The Ringer NFL Show - The Biggest Questions Coming Out of Week 14

Episode Date: December 8, 2025

Sheil and The Ringer’s own Austin Gayle get together to share their most pressing player and team concerns after analyzing the results of some of the most consequential matchups from the Week 14 slate. (00:00) The biggest questions coming out of Week 14(1:31) Texans vs. Chiefs(13:40) Steelers vs. Ravens(23:13) Jaguars vs. Colts Shopping. Streaming. Celebrating. It’s on Prime. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit ⁠www.rg-help.com⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Host: Sheil KapadiaGuest: Austin GayleProducer: Chris SuttonSocial: Kiera Givens and Brian WatersProduction Supervision: Conor Nevins and Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Ringer NFL show. I'm your host, Shield Capadia. We are talking about the biggest questions coming out of week 14. What are those questions? Glad to you asked. Number one, how did the Chiefs get here? Six and seven on the ropes looking like they're not going to make the playoffs after that loss to the Texans.

We'll talk about that. Question number two, where are we with the AFC North after the Steelers going into Baltimore and beating the Ravens? And then finally, question number three, where do the Indianapolis Colts go from here after losing Daniel Jones to an Achilles injury? To talk about it all, we've got my friend, the ringer's own Austin.

Gail, let's take a break and come back with Austin. This episode of The Ringer NFL show is presented by State Farm. Having insurance isn't the same as having State Farm. It's like expecting the leadership of a team captain on the football field, but getting a C captain? Sure, they're both captains, but who is going to run your offense? You wouldn't settle for just anything for your team, so don't settle for just any insurance. When it comes to getting the help, you need State Farm is the real deal.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. We are back here on the Ringer NFL show with Austin Gale. Austin, I'm buzzing. That was an awesome Sunday night game for all the reasons we thought. Not only was the game great, but the storyline, the compelling defending AFC champs, on the ropes and the chiefs lose again. So we're starting with the first question, why are the chiefs in this spot?

How did they get in this spot where they are six and seven with just a 15% chance to make the playoffs? And I'm giving you my take first, and then you can tell me if I'm right or wrong. I see two things here, Austin. I think number one, this has been a season in which just about anything that could go wrong has gone wrong. Barring a Patrick Mahomes injury.

I mean, you look at this. I know people are sick of hearing it. one in six and one score games. They go into this game with three offensive linemen down. They lose their left tackle on the first play of the game. And even in this game that they lose 20 to 10, it was a terrible offensive performance. They have four different possessions end on drops in this game.

Of course, the Travis Kelsey won in the fourth quarter. So that's one for me. It's just kind of one of those years where it's a small sample. A lot of stuff went wrong. I'm not saying they're a great team, but they're better than a six and seven team. But then I think the bigger thing, Austin, and I think you're going to agree more with this.

It's just that despite what the numbers say, this offense isn't reliable enough. It's not dangerous enough. It doesn't have the guys that make opposing defensive coordinators during the week be like, oh my gosh, what's our plan for this guy? I mean, they had all their guys in this game. Rice, Kelsey, Worthy, Brown,

and it didn't look to me like the Texans defense was sweating any of those one-on-one thing. So that's where I'm at with this chief season. where am I right, where am I wrong? I think that when you just kind of counted as luck, some of it's luck and some of the stuff like not bouncing their way and I think you bringing up, do they have guys that are threatening the opposing defense, threatening the opposing defense coordinator on offense in these games?

And I think where it really has shown up, I think on both sides of the ball for Kansas City. And I think these are like kind of the most telling stats about this season is third down. The chiefs this season are 26th defensively and third down conversion rate this year. And I think you've felt that in this game specifically when Spags needs to dial up something, get pressure, rely on his secondary in the back end. There was a handful of these big third downs in this game where Houston's able to convert.

But the bigger news, or the kind of the bigger reason I think why this offense feels like kind of clunky is the Chiefs on third down, specifically Mahomes dropbacks. I brought these stats to you. They actually floored me prepping for this pot. I'm going to read you third down EPA for Patrick Mahomes,

weeks one through 14, in his entire era with the Chiefs, starting in 2018. 68. 68. That's extra points added. 68 on third downs. Then it goes the next season. This is 2018 to 2019, 42, 59, 35, 88, 38, 33, 48.

33, 48. Now we're on to 2025. What do you think, after hearing all that, is Patrick Mahomes third down EPA this season, weeks one through 14 only? 27. Negative 11. It has dropped off massively. an EPA per dropback and obviously total EPA on third downs.

