PTI – "Did the Bills make the right decision?"

Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Mike Wilbon (with guest host Frank Isola, for Tony Kornheiser)
Special Guest: Jeff Saturday

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Buffalo Bills' hiring of offensive coordinator Joe Brady as their new head coach, dissecting whether it was the right move and the implications for Josh Allen and the organization's future. The hosts also debate recent NBA All-Star Game criticisms, discuss Coco Gauff’s viral racquet-smashing moment at the Australian Open, and break down NFL playoff headlines and coaching rumors. Jeff Saturday joins to lend insights on NFL scenarios, including playoff play-calling, line struggles, and quarterback issues.

Main Discussion: The Buffalo Bills' Head Coach Hire (01:28 – 04:51)

The Hire: Joe Brady Steps In

• Mike Wilbon introduces the hire: "Let's start today with the man the Buffalo Bills have selected to succeed Sean McDermott as head coach, offensive coordinator Joe Brady." (01:31)
• Frank Isola’s take:
  • "Number one, it's a great job because you get Josh Allen. You ask any guy that's going to become a first time head coach, do you want a great quarterback? So absolutely yes." (01:59)
  • "Whether or not it turns out to be a great hire is going to depend on one thing. Can he get further than Sean McDermott did? Can you get to a Super Bowl? Can you win one?" (02:06)
  • "They were going to hire who the quarterback wanted. Mike, you know this. You can [see in] any sport, if you have a star that big, they're going to have a lot of say." (02:26)
• Wilbon’s skepticism:
  • "We're not going to blame any of this on Josh Allen. ... We're not blaming the GM for not putting more talent around Josh Allen. ... We're going to blame Sean McDermott and fire him." (03:10)
  • "Joe Brady better be damn good. Because now there's no buffer between the two of them. It's him and it's Josh Allen." (03:37)
  • Wilbon doubts the roster’s overall quality: "Even though I still don't think that team is good enough or has the personnel. They have an entire offseason to do something about it, but I don't think it does." (03:45)
• Isola highlights Brady’s background: "Brady had a backer in Josh Allen. He also had a good agent because he interviewed Cardinals, Falcons, Raiders, Ravens, Dolphins, a lot of places. They thought they were going to lose him, so they hired him." (04:51)
• Memorable Moment: Isola calls out the ownership’s role: "[Pegula] walks into locker room after the game. Everyone's despondent. Yeah. Because you just lost again. ... The biggest mistake Sean McDermott made to this day is still the squib kick to the Chiefs." (04:00 / 04:16)

NBA Segment: All-Star Game Criticisms & LeBron’s 2012 Moment (04:51 – 08:43)

Kevin Garnett's Comments About LeBron

• Isola recaps Garnett: "Garnett said on his podcast... that LeBron fouled up the tradition of the NBA All Star game in 2012 when he passed the ball twice in the final seconds rather than go one on one with the great Kobe Bryant." (04:51)
• Wilbon dismisses blame on LeBron:
  • "Not at all. Not at all in the least, no. The All Star Game was going down. It was headed down. ... The whole culture is to blame, the league is to blame, and the top players, all them share in some blame." (05:22)
  • "Kobe Bryant issued an on court verbal challenge we all could hear to LeBron James. And I don't know why LeBron didn't take him up on it. The part of the culture in the history of the All Star Game was to take people up on it." (05:42)
• Frank elaborates on the play: "So the first pass, like a hockey... So he throws it to Darren Williams because they were down 2. Darren Williams shoots a 3. ... It was a basketball play if you watch the replay." (06:34)
• Wilbon on what's wrong: "The weekend is they don't give a damn about and that they don't want to play the game." (07:02)
• Isola on current players: "A couple years ago, Luka’s not trying in the All Star Game. Nikola Jokic, and then last year they turned the All Star Game into a round robin and... spent with a Kevin Hart celebrity roast." (07:06)
• Wilbon critiques NBA leadership: "The league got it wrong again. It's a gutless move to put this All Star Game out there." (07:30)
• Suggested fixes:
  • Isola: "Go to the players the night before the game. How many minutes you want to play? Let them pick." (08:05)
  • Wilbon: "Call the top players in the off season and say, we're not going to have an All Star Game that's an embarrassment. So participate and help us put together something that's honorable." (08:24)

Memorable Quote:
Wilbon: "If the stars don't want to play. Pull them out of the game, send them home." (08:41)

Australian Open: Coco Gauff's Viral Racquet Smash (08:44 – 11:26)

• Context: Coco Gauff loses to Svitolina, smashes racquet in private, but caught on camera.
• Frank Isola summarizes: "Only thing more broken than that racket is her serve in the first set. Five double faults. She was broken five times." (09:14)
  • References Sabalenka’s similar incident, says players should have a camera-free space.
• Wilbon sides with Gauff: "I thought Coco Gauff's explanation was spot on. And she said, I went to this place because I didn't want the kids to see this, but I needed to get this out. Of course you need to get it out." (09:56)
• Both hosts agree players need privacy for emotional moments:
  • Isola: "Players should go to the network or televising networks and the Tour and say, we need a space where there are no cameras." (10:39)
  • Wilbon: "It's not the Truman Show. It's a damn tennis tournament." (11:08)
  • Suggestion: "Before the next ball is struck." (11:26)

