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Hour 1 - Philip Rivers' Murky Hall of Fame Candidacy - The Dan Patrick Show | Wave AI Podcast Notes

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Hour 1 - Philip Rivers' Murky Hall of Fame Candidacy

The Dan Patrick Show

Wed Dec 10 2025

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 1: Philip Rivers' Murky Hall of Fame Candidacy

Date: December 10, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick (with Paulie, Seaton, Todd, and others)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts / Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This hour dives deep into the surprise NFL news of Philip Rivers being signed to the Colts’ practice squad, reevaluates Rivers’ Hall of Fame (HOF) credentials, and also unpacks major college football storylines, especially the ongoing Notre Dame–ACC controversy following playoff selection snubs. Dan and the Danettes debate the legacy of prominent NFL QBs, the volatility of coaching positions, and the shifting sands of sports opinion. The hour is lively, debate-rich, and full of trademark Dan Patrick humor and perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Philip Rivers Returns & Hall of Fame Candidacy

Colts Practice Squad Signing:
- Dan Patrick expresses surprise at Rivers’ signing, calling into question both Rivers’ playing readiness and the Colts' QB situation.
  - *“The Colts signing Philip Rivers to the practice squad. Now everybody seems to be focusing on… he’s a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame this year. Now I don’t think he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer. In fact, I think he’s a borderline Hall of Famer.” (04:03)
- Wonders about the implications of Rivers joining the roster for his HOF eligibility timeline.
  - “Once he gets on the roster, he doesn’t have to play in a game… then they start the clock again. He won’t be eligible until 2031…” (04:20)
HOF Discussions:
- The panel debates if Rivers is HOF-worthy.
  - Dan: “He has, you know, longevity, durability, put up some big numbers, never won anything. But I think he’s going to get lumped in with that sort of second grouping there.” (12:10)
  - Seaton: “I don’t know why, but I feel that way about Philip Rivers, too… he was clearly one of the best quarterbacks of his era.” (17:39)
- Rivers’ lack of postseason and Super Bowl achievements comes up repeatedly.
  - Paulie: “This comes down to not appearing in a Super Bowl.” (18:20)
Poll Question:
- Should Rivers care more about playing a few more games or being eligible for HOF voting?
  - Seaton: “Which would be more important to you? Playing a couple more games or the Hall of Fame?” (11:40)
  - Panel largely agrees: playing again would be the dream, even though it likely delays HOF chances (45:06).
Comparative Legacy:
- Comparisons to other QBs (Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Dan Fouts).
  - Dan on Eli: “Those two seasons (Super Bowl runs) are going to get him into the Hall of Fame with his name.” (15:33)
  - Rivers’ stats: 6th all time in touchdown passes (16:46).
  - On “eye test” for HOF: “Sometimes when you say, hey, is such and such a Hall of Famer? And you go, yes. Or how quickly you say yes.” (16:59)
- Rivers compared to Dan Fouts: “I could see Philip Rivers, similar to Dan Fouts… that offense was wonderful to watch.” (47:10)

2. The Rapid Downturns in NFL Legacy Discussions

Dan Patrick addresses how quickly perceptions change in the NFL for coaches and players.
- Example: Chiefs and Andy Reid (“Oh, does Andy Reid want to stay around for this? Would he retire, maybe, you know, get a front office job with the Chiefs. Like that happened quickly here.” 06:29)
- Example: Mike Tomlin’s future with Steelers, depending on QB situation and success.
- Example: Jaden Daniels’ meteoric rise and subsequent fall as a franchise QB candidate.
Quote:
- “We love to do this. We react quickly and we jump to conclusions.” (06:29)