Their success rate on third downs is the worst it's been win passing in the Mahomes era. And I think it comes back to they don't have these guys and the offensive line. I think is taking a step back. They don't have these guys that are legit weapons for them on third down. You saw it with the drops in this game. Cream Hunt dropped one. Rishie Rice dropped one. Travis Kelsey dropped a few.

Noah Gray dropped some. And I think the Travis Kelsey of this all too. Like you've gone from having a Hall of Fame game breaking talent at tight end to a legit liability. I disagree with this. People were going crazy online about Travis Kelsey. Austin, he said, where do you think he ranks among tight ends in receiving yards this year? I'm going to say top five. He is second in the NFL. He's second in among all tight ends and yards after the catch this year. He had a terrible game. He is not the guy he was. People were going crazy. Okay. He thinks he's a I don't think he's a liability. He should be like your third best

receiving option in their offense. And I think that's the problem. He's not. He's like one or two for them. And you saw in this game in a key spot with a game on the line. Where did Patrick Mahomes go on back to back place to Travis Kelsey? Because he's like, I don't know who I trust. Let me go to my boy. And that shouldn't be how the offense is constructed. So I agree with your overall assessment. I just thought people are going overboard. That's me looking at too much social media. I still think Kelsey is a shell of himself. And you've seen that in the staff just like overall, like in terms of like yards after the catch per attempt and some of this stuff. And I think that, you know, you go back to week one where he runs into Xavier Worthy, knocks him out of the play on the very first play of the game. Like he just is not the player.

They clearly need him to be. And he has been in this dynastic multiple Super Bowl run. I think you've also felt this. I think in the team building area specifically when you look at the 2022, 2020, 23 chief Super Bowl teams along the offensive line. Orlando Brown, who they traded a first round pick for. They had Joe tuning along that offensive line as well. Both all five of their starters in the 2022 Super Bowl along the offensive line return for 2020. And then you look at this offensive line, which came into the game with three injuries, obviously playing backups.

Then on the first play of the game, Juania Morris, who was starting at left tackle, leaves the game as well. The offensive line has taken a massive step back. And I think they're still relying on Kelsey to be this guy for them that he hasn't been. And then when you look at the receiving core, you know, they lost Tyreek Hill after that 2020 Super Bowl. They were able to kind of replace him in the aggregate, shrink the offense down, make plays after the catch. I think leaning on that and trying to continue to lean on that, they have not found specifically the deep threat. Right? And like, you could say Xavier Worley

that 30 time. Yeah. And they keep trying. And like, if your best deep threat is, um, Tyquant Thornton, who had a big drop in this game, not necessarily a drop, got poked out late, but still, like when your best deep threat is actually not a threat at all, I think it kind of shows up too. You don't have the guys that are making plays after the catch like you did before.

You don't have this deep debt like you had Tyrone Hill. The offensive line takes a step back. The secondary isn't as good as it was anymore. And then this goes without saying probably. But like anytime any team plays the chiefs, they're bringing their best. Yeah. It has been just a really weird year for them. I don't think it's been Mahomes' best year.

I don't think he's like, you know, number one on the list. But to your point, those third down stats, I mean, really what that says is even in years, I remember like the end of last year where Mahomes has taken some heat and I look those up and it's like, no, Mahomes is still the best quarterback in the NFL on third and fourth down. Like, that has been the case every single year. And he hasn't been that guy this year. And there's been some variance with the deep passing game and all that. But yeah, I look at it.

And if I were them, and I just said this after the Super Bowl last year, Austin, when I was like, I would sit down after this game and this season be like, I want our offense to just be harder to defend because we have a once in a lifetime quarterback. And so whether that means building up the offensive line, whether it means wide receiver, whether it means tight end, whether it means speed at running, a game breaker running back, which they have not had. I mean, they cannot create an explosive play on the ground to save their life. All those things need to add up into your.

point, they've invested resources. You know, Rishi Rice is a good player. That was a good pick, even though he had the big drop today. Xavier Worthy? I mean, did he play in this game? Like, honestly, the season's on the line and you didn't even notice Xavier Worthy. Travis Kelsey, if he is even playing next year, cannot be

this big of a part of your offense. You got to do better in those spots. And I don't think like the windows closed. I don't think the windows shut. This has just been such a weird season where you look, you'll look at all the offensive metrics and they're still top five, top six.

