The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show: The Best of – July 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show dives deep into the latest NFL training camp news, focusing on major player injuries, contract situations, and team strategies heading into the new season. There’s a particular emphasis on Patrick Mahomes’ recovery and the Kansas City Chiefs’ upcoming season, with insights from Jesse Newell (Chiefs beat writer for The Athletic) and Ross Tucker (CBS Sports/Westwood One). The show also covers key topics like running back contracts, Aaron Donald’s future, quarterback battles in Cleveland, and the lighter side of sports with some celebrity wedding stories.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

NFL Training Camps: No News is Good News (02:41–07:00)

• Dan Patrick and Ross Tucker discuss their belief that in NFL training camp, “no news is good news,” as most headlines signal injuries or holdouts, not positive updates.

• Running Back Market: Dan breaks down the upcoming contract negotiations for Jameer Gibbs (Lions) and Bijan Robinson (Falcons), highlighting how the first to sign sets the market. Barkley leads at $20.6M but Gibbs/Robinson could hit similar figures.

  "These players are probably going to be in that $20 million range… The earlier you get a deal done, the cheaper the contract becomes."
  — Dan Patrick (05:29)

Patrick Mahomes' Recovery & Chiefs' Season Outlook (07:00–17:00)

• Mahomes Returning from Knee Surgery: The hosts analyze the complexities of returning from knee surgery, noting the mental aspect of trusting the knee again. Comparison is made to Tom Brady’s recovery and playing mentality post-injury.

• Chiefs' Roster and Offense Concerns: Discussion of Kelsey’s return, the addition of running back Kenneth Walker, and questions about KC’s receiver group, especially Worthy and Rice.

• Defensive Reliance: Chiefs’ 2025 Super Bowl run was led by defense, and Dan questions if this unit can sustain that posture.

  "If you’re Kelsey, you’re gonna come back if you know Mahomes is ready to go week one. I don’t think you want to come back and go, 'Wait a minute, is he going to be out the first month?'"
  — Dan Patrick (07:47)

• MVP or Comeback Player?: The panel discusses Mahomes’ odds for MVP versus comeback player.
  (Patrick Mahomes: +185 for Comeback Player, Jaden Daniels: +450)

Aaron Donald & Rams: The Superstar’s Role (09:10–12:00)

• Aaron Donald’s Training Camp Holdout: Insights into why a veteran like Donald may delay reporting—“You get to play 40 plays. Rotational player. Hell, if you want to play home games, I’m fine with that. All I want you is ready for the postseason.” (10:18)
• Super Bowl Odds: Rams are heavy favorites at +550; this is a significant gap, highlighting their dominance.

Injuries: Achilles, ACL, Tommy John (12:22–15:00)

• Discussion on Injury Recovery: Poll question on which major injury is hardest to come back from. Achilles and Tommy John—once career-threatening—are now recoverable with progress in sports medicine.

  "Now, I mean, Tommy John, they’ve got that down to a science. We’re just learning the process of the Achilles surgery."
  — Ross Tucker (13:49)

• Historical Perspective: Recalling Adrian Peterson’s rapid ACL return (nine months), and Shaq delaying surgery to criticism.

Chiefs Strategy and AFC West (15:00–16:30)

• Chiefs/Broncos Week 1: Emphasis is on Mahomes’ comfort and health across the season rather than just the opener. Dan notes how defenses are adjusting to Mahomes’ deep-ball threats since Tyreek Hill’s departure.

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Interview: Jesse Newell (Chiefs Beat Writer, The Athletic) (21:02–30:02)

Mahomes' Mindset and Adjustments (21:27–24:44)

• Mahomes’ Progress: Jesse points out Mahomes’ competitive drive and his surprisingly quick return to team drills:

  "He’s out there in team drills, 11-on-11s, jumping up and down. I think it’s further than anybody could have anticipated."
  — Jesse Newell (21:39)

• Change in Playing Style: Chiefs are planning more under-center plays, greater reliance on the run game with Kenneth Walker, and Mahomes is focusing on getting the ball out quicker.

  "He said...[the] first thing he said was get the ball out of my hands quicker. He’s making a concerted effort this year to go, I know I can’t be Superman every play.”
  — Jesse Newell (22:24)

• Mental Recovery: Mahomes is candid about the challenge of moving past injury anxiety, drawing from his previous experience with a kneecap injury.

  "He said...this is something I’m going to have to not only play with this year, but further years into my career."
  — Jesse Newell (23:51)

Chiefs’ Decision-Making and Travis Kelce’s Return (24:44–29:59)

• Who Decides Week 1?: Newell notes the presence of outside doctors (like Dan Cooper) offering an extra layer of trust/clearance.

• Travis Kelce’s “One More Year”: Tied partly to Mahomes’ availability. Kelce wants to avoid going out after a 6-11 season and is motivated by his relationship with Taylor Swift.

  "He’s talked about this, meeting Taylor...being with Taylor Swift. They talk about their goals. I think...that plays into this as well."
  — Jesse Newell (27:26)

• Celebrity Coverage Dynamic: Chiefs coverage has become a media circus with Taylor and Travis’ relationship, drawing attention likened to DiMaggio and Monroe.

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Ross Tucker Interview & Celebrity Wedding Stories (30:16–45:40)

Celebrity Weddings: Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce (31:01–36:42)

• Text Message Invitations, NDAs, and Fun Moments: Ross recounts the process of being invited (text, confirmation with family, NDA) and the surreal experience mingling with stars like Tom Cruise, Russell Wilson, and Ciara at the event.

  "He looks at Kara [my wife], shakes her hand, hugs her, and then she comes back... She said, 'I think he [Tom Cruise] thinks I’m somebody else.'"
  — Ross Tucker (34:05)

• On Staying Quiet: The emphasis and humor around what he can/can’t share due to NDAs.

• Hometown Connections: Ross is from Taylor Swift's hometown and shares a story about Taylor’s mom encouraging him ("just keep working") when Taylor overtook him as the most famous local.

