Nightcap Hour 1: Unc & Ocho react to Ocho's BIG3 performance, Bills-Bears, WR Metchie III to Eagles | Nightcap

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Nightcap Hour 1

Episode Date: August 18, 2025
Host(s): Shannon Sharpe & Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson

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Episode Overview

This lively Nightcap episode of Club Shay Shay features Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson swapping stories and sharing hot takes on athlete performances, NFL preseason revelations, and recent team moves. Ocho breaks down his debut in the BIG3 celebrity basketball league, with Shannon ribbing him about his stat line. They pivot to a detailed discussion of the Bears’ shocking preseason win over the Bills, analyze the Saints' QB battle, and debate recent NFL trades — especially the Texans-Eagles deal sending WR Metchie III to Philadelphia and the Bengals’ handling of Trey Hendrickson. The duo’s usual mix of jest and candor creates a highly entertaining, insightful hour for NFL fans.

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Chad Johnson’s BIG3 Performance

[04:54 – 20:28]

• Chad recounts his first BIG3 basketball game, admitting he had little practice with teammates but credits himself as a key defensive contributor.
• Ocho details the team lineup, including notable personalities like Pepe from Love Island, Hesigard, and rapper Waka Flocka.
• Defensive Hustle, Not Scoring: Chad asserts he was "like LeBron" as a facilitator and, most of all, like "prime Rodman" on defense and boards.

"But we got two scorers on the court, and there’s only three people … boom. I’mma just play defense, get the rebounds right, and facilitate."
— Chad Johnson [05:41]

• Shannon ribs Chad about his goose egg in points, repeatedly mocking his triple-single stat sheet and questioning his basketball credentials.

"You couldn’t get 1.0."
— Shannon Sharpe [07:17]

• Chad insists his defense turned the game and claims credit for key turnovers after his re-entry.

"I made 'em turn the ball over three times in a row. I looked up at the scoreboard, the game was back tied up again, man. I put them clamps down. It was a wrap."
— Chad Johnson [06:38]

• Banter escalates, with Shannon accusing Ocho of downplaying stats only when it suits him, paralleling football frustrations.

[Memorable Moment]:
Shannon dubs Chad “Agent Zero” for not scoring, while Chad fires back, stressing the "W" is all that matters.

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The Level of Play in the BIG3 (and Why Some Aren’t in the NBA)

[15:48 – 20:28]

• Ocho marvels at the skill of BIG3 players like Glenn Rice Jr., Michael Beasley, and Lance Stephenson.
• Shannon offers perspective, emphasizing the NBA’s elite standards, noting even the most unheralded bench talents would dominate at most public courts.

"The guy that's sitting at the end of the bench … he'll wax everybody at everybody's Lifetime Fitness, at Planet Fitness, wherever the court is."
— Shannon Sharpe [16:39]

• Chad wonders aloud whether politics keep certain BIG3 stars out of the NBA. Shannon counters, explaining it’s harder to re-enter pro leagues after exiting.

[Key Insight]:
Shannon: "It's easier to get in and stay in than it is to get in, get out and try to get back in." [18:17]

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NFL Preseason: Bears vs. Bills & Rookie Perspective

[22:48 – 35:36]

• Bears annihilate Bills 38-0. Discussion centers on Caleb Williams’ stellar debut (7-play, 92-yard opening drive, 5/6, 97 yds, TD) and the creative influence of new OC Ben Johnson.
• Chad is highly impressed by rookie WR Luther Burden, predicting he’ll make an early impact.
• Both hosts note a greatly improved offensive line and dynamic offense.

"I know it’s preseason…and I really don’t want to, like, get a speeding ticket, but let’s just say I’m going 40 in a 35. … I’m liking what I’m seeing."
— Shannon Sharpe [25:38]

• Ocho doubles down: he picks the Bears and Panthers as this year’s playoff dark horses.

"I’m telling you, watch. And when it happens, don’t call me Ultradamus!"
— Chad Johnson [25:59]

• The hosts contextualize the Bears rise: dead last in offense in 2024, now featuring explosive potential with Williams, better OL, and receiving core.

"Chicago scored zero touchdowns on its opening possessions last year...dead last in total offense."
— Shannon Sharpe [28:37]

• Chad boldly predicts top-10 finish for the Bears' offense this season.

• Extended debate about whether better coaching/play-calling or talent matters more in offensive turnarounds, with Shannon reminding Chad that losing coordinators dramatically impacted teams like the Eagles post-Super Bowl run.

[Memorable Moment]:
Shannon: "Jaylen Hurts had more turnovers in the first half of the season than he had the entire season the year before." [33:31]

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Saints’ Quarterback Competition

[44:23 – 47:19]

• Shannon breaks down shaky performances in New Orleans’ ongoing QB contest between Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler.
• Both have had inconsistent showings. Chad quotes his grandmother: "You got to pick the lesser of the evil."
• Neither host believes the Saints' current QBs match division rivals; fans on social media clearly agree.

"Their fans…like, no, no, no, you’re not going nowhere. No quarterback trash. We’re gonna be trash."
— Chad Johnson [47:42]

• Sharpe and Ocho discuss how teams struggle to replace legendary franchise quarterbacks, citing the post-Brees Saints and Steelers after Roethlisberger.

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Texans Trade WR John Metchie III to Eagles

[50:10 – 52:32]

• The Eagles receive WR John Metchie III and a sixth-rounder; Texans get TE Harrison Bryant and a fifth.
• The wideout room in Philly gets stacked: A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, and Metchie.
• Ocho and Shannon marvel at the rich-get-richer dynamic.

"Why do teams just keep helping [the Eagles]?"
— Shannon Sharpe, quoting Jay Tuck [50:52]

• Ocho notes the Texans’ WR depth (Christian Kirk, Nico Collins, Tank Dell), justifying Metchie’s trade.

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Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson Trade Rumors & Defensive Woes

[52:32 – 63:27]

• Shannon lays out Trey Hendrickson’s situation: elite production but Bengals reluctant to extend/pay. Bengals reportedly only want draft capital in return.
• Chad and Shannon debate the logic — why not trade him sooner to get value?

"If you couldn’t stop anybody with him, who the hell you stopping without him?"
— Shannon Sharpe [57:47]

• Ocho is candid about the Bengals' offensive identity and defensive shortcomings, arguing their defense just needs to be “middle of the pack” for success.

• Huge names like Micah Parsons and rookies like Shamar Stewart come up; Ocho half-jokingly ponders if the Bengals could ever acquire Parsons.

"Would it be rude if I call Zach and ask? That’s rude, huh?"
— Chad Johnson [63:38]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Banter

• Shannon to Chad, re: basketball:
  "I just wanted one point. I just wanted one." [13:13]
• Chad on being a minimalist:
  "I ain't got no pots. I ain't got no pans. I ain't got no damn toaster. I ain't got nothing … But it looks really good. And when you walk in, it's like, wow, this looks expensive." [40:24]
• Chad, summarizing Bengals' D:
  "I don't know what we're going to do defensively, but … Just wait, let me finish. I just need [us] somewhere in the middle of the pack. 15, 16, be able to make stops when it matters most." [59:01]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Chad’s BIG3 Game Recap – 04:54–20:28
• BIG3, NBA Comparison – 15:48–20:28
• Bears-Bills Preseason Reaction – 22:48–35:36
• Saints’ QB Struggles – 44:23–47:51
• Texans–Eagles Trade – 50:10–52:32
• Bengals/Trey Hendrickson Trade Saga – 52:32–63:27

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Tone & Takeaways

As always, the episode is fast-paced, unfiltered, and consistently hilarious, with Shannon and Ocho riffing on each other but also offering sharp football analysis. The show’s appeal lies in the hosts’ chemistry, their ability to connect listeneers to the “inside game,” and their willingness to laugh at themselves and each other while covering topics any football fan would care about.