You look at just point differential coming into this game. They perform more like an eight and four team than a six and six team. But I know what you're saying. You're yelling at me. Hang the banner, shiel, I'm with you. You don't hang the banner that, hey, we're good in point differential. I get it because last year, they got all the breaks and they got to the Super Bowl. This year, they're not getting any of the breaks and they might miss out on the

playoffs. So, Austin, is it over, I guess, is the question? Because I was on the old athletics playoff simulator, which I'm on all the time this time of year. If they win out, four games left, they actually have a 52% chance to make the playoffs, which that's a great percentage. But it's, you know, coin flip, a little better than a coin flip there if they win their final four games. I actually think they can. I will not count them completely out until they're mathematically eliminated.

Do you think it's over? I'm going to have to see the body before I'm willing to call the chief's dead, especially if there's a situation where if they win out. against the Chargers, the Titans, the Broncos, and the Raiders. They're favorite in all those games. They're favorite in all those games. Their hardest games are going to be the Chargers coming up. And then obviously the Broncos in two weeks, both those games are in Arrowhead.

If they win out, they have a better than 50% chance to make the playoffs. We don't know what's going to happen. Obviously, some other injuries in the AFC happening today. Like, obviously there's a chance. Now, do I believe in this team winning three games, probably road games to get to the Super Bowl? No. And I think it's specifically, again, like, I can't trust enough. In this AFC playoff field, though?

Really? I honestly, and I know third down stats are noisy, but I don't really feel that way with the offensive stats or the defensive stats because I think on defense, Chris Jones is the only player along the defensive line that can go get a bucket when you need to pin your ears back and make a play on the quarterback. And on offensively, Mahomes is the only guy, I think, reliably making plays. His scramble yards on third downs are up way big.

It's the most he's ever scrambled in terms of yardage in weeks worth one through 14 ever. And you have the drops, you don't have these consistent playmakers. Kelsey is a shell of himself. Like, I don't know if this team, when it matters most, when you pin your ears back and go get a play on third down on either side of the ball, they have the guys to do it. I will say Spags was cooking for a stretch there in the second half, though. That was like vintage Spags, and then they fail on fourth down.

And then C.J. Strow, give him, okay, we'll talk more about the Texans this week. But yeah, he made a couple big plays there on third down. They didn't settle for a field goal on the one. They scored the touchdown. So I'm looking at the AFC standings, and I'm just like, man, I don't know who I'm going to pick by the time we get, to the playoffs. So let's see. They got a win next week.

Obviously, they got a chance if they can win out, but nothing is in their control anymore. The Kansas City Chiefs, who would have thought it might be out of the playoffs? All right, let's take a break. We come back. We talk a little Ravens Steelers. The Ringer NFL show is brought to you by Fandul. Football fans, the best way to game day is on Fandul.

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All right, we're back on the Ringer NFL show. All right, Austin. Question number two coming out of week 14. How did Sunday's result change your view of the AFC North? Go ahead. I'll let you start us off on this one. What do you got? Obviously, the Steelers go into Baltimore, beat the Ravens 2722.

They're now the favorites. They're now in first place. Where are you with the Ravens, the Steelers, the Division? I think the Steelers are going to win the division. I do. I didn't think that was going to be something after this week. I think last week we were talking about how Mike Tomlin and he's going to have this losing streak, the fans at the stadium are booing renegade, you know, Rogers looks.

Everything looked bad for the Steelers. I think everyone was out even on Tomlin last week, and that's exactly when. That's the perfect buy signal when the Steelers are going to be just this really scrappy team and find a way to win on the road in Baltimore against a talented. And I think you have to stress talented Baltimore Ravenstein that has not been able to to put it together. I have no faith in this Baltimore Ravens team in clutch situations. I said this before, but I

think that they are too talented of a football team. Lamar Jackson, Say Flowers, Mark Andrews, Isaiah likely, Derek Henry, Marlon Humphrey, Kyle Hamilton, Raqwan Smith. We can go on and on. Too talented to just constantly shit their pants in these clutch situations. Like that's, and like

obviously there's Lamar Jokes and Jack joke right there. But like they, they to me in these situations where you need a big play, you need a clutch play, they're going to do something stupid. And some of that I think is coaching. Some of that is just like just this propensity to do stupid things. But I watch this game and, you know, there's so many reasons on paper when you look at how they stack talent-wise against these other teams for work,

why you feel like this Ravens team should be competitive, should be Super Bowl competitive. That's how everyone felt prior to the season. But when you watch it snap to snap, it's like they are going to make mistakes in these clutch situations, boneheaded penalties, tackles for loss, bad sacks, bad turnovers. and at the end of the day, like I actually have more faith in the Aaron Rogers-led Steelers who I was counting out after last week

than I do the Baltimore Ravens despite even when they're healthy, you know, having all this talent? You know what's different though about this Ravens team? Like that characterization of previous Ravens teams was like they are a potentially great team. They are a Super Bowl contender, but man, in these big moments,

in these big spots, they seem to come up short. This isn't that team. This team isn't that good for quarters one through four. It feels like. I mean, I think they're mediocre across the board. I hear what you're saying with the talent. But what evidence do we have? Like, I keep waiting for it. I'm finished waiting on it for this Ravens team.

