their television deals, has exploded. There are probably a lot of smart guys that own baseball teams. But culturally, it doesn't drive us to television sets like football does. One more herd?
Starting point is 00:20:48 The herd streams 24 hours a day. seven days a week within the IHeart radio app. Search heard to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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,
Starting point is 00:21:11 embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.
Starting point is 00:21:33 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,
Starting point is 00:22:09 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 Podcasts, 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 with Little Kim?
Starting point is 00:22:40 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 you here, unpack what you? went down and tried 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.
Starting point is 00:23:04 I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line. We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 00:23:29 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking, Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, We get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch.
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Starting point is 00:24:41 You know, it's interesting with LeBron. At this point, LeBron's a pretty a distracted guy. First of all, he cares a lot about his son's basketball career. So he wants to play with him. So that's a big part of his life. His family, his kids are getting older, his son's a basketball player and a good one. Number two is his brand, his business is thriving in Los Angeles. Number three, he wants to be relevant in the NBA.
Starting point is 00:25:05 But he's never going to surpass Michael Jordan to the people that are loyal to MJ, right? Like that decision's already been rendered by camps. But remember, what you choose will tell me what really matters to you. what you choose, if you just marry pretty, that's what matters to you. If you marry smart, that's what matters. You'll tell me what matters to you by your choices. When LeBron chose the Lakers, the roster was awful. The front office was a mess.
Starting point is 00:25:33 And ownership, Jeannie and Jim had just, you know, argued for two years. That wasn't great. You weren't choosing the best owners, the best front office, and the best roster. You told me basketball was half of it. And he also chose the stronger Western conference. which told me titles. He wanted one, but that wasn't the easiest route to the titles. I mean, if you're a college football coach and you choose the SEC, that's telling me money matters, quality of athletes matter, but dominating doesn't matter. If you want to dominate,
Starting point is 00:26:10 you can go to a lot of, you go to the SEC, even Nick Sabin this year got beat, twice, A&M, Georgia. Like there are certain challenges if you go to the SEC. You can handle the intensity of it. Like Chip Kelly had an SEC offer said no. And that told me, Chip's not built for the SEC, that kind of intensity. He wants to ride his bike around the beaches. I know him. I like him.
Starting point is 00:26:34 But he's not built for that stuff. That stuff, that intensity. That's not to be all end all. He wants to be happy. He wants to be married. He wants to have some time on his hands. Go coach UCLA football. So LeBron's already told you what.
Starting point is 00:26:48 matters to him. Business, his kids. And by the way, LeBron's going after the scoring title this year. Why? Because it's very possible. LeBron in his mind has said, listen, you know, I can go in two years, contracts up in two years, maybe for the next two years. I build my brand. I try to get better. I tell my guys I want to be better, but then I pass Kareem. Now I'm the number one score of all time. That probably means something. LeBron's very well aware of records. So, but I mean, when you watch LeBron right now,
Starting point is 00:27:22 he's not disgusted when they lose. He's not throwing chairs. He's very contemplative after games. Very con. He's not Kobe and his prime was, get me out of here, pounding on the table. Larry Bird was doing that. Early LeBron was I want moves or I'm out of here. I don't think
Starting point is 00:27:40 LeBron's going to demand a trade. I think, I don't think, I think, I think eight years ago, if it was this mess, LeBron would have said, get me out of here. But LeBron's got his son, his family, his business, and he's going to end up being the all-time scoring king. I think he's come to terms with, we're not winning for the next couple of years. I think he'd like them to make moves, but I do not see LeBron demanding to get out of here, because I think as we get older, our priorities change. It's like Tom Brady. Remember how surprised we were when Brady said, after losing in the playoffs as a home favorite,
Starting point is 00:28:14 I was really satisfied with this year. And Joy and I are like, oh, that sounds like he's going to retire. LeBron hasn't said he's satisfied with this year, but his actions are, it's not driving him crazy. He looked happy as healthy all-star game. He had a blast during the All-Star game. It's like the happiest I've seen him in a year. He's got his title here.
Starting point is 00:28:36 His business is killing. His son's crushing. So your priorities change. I don't think he's a stamp, you know, jam on the table. Bang, bang, bang, bang, like Kobe and his purse. I got a winner. I'm out of here. I'm going to the Bulls. He's got his stuff. He's got his money. He's got his fam. He's got his business. He's got his wins. I think he wants that scoring title. I think he's, I think he wants to go get that. It's not selfish. He's given a lot to the game. He's got a right to go pursue that.