More Football: Aaron Donald, Browns QB Race, and Tanking? (36:54–45:21)

• Aaron Donald’s Role: Suggests the Rams should use Donald like the 76ers do Embiid: maximize playoff readiness, limit regular season wear.

• Browns QB Debate: Unlikely that only one (Deshaun Watson or Shador Sanders) plays all season; Browns’ focus is on evaluating QBs for the long term.

  "You want to see the progression. Does he keep getting better?... That really, on some level, is what this season's about."
  — Ross Tucker (39:37)

• Cardinals & Tanking: Notes Arizona’s historically low win total projection, stating the “real contest” for top picks will emerge late in the season with teams like the Cardinals, Dolphins, Browns, or Jets likely to make “personnel decisions” for better draft positions.

• Humor on Weddings: Dan jokes of inviting Ross (and Rich Eisen) to his daughter’s wedding, keeping the celebrity-wedding story vibe alive.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL camp news:

  "The best news I can get is there’s no news out of camp, because somebody’s gonna say, hey, that rookie looks good... I want you looking good September, October, November, December." (Dan Patrick, 04:32)

• On Mahomes changing play style:

  "He’s making a concerted effort this year to go, I know I can’t be Superman every play. I’ve got to let the offense work for me." (Jesse Newell, 22:31)

• On covering Chiefs/Taylor & Travis:

  "I did not envision getting into this job in sports journalism thinking I’d be interviewed by Vanity Fair... Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. So there is a different dynamic here." (Jesse Newell, 28:34)

• Celebrity wedding mix-up:

  "He [Tom Cruise] thinks I’m somebody else... Like, I can totally see Tom Cruise thinking my wife was, like, a country music star." (Ross Tucker, 35:10)

• On injuries and recovery:

  "With the Achilles, it’s still knees are the easiest to come back from. I mean, they’ve mastered that. But the Achilles and the Tommy John both were career-ending injuries. Now...they’ve got that down to a science." (Ross Tucker, 13:38)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:41: Start of NFL training camp discussion – danger of early reports, injuries vs. positive news, RB contracts.
• 07:00–09:00: Mahomes’ surgery, Chiefs’ running back investments, offensive and defensive questions.
• 11:35: Discussion of Seahawks “bulletin board” material – how teams use media slights.
• 12:22–14:41: Injury poll, advances in recovery, Shaquille O’Neal surgery reference.
• 21:27–30:02: Jesse Newell interview – deep dive on Mahomes, Chiefs’ strategy, Kelce’s motivations, Taylor Swift effect.
• 31:01–36:42: Ross Tucker on celebrity weddings, Taylor Swift hometown fame, Tom Cruise confusion.
• 36:54–41:51: Deep football discussion on Aaron Donald, Browns QBs, Cardinals' outlook.
• 41:51–45:21: Tanking in the NFL, upcoming draft classes, wedding banter.

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Overall Tone & Style

Light, conversational, and humor-infused as always. Dan and his co-hosts engage in both deep football analysis and pop-culture-infused asides, creating an approachable yet insightful listen for both hardcore sports fans and casual listeners.

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This summary captures the heart of the episode, including all major segments, memorable quotes, and the playful dynamic that defines The Dan Patrick Show.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Ross Tucker]

Guaranteed Human.

[Dan Patrick]

Ryder, what's your favorite thing about summer? Well, as you know, we are a big camping family, and even though it's wildly difficult to take a whole family on the road, I absolutely love it. Well, what if I told you there was a way to manage the chaos?

[Ross Tucker]

Go on.

[Dan Patrick]

Every member knows Walmart plus is summer's greatest shortcut. With free same day delivery on groceries and more, you could save yourself an errand run or a sleepless night under the stars.

[Jesse Newell]

Who knew?

[Dan Patrick]

And that's not all, my friend. Walmart members also get a choice of Peacock or Paramount included at no additional cost. Perfect for the kiddos in the backseat just wanting to know when we arrive at the next campsite. Exactly. Join Walmart. It's worth it. $35 minimum for free delivery. Separate registration required for video streaming. Choice terms apply. Hey, Portlandia fans.

[Ross Tucker]

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

[Jesse Newell]

The dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form.

[Ross Tucker]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast. We revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Dan Patrick]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle MacLachlan,

[Ross Tucker]

legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more. Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words, but a song. Well, I thought you were all going to write a song. I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia Aao Rewatch on the

[Dan Patrick]

iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ross Tucker]

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Jesse Newell]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Ross Tucker]

All?

[Jesse Newell]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ross Tucker]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and iheart.

[Dan Patrick]

Women's Sports.

[Jesse Newell]

We're breaking down the biggest headlines.

[Ross Tucker]

Naomi Osaka showing out shout outs to you, Naomi.

[Dan Patrick]

The viral moments.

[Ross Tucker]

I've been obsessed with Chrisean Rock's boxing journey. She looks good. Her combos are swift.

[Dan Patrick]

And the stories everyone's talking about across women's sports.

[Ross Tucker]

Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to everyone watches women's Sports on

[Dan Patrick]

the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

[Ross Tucker]

you get your podcast. All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the Strawberry Watermelon Refresher and the Mango Pineapple Refresher with Popping Boba to crafted sodas like the Sprite Berry Blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Jesse Newell]

Refreshers contain caffeine.