I don't think it's happening. I don't know what they do well. I mean, nothing on offense seems to be in structure. Everyone gave Todd Monk in his flowers last year. Now every time Lamar drops back to pass, it's like, what is happening here? You know, he's got to create or nothing's happening. The run game is terrible. The run game was terrible today and has not been good.

It has been league average. They can't rush the pass. there are times where Aaron Rogers is back there just waiting, waiting, waiting, and then throwing the ball down. I mean, they got cooked by Aaron Rogers downfield today, Austin. You and I have spent many minutes on this podcast being like, the Steelers do not throw the ball downfield. The Steelers average depth of target is this.

The Steelers do not create any explosive plays. And Aaron Rogers came out. He played well today. And he was cooking their defensive backs one-on-one on the outside to DK Metcalf. So it's not just this game. You know, you could really make the, this was a coin flip game. You could really say, you know, You get the penalty on the Steelers field goal, where then they get the first down and it turns into a touchdown.

You get the catch, no catch with Isaiah Lake thee. Where are you? Do you have a strong take for me on whether that was a catch or not? I wonder, I brought this quote from, it was the, I think, a vice president of instant replay, Mark Butterworth, who I, incredible, by the way. How much of that are you making up right now? Honestly. Is this just for a social clip or something? NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth said that for it to be a touchdown,

a receiver has to maintain possession of the ball through three steps, likely had the first two with control and both his left and right foot down. However, he didn't fulfill the third step with this whole thing they've been throwing in, an act common to the game. They pressed them. It's like, what's an act common to the game? And the guy says, Butterworth, a third step. So help me with this.

If you're catching a ball along the sideline in the end zone, you only need two steps for it to be a catch. But if it's in the middle of the end zone, you need a third step or an act common to the game, which I don't understand how him stretching the ball out, clearly showing possession, isn't an act. This felt like,

to me, of all the weird stuff, there was the Aaron Rogers interception, or was it an interception, the Teddy Buchanan thing where they're arguing over it. But Travis Jones thing's a penalty, right? Like, it sucks and you don't really see it a lot, but like, you can't hit the long snapper. It's a stupid thing, but like, it's a penalty. The Isaiah likely thing, I have, I did not understand in any way. I don't

understand why we're introducing to the catch rule, which is obviously every single year we're asking ourselves, what is a catch? That you need to make a third step if you're in the end zone to secure that there are so many plays. You're telling me if Isaiah likely caught two, did the two feet and then fell down, that would, would that be a catch or did you need to make a, it does not make sense to me this whole third step thing. I think they really introduced something stupid to the catch roll bringing up this act common to the game and this whole third step in the end zone thing. It is bewildering. Listen, I hate to, I really hate talking about this. I know Roger somewhere being like, oh, see, you know, people are talking about it.

So, no, you know, it's all good. But, you know, like he doesn't care. He's happy that we're talking about what a freaking catch is. But just to clarify what you're saying to the listeners, the actual rule is an act common to the game. Like, it's not written in the rule book that it has to be a third step. So it is very vague. It is subjective. It is, you know, the NFL rule.

It is classic NFL rule book where now the official has to determine what is an act common to the game. and in their eyes in this situation, it had to be the third step or something else. I'm with you. I mean, I don't know what the answer is, but I felt like watching that, that's a catch. Two feet are down.

The play is over, and now the ball comes out of there. So, yeah, I'm with you. He also was, like, in the process of his third step, which is him trying to make a third step, not an act common to the game. Like, this act common to the game stuff needs to be, like, taken out of the rule.