Starting point is 00:28:59 But I don't, I don't think he, this idea that I'm going to get out of here and force my way to nah. LeBron told us what mattered when he came here. It wasn't all hoops. Joy with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news. Well, Aaron Rogers still hasn't made a decision about his future, at least publicly. And the Packers and the rest of the NFL are in a holding pattern until he does. Well, it was reported last year that Green Bay promised Rogers they would trade him after the 21 season if he asked for it. But GM Brian Goodenkunkunst denied that that promise was made.
Starting point is 00:29:38 He said, that was not something I told him. I think the whole conversation with Aaron last season before he came back, was that regardless, at the end of this past season, we would sit down as a group and we would work it out one way or another. I think this is actually a pretty important statement. I think it is. Because we are all assuming that if Aaron Rogers wants to leave, that Green Bay is just going to submit.
Starting point is 00:30:04 And similarly to what Matthew Stafford did with the Lions, and we've seen this in other situations as well, where stars have asked for a trade, demanded a trade, and been granted that by the, their team. Now, Aaron does have a little bit of leverage in this. He has been laying the groundwork for possible retirement. So if he is truly unhappy or if he is ready for a new phase and Green Bay does not want to oblige him, he could retire or he could make things very uncomfortable for the Packers, which I don't think that they want. Well, they could make things uncomfortable for him.
Starting point is 00:30:38 I mean, I think he could be, I think he would just retire. Like, Aaron holds the card that he could just retire. He could. I think he loves the game. I think he does too, but if Green Bay really wanted to make this contentious, I think he would just retire, maybe retire for a year, and then come back. Green Bay still has his rights
Starting point is 00:30:56 at that point, and then they figure something out. But I really think Aaron has the leverage in this space. It's obviously not a money thing. I don't think he'd like to lose a year of his career, if that's what he needs to do, to get out of Green Bay. But I think he'd be
Starting point is 00:31:12 okay. He just went back-to-back MVP's, and Green Bay would absolutely not be okay. They don't have a replacement for him. So really, when you look at the situation in Green Bay, if he does want to leave, he's entering the last year of his contract that was restructured so the 2020-23
Starting point is 00:31:28 season became a void year. So for salary cap purposes. So if he did retire, that's how that would phase out. He would have the second highest cap hit next season with $46.7 million. If they're able to work a trade with someone, let's say, example, Denver. It would be more
Starting point is 00:31:44 advantageous for the Packers to trade Aaron Rogers than to have him retire. Now, Nick Wright talked about it yesterday, who's to say that they're just going to send him wherever. I also think that's, you know, there is something to, it's not as bad
Starting point is 00:32:00 as the lion situation, obviously. Like, it's not comparable. The lions were inept and squandered, essentially a decade of Matthew Stafford's career. That's not the case with Green Bay. But you also don't want to make things into a firestorm publicly. Well, you know, there's an old adage in our business.
Starting point is 00:32:18 And let's just say the entertainment business. Football's entertainment. Whenever a star gets into a fight with a business, the star always wins. Right. Makes you look like more of a badass. I mean, honestly, the corporation is firing. And everybody's like, ooh, the firing guy is going to talk on his new platform. The firing guy is going to talk on his new team.
Starting point is 00:32:40 So you don't want to get into a battle with a high profile celebrity. If you're a movie studio, a TV company, a football team. You're going to lose the PR world. Oh, no. Aaron's going to absolutely win the PR move if Green Bay gets ugly. And that goes for movie stars against studios, talk show hosts against companies and platforms. As a company, you have to protect the brand. Aaron's like, I own my brand. I'll say what I want.
Starting point is 00:33:06 And it makes you look like you're more of a fighter that you told them. big corporation. I'm not going to deal with you anymore. So I don't think Green Bay wants to get ugly at all with Aaron. No. And in the end, other, you already are a place that is not a free agent destination. Players like Aaron Rogers. And I do think that if they got into a space where they were trying to control him, even people that don't necessarily like Aaron Rogers would kind of frown on that because everyone is into the ability to have mobility at this point in all of sports. Mobility is if you're standing in the way of someone's mobility. You're a bad guy. That's just the way the world works now. Whether it's fair or not. So
Starting point is 00:33:45 I still am leaning towards he's going to end up leaving and that he's already made his decision. You have women's intuition. I would bet you are a writer than I am. Is that what it is? Well, I don't have it. I don't have those instincts. I have no idea what Aaron Rogers is going to do. I just think that he, I think he paved this path so that it would be easier for him to leave. It would make more sense for him to leave that no one would be alarmed or shocked and Green Bay fans wouldn't be shocked if he left. He did the whole last dance thing at the beginning of the season with Devante Adams. Like it just feels like it's coming to a close. And the way the season ended did not help, I think, Green Bay's case for him staying.