[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Ross Tucker]

You know, I look at NFL training camp, no news is good news for me because you can get guys and say, oh, Shador Sanders yesterday completed X number of passes and didn't throw any interceptions. Okay, Deshaun Watson threw two interceptions. Okay. Patrick Mahomes looking good. Okay, you see what happens in training camp is the news that emerges is bad news. Somebody got hurt or you might have somebody holding out or holding in. Jameer Gibbs and Bijan Robinson. And this is interesting to watch for me because we'll get to the salaries here in a moment. But they're not the traditional running back. And it wasn't that long ago running back was the NFL's toughest place to cash in. But Gibbs and Robinson, Gibbs plays for Detroit, Robinson for Atlanta. These guys are chess pieces and they'll be up there for the offensive player of the year. But the timing is interesting for both of these players because whichever player signs first is going to establish the market. Saquon Barkley is the highest paid running back, I think at around $19 million. But these two are waiting and the waiting game is going to be worth millions. The Lions and Falcons, you want to get a deal done obviously, as soon as possible. The earlier you get a deal done, the cheaper the contract becomes. Because if Gibbs signs first, Bichon Robinson is going to say, well, I want more than what he's getting. And he might have every right to be able to do that. But these holdouts or hold ins are really interesting with these two players at that position. Highest paid running backs going into this season. Saquon Barkley is at 20.6. Christian McCaffrey, 19 million. Devon H.N. 16 million. Breeze hall makes 15.2. Derrick Henry 15, Kenneth Walker, K9 makes 14.3. These players are probably going to be in that $20 million range, I would think. I don't know if they make more than Saquon Barkley, but they're going to come pretty close to that. So NFL news, training camp news. The best news I can get is there's no news out of camp because somebody's going to say, hey, that rookie looks good. Okay, you might be looking good at the end of July. I want you looking good. September, October, November, December, even with Patrick Mahomes, you know, you can see him moving around a little bit, you know, another month. That's what I'm really curious about, how he's going to be then. What I care about now, and this is why I want to check in with the Kansas City Chiefs, is you can be running around. Anybody who's had surgery, knee surgery, it's not the running around. It's the day after the running around. And that's when you want to know if there's swelling, if, you know, there. There's still inflammation in there. Patrick Mahomes isn't running away from anybody who's trying to hit him, at least not now. That's what I care about. But, you know, the Chiefs are interesting. Get your offensive line back healthy. K9 comes in. This is the first time they've invested in a running back. They had Edwards hire. Remember that? That was. That was a luxury pick. And I thought, damn, the Kansas City Chiefs did it again. I think last pick of the first round. And you go, yep, we got him. And I go, oh, man, they've got their Christian McCaffrey. Not exactly. And then you find Pacheco didn't pay him. But the Chiefs are still fascinating. Kelsey comes back. I think if you're. Kelsey, you're going to come back. If you know Mahomes is going to be ready to go week one, I don't think you want to come back and go, wait a minute, is he going to be out the first month? And Justin Fields is going to be. Now that's a luxury. I think Justin Fields, because you have to prepare for that kind of quarterback. But Kelsey, I don't know about Rice Worthy. Worthy is one of those guys, man, he can fly. Can he catch? Yeah. Can he. Can he run routes? There's a lot of guys who can fly. What do you like? Tyreek Hill could fly and he could also run, you know, routes. So, you know, I look at Kansas City, you know, defensively, are they going to be imposing? Because their last super bowl, they led with their defense. That's why I wanted to check in with Kansas City didn't win the division last year. Denver did. And it's hard to count anybody, you know, any team that has Patrick Mahomes on it. But when you're coming back from knee surgery, you automatically favor it and what happens sometimes. And quarterbacks have talked about this. Tom Brady talked about that with me a long time ago when he blew out his knee against Kansas City. You're always thinking of or seeing or think you're seeing or feeling people around your feet because if you're out on your own, you're okay. It's guys getting close to you and you can't help but think consciously or subconsciously, that'll be the big hurdle for Mahomes. Get that out of your head. Are you still able to plant? You're able to have the same motion now he's different because he's like Aaron Rodgers. These aren't your seven step, back plant, fire. They're constant moving front foot, back foot, side, you know, delivery. And I think with Mahomes, so a little bit different. Brady was your drop back, passer, you know, back plant, you know, then follow through. Mahomes is not. But we'll follow. We'll check in with the Kansas City Chiefs to follow up on Patrick Mahomes. Yes, Marvin, Is Mahomes more likely to

[Jesse Newell]

win MVP or comeback player of the year?

[Ross Tucker]

I would say comeback player of the year, but I don't know who he'd be up against. I'm sure there are other guys who went through. You know, Jaden Daniels would be up there as well. Yeah, Dylan, I've got the comeback player of the year odds, if you'd like. Well, of course. Patrick Mahomes, the heavy favorite, plus185, followed by Jaden Daniels plus4.50, then Kyler Murray plus550. Okay. What, did he come back from the Cardinals? Oh, okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Fair point.

[Ross Tucker]

I have super bowl odds. We're still waiting from Aaron Donald to show up at Rams camp. And I had somebody tell me yesterday who works with the NFL and I said, what do you think about Aaron Donald? He goes, would you go to training camp if you're Aaron Donald? And I go, no. He goes, exactly. You're just going to go. You're going to wait as long as you can. You don't have to now. You have to get in shape. You have to get in football shape. And that's different than just regular shape. But it seems like Aaron Donald has kind of maintained his NFL body A lot of times. You'll see these guys like Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns, like, he lost 50 pounds. These guys, they shed that weight. They have to when they get older. But with Aaron Donald, you're not showing up for training camp, not until you have to. And, you know, my point is your overwhelming favorites to win the super bowl without you. Now, maybe DraftKings is factoring that in that Aaron Donald is going to play. You are the overwhelming favorite. And if you're Aaron Donald, I know you pick off 8 million bucks or 10 million bucks. I don't know what they're going to offer him. You get to play 40 plays. Rotational player. Hell, if you want to play home games, I'm fine with that. All I want you is ready for the postseason. That's it. Regular season, you can kind of get in shape as we go along. But here are the odds. Rams plus 550. Then it's the Bills at plus 1000. When have he had a disparity between first and second with the odds? I mean, that seems like a pretty big disparity. Dylan. I don't know if we could check in on that, but rams plus 550. Bills plus a thousand. Ravens plus a thousand. They didn't make the playoffs last year. Then it's the super bowl champion Seahawks. Then it's the Eagles, Patriots and Chiefs. Eagles, patriots and chiefs plus 1600. Rams are big favorites and division with the the defending super bowl champs. He tried to say, yeah, Seahawks plus 1100. Then the Eagles, Patriots and Chiefs. Yes. Paulie, this feels like a little bit

[Dan Patrick]

of a slight to the Seahawks. They didn't. Yeah, they didn't get lucky last year. 14 wins. They outscored their opponents by 191 points for the season. That's the best in football. They didn't sneak in.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. Bit of a slight. Yeah, I know. Bulletin board, I guess.

