Charles Barkley (2:34)

You are listening to the Dan Patrick.

Dan Patrick (2:36)

Show on Fox Sports Radio. We weren't able to bring a studio audience in to watch the show, and a lot of people have asked about that. We're at a great place for pickleball, the exchange in New Orleans. And the Danets, they decided that they wanted to have a match coming up, and it's going to be front row, back row. So it's. It's Marvin and Paulie versus Fritzi and Seaton, and they're going to play later on today. And I had the odds to win the match here, so Seaton and Todd right now are favored. Seaton and Todd are favored. Todd yesterday, banging around a little bit, and you. You had some. You had some skill, but I enjoyed it. You could. You, of course, played tennis in high school.

Matt Castle (3:24)

I was back up to the second doubles. So if the last player on second doubles was hurt or sick or whatever, they might give me the chance to get out there.

Dan Patrick (3:33)

That would make you the third.

Matt Castle (3:35)

I don't think there was third doubles. It was like, you sit there and we'll let you know if everybody else can't play, you know, and then they're actually. I'm not even joking. Some kid pulled up, like, in a wheelchair from one of the other high schools, and he's like, you know, and they didn't even guarantee me I was gonna play in that match. I was like, we may go to you here, so warm up, because you got.

Albert Breer (3:51)

You got Fred.

Matt Castle (3:52)

Fred over there from Lafayette High School.

Dan Patrick (3:54)

In the wheelchair areas.

Matt Castle (3:55)

Oh, that.

Charles Barkley (3:56)

Okay.

Dan Patrick (3:57)

All right.

Matt Castle (3:57)

Little offended.

Dan Patrick (3:58)

You know what's funny is that for, like, the last almost 20 years, we've done nothing but make fun of Todd's alleged tennis career until today, where it's like, well, yeah, but Todd played tennis, so of course he's gonna be good. Yeah. Wow. All of a sudden, Todd's a tennis player. Before that, he's a guy who never.

Albert Breer (4:12)

Played sports at all after I shared the story.

Matt Castle (4:13)

It might be a pick him now.

Dan Patrick (4:15)

No, no, no. Your favorite. Well, Todd is a tennis player.

Matt Castle (4:19)

I was on the tennis team, and I got a couple of trophies based on what everyone else accomplished.

Dan Patrick (4:23)

I. I watched the athleticism of the other guys. I think you're ahead of the game.

Matt Castle (4:27)

I am battling some plantar fasciitis. I don't want to make excuses, but both my heels Hurt a lot right now.

Dan Patrick (4:32)

What injury will be sustained first? I got. The odds are knee, Achilles, or ankle. Hamstring, hip, arm, slash, elbow. I don't really care for this one. Gotta admit, odds to score. First point, Seaton, you're the big winner there. I'll take that player. To miss the ball or hit the ball out of play or into the net, the most. Congratulations, Paulie.

Matt Castle (5:00)

Yeah, I'm gonna call that one.

Dan Patrick (5:04)

Over. Under. Excuses, complaints in the match. Four and a half. Oh, I'm going over with that. But these are the odds. The back room guys came up with the odds. We've already had that in just this segment. We're not even playing yet. We're at at least five. Yes.

Matt Castle (5:17)

Todd, is there a chair on Poor rep? I didn't notice that. I was watching other people play. They were very into their pickleball, and I guess it's just kind of gentleman's rules as far as, you know, if there's an argument about a call. Yeah, they just kind of work it out amongst themselves.

Dan Patrick (5:28)

I'm going to be the headlinesman. Yes. Yes. There was a moment yesterday where we were practicing a little bit, and it took, like, 30 seconds, and I was like, oh, we got this. This is easy, you know, and we're playing. And then the coach here, the pro, was like, okay, but you're supposed to do it, like, 10ft apart from each other. We were playing the game like it was tennis, you know, like spread out all the way with a huge. Okay, but you're supposed to be, like, right up on the net doing it.

Matt Castle (5:55)

Which I still plan to play exactly like tennis and take my chances. And if someone says you were in the kitchen, you were in the bedroom. Why were you doing that in the den?

Dan Patrick (6:01)

No, it's. Yeah. Oh, in the living room.

Matt Castle (6:04)

You got to let it bounce. You can't go to the dining room and hit.

Dan Patrick (6:06)

It's the kitchen. That's it. It's called a woman.

Matt Castle (6:09)

I think her name was Muriel. She came over to me. Go. You've never played before, have you?

Dan Patrick (6:13)

You were dinking in the laundry room. Oh, what?

Matt Castle (6:17)

You guys don't understand the rules, do you?

Justin Pennick (6:19)

Okay, Muriel, two bounces.

Matt Castle (6:21)

Muriel.

Dan Patrick (6:22)

I don't remember seeing Muriel.

Matt Castle (6:25)

She was there with Gloria, and they would. Sadie. They were all there. They were looking. They're like. They came in from Palm beach to play some pickleball with us. I know what's going on.

Dan Patrick (6:32)

Yes.

Matt Castle (6:33)

I like. Todd's doing every old pickleball stereotype. If that's a thing everyone here that we've seen playing is like 23 years old. Every guy looks like Anquan Bolden. There's some tough football player.

Dan Patrick (6:45)

Yeah. James Winston plays here. Cam Jordan plays here.

Matt Castle (6:49)

Mike Dunleavy came by to chat with you. How about that?

Dan Patrick (6:51)

Mike Dunleavy, senior. Mike Dunleavy, senior came in. He plays pickleball five days a week. A little bit of a social scene around here. It was, yeah. Like, if I'm single, yep, I'm picking up a rock. That's why I started to figure it out a little bit this way. I was like, oh, wait a minute. I think I know what's going on here. They got a bar here? Yeah, they got two, as a matter of fact.

Bobby Bones (7:11)

Oh, I see.

Dan Patrick (7:12)

That's why this place is so crowded. Yeah. Hon, I'm gonna go play pickleball, so. Be back in a while. You're getting innocent. No, let's just go grab a drink. Oh, okay. Yes, but they're right.

Matt Castle (7:25)

I got the stereotypes all wrong. I thought pickleball was one type of group where, like, you know, the 70 to 90 crowd or something like that. Oh, my back. I can last. Next point wins. I can't. I got 4:00 dinner.

Charles Barkley (7:35)

It's not like that.

Dan Patrick (7:37)

Who says? Oi. A lot of people here. Oy.

Bobby Bones (7:42)

So human.

Matt Castle (7:42)

Maybe not here, but that's what I pictured. Pickleball. I can't.

Dan Patrick (7:45)

My hip. You think it's like, you know, shuffleboard or something where it's 70.

Matt Castle (7:51)

It's the only activity you can do. It's the last thing you do before you're bedridden. That's what I thought it was, but it's not that.

Dan Patrick (7:55)

Well, all right, so we' for you, a little bit later on today, the match. It's Todd and Seaton versus Marv and Paulie. Oh, yeah, yeah, it's on.

Matt Castle (8:09)

Is it a point system, by the way? No. I'm curious. Like, how do you were favored by. Is it two and a half points?

Albert Breer (8:13)

Is it.

Matt Castle (8:14)

What is the number? How does. How do they say pickleball points?

Dan Patrick (8:18)

How about we worry about that later, all right? We got a show to do. You know him as the top NFL reporter for the Monday morning quarterback. He's borderline a member of this show at this point. He is the Monday morning quarterback. He's Albert Breer, who joins us on the program. Yeah, yeah. Alrighty. Man. What? Like, are you going surfing or like, you got. You got camo shorts on? You got Birkenstocks?

Albert Breer (8:46)

It's my. My casual look this morning.

Dan Patrick (8:47)

It's like you're picking up the baton from Peter King, the way he used to dress. Peter would wear the shortest of shorts.