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For listeners who missed the episode, this recap delivers the highlights, major discussions, and signature moments from the latest round of Nightcap.

Transcript

[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

The unexpected, but whoever said that obviously.

[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

Hey, listen, listen. Let me, let me tell you something, right? Check me out. Listen to me chat. Listen to me real quick. I didn't have a chance to practice with my teammates, right? So when the game started, we had Pepe, you know, Pepe from Love Island. We had Hesigard, obviously, Waka flocka, and we had two other players. So when we. When we started the game, clad, Drexler told me, essay, feel the game out and see what it is your teammates need from you. So we started the game out. Goddamn Henzigard who he called for the ISO. And so he going. I say, okay, you know what? I see the tempo. I see the kind of game it's going to be. They don't need me to be a scorer, right? So, boom. Gillian score. And then we got the ball back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Boom.

[Chad Johnson]

Pepe got the ball. Boy, Pepe played basketball overseas. I'm like, wait a minute, boy. Buddy can ball. So, but we got two scores on the court, and there's only three people, right? So I'm like, boom. I'mma just play defense. I'm going to get the rebounds right, and I'm going to facilitate.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, you're a facilitator now, huh?

[Chad Johnson]

I was like LeBron. You hear me? I was like LeBron. In the beginning of a game, I'm letting my teammates get in the rhythm, and if they need me, then I come through. But this is the good thing about it. They didn't need me to be a scorer. They needed me to rebound. So I was in that thing like Rodman. You hear me? I was. I was in that thing like prime Rodman. So check me out, right? I was facilitating.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I'm shaking you.

[Chad Johnson]

I was getting rebounds. And you know what the most important stat that we got was? The win. That's what. That's what we got, the win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I think they might have got that without you.

[Chad Johnson]

Not. Not really. Not really. Because let me tell you something. Not really is my. My defensive. My defensive presence is one. Listen, I went out the game, no points up. Joe, are you listening to me? Listen to me real quick. I went out the game, right? We was up 12. I went out the game, but them boys came back and took the lead. They took the lead. So boom. I say, clyde, put me back in, man. Let me play defense real quick, man. I made him turn the ball over three times in a row. I looked up at the scoreboard, the game was back, tied up again, man. I put them. Clamp. I put them clamped down. It was a wrap.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You couldn't get 1.0.

[Chad Johnson]

I wasn't even trying to score. You know what? You know, I did take. I took one jump shot and I thought dude was close. I thought dude was a little closer than he really was. And it made me clutch a little bit. And it made me clutch a little bit in there, but he was nowhere near me. He threw me off for a little bit outside that. I ain't taking no shots outside of that. That was it. I just want to get out there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, I see a lot of. I see. I see a triple single.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, hey. What you see is the W. Because you. You be the main one talking about stats. Don't matter as long as you win. You be the main one.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, it wouldn't had you not hyped yourself up about what you did at Beach High in. In lot in Liberty.

[Chad Johnson]

But that was in night. That was 1991. What's 20, 25?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I tell you what. Hey, Chat. You can tell a person that played basketball at any point in time in their life, you can tell also.

[Chad Johnson]

You see, see what you want me to do. You want to. This is the same situation we talked about during basketball season, right? We talk about Steph Curry. We talked about Kaminga.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Chad Johnson]

And Kaminga wanted to be going there and be a scorer and do his thing, but he's not allowed to do that because Steph Curry is the one that gets the ball and takes the shots. I understood the assignment today. And you telling me to go against the grain and do what my team doesn't need me to do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I'm saying the chat will agree with me. They will be able to tell. They will be able to tell if. If I got out there, if we got out there with Anthony Edwards and you say, let's play flag football within two or three, within two or three seconds, you'll know Anthony Edwards played football at some point in time.

[Chad Johnson]

So you're basing someone. You're basing someone knowing how to play basketball whether they score a point or not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm basing it on I can tell whether or not you played basketball competitively at any point in time in your life.

[Chad Johnson]

I did. Which, I mean, what you trying to say? You're not making no sense.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm saying you weren't very good there, and you probably wasn't very good back then. That's what I'm saying. Ain't no trying to say. I said it.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, I know one thing. My team got to win. We got to win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Heavy God. Hold on, Ocho. Y' all scored 51 points. Y' all had three players go all y' all points. Heavy God had 28. The other guy had 17. And Walker Flocker had six. Okay, so basically with.

[Chad Johnson]

I'm trying to understand. I had all the rebounds. I had all the assists. So what you saying?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You ain't have all of them?

[Chad Johnson]

I did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was like. I said, well, you know what I said? I know Ocho gonna give me something. So we gonna come back in here, you gonna tell me like, oh, man.

[Chad Johnson]

I just. I gave you something. I gave you a win. I gave you seven assists in three rounds. Oh, let me know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you know what? You see what you try to do now? Now, if they'd have asked you to do that in a football game, not catching on passes, but have some big blocks you lost, why would I do that? Why would I do that?

[Chad Johnson]

That's what I had to do in real life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I see you won't let me. I remember when you weren't getting the ball doing. When you weren't getting the ball, you was losing your mind. You told the chat. You lost your mind talking about why we letting them dictate to us.

[Chad Johnson]

That was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Get me.

[Chad Johnson]

That was a playoff game against a team that we needed to beat when our quarterback, our number one quarterback, went down with an ACL injury. Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Maybe y' all need to run. Maybe y' all need to run the ball, but you weren't gonna be willing to do.

[Chad Johnson]

You can't run the ball on the Steelers back then. You need to throw the ball.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, we ran the ball off.

[Chad Johnson]

Who? Who? Y'.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, I know. I know one thing. While y' all trying to talk about my stat line, I locked everything up, and we got the win. I know that, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Gilly. Gilly Cook. Gilly. Gilly. Cook.

[Chad Johnson]

Cook me Where? Hold on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hold on.

[Chad Johnson]

Cook meat. Cook meat. Where? Well, Gilly ain't scoring me. Boy, you tripping.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look at Gilly. That Gilly just ain't one right there. And you fell down. Pretend like the man hit you in the private. And Gilly got.

[Chad Johnson]

He got me good. He got me good. He got me good with that one. That must have been a vet move or something they learned in Philly. Boy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I just know. I said. You know what I said? I know my dog ain't gonna let us down because that. That was my. That's what I wanted to say. I should have said, ocho, do not let Nightcap family down, and we won the game.

[Chad Johnson]

What is y' all talking about? Hey, y' all missing the plot. Y' all missing the plot. We worry about.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, the plot is. Will you go listen? The plot is use a chat. You see how accepting he is of. Of a win. So he's accepting of something. Now, he would have never been okay with when he played how. That's all the point.

[Chad Johnson]

I'm confused.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The confusion part is you would not have been okay if y' all won the game. And you had.

[Chad Johnson]

We had you do it. See, you. You're not doing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on. Hold on.