[Dan Patrick]

I love that. Do you think they actually have that? Like, is there a locker room in the NFL that has a bulletin board and uses anti media sentiment and puts it up there?

[Ross Tucker]

We can ask Ross Tucker when he joins us. Ross will join us coming up next hour. Yes. Dylan. Yeah. Where are the thumbtacks?

[Dan Patrick]

Someone just wrote a mean article about it.

[Ross Tucker]

The. The Rams +550 is sort of in the same ballpark of like the Chiefs

[Dan Patrick]

of a few years ago preseason where

[Ross Tucker]

they're like plus 5, 600.

[Dan Patrick]

And then there's always a little bit

[Ross Tucker]

of a gap between like it would be like the Ravens at plus a thousand or something. Okay. All right. Eight, seven, seven, three, dp. Show operator Tyler sitting by. You'll take your phone calls. Dylan, poll question for hour one. Well, Dan, worse injury these days from a recovery standpoint, Achilles tear, ACL tear or Tommy John, because I know we've seen a big shift in all of those. And it always felt like Achilles tear was like the most catastrophic.

[Dan Patrick]

But I mean, like you've seen guys like Aaron Rodgers come back crazy quick.

[Ross Tucker]

Well, Jason Tatum. Jason Tatum came back. You know, now it's like an eight, nine month period to be able to come back. But the key is to get surgery right away. It always drive me crazy where somebody got hurt and then they would wait like, you know, six weeks to get surgery. Now, I know you have to have this swelling to go down, but I think Shaq did that one year. Didn't he wait to get surgery at the start of a season? You remember, I don't know what year that was.

[Dan Patrick]

Caught a lot of criticism.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah, rightfully so. Get the surgery done. Get this surgery done. With the Achilles, it's still knees are the easiest to come back from. I mean, they've mastered that. But the Achilles and the Tommy John both were career ending injuries. Now, I mean, Tommy John, they've got that down to a science. We're just learning the process of the Achilles surgery. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Paulie, that was February of 2003 with Shaq. He had a toe issue.

[Ross Tucker]

Oh, yeah, big toes.

[Dan Patrick]

He delayed his toe surgery and caught a lot of criticism.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. But guys don't want to come back and go through the monotony, especially with training camp. But if you're injured, dinged up a little bit trying to come back, just how it feels where you're out there running because you can try to simulate playing in a game. You can't. Mahomes isn't going to know until he knows. Till we see it. Yes. Dylan. Well, I remember when Adrian Peterson tore

[Dan Patrick]

his ACL and came back in like

[Ross Tucker]

nine months and everyone was like, this is unheard of. Well, didn't he blow out both of them? Was it just one? I think it was just one. Okay, check. Okay. I don't know why I thought that he did. Both of them. Yes, Marv.

[Jesse Newell]

And then the Chief's first game.

[Dan Patrick]

It's a division game.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. Against the Broncos. Yeah. Yeah. But I gotta look at the entire season. It's not, hey, let's go out there and let everybody know we're still the class of the FC West. I don't need it. There's no bright. You don't win anything. Winning that first week, you want to make sure he's comfortable at going out there. And I think, you know, Andy Reid knows this. Mahomes knows this. He's not putting Patrick out there unless Mahomes says I'm good to go. Although Mahomes has said, hey, I'm going to be running less now. He's going to be under center a little bit more. I'm. I'm just curious how the offense looks. And I think the days of him throwing for 40 touchdowns are over because defense has realized we're going to let you move the ball down the field. We're not letting you throw home runs. And he doesn't really. I mean, Tyree Kill is a Hall of fame. You know, he, he kind of forced these defenses to be like, we're going to be deep center field, keep everything in front of us. You got Worthy, who's a deep threat in theory, but he's not Tyreek Hill. Rice can be very talented, but it feels like the defense is all kind of colluded to. How do you stop Kansas City? You make them move the ball, you know, kind of methodically, a little bit more than normal. Yeah, Paulie, Rasheed Rice is fantastic, but

[Dan Patrick]

you just worry about him when he leaves facility. Oh, yeah, like Sunday, he's fantastic. The other days of the week, what are we doing?

[Ross Tucker]

I would have the tracking device on his phone, you know, like I have with my wife and she has with me. You know, once he leaves the stadium, that's where I want to know where Rasheed Rice is going to be.

[Dan Patrick]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHear radio app. Hey, we're Covino and Rich, Fox Sports radio every day, 5 to 7pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to.

[Ross Tucker]

And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun in our two hour show. We never get to everything honestly, because this guy is over promising things we never have time for.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, you blubberlips. Blaming me. Well, you know what? It's called Over Promise.

[Ross Tucker]

You should be good at it because

[Dan Patrick]

you've been over promising women for years.

[Ross Tucker]

Well, it's a Covino and Rich after show and we want you to be

[Jesse Newell]

a part of it.

[Ross Tucker]

We're gonna be talking sports, of course, but we're also gonna talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Over Promised.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you check out Over Promise. And also uncensored, by the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the best after show

[Ross Tucker]

podcast of all time. There you go, Overpromising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely. Join us. Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts what's

[Jesse Newell]

your favorite thing about summer?

[Ross Tucker]

The longer days. I finally have time to do everything.

[Jesse Newell]

Or if there was a way to manage the chaos.