3. Notre Dame vs. ACC & College Football Playoff Selection Drama

Notre Dame’s “Permanent Damage” with the ACC:
- Dan reports on Athletic Director Pete Babaqua’s comments about the ACC attacking Notre Dame publicly regarding playoff selection.
  - Pete Babaqua: “What we were really surprised by and disappointed was how the ACC conference really went on a social media campaign, in my opinion, attacking our football program...” (26:30)
- Dan’s Summary: “Don’t let your hatred for Notre Dame cloud your judgment of actually looking at this story… If your school was ranked higher than another school for five weeks and then all of a sudden nothing changed until it changed with the selection committee and you got jumped by that other school, you would have a problem with that.” (28:10)
ND’s Unique Place in College Football:
- The team discusses how Notre Dame controls its schedule, money flow, playoff access, and why joining a conference seems unlikely.
  - “There’s nothing in professional or college sports like Notre Dame... They're an island. They don’t answer to anybody.” (36:52)
- Notre Dame’s playoff access (top 12 provision), debate about fairness and favoritism.
  - “You can’t say it’s a push or a nudge to join a conference and then give the top 12 provision to Notre Dame.” (36:52)
- On Marcus Freeman’s Job Security:
  - Pete Babaqua reassures fans about keeping Freeman, even as NFL interest (Bears, Giants) allegedly grows.
  - “I make sure that he knows that he will be where he deserves to be. And that is at the top, top, top tier of college football coaches when it comes to compensation.” (33:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Dan Patrick, on Rivers’ odds in Seattle:
- “If you’re going to make your debut after a five-year drought of not playing and you’re going to come in and play in Seattle against that Seattle defense, yikes.” (04:03)
On NFL career value:
- Paulie: “This is the dream.” — Talking about getting to play a few more games, even late in a career. (14:37)
- Dan: “I don’t think he can take away from his resume... if he comes back, he doesn’t play well, I don’t think anybody’s expecting that.” (12:10)
On Notre Dame’s uniqueness:
- Paulie: “They don’t have to answer to a conference commissioner. They don’t have to share playoff shares. They’ll take the hit.” (36:52)
- Dan (about ND): “They have the greatest luxury in college football.” (37:53)
- Seaton: “They probably are (bigger than everyone else).” (39:21)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 04:03 | Dan on Rivers’ practice squad signing, HOF implications | | 06:29 | NFL legacies and how fast perceptions change | | 11:40 | Poll question: play more games or prioritize HOF? | | 12:10 | Debate: Rivers vs. other QBs for HOF eligibility | | 13:58 | Panel agrees: few more games is the dream | | 16:46 | Rivers’ top passing stats discussed | | 17:39 | Seaton/Panel: “Was Rivers ever the best of his era?” | | 18:20 | Rivers’ postseason struggles, no Super Bowl appearance | | 26:30 | ND AD Pete Babaqua criticizes ACC publicly | | 33:25 | Babaqua on Marcus Freeman contract and NFL rumors | | 36:52 | ND’s scheduling and independent status debated | | 39:21 | Is ND actually “bigger than everyone else”? | | 47:10 | Rivers compared to Dan Fouts, legacy trajectories |

Flow & Tone

Conversational, lively, with a mixture of playful jabs and sharp insights. Dan and the Danettes blend nostalgia, stats, and “barstool” debate with real industry knowledge. There’s open skepticism of selection committees and sports media narratives, plus ongoing affection for the quirks of college football.

For Listeners

If you care about NFL or college football legacies, this hour is both accessible and opinionated, giving you a strong sense of why certain athletes and institutions matter (and frustrate).
Notable segment for debate-lovers: The Rivers vs. Ryan vs. Fouts vs. Eli/Brees/Camparisons (15:11–18:20, 47:10), including the “Whose Career Would You Want?” game (48:24).
Insider value: Rare candor on the inner workings of playoff selection, conference politics, and how legacy is constructed/dismantled in real time.

Final Word

This hour sets up the central dilemma of sports legacy: what matters most—stats, championships, “eye test,” or lasting storylines? Whether it’s Philip Rivers fighting to stay relevant or Notre Dame’s battle to be treated as an equal (or exception), the Dan Patrick Show, as usual, gives sports fans their food for thought (and plenty to argue over).