NFL Playoff and Offseason Storylines (13:06 – 18:17)

Guest: Jeff Saturday

Drake May’s Sneaky Play (13:06 – 14:26)

• Wilbon asks about QB hiding play from linemen:
  • Jeff Saturday: "We never knew if Manning was going to pull that thing. ... I was never offended. I didn't want to know for that exact reason." (13:35)
  • "Just push as hard as you can, run the play called. ... Peyton wasn't Drake May... runs a 7.0-40." (14:10)
  • Inside football: not unusual, important for linemen to sell the fake.

Rookie Left Tackles & Patriots Playoff Woes (14:28 – 15:59)

• Isola queries about Patriots’ rookie LT Will Campbell:
  • "Yeah, he's struggling. ... He's facing the best of the league. ... Most of the time in Campbell's problem, he's getting pushed in the pocket... May's got to know that, keep two hands, secure the ball..." (14:36)
  • "Getting pushback, you can limit some of that." (15:45)
• Patriots’ run defense: "Creativity from the run game... get linebackers looking, maybe get them rocking, maybe get them stepping out of a gap so you can catch an edge." (15:59)

Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers & Steelers Future (16:53 – 18:17)

• McCarthy wants Rodgers for the Steelers:
  Wilbon: "How do you feel about this?" (16:53)
  • Jeff Saturday: "I think from McCarthy's perspective, it buys him a little time. … I think he would like to be able to kind of lean on that vet, right. Be it being Aaron Rodgers. But the truth is they're going to have to figure something out for the future." (17:15)
  • "Being able to develop a guy under that I think is really what, what would benefit him the most." (18:08)
  • Wilbon quips: "Only part that scares me is another season having to talk about Aaron Rodgers." (18:17)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Frank Isola (on Bills hiring): "They were going to hire who the quarterback wanted. ... You can [see in] any sport, if you have a star that big, they're going to have a lot of say." (02:24)
• Mike Wilbon (on All-Star Game): "It's a gutless move to put this All Star Game out there. ... So you put something out there on Sunday that's so embarrassing, the commissioner had to admit the following Monday he was embarrassed." (07:30)
• On Coco Gauff:
  Wilbon: "It's not the Truman Show. It's a damn tennis tournament." (11:08)
• Jeff Saturday (on playoff play-calling): "Just push as hard as you can, run the play called. ... I don't want to be the reason pulling up on my block... Just get there. We'll all be happy." (13:35)
• Wilbon (on Rodgers): "Only part that scares me is another season having to talk about Aaron Rodgers." (18:17)

Secondary Headlines & Lightning Round (19:49 – End)

• NFL Legends:
  • Celebrating Billy “White Shoes” Johnson’s birthday. (19:49)
  • Steelers’ draft history, including Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blunt, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Mike Webster. (21:54)
• Pro Bowl Discussion:
  • Shador Sanders named to Pro Bowl due to opt-outs. (22:10)
  • Isola: "It's a television show. ... There's a difference between All Pro and Pro Bowl." (22:54)
  • Wilbon: "Let's not blame Shador Sanders." (23:04)
• Bill Belichick not elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame on first ballot. (23:05)
• Quick takes on:
  • Brian Daboll to Titans (15:15)
  • Max McClung skipping slam dunk contest
  • US Women’s Soccer vs. Chile

Key Takeaways

• The Bills’ hiring of Joe Brady hinges on his relationship with Josh Allen; all other elements of the organization remain, increasing pressure on both.
• There is consensus that blame for Buffalo’s playoff failures is being pinned too heavily on McDermott.
• NBA All-Star Game traditions have eroded, and blaming LeBron is oversimplifying a complex decline in player interest and league leadership.
• Players like Coco Gauff deserve private emotional space; governing bodies and broadcasters need to balance access with athlete privacy.
• NFL storylines point to a mix of immediate concerns (rookie struggles, playoff adjustments) and longer-term team-building questions (Rodgers with Steelers).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bills Hire Joe Brady: 01:28 – 04:51
• NBA All-Star Blame Game: 04:51 – 08:43
• Coco Gauff, Privacy in Tennis: 08:44 – 11:26
• NFL Playoff Insights (Jeff Saturday): 13:06 – 18:17
• Historic NFL Notes/Lightning Round: 19:49 – End

This PTI episode delivers a sharp, conversational, and candid breakdown of coaching hires, player-coach dynamics, and the shifting landscape of All-Star festivities and athlete privacy, all delivered with the signature wit and banter of Wilbon and Isola. Whether you care most about the Bills’ future or the fate of the NBA’s midseason showcase, each topic is dissected with expertise and personality.