3 & Out - Best of The Week: Bengals spend money, Vikes say "No Thanks" to Rodgers, Rule changes

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd Episode: 3 & Out - Best of The Week: Bengals Spend Money, Vikes Say "No Thanks," Rule Changes
Release Date: March 22, 2025

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1. Introduction to the Week's Highlights

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, the hosts delve into the most pressing sports stories of the week, focusing on the Cincinnati Bengals' aggressive player acquisitions, the Minnesota Vikings' strategic decision to pass on signing Aaron Rodgers, and significant rule changes in the NFL. The discussion is enriched with in-depth analysis, expert opinions, and insightful commentary, making it a must-listen for sports enthusiasts.

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2. Bengals' Spending Spree: A Bold Move

The episode opens with an extensive discussion on the Cincinnati Bengals' recent signings, notably Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. The Sports Analyst praises the Bengals for trusting in their drafted players, emphasizing the depth of understanding the organization has built over the years.

Sports Analyst [04:11]: "Jamar Chase could play any era anytime be an elite. I don't know how many players are better at football than Jamar Chase in the NFL."

The analyst highlights the strategic importance of these acquisitions, noting the strong rapport between the receivers and quarterback Joe Burrow. He underscores that while the Bengals' financial commitment to these players is commendable, it introduces risks, especially concerning budget allocations for other critical positions like the offensive line and defense.

Sports Analyst [06:45]: "You have to hit on defensive linemen, you're going to have to hit on defensive backs, you're going to have to hit on offensive linemen in the draft. If you tell me... something's very possible, they have little room for error in the draft."

The segment concludes with a cautious outlook on the Bengals' strategy, acknowledging the potential for success tempered by the high stakes involved.

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3. Vikings' Strategic Decision: Passing on Aaron Rodgers

Transitioning to the Minnesota Vikings, the discussion centers around the team's decision to forgo signing veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Sports Analyst commends the Vikings' front office for exercising patience and not succumbing to desperation, which often leads to suboptimal decisions.

Sports Analyst [12:16]: "The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed... but all of a sudden they're playing a Monday night game in Glendale, Arizona."

He contrasts this with other franchises that have made aggressive yet ineffective moves, such as the New York Jets trading away valuable assets for Rodgers' signing, which ultimately did not yield the desired results.

Sports Analyst [20:10]: "If I was Rogers, I would have gone to Minnesota for, like, nothing, like five million bucks. I'm in."

The analyst emphasizes the importance of evaluating players beyond their star status, focusing on their current performance and fit within the team's system.

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4. NFL Rule Changes: Impact and Implications

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to recent and proposed NFL rule changes. The Sports Analyst shares his perspectives on the potential banning of the Tush Push, a controversial play that has sparked debate among teams and fans alike.

Sports Analyst [32:59]: "I don't care if they ban it. It will not bother me if they let them continue to do that."

He also touches upon the proposed alterations to defensive holding penalties, advocating for a shift from automatic first downs to spot fouls. This change aims to reduce the impact of such penalties on the outcome of close games.

Sports Analyst [38:22]: "Automatic first down we have seen so often... it has an outweighed impact on the outcomes of way too many games."

Additionally, the analyst discusses the restructuring of playoff seeding, which now prioritizes division winners while also considering overall records. This change aims to create a more balanced and fair playoff system.

Sports Analyst [40:10]: "The top seven seeds in the playoffs are just by record. And now if you win the division, you do get a playoff spot."

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5. Steelers' Consistency and Challenges

The conversation shifts to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where the analyst reflects on the team's recent performance and management decisions. He critiques the Steelers' handling of veteran quarterbacks and their reluctance to adapt, which may hinder their competitiveness in a league dominated by powerhouse teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Baltimore Ravens.

Sports Analyst [27:45]: "They're waiting on a 41-year-old who's toying with your emotions. That's what it's come to."

He voices skepticism about the Steelers' ability to break out of their current performance slump, citing managerial and strategic shortcomings that have plagued the team despite having a storied history.