I never want to hear it again. That is terrible. That is terrible. We should bleep that on this pot. It's like a curse word. We cannot say it. Act comment to the game. Even beyond the ticky-tack stuff with like there's the ref stuff and there's calls going

both ways. I think what's real about, and you brought up Tom Bonkin, who was getting his flowers last year, I think in high-levered situations on third downs and in the red zone, the Ravens have been deplorable, right? They're 30th in red zone efficiency this year. That's scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Only the Texans and the Saints have been worse. On third-down dropbacks, among quarterbacks with 300 dropbacks at least this year,

Lamar Jackson is second to last and success rate on third downs. And I think they have enough talent. I always keep stressing this talent thing. They have enough talent to solve problems or if not just have the advantage in these short yardage and high leverage situations and yet they fail time and time again.

That last drive, that was painful to watch that last drive. So here's where I'm out with it. AFC North is the new AFC South for me this season. This is, what the kids call it, a mid-off? That's what this is. Yeah, mid-off. These teams are not played. Put these teams on Saturday early.

You know, maybe one of them gets to the divisional round. They're not playing championship weekend. The Ravens don't have it. The Steelers credit to them, you know, with all the noise last week. They played well. Rogers played well. They don't have it. Come on.

They're not doing this every week. So I think it's, what do you think about this? I think it's more likely an AFC South team is playing championship weekend than an AFC North team. Absolutely. Especially after we saw, especially after we saw, I think, I think Trevor Lawrence played a good football game today. I saw Ben Solac tweet out that he played well today,

and that doesn't mean he's going to play well ever again. But I do think Lawrence played well today. And then for the Houston Texans, we saw it against the Chiefs. This defense, we didn't give enough credit, I think, to the Texans, when we're kind of talking about this Chiefs meltdown, but specific, it's either, you know when you watch teams and there's that defense where like everyone on the defense looks like they're good? Like Al-Shayir, To-O-To-Tio, Togh, De Niel Hunter, Will Anderson,

Bullock, this new guy they drafted, Petrie, Stingley, every single player on the team's like, oh my gosh, is this guy like amazing? And I think a lot of that is Casario, and I think they've done a good job of like adding talent defensively. But D'emico Ryan's man, tip your cap. He has added players that want to play for him

and can win inside this style, like this like super hard hitting. They call it Swarm, even though it's spelled Swarm, whatever it is. I think that the Texan's defense is now like, I think comping with like some of the best defenses this millennium in terms of EPA per drive

and some of that stuff. And I think you really feel it in the secondary and obviously at the front level. They have two guys that can get home on third down when you need to pin your years back. And Anderson and Hunter, it's how you need to build defenses in 2025. The big thing with them is that defensive statistics can be tricky, because a lot of times you play a bunch of crappy quarterbacks and your stats look good. And D'Amico Ryan's has built this resume where we can be like, you know, he's got like the guys he's gotten, you know, I've gotten

Aaron Rogers in his prime, by the way, MVP Aaron Rogers. I've gotten Josh Allen. I've gotten Patrick Mahomes. I've got like he's gotten the best quarterbacks that have played over and over again. you. That is a physical group and they're just going to be hard to blow out in the playoffs. Now, they do some dumb things on offense, which, you know, again, we'll talk more about the Texans later this week, but Stroud makes some plays and the defense plays awesome, and that's going to give you a chance. All right, Austin. Last question. Coming out of week 14, where do the Colts go from here, both in the short term and the long term in the wake of this Daniel Jones injury? So Daniel Jones suffers a torn Achilles. That's what it looked like

live. That's what everyone assumed. And then pro football talk confirmed it afterwards. Sucks for Jones, honestly, Colts have maybe been the biggest surprise in the NFL this season. Nobody was expecting this type of season out of Daniel Jones, his frustration. You could feel that just watching it on the screen. But let's talk about the short term first year, Austin. I mean, simply put, are they making the playoffs? They're eight and five. They're hanging on right now. They don't have an easy schedule at Seattle, 49ers, Jaguars, and Houston. Riley Leonard is going to be their quarterback unless we get news about Anthony

Richardson. Do they have enough to sneak into the playoffs? I am a no on this, by the way. Sorry, Coltsman, not to just be mean and blunt about it, but. The New York Times playoff model has them at a 28% chance to make the playoffs. And even if they lose at Seattle and they lose two San Francisco, they lose back-to-back games, they're still going to be in that in the hunt graphic against the Jags and the Texans down the stretch. I think they're going to be in the hunt all the way through

week 17, week 18, but I just don't see it. I don't think they make the playoffs. Even if they do, they sneak in for some other crazy reason, another quarterback gets hurt or whatever. This team's not doing anything in the playoffs. And you could argue maybe they weren't going to do anything, even if Daniel Jones stayed healthy, his play had kind of fallen off down the stretch. They've lost three straight now.