Albert Breer (8:56)

I'm constantly in his shadow, I guess.

Dan Patrick (8:58)

Yeah, yeah.

Albert Breer (8:59)

I, I, I, I messed up the time zones and so like that, that, that has, that, that contributed to my, to the, the state I'm in right now.

Dan Patrick (9:09)

Okay, Central time, you got screwed up a little bit.

Albert Breer (9:11)

Still adjusting.

Dan Patrick (9:12)

Oh, so you would have had something.

Albert Breer (9:15)

Well, no, I messed up, I messed up some of the timing as, as Todd knows and yeah, it was. I'm here, though. I'm here.

Dan Patrick (9:21)

All right. So how surprised were you with the Myles Garrett trade request?

Albert Breer (9:26)

I'm not shocked because these things like have happened over the last 10 years and I think the dynamic in the NFL has changed. You know, what's really interesting about to me is like that he went public the way that he did, which sort of tells you the truth. Which, the truth is that the request has been in and the idea of going public is that he's frustrated that they're not accommodating him. And so, you know, I think what going public does for him now is it puts him in a position to put or it puts the Browns in a position where they don't have to pick up the phone at all. They can say, we're not, we're not changing our position, we are where we are. But calls are going to come in. You know, obviously he is what he is, which is probably, I don't know, one of the top five or so defensive players of the last decade.

Dan Patrick (10:12)

So what's he worth?

Albert Breer (10:13)

I think the baselines is two first round picks. So I think you go start at that number and then go from there. It's what Jalen Ramsey got. It's what Laramie Tunsil got. Now I think, you know, you got to do something to get the Browns attention. So maybe it winds up being more than that. The other thing you have to remember, I mean, like two first round picks sounds like this eye popping haul. The reality is the team, most of the teams that are going to want Miles Garrett are going to be teams that are in a win now spot and their picks are going to be down in the 20s or even the 30s, you know, so, yeah, I mean, I expect there to be a lot of interest and you know, I mean, the Browns position is what it should be right now, which is like we're not trading a generational player. We were in the playoffs two years ago. So, you know, I think for another team coming in, it's like you really have to do something to get their attention.

Dan Patrick (11:02)

We've talked about this before. Deion Sanders impact on the draft with his son. And there was a report that Dion would not want his son to go to the Cleveland Browns. If they were to take him, would that scare off the Cleveland Browns in your opinion?

Albert Breer (11:21)

I don't know. He's going that high anyway. But I think it's something they'd have to consider. And you know, I think we saw it 20 years ago. When a guy has an NFL dad, generally those guys are more business minded. I think you can even see it with like the way like a Patrick certain carries himself. You know, it's when, when a guy's got a dad who's, who's been through it and went through it, they generally have like a, they naturally have a really good feel for the way the business works. And you know, I, I don't blame Dion for looking at it and saying, I just want my kid in a good situation. I want my kid in a situation that's going to give him the best chance to have a 10, 15 year career as a starter in the NFL. And I think Dion's smart enough to know that. Like, you look at the best quarterbacks in the league, how many went into bad circumstances? Like, we always talk about how they go to bad teams. Josh Allen was drafted by a playoff team. Lamar Jackson was drafted by a playoff team. Patrick Mahomes was drafted by a playoff team. Like all of those teams were in the playoffs the year before, so they weren't going to broken situations. Not to say they wouldn't have made it anyway, but like they went to situations that weren't just complete train wrecks. So, you know, I, I think Dion obviously has been around long enough to, to know it and see it and see the difference between one thing and another, and obviously wants what's best for his son.

Dan Patrick (12:41)

But you look at Cleveland, it's almost like that is the epicenter of the NFL because you got DeSean Watson, they have the number two pick, and then you have the Miles Garrett situation. You play in a very competitive division as well. I, I don't know, are they closer to being good or closer to being really bad?

Albert Breer (13:00)

I, so I, I think they're in an interesting spot in that the core that they have only has so many more shots. You know what I mean? Like, so you got Miles Garrett going into year nine, you have Denzel Ward going into year eight. You've got some really good linemen. Joel Batonio has been there Forever who are starting to age. So, like, I think it's a. I still think it's a good operation. Like, if you look at what they've done, you know, over the last five years versus where they were before that, they've made the playoffs twice. And the second time they made the playoffs, it was amid the Deshaun Watson thing completely falling apart on them. So I think it's a good operation that it made a really big mistake in trading for Deshaun Watson, you know, and they got to live with that, and they got aware of that. But I, I still think.

Dan Patrick (13:44)

How long do you live with it?

Albert Breer (13:46)

Well, I think now is where. You don't live with it. Now. Now this is where. And I, I've said this since November. Like, there's. This plan is not new. It is not directly related to the second Achilles tear when Deshaun Watson went down. Based on where they were, they had made the decision, we are no longer going to coddle him or protect him. Because last year, one of the reasons they didn't bring Joe Flacco back was because that wouldn't. That may not have been healthy for desean, because having Joe, the team could look at him and say, like DeShawn, the team could look and say, we've got a better option in the room with him, Joe Flacco, and that wouldn't have been. Wouldn't have been great for desean coming off of that injury. After what they went through this year, they made the conscious decision, and this was in season, they made the decision. We're at the very least going to add competition to the room. So rather than trying to build a quarterback room to support him, we're going to. We're going to put somebody in there who could take his job. And so that was a baseline before he had the second Achilles tear, and then he has the second Achilles tear. And now, you know, again, like, it's just like, how. To me, it's like when you're looking at guys like Garrett and you're looking at guys like Garrett and Ward on that roster, it's. It's timelines. It's like, can we fix the quarterback position fast enough to get good enough to compete at a high enough level to contend for a championship while Garrett and Ward and some of those other guys still have something left?

Dan Patrick (15:09)

It's Albert Breer, the Monday morning quarterback, Cooper cup on the market. What does he bring in return?

Albert Breer (15:16)

I mean, it's a different kettle of fish than Garrett. You know, we talk about the two.

Dan Patrick (15:19)

Of them because this is a playoff team now. I know there's a big number with Cooper cup salary.

Matt Castle (15:24)

Yeah.

Dan Patrick (15:25)

Is that what they're moving off of?

Albert Breer (15:27)

I think it's just sort of run its course. They also have a big, like, no one's talking about the Matthew Stafford thing. I don't understand it. Like, I, I don't understand why nobody's talking about the idea that Stafford could be available. And then if you're another team, you're probably calling the Rams. That contract negotiation last year was tough.

Dan Patrick (15:46)

Yeah, but you're seven points away from the NFC title game.

Albert Breer (15:50)

I know, I know. But here's the thing. Like, so they went through, like, I mean, like a legitimate, like four or five month negotiation. They wind up band aiding it. Right. Like in the summer. So you get to July and they do. They push $5 million forward from 25 and 26 into 24, guarantee all of it, and then remove all of his guarantees, like post 24. So now we're into a part of his contract where there's no guaranteed money left. He's making less money than he was on the books to make this year because they borrowed from that to give him the money this past year. And they had had an agreement when they, when they, when they did the reworked deal. We're going to revisit it at the end of the year. Well, now we're at the point where they're going to revisit it. So what if Matthew Stafford wants a market correction and says, what is it? Seven or eight guys are making over 50 million? I want 50 million. There's just a lot of stuff there where, okay, but if I'm another team, I make that call, you know?

Dan Patrick (16:43)

But there's only a couple of teams that are going to make that call.

Albert Breer (16:46)

Steelers.

Dan Patrick (16:48)

Okay. Does his wife want to move out of Los Angeles?