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6. Conclusion: Assessing the Landscape

Wrapping up the episode, the Sports Analyst offers a balanced view of the NFL's current state. He acknowledges the strengths of teams like the Chiefs but remains critical of the strategies employed by other franchises struggling to maintain consistency and competitiveness.

Sports Analyst [40:45]: "I think the Chiefs are in their own category and then that next tier of the Bills. Ravens have nothing in common with you."

The discussion underscores the relentless evolution of team strategies and management practices, urging listeners to stay informed and engaged with the ever-changing dynamics of the league.

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Notable Quotes:

• Sports Analyst [04:11]: "Jamar Chase could play any era anytime be an elite."

• Sports Analyst [06:45]: "You have little room for error in the draft."

• Sports Analyst [12:16]: "The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed..."

• Sports Analyst [32:59]: "I don't care if they ban it."

• Sports Analyst [38:22]: "Automatic first down has an outweighed impact on game outcomes."

• Sports Analyst [27:45]: "They're waiting on a 41-year-old who's toying with your emotions."

• Sports Analyst [40:45]: "The Chiefs are in their own category and then that next tier of the Bills."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd offers a comprehensive analysis of key NFL developments, blending strategic insights with candid opinions. Whether you're a Bengals fan intrigued by their bold signings, a Vikings supporter contemplating the implications of passing on Rodgers, or simply passionate about NFL rule changes, this episode delivers valuable perspectives to enhance your understanding of the game.

Transcript

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[Sports Analyst]

What is going on everybody? How are we doing? Hopefully everyone is having a good weekend and like we always do or every once in a while always would be strong. But sometimes we throw out a little weekend. Best of Pick some of the things we talked about this week, mix and mash it together behind the scenes and throw together a little podcast for everybody. So we had A pretty big week because the Bengals actually did what they've been telling everyone they were going to do and sign. Obviously Jamar Chase, but T. Higgins as well. Hell, they even put out a Twitter and Instagram video kind of double middle finger to everyone that said they would never do that. And they're cheap. It's like, guys, let's pump the brakes a little bit. Just because you get one victory in the off season doesn't mean you get to pump your chest. But they did, so we'll dive into that. And really why they did it. Joe Burrow Rogers is just, I mean, this story. Kevin O'Connell officially told him no thanks. So we will talk about that as well as some rule changes in the NFL when it comes to, you know, the Tush Push was the headliner probably a month ago with the packers doing it. But now we have rules in terms of overtime and something that's near and dear to my heart, that makes me really happy. Coming from the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell and that crew. It's crazy how the Lions have become like one of the high level staple franchises of the league. Just like, yeah, they just feel like they know what they're doing.

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[Sports Analyst]

There's a well run operation.

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[Sports Analyst]

Being that follows football, I was going to say 10, five years ago, that would be the case. Yeah, they're just considered like one of the well run operations, you know, like.

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[Sports Analyst]

Like it's just the Lions.

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[Sports Analyst]

