Welcome Back to the Gridiron: Hips, Heists, and the King in the North

Tarlin Ray is officially back on the other side of major surgery. Seven days after a total hip replacement, he moved from a walker to a cane, and now he is trading the PT exercises for the hottest NFL takes of the 2026 postseason. In this episode of Running It Back, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray dive deep into the divisional round, debating the "That's My Quarterback" draft and dissecting the chaotic coaching carousel currently spinning out of control.

From the "no asshole policy" in front offices to whether Sam Darnold is a reclamation project or a playoff ghost, the guys look past the box scores to find the real stories. They discuss why Tennessee might be the most attractive job in the league and whether Caleb Williams is the future of Chicago or a fantasy football headache. Plus, Tarlin shares the humbling reality of relying on caregivers and why it took him ten days to finally get in the shower.

Get ready for sharp analysis, a little modern medicine appreciation, and a lot of intellectual honesty.

That's My Quarterback! NFL Divisional Playoffs

Mike and Tarlin kick things off with the "Ethics Bowl" QB Draft where Tarlin bets on the cajones of CJ Stroud while Mike counters with the "twinkle toes" and scampering ability of Drake May. They move to the "King in the North" matchup, debating if Josh Allen is still America’s man-crush or if Bo Nix is ready to fly high at Mile High. The conversation shifts to the Rams and Bears as they weigh the veteran poise of Matthew Stafford against the rising Gen Z energy of Caleb Williams. Finally, they wrap up the games by looking at Sam Darnold’s history of "seeing ghosts" versus the underdog story of Brock Purdy, the 262nd pick in the draft.

Coaching Carousel

The second half of the show tackles the coaching carousel, starting with the massive $20 million culture-building hire of John Harbaugh by the New York Giants. They explore the end of the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh and whether the Rooney family might make a bold statement by hiring Brian Flores. They also analyze the curious case of Mike McDaniel, who looks less like a biology teacher and more like a character from Breaking Bad these days. The episode concludes with professional lessons on when to take the CEO jump and when to stay in "grooming" mode, using the career moves of Ben Johnson and Dante Moore as a guide.

Time Stamps:

00:00 – Tarlin is back and reporting live after major surgery 03:55 – Is the hip replacement the new GLP-1 06:50 – Tarlin joins Instagram and struggles with the buttons 08:50 – Divisional Round: Texans vs Patriots (Stroud vs May) 14:15 – The King in the North: Josh Allen vs Bo Nix 17:35 – Rams vs Bears: Stafford’s veteran status vs the future of Caleb Williams 20:45 – Vikings/Seahawks/49ers: Sam Darnold vs Brock Purdy 26:50 – The Coaching Carousel: Harbaugh to the Giants and the Tomlin legacy 33:45 – The Rooney Rule, Brian Flores, and the No Asshole Policy 36:35 – Evaluating Mike McDaniel and offensive coordinator strategies 39:15 – Career Advice: When to take the promotion vs when to wait for grooming

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