Albert Breer (16:51)

I mean, that's a fair question. Yeah, I mean, that's a fair question. But I do think, I mean, Matthew said he wants to keep playing, you know, so I think the coaches would love to have him back in Los Angeles. I think there's just, there's a lot there that they've got to work through over the next few weeks and maybe it winds up being fine. But I know this, like, if I'm one of those teams that if I feel like I'm a quarterback away and I look at the market and I see Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, that Stafford's the guy who could put you over the top. I mean, we saw it. We saw it four Years ago, you know, when he was available in the Rams, you know, we put the Rams over the top. And the Steelers is another one where I'm thinking of those timelines. You know what I mean? T.J. watt turns 31, I believe, this year, 32. Minka Fitzpatrick, I believe, is turning 29 this year. So the Steelers are, like, in that same position I talked about with Cleveland, where it's like they. They don't have their answer at quarterback. They don't have a quarterback who can put them in a position to compete with Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Lamar in the AFC right now. So, like, they're sort of in this no man's land with those star players, where it's like, can we fix this position fast enough so we can compete with TJ And Minka still at the height of their powers, or do we have to look at resetting completely? You know, I. I think that the Steelers are the one where I look at them. It's like, if there's a team that could take a swing at quarterback, there would be them. And I'd say, like, just looking at where they're at, like, if I'm them, I'm on the phone with the Rams. I'm saying, look, like.

Dan Patrick (18:22)

Well, then I. I would say we want Cooper cup and Matthew Stafford if you're the Steelers.

Matt Castle (18:27)

And they would.

Albert Breer (18:28)

The Rams would probably do that. You know, like, if I'm not. They wouldn't. I'm not saying they do Stafford now, but if they had gotten to the point where we're trading Stafford, I think that, you know, you could do some sort of package deal there.

Dan Patrick (18:40)

Sam Darnold.

Matt Castle (18:42)

Yeah.

Albert Breer (18:43)

So, like, the Vikings are in the. The Vikings are, I would say, comfortable with the idea now of going to JJ McCarthy in 2025, if that's the way things shake out. You know, he lost four months of development time that he would have gotten had he not gotten hurt. But the second surgery was just a cleanup, and he was very engaged. And if you want to go back to August, like, he had done enough to at least create some intrigue in that building? Like, is he a better option? And Sam had a great year, but it got them to kind of look at their plan and say, is there going to come a point when we want to put JJ out there this year? So he had made that much progress, even though they planned on redshirting him, then he gets hurt, and he stayed engaged. Like, my understanding is, like, when the team was out on the practice field, he would go and do his Rehab. But other than that, he was involved in the quarterback room and all the meetings and all that. And then he started traveling with the team in October so he could be part of the game day operation, so he could be on the headsets, all that different stuff. They feel really good about where JJ is. And I think what it does, it doesn't mean Sam's gone, but it does give them some flexibility where they can draw lines now. And maybe the answer is to franchise them. That's $40 million. It's a lot of money. Or maybe they can let him go to the market and say, come back to us and like, you know, we don't wanna.

Dan Patrick (20:02)

We don't.

Matt Castle (20:02)

We.

Albert Breer (20:02)

We may not want to reset the market. We understand there's a risk we lose you if you do this, but we love you. Go to the market, see what's up. You know, it's. And it's interesting too because to me you won 14 games. You want to give the veterans on your team, you know, guys like, if Harrison Smith's back, you know, Jonathan Garnard, you know, obviously Justin Jefferson, Christian Darris, are these guys who are part of this 14 win team. Like, you want to give them the best chance, the most important position. So you do want to be stocked there. But I do think they feel comfortable if the guy is JJ.

Dan Patrick (20:36)

All right, final 30 seconds. We're going to play the Miles Garrett game. Okay. Later on, where will he go? I'll let you have your.

Albert Breer (20:44)

My favorite destination will be Detroit. Oh, I like, I just think about that. Like, I'm like, they're. They're in a spot now where they don't need their first round. They're. They, they don't really need to keep stocking. Like, they, like they may be in a position where if you're them, you can almost say, like, we may only have five or six rookies make our team. You know what I mean? Like, so are they in a position now where it's like, we can spend. We can start to flip picks if you're them and you lost all of these coaches and you want to flip the momentum and kind of keep things going in the right direction? I mean, God, the idea of Miles Garrett opposite Aiden Hutchinson, I mean, like that to me is really intriguing. And so, I mean, I think Detroit is just. Detroit's in this championship window and like after, I mean, they, they had so much momentum and then they, the ugly loss to Washington and they lose six or seven coaches and it's like, looks like, oh, God, are they missing their window. What's the easiest way to flip that?

Dan Patrick (21:47)

That's interesting. I like that. Albert Brear, the Monday morning quarterback, senior NFL reporter. Thanks again.

Albert Breer (21:53)

By the way, they did call at the trade deadline on Miles. Okay, he was not, he was not available, but they at least inquired when they traded for Zadarius Smith.

Dan Patrick (22:01)

So thanks again.

Albert Breer (22:02)

You got it.

Dan Patrick (22:03)

All season long, Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. Hey, Steve Covino.

Justin Pennick (22:17)

And I'm Rich Davis.

Dan Patrick (22:18)

And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

Justin Pennick (22:21)

You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio. And of course, the iHeartRadio.

Dan Patrick (22:28)

Why should you listen to Covino and Rich?

Justin Pennick (22:30)

We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world.

Dan Patrick (22:34)

We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss.

Justin Pennick (22:42)

And the fact that we've been friends.

Matt Castle (22:44)

For the last 20 years and still.

Justin Pennick (22:45)

Work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too.

Dan Patrick (22:50)

Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say.

Justin Pennick (22:53)

I'd say the most interactive show on.

Dan Patrick (22:55)

Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the.

Justin Pennick (23:05)

Live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

Dan Patrick (23:12)

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Bobby Bones (24:26)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I texted you and you text me back. Now I don't know if you have the update, but like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.

Matt Castle (25:09)

There was something sentimental when you, when you send it.

Albert Breer (25:13)

It was like, do I send the heart Now?

Bobby Bones (25:16)

I don't like the color edition.

Matt Castle (25:17)

It's extremely pink.

Bobby Bones (25:18)

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

AJ Stephens (25:25)

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm AJ Stephens, Vice President of Client Strategy at Athletes first, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts. Introducing the Athlete's First Family podcast, the Quarterback Series. Along with my co host Brian Murphy, athlete's first CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape, the ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension and Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shock waves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships the NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungavaloa, and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Justin Pennick (26:30)

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennock from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the postseason run.

Matt Castle (27:19)

Julie.

Julie Stewart-Banks (27:20)

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

Matt Castle (27:30)

I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.

Julie Stewart-Banks (27:37)

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

Matt Castle (27:49)

We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

Julie Stewart-Banks (27:58)

Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

Matt Castle (28:10)

I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll.

Julie Stewart-Banks (28:13)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dan Patrick (28:20)

Hour two on this Tuesday. Dan and the Danettes, Dan Patrick Shell, come on in. Stay a while. Charles Barkley will stop by. Stat of the Day, always brought to you by Panini America, the official trading cards of the Dan Patrick Show. There was an interesting stat, and I had not heard this stat before. No team has ever won a Super bowl while not having any takeaways. During the postseason. The Chiefs do not have a takeaway yet this postseason. I don't know how many times we've had teams that have gone into the super bowl with that stat, but no takeaways here. Also, no players ever scored a touchdown or rushed for 100 yards or more in the super bowl on their birthday. Saquon Barkley's birthday is February 9th.

Matt Castle (29:07)

Oh, no.

Dan Patrick (29:08)

Well. But I don't know how many running backs have celebrated their birthday on the day of the Super Bowl. So it's a weird stat where you go, oh, my gosh. I don't know how many of those running backs, you know, had their birthday on a Super Bowl Sunday. Yes. Marvin Bam Morris.

Charles Barkley (29:23)

His birthday was on Super Bowl 30.