But props to, props to the boys for getting that thing fixed. So let's dive into some football. The Bengals. I've had some time to think about this. And one, and I think Stingley falls under this too. You feel much better about giving massive amounts of money to guys you've drafted. Why? Because you know them really well. You have spent years around not the player, but. But the human being. Because in football, you meet, you lift, you're just sitting in the facility way more than you're on the field and playing NFL football. So you spend more time around Jamar Chase and T. Higgins and Joe Burrow and all these guys, the human beings than you do, quote unquote, the players. Now it's all intertwined, right? They're lifting, they're studying. Like it's all part of the package. But when you give a contract, right or wrong, because I hesitate to say that's a great deal. Like Jamar Chase, no problem. Jamar Chase could play any ERA anytime be an elite. I mean, Jamar Chase, I'm not alone saying this might be. I don't know how many players are better at football than Jamar Chase in the NFL, including quarterbacks. I mean, see one of the top five or six, seven most talented individual players in the NFL. I think he is. And you just, you keep. The whole point of a draft is to find a Jamar Chase and then keep that guy on your team as long as humanly possible, especially if he's healthy and playing at an elite level. I think sometimes when you get a redundant position, you go, like, let's use the Texans, for example. If they had a Derek Stingley and then another guy who wouldn't make 89 guaranteed, but maybe would be like 55, 60 guaranteed. You know what they probably would do? They would trade that player because is it awesome having two lockdown corners? Of course it is. Is it great business to have all your money into a position on the perimeter? I think it's pretty risky. And I would say the same thing about this. Teagan's clearly high level cat productive. I mean, he was banged up last year, missed a bunch of games, still at 10 touchdowns. So if you combine the two guys, they, they scored 27 touchdowns, two of them. And he has an incredible rapport with the quarterback and the quarterback. I don't think it's just beating the drum to give him an extension because he wants him to be rich. I think he wants to win and he thinks his best chance to win is with this player. And I don't blame him for thinking that. But I do think when you look at the totality of what you have to compete against in the conference, which is Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, and I'd even say, I think the Chargers are coming. They would never do that. They would never allocate that many resources to two wide receivers because it's just bad business. And this is where I think the Bengals passed of. And I talked about this when I, when I did, the reaction video is like, I think Mike Brown's pretty rattled because the talk of like, could Joe burrow in like a year or two be like, I can't be here anymore, I want out. And typically you'd say, listen, it's, it's football. The organization has more juice. Like, that's not, this isn't the NBA. And you go, well, he had a situation 15 plus years ago with Carson Palmer and he was like, I'm not playing for you anymore. And he just quit on him. And he was just gone. And that happened. I don't ever quite remember that happening at that level with a, with a player of that, you know, ability at that position. I mean, it had to kind of scar you. And I think Joe Burrow is. I would take, you know, a young Joe Burrow over Carson Palmer. And Carson Palmer is fucking incredible. I mean, Carson Palmer was awesome, but I just think you have to make this guy happy. And they're in this weird NBA situation. Like, I totally understood forever in LeBron's prime, like, yeah, do what he wanted to. He's the best player in the league. Like, if Giannis wants something, I'd listen to him. If Jokic wants something, I'd listen to him. If Steph Curry wants something, I'd listen to him. But then there are players. Like, I'm not listening to that guy. Like, I don't care if I'm Miami what Tua thinks. I'm not looking to get his opinion right. Like, the Cardinals aren't getting on the horn with Kyler Murray to ask about his free agency thoughts. But, like, Andy Reid probably runs stuff by Patrick Mahomes. Same thing with the Bills with Josh Allen. Joe Burrow's earned that. So is it ideal business? Like, is this something that every GM in the league would have done? Probably not. But given their situation with Joe Burrow, like, I kind of understand now the pressure on them. Like, the reason that they missed the playoffs wasn't because they needed just more firepower on offense. Offense wasn't the issue. Their defense was putrid. And for as important as it is to have a great coordinator, and it is. I mean, look at, look at the best teams the last couple of years. The Ravens with Mike McDonald, the Chiefs with Spagnola, the Niners in their heyday with Wasala and D'Amico. You need having elite defensive coordinators. Is the Eagles this year with Fangio is really, really important. What that week 17 game or week 18? I get my weeks the 17th game of the season. So week 18, what Aaron Glenn did against Sam Darnold. Having a high end defensive coordinator, There aren't many of them, but you can't be a great defensive coordinator without really, really good players. And Al Golden. Like, it wasn't that long ago that Lou Aman Runo was viewed as really good coordinator. Their roster was a lot better. And you look right now the situation with Trey Hendrickson, who's talked about like a free agent, though he's under contract, he just wants a lot more money, but he had an Incredible year and the defense sucked. It's about depth, it's about having a good defense. Look at the Eagles is about having high end players, multiple at every level. Like you can't just have one great defensive lineman, average DB play and like a decent linebacker, like, you're fucked. You need multiple all pros and not all at the same position. So the pressure now on the Bengals with them allocating to Burrow and the two wide receivers, I mean, especially if they extend Trey Hendrickson, which seems like it's very possible, they have little room for error in the draft. The other thing is offensive linemen are expensive, so they're not going to have the cash to buy these guys on the open market. They're going to have to hit on them too. So you're going to have to hit on defensive linemen, you're going to have to hit on defensive backs, you're going to have to hit on offensive linemen. In the draft. If you tell me, like what are their needs in the draft you go O line and defense and don't miss because if you do and you only hit on a player or two in a given draft, like it's going to be very hard for you to make up ground on these elite programs who like you have hall of Fame guys at quarterback. So like your point of difference, which is awesome, having Joe Burrow is somewhat neutralized because the teams you have to beat have Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. I would like their chances a lot more. If you told me the Bengals were in the nfc, I'd be like, yeah, their chances are decent because they're going to have the best quarterback every time they play all the NFC teams. That's just not the case in the afc. That doesn't mean he can't outplay those guys, but like if those guys are on at the same time, they just cancel each other out. So I just, I get it. I totally understand it. We're going to see if it's going to work. I think it's going to be very, very difficult. And basically their front office can't miss on any picks. Foreign.

