The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 2 (March 9, 2026)

Guests: Ross Dellenger (Yahoo! Sports) & Mike Tannenbaum (ESPN/NFL Executive Insider)
Theme: Breaking down the evolving landscape of college sports governance and major NFL offseason moves, with analysis, insight, and plenty of wit.

Episode Overview

Hour 2 of The Dan Patrick Show dives into:

• Fallout and takeaways from the White House roundtable on college sports, with senior college football reporter Ross Dellenger
• The battle over college athletics legislation and the shifting landscape around NIL (name, image, likeness), player transfers, and eligibility
• Big NFL trades, quarterback carousel, and insider perspective from Mike Tannenbaum
• Whether recent NFL and college changes really make for a better product
• Lots of spirited "best and worst of the weekend" segments and lively caller interactions

Key Segments & Insights

1. Poll Question & NFL Contract Complexity

Timestamps: 02:01–03:19

• Dan Patrick kicks off with a poll: Which is the more questionable signing — the Cardinals with Kyler Murray, or the Dolphins with Tua Tagovailoa? (Dolphins/Tua lead early with 69%).
• He notes many fans admit to understanding "very little" about NFL contract intricacies.
  Dan Patrick (03:13):
  "I try not to get caught up in the minutia. I just want to know what are the real numbers here? Because agents will give you numbers and then all of a sudden you go, well, you know, best case scenario that might be the contract."

2. College Sports Roundtable at the White House: Ross Dellenger Interview

Timestamps: 04:35–13:24

Main Takeaways from White House Event

• The event aimed to raise awareness and possibly spur Congressional action on college sports governance, but achieved only the former.
• There are multiple competing bills in the House and Senate; little confidence any law will pass soon.

Ross Dellenger (04:52):
"There was a goal of, number one, bring attention to the issue and number two...maybe you put pressure on congressional lawmakers to push something through...I think actually it accomplished goal one. It certainly got people talking and had attention brought to it. Whether we'll get a college sports bill from it, I'm not sure."

Executive Orders & Legislative Gridlock

• President plans another executive order, but the limits are clear:
  • An executive order can't override law, provide antitrust exemptions, or preempt state policy.
  • Real change requires Congressional action.

Dan Patrick (06:39): "An executive order can't make a law, provide antitrust exemptions or override state laws or policies...I don't know what's going to come out of this, if anything."

Which Initiatives Emerged?

• Most discussion centered on the SCORE Act (stalled college sports bill).
• President blamed judicial rulings for the situation.
• No "novel" ideas surfaced — just hope for Congress to act and some venting about the courts.
• Notably, there were no current coaches or players at the roundtable.
  • Organizers pledged that future meetings will add athlete voices.

Subgroup Moving Forward

• A small group will continue to work with lawmakers on a bill addressing:
  • NCAA/conference enforcement power
  • Preemption of state NIL laws
  • Classification of athletes as non-employees
  • An antitrust exemption to allow regulation (e.g., transfer rules, eligibility, salary caps)
• Gridlock is entrenched: Republicans favor more NCAA control, Democrats more freedom for players.
  • No resolution is close.

Nick Saban's Role

Ross Dellenger (10:14): "The president wanted Nick Saban to chair [the roundtable]...The president wants him involved. And you know, if you listen to Nick Saban, you know, he's got a lot of good ideas...That's why Congress can't get a bill through...you have most Republicans that are leaning toward the NCAA sort of side and more restrictions on athletes and more control for the NCAA and a Democratic side, control and freedom for athletes."

Is College Football Better Now?

• Athletes are paid, which is an improvement.
• However, too much "unregulated" movement (transfers, eligibility disputes) has created unrest.
• Calls for balance between freedom and regulation—collective bargaining like the NFL is one hope, but it's complicated at the collegiate level.

3. Dan Patrick Panel: Is the College Football "Product" Better?

Timestamps: 13:24–16:32

• Dan questions whether all these changes make for a better viewing experience.
  • Cons: Multiple transfers, potential academic neglect
  • Pros: More player empowerment, emergence of new contenders (e.g., Indiana's national championship story)
• The team notes that NIL and loosened transfer rules have made the sport less predictable—“a good thing” for fans and parity.

Memorable Quote:
Dan Patrick (15:14):
"This is big business. This is billions and billions of dollars...I'm waiting for somebody to be ineligible, academically ineligible. I don't even know if we're enforcing that anytime soon."

4. NFL Free Agency & Blockbuster Trades — Mike Tannenbaum Interview

Timestamps: 21:22–33:54

Miami Dolphins & Tua Situation

• Dolphins are "resetting" by eating Tua's cap charges now, clearing the books for the future.
• Tua, Kyler Murray, and Geno Smith all carry large guarantees; their new contracts will be league-minimum, making them intriguing "bridge" QB options.

Mike Tannenbaum (21:49):
"Let's take the cap charges. Let's eat a lot of the money this year...Start fresh. It's more about the future than, 'Hey, if we win six or seven games or eight games this year.'"