Starting point is 00:34:25 Because everyone keeps saying it's the best place for him. But they kind of just keep hitting this wall. So maybe it isn't. No, I mean, this story, we're in the final chapter. Like, I've read this book. Yeah, I don't need to see this movie again. I've seen the movie. The car.
Starting point is 00:34:38 They go goes to the spaceship, but they saved the world. I've seen it. I'm not even sure I liked it that much. I'm not going to see the second. I mean, I enjoyed it, but I'm not going to see it the second time. I gave Caddyshack 2 10 minutes because I like the first. It's not a rewatchable. But if they did this again, it's not that interesting.
Starting point is 00:34:52 Frankly, there's so many more interesting teams than Aaron again with Green Bay as they have to scale back because they're in camp hell. Well, that's the other part too. They're not running it back with the team that they had this year. This was the year. This was it. Yeah. It's going to be a different team next year. The budget for the next movie has been.
Starting point is 00:35:07 Not same. Don't even get a. co-star. The studio did not sign off on that. So Washington is in need of a solid franchise quarterback, and they're allegedly going to go after a big ticket guy. Rom Rivera thinks they'll be able to attract top players. He said, we'd like to believe we'd be a viable option for a lot of quarterbacks. We understand that the Capitol will bring in a type of player like that here. I believe we have the makings of a good football team. If you feel like you need to get those pieces, you can get those pieces using draft capital or whatever capital you have in terms of player trades, why not do
Starting point is 00:35:38 Yeah, of course. We said that last year. What's the point? What's the point of Taylor Heineke? You know the funny thing about Washington? And look, Kirk Cousins gets, I think, a fair amount of criticism from time to time. They made the playoffs with him. Well, Kirk Cousins, two things about Kirk Cousins.
Starting point is 00:35:54 One, I don't know. He's going to make some money. Yeah, he's good at making money. Very, very good at making money, which I respect. Two, Washington has had 10 quarterbacks start at least one game since they moved on from Kirk Cousins. Yep. So all that talk about. franchise tagging and he's not worth this and not worth that they've had 10
Starting point is 00:36:12 10 different starting quarterbacks of the last four seasons is the most in the NFL yeah Alex Smith Josh Johnson Colt McCoy Mark Sanchez case Keenham Dwayne Haskins Kyle Allen Taylor Heineckee Ryan Fitzpatrick and Garrett Gilbert so you could do worse like when we're having these conversations about guys like Chibisky and Mason Rudolph and Carson Wentz and Jimmy Garoppolo and all these guys everyone is so quick to move off of there you go. You could do worse. Now, I don't know who these big ticket guys are that Washington claims that they're going after.
Starting point is 00:36:45 But if you gave, if you gave. But I like hearing at least that they're aggressive. I'll give you Chase Young, because I already have a pass. I'll give you Chase Young and three first rounders for Russell Wilson. I wouldn't do it if I was Pete Carroll, but he's a defensive coach. He'd love a big pass rusher. Well, he'd have, the only way that they're moving off for Russell Wilson is if he demands a trade. Like, you're not going to volunteer that situation.
Starting point is 00:37:03 So the relationship between the LeBron and the Lakers has reportedly become very strange. The team is often catered to LeBron and listen to what he wanted for the Lakers. And reportedly, that was also pushing for Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. And according to Bill Orham, sources within the organization say that LeBron has wielded more power with the team than even Kobe Bryant did. I don't know about that. Really? Now, we always like to think about where these stories are coming from. Who benefits from the story being out? The Lakers leak that. Well, Lakers fans are not going to respond. Bonwell to hearing a report that LeBron has more power within the organization than Kobe Bryant. Oh,
Starting point is 00:37:44 good point. They don't like that. No one who's a Lakers faithful is going to want to hear that. Whether it's true or not, that's going to perk up some ears. That makes LeBron look like, oh, my God, they've pampered to him. I mean, they've literally given them the keys to the city. Whether that's true or not. I don't believe
Starting point is 00:38:02 that that's true. I don't really either. And I don't know that Kobe, whatever power Kobe has, within the organization was certainly earned. So what? Like I didn't, I didn't have a problem with the way things ended with Kobe with the Lakers, whether, you know,
Starting point is 00:38:16 they paid him too much at the end or who cares? Like, there are some tolls to be paid when you have someone like Kobe Bryant within your organization. Like, that's, that's okay. Also, similarly with LeBron, LeBron is, he's here for a good time, not a long time. That's what LeBron is at this point in his career.