[Ross Tucker]

Go on.

[Jesse Newell]

Every member knows Walmart plus is summer's greatest shortcut with free same day delivery on groceries and more so you don't even have to leave the house. Who knew Walmart plus members also get a choice of Peacock or Paramount plus included at no additional cost. So when the kids finally fall asleep,

[Ross Tucker]

you can catch up on shows or soccer or movies.

[Jesse Newell]

Join Walmart Plus.

[Dan Patrick]

It's worth it.

[Jesse Newell]

$35 minimum for free delivery. Separate registration required or video streaming. Choice terms apply.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm Mangesha together and I'm back with a new season of the podcast Skyline Drive. This time I'm diving into a rabbit hole of peptides, organoids, blood boys, blue zones and brain replacement to try to understand what this longevity obsession is all about and what it really means to live forever for all of us. I learned about some rad science.

[Ross Tucker]

I can make a brain for you. And then we can test what drug is the best for your brain as opposed to his brain.

[Jesse Newell]

Here are some hard truths.

[Dan Patrick]

I would expect Indians to age faster, but I did not expect it to be almost a 4 to 55 year acceleration and get myself into a world of trouble.

[Ross Tucker]

I'd say probably start bone smashing. That doesn't work. Make it look more defined.

[Dan Patrick]

They say it works.

[Ross Tucker]

I don't know.

[Dan Patrick]

Listen to Skyline Drive how to Live Forever on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ross Tucker]

The Declaration, which is full of these beautifully rendered, you know, sentences and paragraphs about enlightenment ideals, does also have this darker history to it.

[Dan Patrick]

Why is it important for the darker

[Ross Tucker]

part of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution? Why is it important that Americans know about it? Well, if we don't understand the full context in which our nation was founded, we won't understand the full context in which our nation now finds itself. I'm Rebecca Nagle. Gohin Tawadon Jalecayetli Que la citizen of Cherokee Nation. Are you guys big Chiefs fans? Hell yeah. This is First America, the true story of how the United States came to be and how we got to this present moment. Listen to First America on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Betrayal Weekly is back with brand new stories from threatening text messages disturbing a small Midwestern town.

[Dan Patrick]

It was from an unknown number.

[Ross Tucker]

Who else is getting these messages?

[Dan Patrick]

Why did it start with us to

[Ross Tucker]

Long cons and stolen identities.

[Dan Patrick]

Who lies about being this sick? This was the last time I ever believed a word she said.

[Ross Tucker]

New voices, each with the courage to tell their own story.

[Dan Patrick]

He said, I have been kidnapped.

[Jesse Newell]

Okay, just try and act normal.

[Dan Patrick]

He was essentially on the run. Every family has secrets.

[Ross Tucker]

The rug had been pulled from underneath me.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, my God. It was right in front of my face and I didn't even see it.

[Ross Tucker]

Listen to Betrayal weekly on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. Jesse Newell covers, the Chiefs beat writer for the Athletic, joining us on the program. Jesse, thanks for joining us. If I ask you six months ago, would you think that Patrick Mahomes would be ready for week one? You would have said what

[Dan Patrick]

I would have said, perhaps maybe more so than any other guy we would have known coming in the NFL just with his competitiveness. And we know from him that, hey, this guy has had his kneecap on the side of his knee before and come back in two weeks. But the progress he's made still has been surprising. And the fact that he's out there in team drills, 11 on elevens, jumping up and down, I think it's further than anybody could have anticipated.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. And this might be a situation you almost have to protect him from himself. Like, he might have to learn how to play the position differently. And I don't know. I'm sure he can do it, but, you know, he extends plays, he'll use his legs. But is there a concerted effort to change how Mahomes is going to be playing this year?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I think there's a couple of things. And I mentioned this recently in a piece. I've seen more under center from the Chiefs this preseason camp, training camp. I know it's early, but you get Kenneth Walker, you potentially want to use your interior three of Kingsley, Sumata, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith to get more downhill in the run game. And we hear so much about take pressure off Patrick Mahomes. Well, turn off, turn around and hand the ball off to Kenneth Walker. That's one way to do it. And then it's interesting. You know, we talked to Patrick when he first got here to St. Joseph, and I asked him, I said, what's one thing you want to improve on this year? You have to have better this year. And the first thing he said was, get the ball out of my hands quicker. And I think you've seen this progression from quarterbacks over time. Tom Brady's a great example is, hey, as I become older, as I'm not as mobile as I once was. How can I recreate myself? How can I re envision myself to do something a little bit different? And when Patrick was at his best last year, even when he could scramble, he was at his best when he was peppering guys, you know, short time to throw. And so I think he's making a concerted effort this year to go, I know I can't be Superman every play. I've got to let the offense work for me. And so I think that is something you'll see with the Chiefs offense. And like I said, when they've done it before, it's worked out really well.

[Ross Tucker]

But is he going to be more Brady?

[Dan Patrick]

Like, I don't know. I mean, he's 30, so he's not 40 yet. And obviously Brady played so long into his career. But maybe Rogers is another example, too, where you see these guys and all of a sudden you've got to figure out how to maneuver within yourself. And Patrick gave an interesting answer. He was asked about how he'll feel good or comfortable and how you get over these injuries mentally. And he said a couple years ago, when he had that kneecap incident, you know, where it was on the sides, and he came back in two weeks, he said, the Tennessee game. Game. The Tennessee games. When he came back and he made a jump throw in that game that was on all his highlight reels, it looked really cool. And he goes, yeah, that might have looked cool, but I was doing that to try to figure out how to work around my knee and to be comfortable with it. And so I think so much of this right now for him is figuring out the comfort level in rookie minicamp. He was here and going through with rookies, but, man, you could see him pull up that brace and tug at it and kind of adjust it and make sure that the thing was right. But you know, how much of this is going to be to get it off of his mind and to be able to play freely. I think that's so much. And he said a couple days ago, Patrick said, this is something I'm going to have to not only play with this year, but further years into my career. So it does make me wonder if this is kind of a pivot point for his career where, hey, he wanted to be Superman. He wanted to do the perpendicular parallel throws in the Super Bowl. He wanted to make all these plays and scrambling, but maybe this is the moment where he has to be a different quarterback and manage the offense better and become a more productive version of himself while maybe Doing a little bit less.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. And I'm wondering about the timing of this, though, Jesse, because you open up with Denver, you got a divisional game. I want Mahomes for the season. I don't care about winning that opening week. And I don't know who makes this decision. Like, is Andy Reid making the decision or is Patrick Mahomes going to make the decision?