[Chad Johnson]

You're not doing the Lord's work right now. You're not doing the Lord's work right now. Lucifer, you can't do that. Hey, listen. I had many games where I understood I'm not getting the ball because some. Some games I went into and I knew, you know, it's going to be a long day, so I better get ready to block. And I was accepting of that because I was allowing my other teammates to do their thing. And that's what I did today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I ain't counting the Reavers game I played 11 years.

[Chad Johnson]

I got stopped one time. One time. Whoopty doo. Re. He did everybody like that. Let's talk.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't know everybody. Everybody ain't my co host. I got one co host.

[Chad Johnson]

Matter of fact, not only do you have one coast, you have the greatest. The greatest. The greatest cause of all time. The greatest entertainer of all time. The greatest trash talk of all time. And I went out there, I did my job. On what? My team.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I just wanted one point. I just wanted one.

[Chad Johnson]

You didn't need me to score a point. We got two ball. Dominant handlers on the court. That's not what we needed me to do. Okay, okay. That's it. And we got the W. Hey, Gilly was a three time mvp. That's what he was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Gilly wasn't on your team. Why you worried about.

[Chad Johnson]

He was a three time mvp. And he all of a sudden he gets locked up and he doesn't win it and he loses.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How many points did Gilly have? Ocho. Zero. Ocho Brico, Chad, Brick Johnson.

[Chad Johnson]

I know one thing. We got that W. We got that W. I said.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn. Hey, Agent Zero. Hey, hey, hey. Gil, can we. Can we borrow that for the night? Oh, Agent Zero.

[Chad Johnson]

Oo, Agent Zero. Whatever you want to call it. They all went home with an L. I don't care how many points they score. They can hold that L, that L, that L stand for losers.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think with them long arms like a prayer manners. You got me like Lee.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey. Them long arms were playing defense, grabbing them rebounds. Hey, I told you I was Dennis Rodman in his prime.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So. So who won the mvp? Heavy guy.

[Chad Johnson]

He probably did. He probably did. I ain't stay for that. I went to go take a shower and go smoke. Hey, hey, hold on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You hate for what you gave him. You could have been smoking on the side.

[Chad Johnson]

Not really. Because we would have lost. Because when I win the game. Didn't I tell you they came back and they took the lead. Hey, hey. Let me tell you something. It's one thing we talk about basketball, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hold up. How Gill it have more rebounds than you?

[Chad Johnson]

He did. Oh, because they kept missing all they damn shots.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, why you wasn't in the game then? That. That should tell you something. Won't you?

[Chad Johnson]

No. I had to come out. I had to let other people play. What are you talking about?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You don't have to. Let me ask you a question. Did Heavy God come out?

[Chad Johnson]

No, no, no. He ain't come out the whole game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He gotta let other people play.

[Chad Johnson]

Was our Steph Curry, Hezy God. Was our LeBron Hezy God. Was our Anthony.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Steph Curry come out the ball game. Y' all didn't have Tiber Doyle as y' all coach. He was gonna grind y'. All.

[Chad Johnson]

No, no. Now Clyde grinded us to the gear. We. We letting the boys win. Hey, we want to let the boy win. Boy. Hey, I want. I got a question, though. You would know better than me. I'm new to the basketball, the basketball space in general.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watching.

[Chad Johnson]

Holy. Watching the boys. That's in the big three, right? He's explained to me why. What I'm watching on the court tonight from the players that are playing in semi final, going to the pen finals. How and how in the F are they not in the NBA? Help me understand. Glenn Rice Jr. What I saw from Beasley. Let me take my glass off. Lance Stevenson and ISO. One on one, please explain to me how these people are not in the NBA.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Does that tell. Does that tell you how good the guys in the NBA actually are now?

[Chad Johnson]

Paul Millsap.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man. Paul Millsap, 100 years old.

[Chad Johnson]

Okay? I'm telling you what it looked like. I'm telling you with my eyes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Going against those. You saw the NBA games. You've been courtside. Do you see how good those guys are? Those guys are really, really good. The guy that's sitting at the end of the bench, the guy that everybody called me, he'll scrub, he'll bum. He don't even get in the game. He'll wax everybody. At everybody's Lifetime Fitness, at Planet Hollywood, Planet Fitness, wherever the court is, he'll wax everybody. That's how good Those guys are.

[Chad Johnson]

And I think that's the problem. That's the problem. I haven't been in an environment enough. I went to one. I went to one NBA game when, when the Sixers Embiid the 70 point game.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The.

[Chad Johnson]

That's my only game. I went to whatever year that was. And then this is my first time being in that environment again. Like, man, these.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you've been around pro sports. You know, the guy, even the fifth wide receiver, the guy that's on the practice squad is good, is really, really good. And when they say, man, man, he was the lick in high school, he was an all American. He was all state. He was Gatorade player of the year.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, one more thing. It's politics, huh? It's politics because some of them dudes is good enough based on what I saw to still be on the NBA team and contribute to somebody. Now, come on, Ocho, you talk about.

[Shannon Sharpe]

A three on three. Now you talking about a five on five in an open court.

[Chad Johnson]

You do realize these dudes already played in the NBA.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Thank you. You played in the NFL. There are a lot of people that play in the NFL. That don't mean they can go back and play again.

[Chad Johnson]

That's why. That's why I said the word.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's why what we, what you and I always talk about. It's easier to get in and stay in than it is to get in, get out and try to get back in. That's why once you get in, you stay. What your mom, grandma used to tell you, boy, stay your ass in or out the house, but you ain't going to keep running.

[Chad Johnson]

Okay? Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But again, also, once you get in, stay in. And then when it's over. Now look, I remember Beasley, when he came out, he was the number two pick, if I'm not mistaken, behind a rose.

[Chad Johnson]

That buddy was nasty tonight. Jesus.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you know, but you know what, Ocho? When you, you go back, we all have. Have made mistakes and like, man, if I had it to do over again and sometimes, sometimes some people do get do overs and some people don't.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, he's a walking bucket, huh? That's all I can do. He's a walking bucket. Now I, now I understand with all the talking that he does and you know, wanting to play Joe, and Joe is a walking bucket too. But being. Yeah, but being able to see it in person.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, but no, y' all don't really. I mean, if you never saw Joe play. I've seen Joe play. I've Seen Joe play playoff games. I used to go to that. No Joe, no Joe's a seven times.

[Chad Johnson]

I know, I know. I've never had, I've never had the privilege of watching Joe play in person. So obviously when Joe joined us and get a better understanding of Joe, but I'd have seen all the goddamn highlights.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I say, well, God damn, Joe, no them guys. But when you start looking at those, those, I mean, look, there's levels of this. You start looking at the Steph Curry and the LeBron's and the KDS and the Jordan and all those guys, man, it's, it's levels. It's just like it's level two receivers there, you know, you got tier receiver, then you got, oh man, they got really good.

[Chad Johnson]

But he ain't right, right, right, right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Quarterbacks, he might be, I mean, he pretty, pretty good.

[Chad Johnson]

But for me, it was a joy to see in person. It was, it was, it was a joy to see in person. Even though they might not be at the highest level anymore, might not be playing on the biggest stage. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's hard to get back in. I mean, I mean, how old Beasley now? Beasley got to be what, 34, 35? No, he got to be about to be 36. He's 36.

[Chad Johnson]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Hey, that was a joy though. That was a joy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job in home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training.