Starting point is 00:38:32 That's good point. He's a good time, not a long time guy. But that's fine. And you're going to have, not just a good time, a great time. You got a championship. So all this, like, barking and complaining about how things are falling apart with LeBron, I get it. Lakers won a lot of championships.
Starting point is 00:38:45 But, like, maybe keep some perspective on where you are as well. I know we had the debate about whether they're bad or average yesterday. But there's a toll to be paid for this type of strategy. Like, you aren't going to have longevity in this situation. Yeah, if you go into the LeBron business, it's a good time. It's not a long time. A great time. The best memories.
Starting point is 00:39:05 But it's not going to be a decade. No, that's that, some you date, some you marry. Very good point. Always comes back to that for me. Listen, sometimes you had really great dating experiences. Yeah. You could even maybe get a ring out of that that you get to keep. I never did, but I've heard of it.
Starting point is 00:39:19 Joy with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by. I have an interesting story. Well, I hope so. I got an hour and a half of the show you left. Very interesting story. I think a team in sports is working the media.
Starting point is 00:39:36 I think they're working us. And we'll put on our detective outfits next. Be sure to catch live editions of the herd weekdays in noon Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific. On Fox Sports Radio, FS1, and the IHeart Radio app. I'm George Reister, host of the Reister or Wrong podcast. This is the intersection where sports, business, society, and pop culture meet the truth. Absolute fire on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. facts only. Make sure you check your feelings at the door because no BS is allowed. We keep it
Starting point is 00:40:12 100. This is where real conversations happen. Listen to the Rights or Wrong podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 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, 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.
Starting point is 00:40:49 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. Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions. my journey from basketball to college football
Starting point is 00:41:06 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.
Starting point is 00:41:25 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 Podcasts, 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?
Starting point is 00:42:02 Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with a little Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at it podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it.
Starting point is 00:42:20 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're just so you're not. But just so y'all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed,
Starting point is 00:42:35 correct. 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.
Starting point is 00:42:47 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.
Starting point is 00:42:58 Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hardway with me, your host. and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field
Starting point is 00:43:09 and conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing. And we're still chasing it, and we don't know when we've done enough.
Starting point is 00:43:26 Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross, because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on Earth, or are you a good person because you're afraid? Because that's two different intentions, bro. Absolutely. And that's two different levels of trust. I want you to just really be a good person.
Starting point is 00:43:45 Join me, Kear Gaines, as we have real conversations about healing, growth, fatherhood, pressure, and purpose on my new podcast, learn the hard way. Open your free iHeartRadio app. Search Learn the Hardway and listen now. Tired to waiting around for hot water, try Navian. Instant hot water, spa light comfort, lower your bills. Tanklessmadesimple.com. Tankless made simple.com, Navian. So Joe Montana said Traylance wasn't ready.
Starting point is 00:44:12 Steve Young intimated that Traylans wasn't ready. And now Adam Schaefter is saying, Traylans isn't ready. How's that stuff get out? Who's hearing that? Who's spreading that? Oh, is this story behind the story. here's the latest Adam Schafter on a podcast.
Starting point is 00:44:30 Tray Lance was probably further behind than people realized. Tray Lance is greener than people realized. Trey Lance is going to need more work than people realized, and they have a roster that can win now. He didn't play college football at all two years ago. He's coming from a small school to begin with, and there is a steep learning curve for a quarterback like that who's blessed with a lot of talent. Okay. Now remember, Steve. young, the great Steve Young last week. Remember what he said. Now, Trey Lance, we don't know.
Starting point is 00:45:06 We don't, and Trey doesn't know. If Trey was ready, Trey would have played. Trey needs to get ready in this offseason. This needs to be the biggest boot camp effort in history to get him ready to be expansive. But we cannot wait for that. We've got to get, if that's what we're going to do, we've got to get them ready, and we've got six months to do it. So some of this, Trey Lans not being ready, shouldn't come as a surprise. Just for clarity here, Tray Lance is 21 years old. Kenny Pickett, who's coming into the draft as a quarterback, turns 24 this summer. Malik Willis turns 23 in May. So like, Tray Lance is young. And Tray Lance only started one game is last year of college football, pandemic. So Kenny Pickett has 49 starts.