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Let's dive into the Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O'Connell and Quesi, the GM have decided at this point in time, while they discussed, I think probably in depth and for days on end, potentially for the last month or two, should they be aggressive and sign Aaron Rodgers, that is their job. That is the job of every general manager is to do due diligence on every player available. And it's why Ryan polls last year. I'm sorry, takes a little heat of like, yeah, it was the easy thing to not bring any of the quarterbacks in beside Caleb Williams. Yeah, the media is going to give you a lot of credit. They don't sign your checks. Your job is to thoroughly evaluate and bring in Jane Daniels and Drake May, if he could have that one over, doesn't mean he would change the pick. But let's face it, they did not do their due diligence like they did with Caleb. And just like, even though you drafted a quarterback really, really high in J.J. mcCarthy, like, he played two preseason games and then hurt his knee and then needed another surgery and lost what looked like 30 or 40 pounds and look like what I aspire to be, really skinny. And it's like, is this guy good enough to carry our offense? You have to ask these, ask these questions and you're not going to have the answers until the season starts. But I think one thing the Minnesota Vikings had on their side, they're not desperate. And I think one consistent theme in life is when you make decisions out of desperation, it can blow up in your face. And sometimes in life, you don't have a choice. Right? Anyone who's listening to this that's lost a job or been dumped or had something traumatic happen to you, that's, I would say, somewhat out of your control. It can force you into change and some desperation and to charge a different path immediately. That you hadn't planned on doing. And you've heard a lot of people, especially, you know, successful people in business that say the most powerful word is always no. It doesn't mean that you're not interested or that you won't end up doing that. But when you say no, you gain some leverage. And typically like teams that make bad decisions or desperate decisions are bad. The reason the jets traded a haul and then paid Aaron Rodgers or took his salary, actually he ended up taking a pay cut, but basically gave him the keys of the franchise is not because they had been winning 11 or 12 games. It's because they had been dog shit. Like the 49ers just let their entire roster go. Do you think that happens if they win 12 games and are in the NFC Championship game? Probably not. But they went 6 and 11. So when you look, look at the Eagles two years ago, they start whatever, what is it, 10 and 1 and then basically lose six of their last seven games, get their ass kicked in the playoffs and they fired basically everyone they could see beside Nick Sirianni on the coaching staff. Do you think they do that if they were in the Super Bowl? Of course not. So winning and losing gives you juice. The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed and obviously they played a bad playoff game and got worked by the LA Rams. But like they're in a position where they look at the roster and go, minus the quarterback. We feel we have one of the better rosters in the NFL and we've invested in this young quarterback because we believe in him. Now, I've been saying over and over, you have no clue. There is a great unknown when it comes to J.J. mcCarthy. Is he going to be a good NFL player? No one knows, including Minnesota. And it's why it is their responsibility to have these discussions, to go in depth. Is it worth it? How much would he cost? What would he impact on the locker room? Is it worth JJ's development, good or bad to have him around? Is it better to not have him around? Are we a better football team with him as a starting quarterback? That's what they're paid to do. It's like the media, people like me, people, the fans, we can have all the opinions we want and listen, it's fun. It's why football is huge. We got a lot of thoughts, we got a lot of takes and we like talking about it, but it is their job. It's not about takes, it's not about opinions, is to get it right or wrong. And when you make a move like, if they go with J.J. mcCarthy and it works and they win 12, 13 games and he's a solid player, like, it's all worth it if he's not good and he can't carry the offense like Sam did. I know everyone's like, sam Donald's overrated. Look at the last two. He threw 35 touchdowns. J.J. mcCarthy, in 15 games when Michigan won the national championship, was never asked to play like that. His Career High was 22 touchdowns. Like he. He played in a run first defensive team in college. That's how Jim Harbaugh coaches. That is not how Kevin O'Connell coaches. Kevin O'Connell wants to call past plays. Don't blame him. That's what a lot of Andy Reid likes, calling pass plays. But when you call a lot of pass plays, you're pretty dependent on the quarterback. And Sam Darnold last year and Kirk Cousins the previous couple years. Like, those are guys that clearly you could lean on. We don't know that with J.J. mcCarthy. We used to know that with Aaron Rodgers.