Dan Patrick (29:24)

Oh, look at you. Blue. Blue.

Charles Barkley (29:26)

No.

Dan Patrick (29:27)

No.

Matt Castle (29:27)

Absolutely not. I don't know what Bam Moore's birthday was. Barbara, you had us.

Charles Barkley (29:32)

I know.

Dan Patrick (29:34)

Why are you doing stuff like that? Yes. Paulie.

Matt Castle (29:36)

I don't know what it's going to be like to be a New York Giants fan watching that game on Sunday. That is brutal.

Dan Patrick (29:42)

Yeah, because you.

Matt Castle (29:43)

You don't want to root against Saquon Barkley. But if he wins mvp, it's double the pain.

Dan Patrick (29:49)

The countdown is on. Celebrate one night, 50 years in the making. The Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary special premieres Sunday, February 16th on NBC. And Peacock, from Saquon Barkley to Charles Barkley, no relation that I know of. Turner Sports, Inside the NBA. And you're not related to Saquon Barkley?

Charles Barkley (30:06)

Are you claiming him? I don't care if we are or not. I don't think we are. But I'm claiming him.

Dan Patrick (30:13)

I'm claiming.

Charles Barkley (30:14)

Hey, I've been claiming him all year. He's my cousin. I don't care what anybody says.

Dan Patrick (30:20)

Did you play football in high school?

Charles Barkley (30:23)

I played one day.

Dan Patrick (30:26)

What happened?

Charles Barkley (30:28)

I realized they were really hitting people out there. You know, Danny, that's the reason football is my favorite sport. It takes tremendous courage to go out there. You know, football and boxing are my two favorite sports. I played football for one day, I realized they were nuts. They're tougher than me, and I quit.

Dan Patrick (30:45)

And you're not much of a boxer either.

Charles Barkley (30:49)

I can fight a little bit. I can hold my own. The good thing about fighting, boxing is different. Box boxing, y'all got gloves on. Trying to hit each other, fighting, whatever you can get your hands on. Hitting somebody, that's what goes. That's a big difference, Dan.

Dan Patrick (31:04)

Yeah, well, also, when you fought in the NBA, somebody was usually going to grab You. So it didn't escalate too much further.

Charles Barkley (31:12)

Well, first of all, if you're out there fighting away, you're a punk. You know, Kevin McHale, the best player I ever played against, always said. He said, the thing I know, he says, I never worried about the Pistons. He says, they're out there beating up people. At some point, you got to play basketball, and only two of the guys can play. Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars. And we were going to win eventually.

Dan Patrick (31:33)

He said.

Charles Barkley (31:34)

The rest of those guys out there just beating up people, he said. But he said, charles, at some point, we realized they had to play basketball. And the only two guys they had, we were worried about Isaiah and Joe Thomas, Joe Dumas. Joe, don't do Mars. My bad.

Dan Patrick (31:48)

All right. Who are you betting on Super Bowl Sunday?

Charles Barkley (31:51)

My Philadelphia Eagles. Dan. I'm a big Eagles fan. We're putting the end to this reign of terror in Kansas City. You know what's really crazy? I love Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelsey, but I'll bet against them every game in the last two years because I actually thought they were going to lose. The only game I actually won in the last two years is when, for some reason, Andy Reid ran out of the end zone and I covered with the safety by half a point. I have lost. I think it's. I think it's six straight games I bet against the Chiefs. I thought they would lose. You know, two years ago, they lost. They gotta lose at Buffalo. Then I thought they would lose to the Ravens. Then I had San Francisco in the Super Bowl. I didn't think they were going to lose to the Texans, but I thought the Texans would cover. Then I had the Bills. I'm rooting for the Bills, and they didn't. But, hey, I haven't learned my lesson. I'm taking. And it's just ironic that I'm really an Eagle fan, but the reign of terror is over. Sunday night.

Dan Patrick (32:57)

Why don't you just give your money to charity and not bet on the game?

Charles Barkley (33:03)

I'm gonna be at a casino. Why would I go to a casino and not bet on the game?

Dan Patrick (33:07)

I know, but you tend to lose a lot.

Charles Barkley (33:11)

I got a lot.

Dan Patrick (33:17)

And this doesn't even incorporate your new deal that you're going to have with your TV partner, your next one.

Charles Barkley (33:25)

Hey, listen, I'm trying to figure all that stuff out, Dan. It's been very fascinating behind the scenes. It's been a lot of chicanery going on behind the scenes that I haven't been happy with. And I'm hoping everything works out. But it's been fascinating dealing with all the TNT BS this entire time.

Dan Patrick (33:45)

Okay, why haven't you reached out to me privately?

Charles Barkley (33:50)

Well, Dan, I'm just trying to figure out. Like I say, I don't have to make a decision asap, but I can help you.

Dan Patrick (33:59)

I've been at a couple of places that you're probably negotiating with. If you had questions, I would give you honest answers. I've done that for other athletes.

Charles Barkley (34:08)

Yeah. My honor. Listen, what's really fascinating, people talking about money and all this other stuff. I do. I ain't worried about no money. My decision was going to come down strictly to one thing. My workload.

Dan Patrick (34:20)

One day a week.

Charles Barkley (34:22)

I've been. I've been at TNT for 25 years, Dan. I'm really good at working one day a week. I am great at it, you know, so, you know, I was like, yo, man, I'm not going to work. I'm gonna be older. I'll be 62 in a couple weeks. I'm not gonna work more as I get older. That was my only concern. And NBC was great. You know, Mark Lazarus and Greg Hughes were great to me, but I turned their offer down because they had too much stuff in there for me to do. And then I canceled all the stuff. All the other meets with Amazon, they were great at Amazon, but after meeting with espn, they made me feel better. But I just want to get all between TNT and espn. I said, I just want to figure out what's my workload. They haven't given me any definitive answer because I don't think they know the definitive answer, to be honest with you.

Dan Patrick (35:19)

So you could stay at tnt?

Charles Barkley (35:23)

I could. I could always have stayed at tnt, but I put in my contract. I could get out of there if they lost the NBA. Yeah. You know, it's really funny. The TNT people, they're stupid. They tried to say to me that I was. They wrote a cease and desist letter to Amazon and NBC and it really pissed me off because. Wait a minute. But they're trying to say that they traded my show to espn. That's the same as them keeping it. I'm like, I don't think that's the way it works. That's what, that's what they were trying. That we were having some heated discussions behind scenes down in Atlanta. I was like, wait a minute. Yeah, they sent a cease and desist letter to NBC and Amazon saying I wasn't available. I said, that's not the way my contract reads. Y'all lost the NBA. If I wanted to leave, I could leave. That was the bone of contention. I said, they're like, no, you on the contract. I said, well, I'll take my chances in court. And I felt really good about my chances in court because regardless of what they say, Dan, them trading us to ESPN ain't the same as us being on the contract to tnt.

Dan Patrick (36:26)

He's Charles Barkley, hall of Famer Turner Sports for the moment inside the NBA analyst who won the Luca AD trade right now. Let's look at it as of today.

Charles Barkley (36:39)

Oh, the Dallas Mavericks, their contender right away, they got a really good team. People forgetting about Max Christian. Max Christian gonna help the mouths. But listen, A.D. was A.D. you know, he's played great the last couple years. And if he plays like he's played, the guy was just coming off a 4 to 20 game.

Dan Patrick (37:02)

Yeah.

Charles Barkley (37:03)

And if he plays like that. Because what's interesting about the NBA, Dan, I'm not sure who the favorite is right now. We can say okc, they're the favorite in the west, but the males are the second best team in the west right this day. And I'm not sure what's going on with the Celtics. So, man, we could talk all the noise we want to. The championship is up for grabs right now. The Celtics have not looked good all year, in my opinion. But in the West, OKC is the prohibitive favorite. But, man, they've never been in the fire before. Dan. That's the favorite going in. So that's going to be a shock to their system with everybody gunning for them. But right now, the Mavs won. For the next two or three years, the man won the trade.