[Chad Johnson]

They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

[Chad Johnson]

Good morning, welcome to Today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is your best start to the day. It's a new season and every morning we're here to help you take it all along. As the forecast calls for football all across the country. Blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

[Chad Johnson]

We're getting back to all of it. And the best way to start is together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watch the Today show weekday mornings at 7am on NBC. You guys know I'm always up for a good MVP story. And one of the best is the story of Wasabi Technologies. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company, becoming the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi's taken the lead in driving innovation in data storage, eliminating overhead where it matters to deliver you results you can count on and won't break the bank. In fact, Wasabi is up to 80% less than those other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi another championship story. Check them out for [e-mail] Gatorade Zero the number one proven electrolyte blend made with zero sugar, designed to hydrate better than water. So. So you can lose more sweat and push more limits.

[Chad Johnson]

Gatorade 0.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is it in you, Ocho? The Bears beat the Bills 38 nothing. Today is the first time the Bears fans could see what Caleb Williams can do in Ben Johnson's offense. The opening drive, Williams led on a seven play 92 yard drive. Williams completed five of six, 97 yards. 36 of those yards came on a touchdown pass to. Man, I know it's the preseason and I don't want to get to. I don't, I don't want. Hey, I don't want to get too far in front of this, but the Bears.

[Chad Johnson]

Look, why was I just getting ready to say that? I was getting ready to say the same thing. Listen, I know, I know what Caleb Williams could do. I've seen, I've seen, I've seen him at usc. I've seen flash of him last year without someone like Ben Johnson at helm. The help him develop without Ben Johnson's creativity from an offensive standpoint, understanding what he can do and help Caleb get to that next level at the quarterback position. I want to talk about that goddamn Luther Burden. That goddamn Luther Burden boy look good, boy. That goddamn rookie at receiver, bro. Luther, I've never met you before, but you look good tonight. Obviously in the preseason, people say, oh, it's preseason. Don't get too high, don't get too low. Just. But you look good, boy. I've been watching. I've been watching the past two weeks. This week. I mean, it doesn't matter who's throwing the ball. I'm not sure why he's running with the twos and the threes. You know, he.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What you mean? So, so, so he's gonna play in front of Roman dude, obviously.

[Chad Johnson]

I mean, three receiver sets. I'm Assuming it would be okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Zacchaeus is in the slot.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, that's. Hey, hey. They got some decisions to make over there offensively because he looked. He looked good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now, maybe when they go five wide and you saw. They read a lot of tight ends, said they had Loveland, they had cold command. Now, he is a multiple set. He is a. He'll run a lot of different sets. He'll go too tight. He'll go three wise. He'll go five wide. He'll go, you know, empty. He'll put his backs out. But this offense looked really. I thought, overall, I thought they played well. I thought the defense got after the Bills. I thought the offense moved the ball. Whether it was Williams. Bijet. I guess that's how you say his name. He came in with 13 to 22 for 196 and a touchdown. I thought Williams was unbelievable. The opening drive to go 92 yards on five or six passing. He had 107 yards. They had over 500 yards of offense. And like I said, I don't want to get too far, but they look good, very good. But they. They did look good, and they're going to be a lot better because they have a guy that has an offensive mind because you got a quarterback and you need somebody that's imaginative, that has an imagination to put him in position and say, hey, son, I want you to be you. I'm gonna put you in the best position possible. The offensive line is much improved. The offensive line is much improved.

[Chad Johnson]

Very much.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The Bears look good like I. And like chat y' all look. I know it's preseason. It's only the second game of preseason, and I really don't want to, like, get a speeding ticket, but let's just say I'm going forward into 35. I ain't going 55 60, but I'm going. I'm. I'm. I'm a little over the speed limit. I. I'm liking what I'm seeing.

[Chad Johnson]

And I'm gonna say this again. I think I said it on. On either last night's show. Maybe I said it sometime last week. The same teams that are always in contention are going to be in contention this year. Chad, I'm going out on a limb. I'm going to say it before the season even gets here. The two teams that I think are the dark horses to surprise everybody and make a run and having a playoff appearance, the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers. I'm telling you, people might. People might. In the chat, you might laugh, but say yeah, right. Whatever, Whatever. I'm telling you, watch. And when it happens, don't, don't call, don't call me Ultradamus. I just know, I just, I just understand how things are going to play out. I'm excited. I'm excited for the football season, man. Like, you don't understand. I'm excited.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, it's right around the corner. It's right, it's right around the corner. We're what, September 4th?

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah. Thursday night. Dallas and, Dallas and the Eagles. Dallas, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So we're about three weeks away.

[Chad Johnson]

God damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, we're two weeks from, we're two weeks from Thursday. Right? So two weeks from Thursday.

[Chad Johnson]

What the hell we supposed to do in between that time?

[Shannon Sharpe]

We'll find something to talk about. We talk about you scoring zero points in the big three. That's a whole, that's a whole show by itself.

[Chad Johnson]

It's a whole show by itself. I gotta see if I score zero. And we lost. But the, the point of a team game is to win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I thought, well, first of all, you can't score zero.

[Chad Johnson]

I mean, you, you can score whatever you want as long as you win.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You had if they need, you know, if you score, that mean you put something on the board.

[Chad Johnson]

Listen, listen, there, there are other, so many other aspects to my game outside of just scoring because we already had two prolific scores on the court. So, so what did I do? My defensive presence, huh? Hey, I was, I was like this. I'm about, they, they couldn't even, they couldn't even get by me. And then I had him messing up, turning the ball over. You should have saw me. You should have been courtside, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why you didn't make Gilly turn it over?

[Chad Johnson]

He did. I made Gilly turn it over twice, turn the ball over twice. They're playing defense and they tried to pick and I squeezed right through the pick like Michael Jackson. Went right through the pick. Ah, no, no, no, no, sir. I got skinny real quick. I got skinny real quick. Nah, where you going?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come here. Oh, you fought, you fought over the screen.

[Chad Johnson]

I went, no, no, no, I ain't, I ain't, I ain't even bowl over it. I wouldn't bow you right through it. But I got skinny. So we, it didn't work.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Interesting.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, well, hey, listen, man, listen. So many other aspects of my game was on point. Why I didn't even need to be a score. That's how great I am. That's how great I am, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I, I think, I, I, I, I think in watching the Bears, I think Eber Fl and his system or whomever he had coaching Caleb Williams. This is the best. This is the best we've seen the, the Bears offense. Look, Chicago scored zero touchdowns on his opening possessions last year. So in 17 games, they had zero touchdowns on opening possession. And like I said, I understand this is a preseason game. They had the most drives ending in punts. They were dead last in total offense. So look, you can't go nowhere.

[Chad Johnson]

But whoa, whoa. The Bears were dead last in total offense last year.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, 32.

[Chad Johnson]

I like them to finish in the top 10. I like them to finish in THE top 10 with all limb goddamn weapons.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, they got some weapons all the, all the way. I mean, they had 100, they had 43 carries. And the thing is that I like about him that he, he, he, he'll run it and he'll throw it. They had 39 pass attempts. They had 43 rush attempts. First of all, that's a lot of, that's a lot of damn plays, even for a preseason. Let's get that.