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[Sports Analyst]

He was one of the best players of all time. That guy's gone. So you're getting a 41 year old. He's not like completely washed. I mean, this isn't Drew Brees or Roethlisberger at the end of the career, but he's a shell of what he once was. Like, we have to acknowledge that if he was once basically like a 10 out of 10 player, whatever that version is is long gone. He's still a functional player. He's still a guy that can throw touchdowns, who can, if you have a good team you can probably be competitive with, but there is no guarantee that he can just carry you to the promised land. And I don't blame any older player, especially when you become really rich and you've checked off every box like, I don't want to get hit. I wouldn't want to get hit either. Tom Brady, that last year was like, I'm not getting sacked. Aaron Rodgers last year, like, I'm not getting sacked. It's one thing to get like kind of randomly thrown to the ground. It's another thing when I see the guy coming at me like, I'm not standing in this pocket for that extra second where I can complete this ball. I'm hitting the ground now I'm throwing it away. And he used to not do that, and he did that last year, which again, I will defend. But when you go into business with him, that's what you have to do is understand that that's the player. It's why when the talk about, like, well, we just. If Matt Stafford doesn't take a pay cut, we'll just. We'll trade them to the Giants and we'll go sign Aaron Rodgers. And you would have fell off a cliff in terms of your offensive production. Because the one thing Stafford will still do, even though he's made a ton of money and won a championship, he will sit in that pocket and get Molly whopped as he waits to the last possible second to deliver a strike to Puka Nakua for a first down. For some reason, I still don't. I saw a headline, Cooper Cup. He's like, I never got an answer from the Rams. It's like, Cooper, they don't think you're worth $20 million. You're in the business of football and what your salary is. If it doesn't equal how good you are as a player anymore, whether it's the Rams or whether it's the Patriots, whether it's the Chiefs, every team in the league would have cut you. It's not because they don't like you as a guy. It's not because they don't think you work hard. It's not because they don't think you're a good influence of the team. It's because your salary was much larger than how you are currently as a player. It's called the business that is the NFL. You would have been cut by all 32 teams. They're not going to give you a letter of explanation of, like, your routes aren't as good anymore. It's your injuries and your dependability. You're not dependable anymore. It has nothing to do with, like, you as a guy. And I understand, like, I've been fired. It's. It's a humbling experience, but, like, they didn't think you were $20 million. It's not that fucking complicated. If I see one more headline like, cooper cup just does not understand. What is there not to understand? This isn't a complicated formula. He's not as good as the high price. They think Devonte Adams is worth way more money than you. Right? Which is your old salary, $20 million. They'll gladly play that. Savante, they do not want to pay you. And I think whenever I. It's hard to know with Rogers, you know, how much he actually wanted. If I was Rogers, I would have gone to Minnesota for, like, nothing, like five million bucks. I'm in. Because if he ends up with the Steelers and the Giants, and I mentioned this yesterday, like, I don't really care. Neither one of those things do anything to me. I don't think the Steelers are dramatically any different than they have been the last several years. And I think the Giants will be bad. And I think the Giants are in a really, really tough spot. And I don't really know what else they were supposed to do. But, and I said this yesterday, I understand why John Mara did not want to be looked at like some loony owner constantly firing people. But it's like, John, everyone you fired deserved to be fired. Like Ben McAdoo, you had to pull the trigger. Joe Judge ran a quarterback sneak on third and nine. He had to go. Pat Shermer had no business being a head coach. Like, this crew, it's not really working out. And like, I get it, you like these guys. A lot of people get fired in the NFL that people liked. Pete Carroll got fired, Andy Reid got fired. Like, it's part of the job. But these guys have no shot to win. And if you add Aaron Rodgers, like, their roster is way worse than the Jets. And unlike the jets, they play in a division that's much better. I mean, the Eagles are a powerhouse. Clearly Washington is going to be improved. And they were in the NFC Championship last year. And let's face it, like, the Cowboys had a million injuries. Maybe they're no longer that 12 win