Dan Patrick (37:55)

Now that LeBron has Luka, LeBron more likely to stay an extra year or two or maybe leave or retire.

Charles Barkley (38:07)

You know, that's a fascinating question. Like, is he. What is he hanging around for? I personally think if I was him, the Lakers are not contenders right now. I would waive my no trade. I do a Tom Brady and go put myself in a perfect situation where I can have two more bites of the apple. Like there's. And I don't know the perfect situation. But he said he's holding all the cards. He can go to the Lakers and say, hey, let's have our cake and eat it too. I can get y'all a couple players, maybe a couple draft picks. Let's pick out a perfect scenario. That's what Tom Brady did. Took the perfect situation in Tampa. If I'm LeBron, like I said, we're not gonna win the championship this year or next year. Let's trade to a perfect scenario. But they can. Like I say, the only problem they got right now, they got to make a decision by Thursday at 4:00. But, you know, that's a lot of time in NBA years. That's what I was. I would do if I was him.

Dan Patrick (39:13)

When you hear the criticism or critiques of Lucas, you know, physical shape, how do you react to that?

Charles Barkley (39:23)

Well, Dan, if everybody's saying it, it's probably fair. You know, everybody's been. I find it fascinating that all of us been talking about Lucas conditioning for three years now. All of a sudden, it's an insult. Like, I don't think people were hiding it. I think everybody's heard the same criticism for three years. Now. All of a sudden, I saw his dad, like, they're saying these things about my son. I'm like, well, Mr. Doncic, and fairness. I watch TV. I got a TV. They've been saying the same thing for three years. They're not saying it, like, out of the blue, but I will say this. He's a great, great player. But then the Dallas Mavericks know him better than anybody. I know he's a great player from a distance, but the Dallas Mavericks had to make a decision. Do we get this guy five years, $350 million? I give them credit. They made a decision, it might come back to bite him in the ass. But that's your job. Hey, listen, a year ago, we were all pat Nico on the back because he went out and got Gafford, PJ and all these other. He got the mouse to the finals. You know, everybody act like it was only Luka and Kyrie that got them to the finals. No, Nico did a tremendous job last year when he made like three or four trades that got the Mayo to the finals. If they just had to had Luka and Kyrie, they wouldn't have made it to the finals last year. But they picked up three pieces during the. During the trade deadline and made them a contender to get to the finals. But like I say, hey, that's the job, Dan. Nico and I give him credit. He went out there and answered all the questions. He didn't run. He didn't hide. A lot of times when these general manager make bad trades, they put out statement and things like that, I give Nico credit. He sit down. He took all the questions. Now, I will say this. This is a job trade. This is. This is a job trade. If the trade doesn't work, you're gonna lose your job. There's very few jobs in sports as a general manager, a person, whoever, running things that I call them trade jobs. If the trade doesn't work, you're going to lose your job, plain and simple. And it should be like that because I've been saying for years, I think the easiest job and the best job in the NBA is running the NBA team. Because you get to blame three coaches before people realize you're the problem. Because think about that, Dan. Very few coaches. Maybe Popovich. There's only how many coaches actually have power to make this a great. Popovich is probably the last guy who gets complete power of an NBA team. But the rest of these general managers, they get to fire, like, they get to make 10 bad deals and fire three coaches. And then people says, well, what's the consistent thing here? The general manager. So, hey, but that goes with the job, brother.

Dan Patrick (42:41)

Would you want Jimmy Butler as a teammate?

Charles Barkley (42:45)

I would want Jimmy Butler as a teammate. I think he's a hell of a teammate. But I think Jimmy is misguided because, you know, Dan, I've said this before. I'm not just saying for some reason, these players think you. They owed you a lifetime contract. Dude, we paid you $50 million last year, this year and next year. And you're going to be older and you're starting. You're in decline anyway. And I see fools on TV time. But Jimmy Butler's right. Jimmy Butler is 100% wrong. They don't. You think I don't want to still be playing for the Sixers of the Suns? They like you get old and they're not gonna pay you. They paid you very. Listen, I love Klay Thompson. I love Klay Thompson. He won four championship with the Warriors. The warriors made a business decision. Clay, you're getting older. You had an Achilles. You had an acl. We're not going to pay you. I have no problem. That's business, man. It's nothing personal.

Dan Patrick (43:45)

Where are you going to be watching the Super Bowl?

Charles Barkley (43:48)

Oh, Dan. I take the same 12 guys to Vegas for 20. This will be our 28th straight year. We play golf all day Saturday. We get up Sunday morning, play golf. Then we go to the casino with 10,000 people, basically, and watch the super bowl in Vegas. I've done it this be. I take the same 12 to 15 guys every year. It's like. It's one of the highlights of my year.

Dan Patrick (44:12)

But do you pick up the tab for these free freeloaders?

Charles Barkley (44:16)

Well, I got to see how the gambling goes. Because you know how Vegas works. You get everything free until you total up at the end of the weekend. Hey, all I have to do is provide the private jet, which that comes with the casino. And all the rooms are free. All the drinks and stuff are free until Monday morning when you're checking out. It depends on how the table's been to you.

Dan Patrick (44:41)

So you're really paying for the private jet with previous, you lose, no previous trip. That's why they send the private jet, because of previous trips.

Charles Barkley (44:50)

When you've lost, you don't lose all the time, Dan. Sometimes you win.

Dan Patrick (44:58)

Yeah, they send the private jet because they know you're probably send a private jet.

Charles Barkley (45:05)

They send a private jet to get.

Dan Patrick (45:06)

You there because they know what happens when you get there.

Charles Barkley (45:11)

You win sometimes. First of all, I hate when people say, hey, you go. One thing I know about gambling, you're gonna win sometimes, you're gonna lose sometime. That's what gambling is. It's not like I know they sell a private jet for a reason. Their job is to get me there. But, you know, when I win, the jet is free. And all my friends, we have a great weekend. All the meals are free. But when I lose, like I've had, I've had my friends joke with me like they're like, man, those steaks and those rooms, and they wasn't worth a million dollars. Hey, Sometimes hey. Sometimes, hey. But that's the deal, Dan.

Dan Patrick (45:51)

I know when you go to the.

Charles Barkley (45:53)

Yeah. Hey, hey. I've been there 28 straight years after this year, so I'm still. I'm all right.

Dan Patrick (46:00)

Have fun. Have fun this weekend. Good to talk to you.

Charles Barkley (46:03)

All right, brother. Go Birds.

Dan Patrick (46:05)

That's Charles Barkley. All right. Brady Quinn will join us. We'll talk some football with him. We'll take a break. We'll come back after this Dan Patrick Show. Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.

Bobby Bones (46:24)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podc Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight based in Nashville? We're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got Lots to say. I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.

Matt Castle (47:08)

There was something sentimental when you, when you send it.

Albert Breer (47:11)

It was like, do I send the heart now?

Bobby Bones (47:14)

I don't like the color edition.

Matt Castle (47:15)

It's extremely pink.

Bobby Bones (47:17)

Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Justin Pennick (47:23)

What's going on, everybody? This is Justin Pennock from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast alongside Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We're rolling three times a week, on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays. Breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're talking about the MVP race. Is Josh Allen going to pull it out? Lamar Jackson? Can Saquon Barkley even break the rushing record? Can the Steelers keep up their momentum? We talk about everything. We break it down. Stats, analytics. And of course, Chris Rose is bringing his perspective on being a pro in the media world as well. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and you will be glad you did. Hope you could join us for the postseason run.

Julie Stewart-Banks (48:13)

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite, the always quotable Nate Thompson.