[Chad Johnson]

It's the Bill. It's the Bill's fault. It's the Bill's fault. Too many goddamn three and outs.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Trubisky, Mike White, Frank Gore JR Looked good. He had a fumble. But he, yeah, you gotta, he reminds you over.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, you gotta have that thing high and tight, especially when that traffic coming, that traffic coming.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He ain't said, you know, he ain't see him coming. He saw the guy from the side.

[Chad Johnson]

Little peanut, punt.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But I, but. And they are in a tough division. That is a very tough division that the Bears are in. You got Green Bay, you got Detroit, you got Minnesota. So you gotta get better. You don't have no choice.

[Chad Johnson]

One thing you have to get better on is putting up points because every other, every other team you just named, they putting up points. And I'm not talking about field goals either.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No. But it's going to be interesting to see what Detroit is without Ben Johnson.

[Chad Johnson]

Well, hey, wait a minute. You got to understand, even with, without Ben Johnson there, the same players are still there. So I think even with the creativity, regardless if the creativity isn't there, the plays of the call, they still have players that can go get it. Jameson. Wilson. James. Jameson. Williams. Williams. Oh, God, why I'm talking so fast? Slow down, Ocho, slow down. JMO can go get it. Aman Ross Brown can go get it. Jameer, you know, you know what you get from David Montgomery and J. Because, I mean, I think regardless of who's calling the Plays the play calling job is that easy because the elite talent at his disposal should be able to use.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well if, if, if it was that easy. So why wasn't Chicago any better than what they were if all it was was about players?

[Chad Johnson]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa there, there, there's no Aman Ross St. Brown over there. There is no, there's no.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We said they look good. Did we not say the Bears look good? Now what play, what player that we said look good that wasn't there last year? You told me it's the players. It doesn't matter who the play caller is. So it shouldn't matter that Eber Fl was there or whomever the play caller.

[Chad Johnson]

Listen, I'm speaking specifically on personnel and skill set.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm looking at the.

[Chad Johnson]

Come on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Caleb Williams, was he not the quarterback?

[Chad Johnson]

Let, let's, let's. Please. No, no, you, you not. You not understand what I'm saying?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm understanding what you.

[Chad Johnson]

By, by positions, better players. And I mean no disrespect to what the Bears have. I'm just saying. Levels. Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes. I give you another example. What happened to the Eagles when they lost both of their coordinators after going to the Super Bowl? They had the same players. Jalen hurst was there. A.J. brown was there. Devonte Smith was there. What happened the next season? Did they look the same? It's not a true question.

[Chad Johnson]

It's not a true question. But I'm, I'm trying to, I'm trying to think.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Chad Johnson]

When they. Wait. When the Eagles went to the super.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Bowl, they went to the Super Bowl. They lost. They lost both coordinators, the offensive coordinator and the defensive coordinators, the same players were there.

[Chad Johnson]

Wait, hey, is that, is that the, is that the year where the defense couldn't tackle a goddamn. Going to tackle a soul?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Say it didn't matter.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, I think, I think we, we, we make. Because the Eagles problem was their defense. They wouldn't tackle no goddamn body.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And what about the offense?

[Chad Johnson]

To that point it looked like they was doing it on goddamn purpose.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What about the offense? How the offense.

[Chad Johnson]

It was all right. It was all right. It was all right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Jaylen Hurts had more turnover in the first half of the season than he had the entire season the year before. But you say they look the same.

[Chad Johnson]

But you can't. Wait, hold on, hold. You, you can't, you can't blame the offensive wolves on an individual player, on the person calling the goddamn. You have to make better.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm asking you, did their offense look the same as the offense that Went to the Super Bowl. Did their defense look the same as the defense that led them to the Super Bowl? That's all I'm asking.

[Chad Johnson]

But, but listen, I tell you what, I tell you what, I love the points you're trying to make, but I know the makeup of the Detroit Lions offense that they're still going to look to par regardless of whether Ben Johnson is there or not, because of what they have there. Offense.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What about defense? They lost AG too, though.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, that's nice. They still got Brian Branch. They still got Aiden Hutchinson.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He's back.

[Chad Johnson]

He's back. It's one. They got one more dog over there. I'm. I'm losing. I'm losing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Are you talking about Carrie Joseph?

[Chad Johnson]

Yes, the safety, Kerry Joseph. Hell, he had what, 10, 10, 9, 11, 8.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think he had eight or nine.

[Chad Johnson]

Picks, Terry and Arnold. Listen, he gotta do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He gotta. He gotta. He gotta keep his head.

[Chad Johnson]

Just had. Yeah, that's it. That's it. I think they're gonna be right on both sides of the ball. I know one thing. They gonna put some points up, they're gonna put some points out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. It's always. Sometimes you have a. Like it takes you. It. Nor sometimes it takes a team a year to adjust without. Because Ben has been there so long. I mean, he's been there what, what, four or five years? I mean, that's the only. That's the only person that Jerry Goff has had in his ear since he's been in Detroit AG. He's been to D.C. for what, three years? Very good. So it's. It's good. Look, they're an extremely talented ball club. They're one of. They're one of the. They're one of the favorites along with the Eagles. The Eagles, Detroit, the Packers, the ners, you know, Tampa.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, hold on. I got a question. Huh? You just said the Niners. You think the Niners still gonna look the same? No, Debo, I don't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They got Robert. They got Robert Salah back. Debo didn't give him anything last year. Ocho, he didn't give him anything.

[Chad Johnson]

He won the Debo from.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But here's the thing. They also get. They. Let's just say they get a healthy Christian McCaffrey back.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, that's nasty.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because now it's going to be interesting to see how healthy Brandon Ayuk is and how soon. Because sometime Ocho is the year after the. It's the, it's the. The following year, not the, not the season. Right after the surgery is the year after, so we'll see how soon. But you know they, hey, they still got an outstanding offensive line. Big Trent, let's see how healthy he is. Can he get back to being Trent Williams? KD is still a top tight end in the league. Pie. Now they did lose. Lose some guys. Dre, Greenlaw, Ward, they lost some guys. They've. They've lost some guys on the defensive side. But Robert Salah is back. That defense wasn't the same without Robert Salah. Without Robert.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, did they ever fix receiver Juwan Jennings? Did they ever a contract?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I haven't heard anything else about it. I haven't heard anything else about it.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, he's not, he's nice for the, for the work he put in and then stepping up when Iuk went down and when Debo was hurt and injured, he made some really, really good plays and, and made sure they didn't miss a beat offensively. I hope reward him before the season starts.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, it's kind of oo, kind of like the situation that Cam Hayward is in because remember they, they tore up Cam Hayward, gave him a two year deal and then you know, he played well and said, well, I can't see myself playing on, on this number because. Because other guys, he saw other defensive players get pay raises. Sometimes the worst thing you can do is base your worth on what somebody else got.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, that's a good one. I like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't know. They used to do it. I don't know if they still did it. When you was there, you remember they used to pass the thing around the shoot around all the receivers they had all the highest paid because you receivers. So you saw what everybody else paid you. Like he making that. Plus you got all the guys on your own team, plus every receiver what they're making. Oh man. Man, that thing come out there. Hey, I get that thing. I be looking at somebody like you make that and you giving us that, man.

[Chad Johnson]

You speaking of teammates? No. Told me to tell you hello, Crockett. Who? I see the old Ray. What? I see no Ray.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But hey, that. Hey, hey, that was my road dog. That. Now, hey, me and Croc was quick to take a trip to Vegas.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, Ray, Ray Ray told me to tell you hello, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, I ain't, I ain't talk to Croc in a minute. We got to go back. I got. I'mma hit him up.