team, but they're way better than the Giants. So I think this Giant situation is like. And even if they end up drafting Chador with the third overall pick, like, I, I saw Shador two years ago on a bad Colorado team, they were not good. And it's just like, if you put players on bad teams, especially a quarterback like, they, they let's. They're fucking Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers in his prime. They're not overcoming that. You will lose. We just saw Aaron Rodgers, on a talented team last year, lose week after week after week after week. And I think the Steeler thing, and I think what Cam said is reflective, kind of what we all believe. It's like, I just, I can't. I just can't. It feels like a Bravo show now. And which, listen, when you are an elite, when you're a great player, you can deal with it. Like at one point in time, it's like, yeah, Antonio Brown's nuts, but he'll give you 120 catches and 15 touchdowns a year. Like, yeah, you just kind of deal with the nuts. And then it got to the point where like, yeah, he's not giving you that anymore. I'm out. Terrell Owens became that. And every once in a while, quarterback becomes that. It's like your drama outweighs. I don't know how people deal with, like, I'm pretty lucky. My immediate family, there's not much drama involved. I keep a relatively smaller friend circle because I just. I can't really deal with crazy drama. I mean, there are levels where you have to be, you know, you have a family member, a close friend who just. There's drama in their life. They need help. Like that. What I'm talking about, I'm just saying constantly something. It's like, if I'm the Steelers, it's like, listen, we sucked it up and we dealt with this weirdo Russell Wilson. Now we're dealing with Mr. Ayahuasca, who it just isn't as good anymore. Now you could also say, if you're the Steelers, like, what are your options? And I know it's been reported that they were pretty interested in bringing Justin Fields back on. Somewhat of a similar number to what the jets gave him, which I honestly think would have been insane. It's like, wait, you're willing to give him even a number near that? Couple years, $40 million in guarantee. 30. And you wouldn't. And you benched him for Russell Wilson. How's that possible? And you refused. As Russell Wilson started not playing well and it got cold and he looked like a shell of himself, you refused to start Fields. Like that would have showed you that you essentially threw the last season. So I think both these franchises, I was pretty aggressive on how I was out on the Steelers last year, and I looked dumb when they started 10 and 3. And then everything changed. They started playing good teams and I looked smart again. And listen, I've come to grips with. I'm no longer saying that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers should get a divorce. I don't believe it's going to happen. I believe he will be there forever, no matter how many 8, 9, 10 win seasons he has and how many times he gets his ass kicked in the first round. Like, I'm done. That's a take. That's a waste of my energy. I'm also done ever thinking the Steelers are going to suck. They're clearly not. But like their version of suck is what we are witnessing right now. The team that just does the same thing every single year. And clearly the Chiefs are this dynasty team. Five Super Bowls, six years, three championships. But that next tier of team that cannot beat the Chiefs kicks your ass. The Bills and the Ravens. So it's like the Chiefs are in their own category and then that next tier of the Bills. Ravens have nothing in common with you. They own you. Yeah, occasionally you could beat the Ravens and Lamar in a regular season game. No one cares, right? I mean guys like De'Aaron Fox score 50 in random regular season games. It does not matter in the landscape of the league in the important games. So it's like I just think the Steelers are now in the same spot over and over, over and over. They can add Rogers, they can bring back Russell, they can draft Jackson, Dart, they do whatever. I don't think anything's going to change. And it sucks if you're a Steeler fan because it's like we're never going to bottom out. So we never will have a chance at the Jaden Daniels or the, you know, I don't think Trevor Lawrence any good but like that type player will always just, you know, somehow be nine to 10 wins, be one and done in the playoffs, not host a playoff game, have a stretch in the regular season where like are we pretty good? It's like, no, actually not. So it's just the same old same old now. Now you're waiting on a 41 year old who's toying with your emotions. That's what it's come to. You're waiting on a 41 year old that we've all acknowledged isn't that good anymore. Like he's not worthy of like we should be. But we're desperate. What else are we supposed to do? And the answer is you're screwed.