Matt Castle (48:23)

I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey.

Julie Stewart-Banks (48:30)

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

Matt Castle (48:42)

We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teams, teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex.

Julie Stewart-Banks (48:51)

Okay. We'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate?

Matt Castle (49:03)

I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll.

Julie Stewart-Banks (49:06)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

AJ Stephens (49:13)

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the phone with an NFL general manager as you finalize the biggest contract in NFL history? I'm A.J. stevens, Vice President of Client Strategy at Athletes first, where we've negotiated $1.4 billion in current NFL quarterback contracts. Introducing the Athletes First Family podcast, the Quarterback Series along with my co host Brian Murphy, Athletes first CEO, we're pulling back the curtain on how these historically historic deals come together. You'll hear directly from the agents who shaped the NFL's financial landscape, the ones who negotiated Justin Herbert's extension into Sean Watson's fully guaranteed contract that sent shockwaves through the league. This isn't just about the numbers, though. It's about the untold stories behind these massive negotiations and the relationships the NFL superstars like Dak Prescott, Tua Tungavailoa and Jordan Love have with their agents at Athletes First. For the first time ever, the agents who orchestrate these deals are sharing the details of the negotiations and everything that led up to their clients signing on the dotted line. Listen to the Athletes First Family podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Charles Barkley (50:19)

What if you ask two different people the same set of questions? Even if the questions are the same, our experiences can lead us to drastically different answers. I'm Minnie Driver and I set out to explore this idea in my podcast Mini Questions.

Matt Castle (50:34)

Over the years, we have had some incredible guests.

Charles Barkley (50:37)

People like Courteney Cox, star of the infinitely beloved sitcom Friends, EGOT winner Viola Davis, and former Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair. And now Mini Questions is returning for another season. We've asked an entirely new set of guests our seven Questions, including Jane Lynch, Delaney Rowe and Cord Jefferson. Each episode is a new person story.

Matt Castle (51:03)

With new lessons, new memories and new.

Charles Barkley (51:06)

Connections to show us how we're both similar and unique.

Matt Castle (51:10)

Listen to Mini questions on the iHeartRadio.

Charles Barkley (51:12)

App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 7 Questions Limitless Answers all of our.

Dan Patrick (51:21)

Studio guests receive a fantastic gift bag items from Sonos, Traeger, Panini King, Sawayan Rapid Radios. If you're watching on Peacock, we just showed pretty much a introductory instructional video as the Danites are going to play pickleball after the show and it's front row back row, which means Todd and Seton versus Marvin and Paulie and they banged it around a little bit yesterday. We have uniforms for you guys to wear. You got special Miller Light Skechers pickleball shoes Nice. So you guys are ready to go? Solid arch support in those, by the way. We do have. We have odds that the back room guys came up with of, like, you know, first injury, who's going to probably hit it into the net most often. So we'll have those prop bets available online if you would like to bet. Yes, Paulie.

Matt Castle (52:15)

I haven't seen the uniforms yet. Are they like the movie Dodgeball Average Joe? So silky red and silver. Whatever.

Dan Patrick (52:22)

Seaton went out and got him yesterday, so. All right, I. Do you trust Seaton's always comedically?

Matt Castle (52:30)

Yes.

Dan Patrick (52:30)

Yeah. You might be disappointed, then. It's. It's content.

Matt Castle (52:37)

Spritz is gonna be wearing a half.

Dan Patrick (52:38)

Shirt, by the way. Marvin had this for me. He said, hey, have you heard Klay Thompson, the Mavericks guard, talk about when Kobe came out to see Luca? This is when Clay knew that Luca was real. And Klay Thompson had this to say about that moment.

Matt Castle (52:54)

That's actually funny because that's the first thing I told Luca when we met. I was like, man, I knew you.

Dan Patrick (52:58)

Were gonna be special because he brought.

Matt Castle (53:01)

Kobe out of the house to go watch him play.

Dan Patrick (53:03)

And Kobe doesn't just give that love.

Matt Castle (53:07)

To those who don't earn it. So that was a cool moment.

Dan Patrick (53:12)

And it is, when you think about it. Kobe leaving his house to go out and watch Luka play. Like, that was the ultimate compliment. And now Luca a Laker. Yes, Marv, because he sure wasn't watching.

Matt Castle (53:22)

The Lakers at that point.

Dan Patrick (53:24)

Okay, bloop, bloop. Our next guest played quarterback for Notre Dame. He played quarterback in the NFL. We hung out with him in Dublin a few years back, and he was the best looking guy in the country. Here's Brady Quinn. Very crisp handshake there. We were just talking about this. That, like, dap. Like, I'm. I'm a dap guy. I don't need a handshake. You know, the. Do you think the commissioner had a tutorial prior to his first draft to understand how to shake hands with draft picks?

Matt Castle (54:02)

I actually was Roger Goodell's first draft, so I can go back and. And recount the fact that being how long I was in the green room. And I think his excitement to get me and my family out of his green room probably was part of the reason why we, like, hugged, but it was more than a dab. But I really. I don't think anyone gave him a tutorial. I think he's just got it in.

Dan Patrick (54:23)

Him, but he gets a little too into it.

Matt Castle (54:27)

Well, it's a big moment for a lot of people there, you know, again, for. For our family and for me, I mean, it was a long time building up to that moment. But I got drafted by the team that I. I rooted for growing up. And all that Chipotle that we had ordered during that five and a half hour stint or whatever it was, was magically whisked out of his. His green room.

Dan Patrick (54:46)

Okay, but when you're sitting there, if a draft, a guy who's going to be drafted in the first round says, I want to bring my girlfriend.

Matt Castle (54:52)

Yeah. What would you say as the commissioner or.

Dan Patrick (54:56)

No, you from experience.

Matt Castle (54:58)

Oh, I mean, again, we all knew what we signed up for, whether it was my girlfriend or my parents and everyone else. I. I think what I would do is I would ask them, do. Does. Does that individual believe their girlfriend's strong enough or their family's strong enough to be able to handle the camera, the pressure lights, everything else, because up until that moment, really, they have only experienced things through you. They haven't been there. Right. With you in the spotlight. And I think that's one of the things that I wasn't really thinking about. When you're thinking about going to the NFL draft, you're just thinking about, like, your dream coming true and getting to play in the NFL. You're not thinking you're going to be sitting there for five and a half hours or whatever it was, and you're not also not thinking about how your family's going to handle that pressure. I mean, you're prepared for it. You've handled a lot of other things, your life up to that point. But that's a very different set of circumstances for your family to deal with.

Dan Patrick (55:49)

And trying to figure out who's telling you the truth.

Matt Castle (55:51)

Yeah.

Dan Patrick (55:52)

During the draft process.

Matt Castle (55:54)

Well, and that was part of my reaction, I think, to a number of the picks based on what I was told. You know, we were told something that by Phil Savage that was completely truthful. He's like, hey, if you enjoy their number three, like, we're gonna take Joe Thomas. And my agent, Tom Khan at the time, told me the night before, he goes, I've never had a general manager tell me that before draft. He goes, most times they say things like that as a smokescreen. He goes, in this case, they were truthful. And so when that pick came through, I already had an idea in my head. And to Phil's credit, Phil said that because he knew how much it meant to me to be drafted by the Browns. And so I was kind of prepared for It. But some of the other picks, I had an idea, but the Miami one was the. That was the most surprising. So that was probably more why I would react in the way I did because I was really curious to see who they're going to go with instead.

Dan Patrick (56:39)

Well, what happened with Miami?