[Dan Patrick]

It's a good question. I think the thing that might be comforting for the Chiefs out there is Dan Cooper, who is the team athletic trainer, did the surgery, is from the Dallas Cowboys. Patrick told us that he got cleared two days before rookie minicamp here and had to go through a bunch of exercises, drills to basically show his strength with the leg. And so we know he's superhuman when it comes to rehab, when it comes to getting back, all of those particular things. But the fact that there's an outside entity here that said you're cleared to do this thing and you're ready to go.

[Ross Tucker]

But.

[Dan Patrick]

But you're right, Dan, I mean, he's competitive. He's going to want to be out there. And I. Part of me too is just like, if he is cleared, then why would you stop him? Denver's an important game for these Chiefs, and if you have come off of three straight super bowl appearances, maybe the first game isn't that important. They're coming off of 6 and 11. All of a sudden, this sort of dynasty talk is the. Are the Chiefs, you know, who they used to be? That's a little bit more up in the air, I think, than what past years would be. So getting off to a good start would be important. So I hear you. They have eyes on him every day in practice, obviously those things. But I think there is, at least in the back of your mind, you're thinking, is Patrick Mahomes pushing this whole thing forward? The fact there's other outside doctors available and they're watching him every play, I think that can provide some comfort. And if he's available to play and there's really no reason to hold him out, he's. He is going to have to play differently, though, and find a way to protect himself like he did in that Tennessee game.

[Ross Tucker]

Jesse Newell covers the Chiefs beat writer for the Athletic, Travis Kelsey coming back for one more season. How was that decision attached to Mahomes availability, availability this season in. In. In any way, shape or form?

[Dan Patrick]

I do think so. And again, we're around Travis. He was sort of the last man standing last year where they were down to their third quarterback. You know, they're going through really difficult time offensively. And I think those guys are so close. We know. And for Travis, you talk about competitiveness to go out on a year where you were 6 and 11, you missed the playoffs and your last completed past you would be from Chris Oladokin. I just think in his mind that's not the way to go out. And so, yeah, he looked great yesterday. He caught a pass in traffic between two linebackers. Andy Reid was so happy with him. He made a joke. He said, yeah, Travis is in great shape. He did a lot of dancing at his wedding. So when you hear Andy Reid jokes like that, you know that he did come back in good shape. But we've seen some photos out there from a social media where he worked out in Florida to get himself ready and sort of last year really rededicated himself to get himself in better shape because he is going to turn 37. And tight ends usually are not productive at this stage in their career. So I think there is though, Dan, an aspect to that that you're talking about, which is like, is this the way I want to envision my career ending? Something very interesting to note as well. He's talked about this is meeting Taylor, being with Taylor Swift. They talk about their goal aspirations and what they want to accomplish. And I think the fact that she continues to, you know, do things differently and re evolve herself. The fact he's looking at this going, football is my life. He's talked about being out here at St. Joseph, Missouri as being his sanctuary for football. And so I think at least one more year to do that and to be able to the thing he's loved for so long and that's become the part of his life that it's really gonna be difficult to give up. I think that plays into this as well.

[Ross Tucker]

Are you allowed to ask about the wedding?

[Dan Patrick]

We haven't had him yet. I'm sure in a week or two he will be asked about the wedding. But yeah, we're allowed to. It just, it depends on the response you're going to get and maybe the eye rolls you're going to get in the media room as well. But it's a very interesting dynamic. I mean, it's, you know, I, I did not envision getting into this job in sports journalism thinking I'd be interviewed by Vanity Fair, you know, to be quoted. Because the biggest story since, you know, Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe is, has become Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. So there is a different dynamic here. You know, the photographers show up two hours early and are down and getting their, you know, camera set up in the hallways because, you know, you never know who's going to show up to a Chiefs game. And obviously this has become a celebrity event for many of these contests.

[Ross Tucker]

All right, I'll give you the first question. What would it be about the wedding with Travis?

[Dan Patrick]

About the wedding?

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, man. Now you got me unprepared here, which is what I shouldn't be.

[Ross Tucker]

How about this? How about this? What was better, getting married or winning the Super Bowl?

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, you know, you want to talk about putting somebody in a no win situation in beautiful St. Joseph, Missouri and Missouri Western's campus? Yeah, definitely could do that. But yeah, the crazy part about all this, as you know, Dan, like all of the secretiveness around it and then you hear some stories and you want to believe them, but you're not sure because of what's happened. So this really is a different dynamic to cover the Chiefs. You sometimes think you're, hey, just covering an NFL team, but all of a sudden you're hit up by texts from friends going, are you in New York today by chance? And no, I'm not, but we will get further details, I'm sure, down the line.

[Ross Tucker]

You didn't get invited, did you?

[Dan Patrick]

I did not. I'm not disappointed. And I would not invite me if I was him either.

[Ross Tucker]

So great stuff. Thanks for joining us, Jesse.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, Dan. Appreciate it.

[Ross Tucker]

That's Jesse Newell.

[Dan Patrick]

FOX Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Ross Tucker]

Ross Tucker invited to the wedding. The wedding. CBS Sports, Westwood One NFL college football analyst, host of the Ross Tucker football podcast. And he'll be calling games for CBS and Westwood One this upcoming NFL season. You want to start football? You want to start wedding?