[Chad Johnson]

What are you doing?

[Shannon Sharpe]

He's drinking on my cup.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, I'm like, I'm like a Ray on what you call it when the man walk out there naked. He had jello. I only want it no more.

[Chad Johnson]

What you were drinking water. Okay, okay, okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look at him. Look at. He ain't doing.

[Chad Johnson]

He thirsty. Hey, Twin Twin. You thirsty, Twin bro?

[Shannon Sharpe]

He just left. He got water in the. In the kitchen.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, you know, water in the kitchen and water in the cup be two completely different things.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's the same water, I promise you. Look at him. Look at him. I don't even want this no more, George. Bro, why you come up here? I thought you wanted to lay down anyway.

[Chad Johnson]

Well, he like a miniature lion. Oh, man. Hey, you know who. You know who played tomorrow night? Huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Who?

[Chad Johnson]

Who? Hoover.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. Who they play?

[Chad Johnson]

He played the Commanders.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, you saw us put foots in Arizona last night, didn't you? It looked good, too, didn't it, Bronco?

[Chad Johnson]

It was all right. It was all right. It looked good. That was cool. It was cool. It was cool.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I want you to go down. I'm gonna send you down to Miami. Drink out of every cup on the table.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, at my place. He come to my place, he's gonna be mad. He gonna be thirsty as hell. I ain't got no pots. I ain't got no pans. I ain't got no. I ain't got no cups. I ain't got nothing in there. Like, I. I live. I have a. A minimalist. A minimal. What's the word?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Are you a minimalist?

[Chad Johnson]

A minimalist? Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It seemed like you're a survivalist.

[Chad Johnson]

That too. That too. That too. See all the unnecessary stuff. I used to. Used to get nice big places and start just buying stuff, and it looks so cluttered. So I remember when. I think. My idea, when Kim Kardashian was with Kanye, remember they had that white house where it looked like a museum when you walk in, everything was real spacious, but it was cool. And it wasn't all. It wasn't all cluttered, and it just looked. It looked different, like a museum. So that was my idea, and that's what I did. I went all white. I ain't got no pots, I ain't got no pans. I ain't got no damn toaster. I ain't got nothing. Yeah, yeah, I ain't got nothing. But it looks really good. And when you walk in, it's like, wow, this looks. It looks expensive. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it looks.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It looks lived in.

[Chad Johnson]

But I keep. Everything is all white. Of course it looks lived in. Like, my kids come in, I tell them, don't touch nothing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Don't touch nothing. Don't sound, don't do nothing.

[Chad Johnson]

Don't touch my piano. You know, I got a. I got a white piano. I've been taking piano lessons. Don't touch nothing. Yeah, man. Thanos, man. We trying to do the show. Twin, go play with Teddy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All right. Lay down. You can make a difference in someone's life, including your own, with a job and home care. These jobs offer flexible schedules, health care, retirement options and free training.

[Chad Johnson]

They also provide paid time off and opportunities for overtime. Visit oregonhomecarejobs.com to learn more and apply.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's oregonhomecarejobs.com.

[Chad Johnson]

Good morning. Welcome to Today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is.

[Chad Johnson]

Your best start to the day.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's a new season and every morning we're here to help you take it all on. As the forecast calls for football all across the country. Blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

[Chad Johnson]

We're getting back to all of it, and the best way to start is together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watch the Today show weekday mornings at 7am on NBC. You guys know I'm always up for a good MVP story. And one of the best is the story of Wasabi Technologies. Wasabi is purpose built to free businesses from skyrocketing storage costs and unpredictable egress fees from old and top heavy legacy providers. You know the big guys. Wasabi is the world's hottest cloud storage company, becoming the go to provider for professional and collegiate sports teams and leagues around the world. And here's why. From Wasabi's AI enabled intelligent media storage, Wasabi Air to the industry's only cloud storage service with triple protection against cybercriminals, data deletion and ransomware. Wasabi's taken the lead in driving innovation and data storage, eliminating overhead where it matters to deliver you results you can count on and won't break the bank. In fact, Wasabi is up to 80% less than those other guys and doesn't charge a cent for businesses to access their own data. Wasabi another championship story. Check them out for [e-mail] Gatorade Zero the number one proven electrolyte blend made.

[Chad Johnson]

With zero sugar, designed to hydrate better than water so you can lose more.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Sweat and push more limits. Gatorade 0 is it in you? The Saints quarterback competition might go down to the wire. Shook play four drives, gained only nine net yards in the first two. Then he went five or six on his best drive, which ended in a Chris Olavi drop Leading to a field goal. Spencer Rattler had five drives, one of which ended in a field goal after he threw a 49, 49 yard pass interference call on an incompletion of Mason tipton. Rattler finished 18 to 24, 199 with a touchdown and an interception. I thought Rotha made some, some good throws. I thought Rattler made on, on a, on a D7 right. Ocho, he threw it, led basically turned it into a square out because the, the wide receivers squared it off. Yeah, nice, nice route. I don't think it's a foregone conclusion. I could be wrong, but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that, that Spencer Rattler start.

[Chad Johnson]

You think they gonna put Shuck in front of him?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, he start. I think if I'm not mistaken, I think he started today, didn't he?

[Chad Johnson]

Well, they did, didn't Chuck start today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Or, or, or Rattler.

[Chad Johnson]

They did it on purpose. If Chuck did start, they did it on purpose. Okay, we let Spencer Ratt start the first game. Shuck, you don't get to go this, this game. And we'll compare the two.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I, I, I, and then. Yeah, we'll see. We. Yeah. Hey. Yeah.

[Chad Johnson]

See it's like, it's like my grandma used to, used to have a saying. When two things are bad, listen, you got to go with one of them. You got to pick the lesser of the evil. I, I guess something, something like that. She used to say all the time they, they neither, neither of the two have shown any signs where it's like, you know what? He clear as Day is the better player he cleared Day is a better quarterback with the ball in his hands making the better decisions to give us a chance to win weekend and week out. They don't, they don't have someone like that. Which is why I don't understand. Never mind. I'm not gonna get back to the draft thing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think. And plus Ocho, I think of, of the four teams that's in that division, clearly they have the worst, worst quarterback play of any team in that, you know, Tampa, I think Tampa has the.

[Chad Johnson]

Best quarterback, the best team, the best team maybe. And maybe then Atlanta clearly.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then, you know, you like Bryce Young or do you like Michael Penix Jr. But no matter where you put them. 2, 3, 3, 2. Whatever the case may be, those quarterbacks are still better than what they possess in New Orleans. And that's what, that's, that's what New Orleans is up against. I mean that's what you know, the Saints are up against. Is that the. Play the quarterback in that. And they're not going to face very many teams in which they're. The opposing team quarterback is worse than theirs. Because when you look at it, when you look at the landscape of the NFL, you tell me who got worse quarterbacks than what? The players in New Orleans.

[Chad Johnson]

I don't, I don't, I don't know. I don't know. Twitter is very truthful. People on Twitter and Instagrams, they tell the truth. And I simply asked a question not too long ago. Saints fans, are you optimistic? Optimistic about the quarterback situation? Depending on where they want to go, whether it was Spencer.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, no, no.