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[Nikki Glaser]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that.

[Tom Brady]

They hate each other.

[Nikki Glaser]

But then when you really listen to.

[Tom Brady]

Them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know.

[Nikki Glaser]

This, this commercial really got me.

[Tom Brady]

It's a strong reminder that hate in.

[Nikki Glaser]

Our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following OTs.

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[Sports Analyst]

Okay, we'll get out of here on this. Some potential rule changes Obviously one of the headliners over the last couple months has been the packers want to ban the Tush push. My overall take is I don't care if they ban it. I don't. It will not bother me if they let them continue to do that. Will not bother me either because anyone can do the Tush push. The only team that has the guy who is a little shorter that can squat 600 plus pounds is them. Because I saw Josh Allen, who I thought is one of the stronger, bigger quarterbacks I've ever seen try to run quarterback sneaks and he couldn't gain a half yard. So I just don't care. You ban it. Cool. You don't ban it. Okay, doesn't bother me. But I do think there are some pretty important potential rule changes. I have been saying forever as a fan of football, as someone that gambles on football, as someone who just watches a ton of football. The amount of games in type most NFL games are close. I think 80% of games are within one score in the fourth quarter. So giving teams automatic first downs on defensive holding is the most, I think one of the craziest things in the NFL rule book. How often do you watch a third and 10 in the second half, tie game, down three, up three and a team, third and nine and some questionable defensive holding or illegal contact. Automatic first down. It's fucking bullshit. I would even go a step farther. Pass interference. We should go college. 15 yard penalty. But that's a different discussion. No problem if it's third and three. Defensive holding, first down. But automatic first down we have seen so often second and long, third long, it'd be like third and 15 and there'd be a defensive holding. Automatic first down. Especially when the quarterback doesn't even throw that guy's way and it doesn't even come close to being completed. So the Detroit Lions, Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and the Ford family F150. Number one selling truck in America. No free ads. But it's truth. They want that gone, they want that changed and just make it a spot foul. So if it's third nine and it happens at three yards, okay, it's now third and six. I'm all for it. I am 100% down because the automatic first down on that play has, has an outweighed impact on the outcomes of way too many games. This is not college football where half the games during the fall are 15, 20, 30 point spreads. That's not the case. All these games are close or the majority of them are in so many times coming down the home stretch. And it probably impacts more games earlier in the game too, but it's like a tie game. Six minutes left and it would have been a punt. And then all of a sudden you get a first down, at least to a field goal. And that's the difference in a game. So props to the Lions on that one. They also, I guess a lot of teams are behind the reseeding of the playoff teams. Essentially no longer the first four seeds, one through four are the four division winners. Because we have constantly seen, you know, nine, 10 win teams usually be the fourth, sometimes even the third seat. And yet we've had wild card teams win 12, 13, 14 games and have to go on the road in the playoffs. So they are discussing making. Basically the top seven seeds in the playoffs are just by record. And now if you win the division, you do get a playoff spot. So four of the seven spots are still going to go to the division winner, which I'm all for, but you don't automatically get a home game. Look at the Vikings now because