They've lost four of their last five. I do think it's like a very big locker room hit, which makes sense at your quarterback. But reading some of these quotes, it does feel like this team just took a death blow. Then you add in the fact that it's going to be Riley Leonard because Anthony, Richardson, which maybe

Leonard's better than Richardson, who knows, but Richardson injured his, or fractured his orbital bone in pregame warmups a few weeks ago. So I don't know if he's going to even back. It didn't go under the radar when it happened. But now it's, you look back, you're like, man, he's still not back from that.

Like that sounded like a, it sounds like a devastating, serious injury that we should get some more reporting on, I feel like. I think we probably will now that we don't know. Like with Daniel Jones, right, I saw Ian Raffaport tweet out after that, yeah, it's a nine-month recovery

for the Achilles. He should be ready by the start of next season. I don't know, right? Like the last few Achilles injuries we've seen with quarterbacks, Kurt Cousins injured his and he was a lot older, not a lot older, but a little bit older. Week 8 of the 2023 season, we saw him start week one of that following season and did not look good. And then you had Aaron Rogers who he tore his Achilles, week one of the 2023 season. He was able to start that following season.

But this is week 14 in December, tearing your Achilles. And now we're going to come back. We have to start, we have to talk a little bit about, are they going to resign him? How much do they re-sign him for? Can you afford not to re-sign him? But if you're the Colts and you do opt to resign him, I want to talk to you about that. You have to maybe hope he's ready by October next year.

So then you're having this conversation of like, we drafted Anthony Richardson, hi, he should be recovered from this orbital bone by next season. Can we have him at the start of next year if Jones isn't ready and then roll in the next year, as we kind of planned when we traded two first for Sauce Gardner and kind of went all in on this team? Can we go into October next year, two and two or even one and three with a healthy Daniel Jones, I think that's probably how they're thinking about it right now, because I don't think he's going to be fully healthy by September. And if he is, he has a fracture in one leg, a terror killies in the other. He's going to be 30 years old or I think, yeah, 29 years old starting next season.

I don't know, man. I wouldn't be surprised if he's fully healthy until October next year. Yeah, this suddenly becomes one of the biggest offseason questions, which will devote some more time to in a future episode, because you're right. This is as tricky of a situation as I can remember where he is a free agent. You were planning on signing this. in long term to the point where you gave up those two picks. Now you don't have picks the next two years. And you're looking for a quarterback solution. But Daniel Jones coming off in Achilles, you know, again,

this was a relatively small sample. We saw him this year. How confident are you? Or do you just have no other choice? Do you give him the same deal you gave him last year? Would he be willing to accept that? What do you take it is the thing? I want to be on the record.

Would anybody else give him more coming off in Achilles? I don't know. I want to be on the record. I think that you really have. have no choice as an organization to resign him. And I think you have to, because if you were all in on Daniel Jones to the point we're going to trade two first round picks for Sauce Gardner, this kill injury obviously complicates things.

And you're not going to give him maybe as much money or as many years. But like, I'm talking a two or three year contract with clear outs after next season. Because if next season, he comes back, it doesn't look good. You need an out in that contract. I think if he didn't get her, you're giving him more of a two-year contract with an out after the 2026 or 27 season. I think they're going to give him some kind of two, three-year deal, $30 million range, and out after next season.

If he comes back healthy in October, it doesn't look good. They move on. But they're going to give him, I think, that opportunity. But the question really becomes, before he even got hurt, there are very fair questions to ask about, like, the success of the offense. Is this team an actual deep playoff competitor? And the Colts to go from, like, purgatory, not sure what we're doing with Anthony Richardson to like being all in on now almost 30 years old, Daniel Jones coming off

in Achilles here, man, I don't think there's a sadder fan base today. at least than the Colts. I was talking to our boy, Anthony Dubundo, a little bit. They are down bad right now. It is a bad place to be. I mean, it has been just a nightmarish month for the, really since that sauce gardener trade to now when you look at what has happened to them, lost four or five, eight seed now out of the playoffs, no quarterback solution for this year, and now a big quarterback question facing them next year. There's no doubt about it. All right, we had too much to talk about no hurry up today. That's Austin, Gale. That was a lot of fun. Thank you to Austin. Thank you to Christopher Sutton for producing

Kira Givens on social and additional production supervision by Connor and Arjuna Ram Gopal. I'm Sheila Kapati. We got lots more to get to from week 14. We'll do that this week on the Ringer NFL show. Must be 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in D.C., Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler or visit RG-HELP.com. Call 1-888-789.

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