[Chad Johnson]

And they like, no, no, no, you're not going nowhere. No quarterback trash. We're gonna be trash. This is their fans.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look, the hardest thing to do is when you have a great quarterback is to not be afraid to draft a quarterback. And you see, you see what happens when you go look at. Because they take all the reps and the last thing you want to do is take a quarterback high ocho and take the quarterback off. So teams skate around it and the next thing you know, the guy died. He. He, he rots on the vine. He leaves. Now what do you got? They never got an adequate replacement for Drew Breeze.

[Chad Johnson]

You got, you gotta, you gotta say.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What you want about Coach Belichick, but Coach Belichick was trying to, he was trying to predict. He was trying to get ready for the future. He was trying to have the bridge. Now he started to build a bridge too soon. But look at pay. Look at Peyton. They didn't have a thing. He gets hurt. They go 2 and 14 now. Perfect thing happened. Perfect. Guess what, Andrew looks coming out now. It had been great if Luck could have stayed healthy. Well, they had, they had skill position players, but they couldn't protect him. And he didn't do a good enough job protecting himself because he took, he took some shots he shouldn't have taken. Sometimes you gotta, you can protect yourself. You got to protect yourself. They need to do a better job of giving him an offensive line ocho, but he need to do a better job of protecting himself once he got past the offensive line slide down, run your butt, you run out of bounds. You can't play hero ball against those guys to break you. And so. And that's the hard thing because, you know, nobody. We saw what happened when Green Bay took Aaron Rodgers, it ticked off Brett Favre. When Green Bay took Jordan Love, it ticked off Aaron Rodgers. So you, you, you I mean, you walking a real, real tight rope, Ocho. Like, yeah, I know I'm going to make him mad, but I can make him mad and have another 10, 12 years of prosperity once he leave or I can keep him happy and when he leave, I'll be in the trash bin for.

[Chad Johnson]

There are two teams that are struggling in that same. In that area right now. The Pittsburgh Steelers did it with Big Ben. Obviously the Saints didn't have anyone once Drew Brees decided to hang it up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct. You're right. So that's a fight. That's a fine line that, that teams walk. And, and I don't even, I don't. I don't even have to make those tough decisions. Oh, Cho. The Texans trade John met you the third to the Eagles. Texas received Harrison Bryant a fifth round and a fifth round pick. The Eagles received John Mechi and a sixth round pick. Eagles room now includes A.J. brown, Devonte Smith who was a teammate. The third, Johann Dotson and Johnny Wilson.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, that's not fair. That's not fair.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Jay Tuck said dog. WTF is going on? Why do teams just keep helping?

[Chad Johnson]

I was just getting ready to say the same thing. I was getting ready to say, say the same thing. Not only do you add another wide receiver to the receiver room, you still got Saquon Barkley. You're coming off super bowl win. You got one hell of a goddamn defense. You know, you got the youngsters out there, Keon Mitchell and what's, what's, what's.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The c. Oh my goodness.

[Chad Johnson]

Cuba De John, boy, he's so, he's so nice. He's so. Listen, Cuba John was so nice and played so well last year. They really let Darius Slay go to the goddamn Steelers. Like he made that big of an impression. You know, we can move on as good as Darius Slay still is the money.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look at that. But you got a guy, a second round pick that's on a rookie contract or you got a guy, you got a guy making 14, 16, $18 million and they looking at like it's not. There's like with the D line we got, he ain't got to come alone.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, it's good, good, good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know what I'm saying? That's our team. So I mean, plus you know, Mechi was. I mean the Texans turn it in like he was running. I think I read he was running like fifth on the depth chart.

[Chad Johnson]

Fifth.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's what I said. Cause you know they had, they got Christian Kirk from Jacksonville.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, that boy could run, boy. Christian Kirk, you got Nico Christian Kirk who's the number two.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Heels. Cause you know they got Nico Collins. Tank Dale's not gonna play.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh man. Okay, okay. I like Tank boy. Tank nice boy. He n. Oh, that's crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But look they need. They wanted to make sure they're straight at the receiver position. The Eagles. Look Johnny Wilson, I think Johnny Wilson is a rookie, isn't he? Think he's a rookie. I'm sorry if he's not. But Mechi is a third year guy. He remember he missed his first year. Ocho he was dealing with. Yeah. Thanks to the man above that he was able to beat that came back. But AJ Devonte, Johan Dodson, Mechi, how soon can he pick up the system? He'll probably be the fourth wide out and they had a. You know you turned that into get John Mitchell the sixth round pick, Harrison Bryant. It's the second year. Okay, so we don't. No, that's a guy that might not even made the roster. We end up getting a tight end that we need because I tell one of our tight ends got hurt, he's going to be gone for the season and we pick up a fifth round pick, a guy that might not even made our roster. So we get a. We get a need position and a pick from next year. According to Diana Rossini, the Bengals have been actively engaged in trade discussions surrounding Trey Hendrickson for weeks. According to teams they've reached out to Cincinnati only seeking draft capital. In return, they also targeted defensive players in a potential deal last season. Hendrickson ranked first in sack, first impression, sixth impression rates third in havoc plays second in tackle for losses the last two season. Off the field, Hendricks a defense with him off the field. Ocho, you 32nd impact pressure rate 30 says 32nd and success rate 32nd and passer rating when he's on the field, you're top 12 in pressure rates, top 12 in success rate, top 12 and pass rated. I don't understand this. This is what I don't understand. You knew you weren't going to play him. They knew that Ocho but what they thought he was going to do what he did last year. Oh, he'll come in. He told you he wasn't. Just like Chase said, if y' all pull that bull jive y' all did last year, I'm not coming in. He said he wasn't coming. Yeah, y' all knew y' all wouldn't say I don't understand Ocho. Why would you not move him before the draft and get somebody get a Draft pick.

[Chad Johnson]

Listen, I. I have no idea. I thought maybe, I'm thinking maybe, maybe Mike Brown, Katie, Troy Duke. Understanding that Trey Hendrickson loves not just the team but loves the game of football. And maybe he would fold at some point and come back. And obviously he's one that understands the business. And you got to hit why the fire is hot. You gotta hit why the stove is hot. And this is his time, this is his time to hit based on what he's done not just last year, but the previous year as well. But then you, you also look at from their viewpoint. Well, hell, you had 17 sacks last year, but our defense was horrible still.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you paid your quarterback and you two wires.

[Chad Johnson]

But our offense was phenomenal.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So remember, make sure I got it right. This is what Trey Ringo said. He said, let's recap. The Bingos have a generational hall of Fame quarterback. They paid their two top targets. Despite all this, they missed a playoff last season because their defense was terrible. So how do they fix that? By listening to trade offers for the best defensive player, unsigned defensive end Trey Hendrickson. This is how management fails its players. Kyle Brandt said if the Bengals trade Trey Hendrickson, it will just be the second time in the modern era that a player has led the NFL's in sacked and to be traded the following season. The only other time that happened, Kansas City traded Hall of Famer Jared Allen to Minnesota in 2008. Allen was First Team All Pro three times with the Vikings.