Matt Castle (56:41)

They had sent. Again, this is coming from what I had heard from Charlie Wise. You have to ask him. But they had sent him a package and all the stuff that supposedly said, we know you haven't been a big fan in the past, given that they were division rivals, but hopefully we'll, after the draft the next day, which I don't think he was a fan at all. Remember what happened the next day. So, yeah, that. That was. That led us to believe that I was going to be Miami. Terry Shea, their quarterbacks coach, he had actually been with me in Arizona training and preparing for my pro day for the draft and all of that. He left to go take the quarterback coach job. So I'm thinking, like, okay, like, if he has any say, like, he'll. He's seen my work ethic. He's seen me, like, he'll be on my side on all this. And they decided to go in a different direction. And that was, you know, in the end, you know, I think they were 1 in 15 or whatever that season. But it was what it was.

Dan Patrick (57:31)

Take that.

Matt Castle (57:32)

Yeah. You know, I meant to mention this before I come on because it's super bowl week. You know, I just came from Radio Road and you know how this goes. I got to thank Travis Matthews because I'm here on behalf of Travis Master. They've outfitted me. Nike, Delta, who brought me here, Uber. Every. Do you ever notice that? I feel like every interview, they're like. It's like a nat. They're like a walking nascar. And everyone's selling something to you.

Dan Patrick (57:52)

Yes.

Matt Castle (57:52)

Or it's a cause. They're like, hey, save the whales. Like, can we make sure that we. We may draw awareness to saving whales?

Dan Patrick (57:59)

How would you. We're talking to Brady Quinn. He's for sale, by the way.

Matt Castle (58:02)

That's right. I've got a couple spots here, Patches. I want to cover the Travis Matthews.

Dan Patrick (58:06)

Stuff, but yeah, part of Big Noon Kickoff and host of 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe, the radio show that precedes ours on Fox Sports Radio. When a quarterback has less attempts, like Jalen Hurts Justin Herbert. We've seen quarterbacks who were, you know, paid a lot of money, but I don't know how you process that. Like, Justin Herbert was able to throw the ball prior to Jim Harbaugh getting there and they got to the playoffs, right? Jalen Hurts is in a Super Bowl. Saquon comes in, he's really the focal point of the offense. You know, in this pass happy league. Is it still a pass happy league?

Matt Castle (58:41)

I think it is, although I think, you know, the league's always going to go through its ebbs and flows and adjusting. And I think one of the things that you've seen a lot of defensive coordinators do and like the in vogue defensive coverage, like the shell coverage, you hear about this all the time and, and reason why is because you're essentially playing with a lighter box. You're almost enticing or forcing teams to see if they'll run the football right. I mean we, we look at the salary cap, we look how the roster, how the money allocated or spent and oftentimes it hasn't been on the running back position. And it's in part because the game has become so much more of a passing game. And don't get me wrong, it is and always will be because of the rules, the protections quarterbacks are given receivers for that matter too. But I think you're seeing a, a swing at least in the momentum of saying like you got to be more balanced and in part because your best player might be the guy who's behind the quarterback and Saquon Barkley, or it could be Derrick Henry in that case. The more I had an unbelievable season, I think Derrick Henry helped out a little bit too. But by and large I think you're starting to see that too many defenses are trying to adjust to this game now where there's so many big plays, there's, there's so many things that are happening in the passing game that they're trying to keep it all in front of them, trying to disguise what they're doing pre snap, make it muddied for the quarterback. When you drop back, you're saying, is that quarters, is it quarter, quarter, half, what variation are they doing? A lot of times they can do a nice little disguise and how they play a match zone or even man out of it. So there's so many things that happen post snap, it's making it harder on the quarterback. And so again it goes back to what are you, your ultimate task is trying to win. And if that's the case, how can you figure out a way of getting that quarterback to make mistakes, turnovers, and get him off the field. And oftentimes it's a lot of what these defenses are Doing so in doing that now, offenses have to realize they've got to adjust. You got to start working the ball to oftentimes with the best players out there.

Dan Patrick (60:29)

Can Jalen Hurts win in a shootout against Patrick Mahomes?

Matt Castle (60:32)

Yeah, I mean, the last time these two teams played, I thought he was arguably the best player on the field. You know, that was kind of his coming to age moment where we all watched him like, wow. I mean, he might have been the best player out there, but I don't.

Dan Patrick (60:43)

Know if we believe that that's who he truly is. He did have an unbelievable game.

Matt Castle (60:48)

You have to understand, I've watched this young man all of his time in Bama, then to Oklahoma, then to the NFL and he's like machine learning man. Like the more reps he gets, the better he gets, the better he gets. I think sometimes we take for granted that they've been going through some staff changes too in regards to the play caller. And that's a relationship that it takes time to iron out. The, the personality of your play caller, the chemistry that you have with that play caller and, and how they're going to react to when you make a mistake.

Dan Patrick (61:19)

But why say he took, he, he took the straight jacket off of me talking about his coach? If, if you're the best reason or, you know, you play like that, we can win. Why would the, you know, the perception be the coach has a straight jacket or Jalen Hurts thinks there's a straight jacket on him from his coach? He.

Matt Castle (61:38)

Look, he may have said that for a number of reasons. It could be like maybe they're protecting him for injury related, related issues. It could be, you know, they don't want to show too many things if they feel like they can win with doing less. And obviously that doesn't happen in the playoffs very often, but in the regular season at times you'll try to hide some stuff sometimes if you can.

Dan Patrick (61:54)

But you know, it's just a weird comment.

Matt Castle (61:57)

Well, there's been a lot of weird comments that have come out from the Philadelphia Eagles this year. I mean, you had guys reading books on the sidelines.

Dan Patrick (62:02)

Yeah.

Matt Castle (62:02)

Or at least looking at a book. I don't know how much you can read. You don't get a ton of time sometimes in between series and talking to your teammates and your coach. But at least A.J. brown had a book that apparently the book sales are doing great. They're skyrocketing.

Dan Patrick (62:14)

But let's say your quarterback, you know you're watching a movie.

Matt Castle (62:17)

Yeah.

Dan Patrick (62:18)

You know you're not watching Plays. You're not, you know, you're just watching a movie, but it's a movie that really gets you, you know, in the. In a moment. And I, you know, like, whatever. Taken, Shawshank Redemption.

Charles Barkley (62:31)

Take.

Matt Castle (62:32)

Is the pop up movie. Like.

Dan Patrick (62:33)

Yeah, you like it because he's going, yes. Yes. Really, Todd, Give. Give your Liam Neeson.

Matt Castle (62:40)

I will hunt you down, I will find you, and I will kill you. That was actually kind of scary.

Dan Patrick (62:45)

Yeah, but that's what I'm saying.

Matt Castle (62:46)

You could be the voice, though. Not like not seeing you say it. The voice doesn't match.

Dan Patrick (62:51)

But what. What would happen if you were watching a movie on the sidelines as opposed to reading a book?

Matt Castle (62:56)

I think we. I mean, first off, it's wild because I've never seen a player read a book in sidelines before. Again, for a lot of different reasons. I've always wondered, like, have we got to the point where we allow players, like, listen to music or something to help a little bit too? I mean, you see guys doing pre game all the time to help them kind of get in that mindset. Like, maybe that's more of a softer way of you're visually not necessarily distracted by a book.

Dan Patrick (63:18)

Or would you have a problem if your teammate is reading a book on the sidelines?

Matt Castle (63:22)

I don't. Yeah, I don't think that'd be a good thing. I'd probably go talk to him and say, hey, man, what's up? If it's. If it's part of his routine, then you got to let some guys do what they do. I mean, that's. There's a lot of guys who I've seen during my time when I played who had some interesting routines and give me the weirdest, weirdest.

Dan Patrick (63:40)

You don't have to do a name.

Matt Castle (63:44)

I. Yeah, there was. There was one player who, like, he used to do this tapping sequence to get his, like, mind right, but literally would tap different spots on his head and supposedly that helped him, like, lock in. You know, everyone's got their different thing.