[Jesse Newell]

Well, you had. I don't think you usually have music on coming back from break when I'm coming on. So I think that was probably a good leading indicator of where you want to start.

[Ross Tucker]

All right. How do you get invited? Like, it's so.

[Jesse Newell]

Yeah, it's a great question. It's so funny that people keep asking that. So I'm, I guess, pretty close, I would say, with both family.

[Ross Tucker]

No, no, not the reason. How do you get the invitation?

[Jesse Newell]

Oh, oh, text message tech. Yeah, it was, it was a text message and I was highly skeptical. So I screenshotted it and texted it to her dad and said, I'm guessing. I said, this is a new One. Pretty sure I should not click on this, right? And he said, click on it. You're invited. That was a good day. That was. That was a really good day.

[Ross Tucker]

How'd your wife react?

[Jesse Newell]

She did not believe it for a while. We had to kind of go through it. And then she was very excited, and then she had a lot of anxiety about what she was going to wear and all of that. It's. It is, you know, I know it's public, Dan, so, you know, you sign an NDA so you can't tell anybody. So, you know, we knew since March, so to keep that quiet. And then, of course, because people know, you know, my connection to both families. People are asking you a lot, and it's like, nah, we'll see. Or no, can't talk about it. So it was. It was awesome.

[Ross Tucker]

But you're not allowed to talk about any details, correct?

[Jesse Newell]

That's what it says.

[Ross Tucker]

What happens if you do?

[Jesse Newell]

What's that?

[Ross Tucker]

What happens if you do?

[Jesse Newell]

Yeah. I don't know. The wedding's over now. What are they gonna do? So I, you know, I. I have a lot of respect for everybody involved. I mean, I. I've known this, you know, Taylor's from my hometown, so I've known her family for over three years.

[Ross Tucker]

You're from her hometown?

[Jesse Newell]

That's correct. Yeah. That's probably factually correct at this point.

[Ross Tucker]

Is there a sign that says home of Taylor Swift?

[Jesse Newell]

No, but there's. There probably should be. It's funny, Dan, like 10 years ago, I went to a concert in Nashville, and I was talking with her mom before the concert, and I said, you know, I was probably the most well known person from why missing Pennsylvania from 2001 to whatever it was when I was in the NFL and starting or whatever, I said. And then Taylor came along, and Dan, she looked at me and dead serious, said, well, you know, Ross, just keep working. I was like, no. Nope. I. I'm. I am conceding. I. I think I take an L on that one. I lost.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah. She was giving you a little confidence that you might get up to Taylor Swift stardom. That's very nice of Taylor's mom. Very.

[Jesse Newell]

It was very nice. I will say, I know you're not allowed to. To talk about the details, but I know it's public that these people attended. So I will tell you one funny story. I mean, the whole night, by the way, was just like a movie and you felt like you were on a movie set. I honestly, it was one of the best nights of my life. But the funny part about it, Dan, is because it was like football guys and their wives, country music people, actors, actresses, whatever. I think some of the people just kind of assumed everyone there was like somebody. So, you know, the ceremony is about to start. So I'm sitting in the seat, my wife had to use the bathroom. She's coming back, you know, from the bathroom, and I look down, down the aisle and she's talking with Russell Wilson and Ciara, or Ciara, I don't know how you say she doesn't know them. And evidently I guess Sierra said, hey, how are you? And like hug Kara while I'm watching this. And the next thing I see is this guy coming up, about to find a seat. He looks at Kara, shakes her. My wife shakes her hand, hugs her, and then she comes down the aisle. He turns around, Tom Cruise. Tom Cruise. She comes back. I said, did you just hug Tom Cruise? She said, yeah. I'm like, why? She goes, I don't know. I think he thinks I'm somebody else and stuff like that. And like, I'm obviously biased, but I think my wife's like, you know, the most attractive woman ever. So I can see why people. Like, I can totally see Tom Cruise thinking my wife was like a country music star or something, you know, and having no idea. Like Tom Cruise doesn't know. He's probably like, as she's talking with Sierra or Ciara, I still got to find out which one it is. So Tom Cruise probably just assumed that my wife, who runs a propane business in central Pennsylvania was like, was like a star or something.

[Ross Tucker]

Were you worried Tom Cruise could have said, hey, what are you doing after this?

[Jesse Newell]

Definitely not, because my wife likes big guys.

[Ross Tucker]

Oh.

[Jesse Newell]

So I was not worried about.

[Ross Tucker]

Now you, you calling out Tom for being vertically challenged.

[Jesse Newell]

No, I'm just saying Tom and I have very, very different physiques. Thank goodness when my wife id me in college at 312 pounds that she liked that because most, let's be honest, most girls don't like most girls in college when they're blow drying their hair or whatever, they're not saying to their friends, Hopefully I can re, I can meet the right 315 pound guy tonight. Nobody says that, but thankfully my wife feels that way. And I, I literally thank God every day for that.

[Ross Tucker]

He's Ross Tucker, CBS Sports, Westwood One, and the Ross Tucker football podcast. You want to get in on the Aaron Donald game?

[Jesse Newell]

Well, I mean, he's going to play at this point. It would be a huge upset if he doesn't I agree, I agree. I think the question is when he comes back, you know, and it's really obviously up to him, does he want to do some training camp? Does he want to just come halfway through the season? I mean, I think we all know what this is about. He's already a first ballot hall of Famer. This is about another chance at a championship. So they really can just decide when it is that he comes back. I'm really curious to see just how productive he'll be. I mean, obviously he'd still be a good player. Will he be clearly the best? Two years off seems like a lot. I think the value is, it's not like he has to play 50 some snaps. They really only need them for 10 to 20 snaps. Although that's an interesting question because I wonder what he wants to do. I wonder if he's happy with that or if that would feel weird for him. It's kind of an, it's, it's a unique situation to take a guy, it's basically as good as they've ever been. And then maybe you think it's in your best interest to have him in a part time role so he's fresh and ready to go in the playoffs. But does he want to be in a part time role? Is that awkward for him? You know, we haven't seen this situation that often in football.