[Chad Johnson]

Well, I mean the reports are saying they are listening, they're listening to, listening to trade offers. So I'm hoping, I'm hoping Ocho.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you knew you weren't gonna pay him. He had made it abundantly clear. You got so whatever y' all work behind things. He's like, okay, he came back okay, maybe if I get close there, they see me there, hey, we can engage again. They were unwilling. He's not going to take what you're going to offer him. 17 and a half sacks in back to back years. There are not very many guys that's played since the sack became an official stat in 1982 has put together 17 and a half sacks in back to back seasons. He's done that. I just don't know how you think you got Ocho if you couldn't, if you couldn't stop anybody with him, who the hell you stopping without him? We saw last year Chase had the triple crown. Burrow led the league in what, passing yards and passing touchdowns. And you missed the playoffs because your defense was atrocious and what do you do? Clearly the guy that's leap years ahead of everybody on your defense. It's not even close. And remember, Ocho, you. You released Pratt.

[Chad Johnson]

He wanted to deal as well. Bradman to the Raiders. Go ahead. Oh, yeah, okay. Chat me. Listen. Yeah, it's. It's the, it's the business. Understand how the business works. I think the Bengals see it is. We were very bad defensively last year with you. Why are we paying you this, this much money?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You just got worse.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, I mean, listen. I mean, you never know. Shamar Stewart. What will Shamar Stewart be for us this year? He's a rookie. I'm not saying we're counting on a rookie to come in, but if he's good, if he does.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How many rookies have ever had 17 sacks in the.

[Chad Johnson]

I'm not saying, I'm not saying he gonna get 17. Huh? I'm just saying the way the business works. Paying you top dollar and you bring in a rookie that's on what, who know a minimal salary. Minimal salary and can come in and contribute. He might not get 17 sacks, but will do. Maybe not a good job at Trey Henderson, but be efficient.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The most sacks ever by a rookie is Javon curse in 1999. He had 14 and a half.

[Chad Johnson]

And I listen, no disrespect, I'm not going to be disrespectful. I don't.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't know if he's Freak, we'll have to see, but Freak was special. I played against him.

[Chad Johnson]

He was the real deal. He was a real deal. I'm excited, though. I mean, I'm excited. I mean, listen, I don't know what's going to happen. I don't think whatever does happen, our identity in Cincinnati, our identity is our offense. And I said, I said it and I could say it again. I don't know what we're going to do defensively, but we have to improve from last year. We don't need you to be the best defense in the world. We don't need to. Need you to be the best. I just. Wait, let me finish. I just need to be somewhere in the middle of the pack. 15, 16, be able to make. Be able to make stops when it matters most. I don't need you to be number one. I don't need. I don't need you to be number two. I don't need you to be three, four or five. I just need you to be. Meet us halfway. Meet the offense halfway. 15, 16, 17. Somewhere around there, we gonna Be all right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If you had a Pat or tan, if you had a Stingley, if you had a Sauce Gardner, you had a Ramsey, if you had one of those top guys, I could say, okay, Oo, you can hold up a little longer, get a guy to. But y' all don't have that. Y'. All. Best defensive player, hands down, and it wasn't even close, is Trey Hendrickson. Ocho, you guys scored 38 and lose 41. 38. Ocho, you guys go 35 and lose 38. 35. Because you couldn't get off the field.

[Chad Johnson]

Okay? Not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not with that being said, I don't know how you gonna improve. I don't know if you've made that big of an improvement defensively. Even with Stewart, he will have to be curse Micah Aaron, Donald, lt. He's gonna have to have those kind of seasons.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah. I don't know. You. Listen, you've been around again. You've been around the game for a long time. We've seen situations like this happen, occur on many other teams. They don't feel he's worth the price tag that he's asking for. They've already paid t. They've already played Chase. They played Joe. I mean. I mean, this is just. He's the odd man out. He's the odd man out. And now they're listening to trade offers, and it's I.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But, you know. But unless it's, well, maybe if you trade him. Well, you can't trade it for Micah because you can't pay Micah. I'm trying to say who you gonna trade? Who can you trade him for? Because if you trade him just for a draft pick, you don't get nothing to help you this year. And you need help.

[Chad Johnson]

Time out. Rewind that. Rewind them right back now. You just got me excited. You just got me excited. I don't know how much money is left over? I don't know anything. Manipulate the cap and make it happen. Is there any way, any scenario that we can get Michael Parsons?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No. You could have three guys making over 40 million on your roster.

[Chad Johnson]

Hey, I like. I like the way that sound. I like the way I just listen.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You won't even play Trey Hendricks. You won't even pay Trey Henderson 30 million, but you're gonna give Michael Parsons 43, 44.

[Chad Johnson]

Can I ask you a question?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Chad Johnson]

How old is Trey Hendrickson? Ask Ash. How old is Trey?

[Shannon Sharpe]

How is Trey? 32. 30.

[Chad Johnson]

How old is Michael Parsons?

[Shannon Sharpe]

25. He came out early, so he might be 26. 26 now.

[Chad Johnson]

Ask me that question again. Would they pay him 43?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, they wouldn't.

[Chad Johnson]

They would. They would. Yeah. You. I can ask right now. I can. I can call. I can call personnel right now on the phone.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They're not paying. They're not. They're. First of all, they're not paying a 55 million dollar quarterback, a 43, 45 million dollar defensive player, a 41 million dollar wide receiver and a 30 million dollar wide receiver. They're not having that. They're not paying that.

[Chad Johnson]

Hold on. I was getting. You know what?

[Shannon Sharpe]

They just. Ocho, y' all just started spending money two years ago with Burrow. Think about all the great players that you guys have had that have left, right?

[Chad Johnson]

I'm gonna call somebody upstairs. I mean, it's hypothetical. I wanna. I'm gonna see. Damn. I like that. That's. That's crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

B.J. hill, Chris Jenkins. I don't know, Ocho. Damn. Y' all might be with. Y' all might be in the same situation.

[Chad Johnson]

No, I don't think so. Hey, I have a question.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Chad Johnson]

Would it be rude if I call Zach and ask that? That's rude, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You ask whatever you want to ask him.

[Chad Johnson]

That's not. That's not offensive, right? It's just. Just a regular question.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Regular question for what, dad?

[Chad Johnson]

Zach Taylor. If I. If I. If I. If I call and ask, is that rude?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can ask whatever you want to, Ocho. We'll sit right here and watch. Wait, I don't know if the chat believe you calling him, but. Oh, sure.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, I'm texting.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look.

[Chad Johnson]

Can you see that? Huh? I said. I said. Coach, are you up? I want to make sure you up. I don't want to call. It's 12 o'.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Clock.

[Chad Johnson]

They play tomorrow, so. I. I don't know. It's 12:19. They playing in D.C. what? What's. What's. What's the time difference in D.C.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Dallas is on Central Time. D.C. is on Eastern Time, so.

[Chad Johnson]

Oh, it's 12:19. I call E.B. you know EB, right? You know Eric Ball? No, but Eric Ball played with. With the Bangles when you was playing with. With. With David, I think. Yeah, but David F. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

D.B.

[Chad Johnson]

No, no, wait. I think Eric Ball might have been a running back. I think you probably know. You probably know him when you see him even. He's been over there since. Since I was there before I got there. Yeah, everybody. Yeah, yeah. Part of player. I forgot. I don't know how to pronounce the. The.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What are you? Community? Like community relations? Guys.

[Chad Johnson]

Yeah, I think his, his.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, here the player personality.

[Chad Johnson]

Probably it might be some player engagement. Yeah, probably. Something like that. Something like that, Something like that. But for years, everyone thought Verizon had.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Chad Johnson]

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