Dan Patrick (63:58)

I mean, guys throw up.

Matt Castle (63:59)

Yeah, there's. There's a little bit of that. But that never stroke struck me as odd. You know, I understand the anxiousness or the nerves or excitement. And then sometimes you get like a bad plate of pasta or something. At the Marriott Hotel where you're staying at. Shout out to Marriott, by the way, too.

Dan Patrick (64:14)

You're available.

Matt Castle (64:15)

Yeah, we're promoting everyone here this week.

Dan Patrick (64:19)

If Saquon didn't win the MVP this year, I can't see a year where running Back if you.

Matt Castle (64:26)

Well, you have to have a historical season, right?

Dan Patrick (64:28)

Only if he broke the record.

Matt Castle (64:30)

I would actually make more of an argument for, like, why are we anointing the MVP before the season finale? And the only reason I bring that up, and I. I know everyone's going to make the case, well, you know, hey, this has always been a regular season award. I. I get that. But the truth is, is we most oftentimes award it to teams who are in the playoff hunt. It's the best teams. Like, we looked at Joe Burrow this year. Joe Burrow, statistically, should have been a lot more talked about in regards to the MVP race. He had a phenomenal season. He was carrying that team. Defensively, they struggled. Obviously, they moved on from Lou. And yet it was like, well, they're not a playoff team, so we can't give him the award. It's like, well, all right, what are we doing here? Why don't we just wait till the end of the season, see who wins the super bowl, and say, like, was the best player then Saquon Barkley, if they end up winning and he's on that team?

Dan Patrick (65:15)

Well, how many MVPs do you think would have gone to different people if we use that concept?

Matt Castle (65:21)

I don't know. I'd have to go back and look through. I mean, I guess the easier question probably research, is how many went to players that didn't make the playoffs. Is there a handful of guys?

Dan Patrick (65:31)

Boy, not in the modern era, I don't think. But I remember when Andre Dawson won the MVP for the Cubs, they finished last.

Matt Castle (65:39)

They see baseball did it right.

Dan Patrick (65:41)

They could have finished last without him. So it's. It's not like there's an element to.

Matt Castle (65:45)

It, like, how much did he help his team? And I get that.

Dan Patrick (65:48)

Yeah.

Matt Castle (65:48)

But doesn't that make an argument for the super bowl? I have two MVPs in NFL history that did not qualify for the playoffs. Now it's a long time ago, and there were fewer playoff teams. Who wants a shot at this? Really old school before 1975, running back. One running back, one quarterback. You were a fan of both of them, dan?

Dan Patrick (66:10)

Yes, Mark.

Charles Barkley (66:11)

O.J. simpson.

Matt Castle (66:12)

O.J. simpson. I was going to say O.J. 1973.

Dan Patrick (66:15)

That he broke the record that year.

Matt Castle (66:16)

Without making the playoffs.

Dan Patrick (66:18)

Okay.

Matt Castle (66:18)

Wow.

Dan Patrick (66:19)

And then quarterback Johnny.

Matt Castle (66:22)

Unit is 1967. Okay.

Dan Patrick (66:24)

Dang. Yeah. But back then, you had two teams that. Right. The play over. Yeah. Made the playoffs and they played each other in the Super Bowl.

Matt Castle (66:31)

Yeah.

Dan Patrick (66:32)

Yeah. Or there'd be like, the NFL and the afl, you know, back then.

Matt Castle (66:36)

But I think you get my point. You know, when we're looking at how we're going about qualifying, like, what is the mvp? It's like. And honestly, this conversation kind of was drum up by Cam and talking about, like, would you trade your MVP for a Super Bowl? And his response was probably surprising to most. I mean, that's his perspective. That's how he feels. But it led me to think, well, all right, let's just look at again how we're determining who the MVP of the league is. Should we wait and make it after the season's all.

Dan Patrick (67:01)

So he could have lost that super bowl the way he played or lost the mvp, by the way. He played in the Super Bowl.

Matt Castle (67:07)

Potentially.

Albert Breer (67:07)

Yeah.

Dan Patrick (67:08)

Rich Gannon was an mvp, and he. That. That was the year they lost to Right. Or no, was it Tampa when he was mvp Mark, when they got blown up. So he might have lost it there as well. Yeah. How's the shoulder, by the way?

Matt Castle (67:24)

Well, I was gonna say my attorney will be reaching out at some point. I know this is a few years back, so are you still probably trying to say there's a statute of limitations, but I don't think so. We've got a. We've got a workman's cop issue that's going on here.

Dan Patrick (67:34)

Did you hurt your shoulder throwing the ball in Arizona?

Matt Castle (67:37)

I cannot confirm that. My attorney has told me to not say anything on the. On the show.

Dan Patrick (67:42)

So you're soft.

Matt Castle (67:44)

I can at least make a Traeger.

Dan Patrick (67:45)

Grill out of it.

Matt Castle (67:47)

I mean, isn't that all of a.

Dan Patrick (67:48)

Sudden the sponsor part isn't that bad? Hey, what if I just get a free grill?

Matt Castle (67:53)

You know, you got to put pressure on people. Got to leverage things, right?

Dan Patrick (67:55)

Okay.

Matt Castle (67:56)

Or tariffs. Gotta put tariffs on you to get something.

Dan Patrick (67:59)

If you can carry the Traeger grill, then I'll get you one.

Charles Barkley (68:02)

Where is it?

Dan Patrick (68:03)

Well, I'll have to get it for you.

Matt Castle (68:05)

Oh, okay. I think. I guess I have one over here tomorrow. Well, okay, then.

Dan Patrick (68:09)

You and that Wednesday and Thursday.

Matt Castle (68:11)

I mean, Fritzi, you invite me on a date. You have any grilling going on? Yeah, it's kind of weak. I think it's later in the week. The Traeger Grill. Thanks. Really appreciate it. Sorry about that.

Dan Patrick (68:21)

Kings Hawaiian on Friday.

Matt Castle (68:22)

There you go. By the way, thank you. To Kings Hawaiian. Also.

Dan Patrick (68:26)

Thanks for stopping by. Oh, it's great to see you. He's Brady Quinn, Fox. Big noon kickoff. I always call it High noon kickoff. Why didn't you do High Noon and then get the sponsorship with High Noon Beverages.

Matt Castle (68:39)

That's a great question.

Dan Patrick (68:40)

Thank you. Two pros and a cup of Joe. We'll be back after this.

Matt Castle (68:44)

Talk to Eric Shanks about it. You know Shanks. He'll tell you.

Dan Patrick (68:47)

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Bobby Bones (69:19)

Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything. Listen to Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Justin Pennick (69:49)

What's up, everyone? It's Justin Pennik from John Boy Media, the host of the Football Today podcast with Bobby Skinner and Chris Rose. We roll three times a week on Mondays, on Wednesdays, on Fridays, breaking down everything you need to know about the NFL. We're gearing up for the NFL playoffs. I hope you can join us. Join in with us three times a week. Listen to Football Today on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast and you will be GLAD you did.

AJ Stephens (70:20)

$1.4 billion in NFL quarterback contracts the untold stories behind the biggest deals in football history. I'm AJ Stephens, Vice president of Client Strategy at Athletes first, introducing the Athletes First Family podcast, the Quarterback Series. My co host, Brian Murphy, Athletes First CEO and I are sitting down with the agents who have negotiated contracts for Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, Tuathailoa and Jordan Love. Listen to Athletes First Family Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Julie Stewart-Banks (70:53)

What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

Matt Castle (70:58)

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

Julie Stewart-Banks (71:01)

The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

Matt Castle (71:04)

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

Julie Stewart-Banks (71:09)

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

Matt Castle (71:13)

Julie is pretty well connected. She has tech threads going that you wouldn't believe.

Julie Stewart-Banks (71:18)

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.