of the fires, they ended up playing in Arizona, but the Vikings had to go on the road. The Vikings were 60 minutes away from being the number one overall seed. Instead they lose, and all of a sudden they're playing a Monday night game in Glendale, Arizona, which still kind of worked out to be a home game for them because of how many people from the Minnesota general area, you know, I would say live, you know, in Arizona, but that's beside the point. They have one of the best home field advantages in the NFL. So I'm totally for this. I know a lot of people have hit me up over the years asking if they should do a team can pick whoever they want to play. I think that's fun to talk about and it's a cool discussion. It will never happen. And all 32 teams, the good and the bad teams would not want that. So totally for that. The other thing is, I think the Steelers put through this rule out, which I don't hate right now. During the tampering period, you are, based on the letter of the law, not allowed to talk to the player. So if I, if I'm the New England Patriots and I want Milton Williams, I can talk to his agent. But if I'm Vrabel or my defensive coordinator, I can't get on the horn with Milton. I have to wait till the official start of the league year to talk to him. They want to make the tampering period allow you to talk to a player. So if I'm recruiting player X as a free agent, I basically can't talk to him where I can avoid that. Remember Saquon said something about how he talking to him last year and then he had to push back. And it turns out, you know, it's like, I think the fix is pretty simple. You are allowed. You're not allowed to announce anything. But to me, the tampering period should start at the NFL combine and then the league year, whenever that tampering period, quote, unquote starts, should be that Monday in the league year, and then for maybe even three days. So it could be a Sunday. You're allowed to negotiate with the player and the agent because it is very. You have to be extremely naive to think that these discussions aren't happening very, very frequently at the combine. So we all know the combine is the unofficial start to legal tampering, yet you can't start, quote, unquote, legal tampering till like a week later on Monday. It's just. It's very disingenuous and it's just not the way the real world works. So to me, I would mess with the combine and have that as some sort of legal tampering and try to ideally give it a week where you start announcing the deals. But even right now, once the legal tampering period begins, all these deals start breaking. You think we just come to an agreement $60 million Monday at noon? Of course not. We've we've been talking for a week, so I think there's something to be manipulated with the legal tampering, with the discussions and just make it all legal so we don't even have to pretend anymore. But I'm all for the Lions and the defensive holding and illegal contact not resulting in an automatic first down and not against either the the the receding just based on records even though the four division winners get an auto Spot.

[T-Mobile Representative]

The volume.

[Nikki Glaser]

This is Nikki Glaser from the Nikki Glaser Podcast. Have you guys seen this new commercial from Stand up to All Hate? It's basically Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady going back and forth with reasons that.

[Tom Brady]

They hate each other.

[Nikki Glaser]

But then when you really listen to.

[Tom Brady]

Them, the reasons for the hate are just so stupid. I don't know.

[Nikki Glaser]

This this commercial really got me.

[Tom Brady]

It's a strong reminder that hate in.

[Nikki Glaser]

Our country continues to be out of control. So join us at iHeart in standing up to it. If you see hate, speak up. Call it out. Your voice is a powerful tool in this fight. You can learn more by following ot's upwithhate PayPal lets you pay all your pals like your graduation gifters.

[Sports Analyst]

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