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Transcript

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Dan Patrick (6:29)

I think they're both 6 and 7 and you go, wait, oh my gosh. Now the Dolphins have played pretty well and, and tried to salvage a season with maybe a winning record. When it's all said and done, but with the Chiefs and you go, oh, that's when it starts to sink in of just how bad this has been now. And, and we love to do this. We, we react quickly and we jump to conclusions. Oh, if you're Andy Reid, do you want to stay around for this? Okay, they went in as a Super bowl contender, maybe the best odds to go to the Super Bowl. Even as late as a couple of weeks ago, they were still in the mix to be the super bowl favorite from the afc. And now it's, oh, does Andy Reid want to stay around for this? Would he retire, maybe, you know, get a front office job with the Chiefs. Like that happened quickly here. But the Chiefs are different. This will be Kelsey's last year. They thought they shored up the offensive line, still got to be able to run the football as great as Mahomes is and, you know, worthy and Rice got to be more consistent. So Chris Jones I'm watching yesterday or the day before an analyst where all of a sudden say, you know, Chris Jones just isn't the way, you know, he's not that player he once was. I'm like, a couple of weeks ago it was like, man, Chris Jones is awesome. It happens quickly. Oh, Travis Kelsey's washed. Okay. I was surprised he played one more year, but he's still a first ballot hall of Famer. But he does look like he's on his last legs. He had one catch in that last game. So now you start to look at a bigger picture with Andy Reid. We're looking at a bigger picture for Mike Tomlinson. Like this, this happens quickly in the NFL and that's what's surprising the Chiefs in this game against the Chargers. And, you know, they have to win. They have to win and they have to get a lot of help. But those are some of the things that I think look at big picture. Just because Mike Tomlin won the game this past weekend doesn't mean that I don't think that he's going to take another job or maybe go into TV this next year. I, I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, it feels like I'd be more surprised if he came back to Pittsburgh. But also, you have to factor in who is better than Mike Tomlin. It's just like we found out with James Franklin at Penn State. He might not be that upper echelon guy, but he's pretty good. And you bring in Matt Campbell, who has been pretty good, but he doesn't beat the big teams. His record against, you know, top 10 teams is not good. And you might be replacing James Franklin with Matt Campbell. And they're basically the same kind of coach. Be careful when you say we got get rid of that guy, who were we bringing in? And same thing with Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh. Who are you bringing in? Who's going to be better than him? Now? Do I think he's underachieved greatly in the last decade? Yes, I do. In that city with that talent? Yes, I do. But the key has been, and the key is for every, every one of these coaches, who's your quarterback? I mean, Aaron Rodgers, I don't think plays next year. Now you got to go in and get a quarterback. Mason Rudolph, he'll be a bridge quarterback. Can you get somebody? Is there somebody in there? Are you going to trade? Like, you got to have a game plan here. If I'm Mike Tomlin and I'm part of the draft process, I'm like, I got to get a quarterback. Because if you don't, just like we saw in Denver when Sean Payton came in, that wasn't his quarterback. And what did he do? He said, bo Nix is my quarterback and he wanted Bo Nix. Look at Mike Vrabel. If Rabel doesn't have Drake May, Mike Vrabel's not your coach of the year, but he found Drake May. Ben Johnson's not taking the Chicago job. If he has a bridge quarterback there, he wants to. He was going to wait and take the right job because I was going to have the right quarterback. And remember when Jaden Daniels was a top two, top three, top four quarterback, or if you're going to start your franchise, it was Jaden Daniels, that was three months ago, four months ago, that changed. That's quick. He's injury prone. Well, that was the big knock that he was injury prone. And his build, he was slight for a quarterback, very talented, had maybe the best rookie season that an NFL quarterback's ever had. But all of a sudden it's like, oh, that's right, Jaden Daniels. Because it wasn't long ago if you were going to start your franchise with any quarterback now people would have taken Jaden Daniels and it would have been a landslide. Now Drake may, might even get a Bo Nix in there, maybe Caleb Williams, but that's how quickly it changes in the NFL and that's what surprised me with the Chiefs. All of a sudden you start to hear Andy Reid want to be in a rebuild. I didn't know they'd be in a rebuild, but it certainly feels that way. Seaton, what's poll question today?