NFL Cover Zero: Injury Updates and NFL Week 16 Previews

Podcast: KSR
Hosts: Matt Jones, Drew Franklin, Billy
Date: December 18, 2025
Producer: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

Episode Overview

This episode of NFL Cover Zero dives deep into the NFL's late-season chaos, as Matt Jones and Drew Franklin (joined by Billy) cover major injury updates, shifting races for playoff spots, concerns about quarterback futures, and offer in-depth previews for Week 16's pivotal games. The crew also banters about the decline of some hallmark NFL eras, the future of the league's top franchises, and the unpredictable quarterback carousel shaping this winter’s storylines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Injuries—Personal and NFL-wide (03:23)

• Drew Franklin opens the show literally hobbled:
  Drew details his excruciating back spasms, joking about aging injuries.

  • "It is not fun when that back spasm locks in... I had to crawl just to get here."[04:08, Drew]
  • Both agree: back pain is "the worst" and has nothing to do with youthful mishaps—just aging.

• Segue into NFL injury landscape:

  • Patrick Mahomes’ ACL surgery becomes a headline, triggering a broader conversation on how much injuries are impacting this season.

2. Patrick Mahomes’ Injury, Dr. James Andrews, & Chiefs Future (05:48)

• Changing of the Medical Guard:

  • Notable shift: Mahomes didn’t go to Dr. James Andrews for surgery, but headed to Dallas.
  • "Is Dr. James Andrews now been surpassed and is he no longer the go-to doctor?"[06:43, Matt]
  • Drew jokes about Andrews' stubborn attachment to Birmingham, wondering why the famed doctor never moved to a big-market city.

• Chiefs’ fate post-Mahomes surgery:

  • Drew sees a second act for Mahomes, but expects a different Chiefs supporting cast: “They’ve just built that team… ‘Oh, we have Pat Mahomes, he can do magic’... I think Mahomes still has a lot of elite football in him.”_[09:23, Drew]

• Open AFC Race:

  • Matt points out the league’s parity: “You don't go into next year thinking any of these teams are, like, impossible to catch.”_[10:19, Matt]

3. Quarterback Chaos, Disappointments, and Breakouts (10:57)

• Unpredictable QB Standings:

  • The elite QBs have all had down years or injuries—Mahomes, Allen, Lamar, Burrow.
  • "The only thing I lost is when I said show respect on... like we went through the whole thing where you got the name wrong and all that. And then I was like, so show Caleb Will."[12:53, Matt] (after Drew calls Caleb Williams “Caleb Wilson” by mistake)
  • Bo Nix and other rookie/young QBs unexpectedly moving into the Super Bowl conversation—especially important because of rookie contracts.

• Past-their-prime veterans resurging:
  “All the quarterbacks at the top of the list right now, even guys that I thought were past their prime—Dak Prescott, Matt Stafford… Some guys have stepped in and taken that spot this year very unexpectedly.”_[13:20, Drew]

4. Postgame Conduct and Locker Room Repercussions (13:41)

• Controversy: Tua’s Post-loss Interaction

  • Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa was caught on camera laughing and chatting with an opponent post-loss.
    • Drew: “I guess it’s a bad look… his teammates have been upset about it.”_[14:55, Drew]
    • Matt: “I do sometimes take cues from the teammates… if his teammates are mad, that means they kind of don’t think he’s serious anyway.”_[15:15, Matt]

• Tua’s Decline:

  • Tua benched to third string—behind Zach Wilson; Miami looking to the future with Quinn Ewers.
  • Drew: “Is the Tua time over in Miami… they owe Tua a lot of money next year… they did move him not just one spot back, too, which sent a message.”_[16:20, Drew]

5. Locker Room Loss: What’s Appropriate After Defeat? (17:26)

• Player Etiquette:
  • Drew: Keep postgame pleasantries “brief, especially if you’re on the losing end. You should eat, you should feel it, especially as a quarterback and you should be showing that as a leader.”_[17:26, Drew]
  • Matt: “We want our players to seem sad even if they're not. We want you to seem sad.”_[17:57, Matt]

6. Dolphins, Burrow, and “Wellness Check” QBs (19:38)

• Joe Burrow to Start Despite Elimination:

  • Matt and Drew question the risk of starting Burrow when Cincinnati is out.
    • Drew: “If he were to get hurt again in these last three games, that would just be unforgivable on Cincinnati for letting him play.”_[20:16, Drew]
    • Matt: “I feel like somebody needs to give Joe Burrow a wellness check. How you feeling? Like, is everything good?”_[21:39, Matt]

• Era Shift:

  • With Mahomes, Brady, and Peyton Manning all likely absent from this postseason, “this is... like five or six eras of my lifetime. It is weird to have one where it's now completely different.”_[35:00–36:10, Matt & Drew]

7. Week 16 Previews & Playoff Race (28:10)

• Saturday's Matchups: Eagles vs. Commanders, Packers vs. Bears

  • Commanders lost Jaden Daniels for season—too much Marcus Mariota in marquee games.