Starting point is 00:45:57 thrown for 1,600 pass attempts. Trey Lance has 17 starts, 318 pass attempts. Also, Trey Lance played at like a Division 1 double A level. Also, Trey Lance played in a very run-centric Alabama about six years ago offense. So a lot of this is not a surprise. Like, Trey Lance just doesn't have any reps. And Kyle Shannon's offense is complex. So Jordan Love, you draft him, you move up, you haven't played him in two years.
Starting point is 00:46:27 The feeling I have is he can't play. Trey Lance, I don't know that's true. Because remember, Jordan Love started three years of college, and they played big boy football. They played good teams. You got to be ready. I'll let you sit for a year. You got to be ready by year two. Okay.
Starting point is 00:46:45 Trey Lance did not play big boy football, you know, in comparison. And he only started one game his last year because of the pandemic. So he's a kid. So don't necessarily think Trey Lance. and Jordan Love, it's the same story. One should be ready and isn't. The other one probably shouldn't be ready and isn't. Trey Lance to me has much more talent.
Starting point is 00:47:07 I've seen him start twice. But Joy just talked about a minute ago how clearly the Lakers would be the ones leaking the story that LeBron has more power than Kobe was ever granted. Why benefits the team? LeBron looks selfish. Couldn't I argue Montana, Young? Adam Schaefter all saying this benefits the 49ers? Why?
Starting point is 00:47:33 I'm a GM. I call John Lynch. John will take Garopolo third round pick. Third round pick. Have you seen the stories? Treo ants isn't ready. We're going to keep Garoppolo another year. By the way, which Adam Schaefter is suggesting,
Starting point is 00:47:49 Garoppolo would stay next year. The Niners can take all those phone calls and say, hey, we're not BSing you here. He's not ready to play. You heard Montana. You heard Steve Young. You heard it gives the Niners. And the Niners have, don't kid yourself.
Starting point is 00:48:04 Remember all those that are drafting Mack Jones stories? They've manipulated the media. A lot of legitimate NFL reporters had Mac Jones Niners done two months before the draft. Of course, this show had some questions about that. We bought into it initially. Then we didn't later. But teams, the Lakers, the Niners, the benefit here is if the word is out. Trey's not ready. It allows the Niners to say, hey, we're not interested.
Starting point is 00:48:34 One of these NFL teams are going to say, okay, first round pick in a starting corner. That's what San Francisco may very well be doing too. Is Trey isn't ready. They'll know after OTAs, but it does drive up the price. Hey, you got to give us a little bit more than that. We're not sure our guy's even ready. It'd be much different if Trey Lance started six games this year and looked better than Garapolo. people will lowball the Niners. Dude, I saw Trey Lance play.
Starting point is 00:49:01 I'm not giving you more than a third. This is how you go from a third to a second. This is how you go to a, from a third to a second and a player is that I don't know if I can make the deal. It's very treacherous. I get fired if this thing unravels. Just the cynical part of me believes there could be a little gamesmanship here. It's all I'm saying. A little gamesmanship.
Starting point is 00:49:25 You were a GM. You ran the Lakers, you run the Niners, and the players now can go to their social media and talk. You don't get talk? You got to protect your brand. Lakers got to protect the brand. You're going to get into a fight and the agent and LeBron are leaking stuff. I can't leak stuff. I mean, you know LeBron went to the All-Star game, looked out those Cleveland reporters that he'd known for years.
Starting point is 00:49:46 He went and found the right guys to leak the story. He knew what he was doing. Hour three next. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite, unhumored me with Robert Smygo 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?
Starting point is 00:50:11 We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential.
Starting point is 00:50:31 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. Hey, what's good, y'all? You're listening to learn the hard weight with your favorite therapist
Starting point is 00:50:55 and host Kear Games. This space is about black men's experiences, having honest conversations that it's really not safe to have anywhere, but you're having them with a licensed professional who knows what he's doing. How many men carry a suit or armor? It signals to the world that you're not to be played with. And just because you have the capability that does not mean that you need to. Listen to learn the hard way on the AHA radio app, Apple Podcast,
Starting point is 00:51:20 or wherever you get your podcast. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,
Starting point is 00:51:38 such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.
Starting point is 00:51:55 Guaranteed human.

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