• Dolphins probably in the market for a bridge QB and will look to next year’s "historically great" draft.
• Tanking is possible league-wide, with many teams likely to prefer high draft picks in a loaded QB class.

Big Trades & Team Building Philosophy

• Ravens going "all in" by trading for Maxx Crosby; similar "win now" moves from Buffalo (DJ Moore) and Rams (Trent McDuffie).
• Tannenbaum is surprised more teams don't copy the Rams’ willingness to trade picks for established stars.
• Ravens' new coach Jesse Minter faces sky-high expectations: with Lamar, Crosby, Derrick Henry, Roquan Smith, and a strong secondary, the honeymoon will be "about 10 minutes" (25:20).

Raiders' Plan & O-Line Priority

• Tannenbaum: Raiders must "draft Mendoza but not play him"—reference to rookie QB Fernando Mendoza—until the offensive line is rebuilt, so as not to repeat Andrew Luck's fate with the Colts.
• Quietly shopping the #1 pick: Tannenbaum expects teams to angle for next year’s deep QB class rather than overpay now.

Quarterback Carousel & Uncertain Futures

• Quarterbacks like Tua, Kyler Murray, and Geno Smith are now "value" signings given how little they cost against the cap.
• Kirk Cousins could pivot to TV, but Minnesota remains an attractive landing spot for QBs.
• The ongoing trend: 7 consecutive QBs drafted #1 overall have not stayed with their original team by age 30 (last was Matt Stafford in 2009).

Notable Quote — Mike Tannenbaum (32:49): "Kyler Murray is the seventh consecutive quarterback drafted first overall that wasn't on the team that drafted him by the age of 30...it's really remarkable how hard it is to develop a quarterback now."

Lighter Moment: Agent Shouting Matches

• Tannenbaum recounts a heated shouting match with an agent that turned into him hiring the agent's son as an intern out of guilt.
  Mike Tannenbaum (33:39):
  "There was one, it was so bad that I actually not only did I call him to apologize, I wound up hiring his son as an intern because I felt so bad."

5. Caller Highlights & Best/Worst of the Weekend

Timestamps: 34:00–49:38

Sports Talk — March Madness, College Hoops Selection, and More

• Listeners call in with "best and worst" moments:
  • Uplifting: St. John's and St. Benedict advancing to NCAA hockey tournament, listener’s nephew with saves for Sac State at LSU.
  • Frustration: Over .500 rule for at-large tourney bids debated; skepticism over lack of stars on Cinderella basketball teams.
• Dan’s panel praises parity: teams like Indiana now have a shot, which keeps the sport from being “top heavy.”

NBA & MLB Quick Hits

• Shoutouts to Russell Westbrook for a record 208 career triple-doubles and Memphis' Victor Wembanyama for an emotional comeback win.
• Funny banter about college baseball “skunk rule” and seeing “construction worker” types pitching for Brazil in the WBC.

Memorable Quote:
Dan Patrick (37:57):
"You root for the story and the run to keep going. You don't want a story to end prematurely."

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Whether we'll get a college sports bill from it, I'm not sure." — Ross Dellenger (05:21)
• "An executive order can't make a law, provide antitrust exemptions or override state laws or policies..." — Dan Patrick (06:39)
• "There's a fight in the Senate over a bill and a fight in the House right now..." — Ross Dellenger (05:38)
• "If you want to try to make these players employees and have unions, there's a lot of work to be done." — Dan Patrick (15:40)
• "Maxx Crosby...he's a force multiplier. He's going to make everybody in that program better." — Mike Tannenbaum (24:34)
• "Kyler Murray is the seventh consecutive quarterback drafted first overall that wasn't on the team that drafted him by the age of 30." — Mike Tannenbaum (32:49)
• "There was one, it was so bad that I actually not only did I call him to apologize, I wound up hiring his son as an intern because I felt so bad." — Mike Tannenbaum (33:39)

Episode Summary Table

| Segment | Topic | Primary Voices | Timestamp | |---------|-------|---------------|-----------| | 1 | NFL contract poll, intro | Dan Patrick, show staff | 02:01–03:19 | | 2 | College sports roundtable recap | Ross Dellenger, Dan Patrick | 04:52–13:24 | | 3 | Is college football better now? | Dan Patrick, staff panel | 13:24–16:32 | | 4 | NFL news, trades, QBs | Mike Tannenbaum, Dan Patrick | 21:22–33:54 | | 5 | Callers, best/worst | Listener calls, Dan & staff | 34:00–49:38 |

Overall Tone

Relaxed but incisive, with Dan Patrick providing a blend of humor, skepticism, and deep sports knowledge. Both guests bring intelligence and context, with plenty of back-and-forth and honest assessments of how business, politics, and personalities drive change in both college and pro sports.

For listeners seeking quick takeaways:

• Expect chaos and high-stakes politicking in college sports for the foreseeable future—solutions are neither simple nor imminent.
• The NFL remains a league in flux, with QBs as the hot potato and aggressive team-building approaches sometimes paying off in a win-now league.
• Parity and unpredictability—at all levels—are good for fans, if occasionally maddening for purists.

End of Hour 2.