[Ross Tucker]

I would let him play only home games if he wanted to. I, I would just say, look, I gotta protect you against yourself because the competitor in you is going to want to be out there. I want you available in January and February. That's the goal. I, you know, I, I would treat him the way the Sixers are going to do. Joel Embiid. Like, we're going to have you there, but we want to make sure you're available for the playoffs. I was reading some of the comments you had to say about the Browns quarterbacking situation. Sounds like you've already made up your mind. Camp just opened.

[Jesse Newell]

Well, I haven't made up my mind, but I will say I think there's a really good chance that both DeShawn Watson and Shador Sanders start games this year. So unless one of them clearly outperforms the other in training camp and preseason to the point where it's so obvious you have to go with that guy, it doesn't really make sense to start with Shador and then go to desean.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah, right.

[Jesse Newell]

I mean, let's think of this logically. Deshaun Watson's had a lot of opportunities. It's the Last year of his contract, he's got a new coach. Why not? I mean, you've already paid him this much money. Why not put him out there week one, give him a month maybe and see if he still has something or there's something there. But if and when you decide that there isn't anything there, you really want to give Shador Sanders as large of a sample size as possible because you want to see the progression. You know, if it's 12 games, if it's 13 games, does he keep getting better? Does he get better enough that you don't feel like you need to be in the quarterback market in the 2027 NFL Draft? That that really, on some level, is what this season's about? I think the Browns are pretty realistic when you think about some of the trades they've made, the amount of young players they've drafted the last two years. The Browns know they're not going to the Super Bowl. What this year is about is continuing to develop the young guys and figure out the quarterback position hopefully once and for all.

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah, I think that they're a lot closer than people give them credit for because it's the Cleveland Browns, but they do have talent. You give up Miles Garrett, I thought they should have traded him the year before, but you know, they got a good, good player in return. They got some draft picks as well. They just got to find that quarterback. And I just don't know if they have that quarterback on their roster.

[Jesse Newell]

I agree with everything you just said. I will say I thought it was a phenomenal trade. Phenomenal for the Browns because Jared Verse is a top 10 edge rusher in the NFL. He's on his rookie contract year three. So you have him for two more years on the cheap. They can extend him. And so he's not quite what Miles Garrett is, but he's a lot younger and a decent amount cheaper, especially for these next three years. Plus, you got the draft choices. They had a phenomenal draft last year. If they nailed it again this year, I really do believe that's the core of what will be the next playoff team in Cleveland, provided either Shador shows he's the guy or they get the right guy in next year's draft.

[Ross Tucker]

If you're Arizona, you're over under win total is three and a half. The last time we've had a team go into a season. You have to go back to the expansion years. 1996, I believe where the expansion teams coming in was at Jacksonville and Carolina. Their over under was three wins. This is this is historical. If you're Arizona, are you trying to win this year knowing if you have the number one pick? There's a lot of quarterbacks starting with Arch Manning.

[Jesse Newell]

Well, so where this is going to really get interesting is later in the season. I mean, you're going to have me on Dan, hopefully, and we'll have this conversation because there are people out there that think if the season goes as expected for teams like the Arizona Cardinals, the Miami Dolphins, maybe the Cleveland Browns, you know, perhaps the New York jets, all teams that you know are not expected to win a lot of games this year, none of whom have long term solidified quarterbacks. It could be interesting to see what they do from a personnel standpoint the last few weeks of the season, if there really is, you know, a contest, if you will, to see who ends up getting the number one overall pick. I think certainly in September, everyone does whatever they can to try to win. You know, the Cardinals actually have a decent amount of talent. I mean, if Marvin Harrison Jr. Can figure it out, Michael Wilson was good last year. Trey McBride might be the best tight end in the game. They just drafted Jeremiah Love. Jacoby Brissette's a competent quarterback, so they can win some games. It's more about, in my mind, what you do later on in the year when it's clear you're going to have one of those top five picks. You know, there's a lot more value in the first pick or the second than there is in the third, fourth or fifth.

[Ross Tucker]

My daughter's getting married August 15th. I don't know if you and your wife, if you're doing anything, if you want to go to that wedding as well. No, you don't have to sign an NDA.

[Jesse Newell]

Well, first of all, I would love to hear your speech. I would love that. I'll be doing the Eagles Ravens preseason game. That's. That's my first night. So I can. But I love. This is a. This is on air, so I am invited. So you know what? I'll ask my wife. Maybe I'll have to send my regrets, but maybe my wife can just keep the famous person wedding train going by going to Dan Patrick's daughter's wedding because

[Ross Tucker]

Tom Cruise will be there. So you and your wife and Tom Cruise can reunite.

[Jesse Newell]

Is Sand. They're gonna be at that one too, because he was real. He did a. He did a really good job. Your guy Sandler did a really good job.

[Ross Tucker]

I. He hasn't said anything, but I think he's going to be filming Grownups 3. So he, he probably is going to have to politely decline. I think Will Ferrell has talked about doing a drive by and just acting like he's in the neighborhood and just walking into the reception.

[Jesse Newell]

Well, can you just start a list of all of the super famous people that can't come because they're working?

[Ross Tucker]

Yeah.

[Jesse Newell]

One is Adam Sandler. Two is Ross Tucker. We'll see who else can't make it because we have to be on TV and we're, we're like a really big deal.

[Ross Tucker]

Somebody else who was at the Taylor Swift wedding will be there. Rich Eisen with his wife will be there. Yeah. Yep. So they get two big celebrity weddings in the same calendar year, back to back months. Yep. Thank you again. Always great to talk to you and thanks for sharing.

[Jesse Newell]

Of course. Thank you, Dan.

[Ross Tucker]

That's Ross Tucker.

[Dan Patrick]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Ross Tucker]

Guaranteed Human.