• Bears vs. Packers pivotal for NFC North:

  • Matt describes it as a “huge game” and says, “if you want to move past the last 25 years of the Bears… this is a game you win.”_[30:46, Matt]
  • Drew likes Bears’ chances, “I think they get redemption here.”_[31:12, Drew]

• Broncos' Playoff Chances

  • Billy outlines the playoff clinching scenario for Denver, but Matt dismisses scenarios with “four things”—too many permutations.
  • Striking stat: “This will be the first postseason without either Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Patrick Mahomes since 1998.”_[34:49, Billy]

8. The Bottom of the League & The #1 Draft Pick (40:29)

• Giants, Raiders, Titans fighting for worst record:
  • Matt: “Oddly though, Drew, I'm not sure that it matters a lot... none of the quarterbacks I think are a slam dunk.”
  • Drew: “Selfishly, for my Titans, I want a number one because we're definitely trading it and I just want to get as much as possible.”_[41:37, Drew]

9. Monday Night Football & The Return of Philip Rivers (45:06)

• Rivers expected to struggle: Against the 49ers’ D, with limited mobility, “I kind of feel like he’s going to look awful Monday night.”_[45:49, Matt]
  • Manningcast fun anticipated: Rivers facing critique from Eli and Peyton, his former rivals.

10. Odds & Ends, Picks, and Wagers (53:20)

• Victory Bundle Picks:

  • Matt: Broncos -3 vs. Jaguars, resting on Denver’s altitude and home field.
  • Drew: Panthers (Carolina) as home underdogs vs. Bucs.
  • Billy: Cardinals at home as underdogs, riding Jacoby Brissett at QB.

• Other Notables:

  • Discussion of injury situations, expanding on betting lines, and Drew’s and Matt’s personal game-day rituals and superstitions.
  • Billy’s Survivor League pick: The Saints to beat the Jets—“That’s a dangerous pick.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can sneeze and then you’re not moving for two weeks.”—Matt, on aging injuries [04:26]
• “Is Dr. James Andrews now been surpassed and is he no longer the go-to doctor?”—Matt [06:43]
• “We want our players to seem sad even if they're not. We want you to seem sad.”—Matt [17:57]
• “If he were to get hurt again in these last three games, that would just be unforgivable…”—Drew, on Joe Burrow [20:16]
• “This will be the first postseason without either Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Patrick Mahomes since 1998.”—Billy [34:49]
• “If you are the Titans, if you're going to be bad, like be the worst.”—Drew [43:29]
• On Dad Strength: “If a new dad plays great football, that means he’s not doing his dad responsibilities.”—Matt’s Mom, via Matt [50:38]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:23 – Injury updates: Drew’s back, league-wide injuries
• 05:48 – Mahomes surgery & Dr. Andrews conversation
• 10:44 – Veteran and rookie QB landscape
• 13:41 – Tua’s postgame incident and Miami QB drama
• 19:38 – Burrow starting despite elimination
• 28:10 – Week 16 game previews (Eagles/Commanders, Bears/Packers)
• 34:49 – No Brady, Manning, or Mahomes for the first time since '98
• 40:29 – Draft order, tanking, and non-QB-needy teams
• 45:06 – Philip Rivers MNF preview
• 53:20 – Betting picks: Broncos, Panthers, Cardinals
• 60:24 – Survivor League pick: Saints over Jets
• 62:00+ – Touchdown parlay segment and closing banter

Tone & Style

True to the KSR brand, the show is informal, irreverent, and packed with playful ribbing and Kentucky-flavored banter. Matt and Drew riff on everything from medical indignities to the luck of mesh tank tops, making keen football observations while never losing their fan’s perspective.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a conversational tour through a pivotal moment in the NFL: injury chaos, collapsing dynasties, rising underdog stories, and wild playoff races define the discussion. The hosts blend news, analysis, and humor, making this a must-listen for fans wanting to keep up with the NFL’s most unpredictable season in recent memory.