← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
3 & Out - Tua to the Falcons, Malik Willis to Miami, Eagles vs Packers & NFL Storylines
00:58:42
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home, where it all comes together. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where you'll find the top products by brands like KitchenAid. Visit your local showroom or visit FergusonHome.com hey, this is Levar Arrington here from up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card Apple Cart members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA so Salt Lake City branch terms and more@applecart.com can I tell you about my friends at Reef? Reef has taken the same comfort they are known for and built it into everyday men's shoes. You know what I walked around in, what I wore to fly in and what I took to San Francisco this week. My Reef Del Mars works for commuting Travel casual. It looks fantastic. It was really comfortable. It's pearly white. I also got a pair of blue ones. I cannot endorse this product enough. They are going to be my go to shoe moving forward. So check out the Shoreline del mar on reef.com and redeem 15% off your first purchase. We all want the best without having to pay the most. That's where Verizon comes in. Get this now you can take your AT&T or T mobile bill into any Verizon store. They'll look at what you're paying and give you a better deal period. You get the amazing coverage you want while keeping more cash in your pocket. Visit your local Verizon store to start saving today. Must provide recent consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms and conditions apply. The volume. What is going on my people? How are we doing? John Middlecop three and out Podcast NFL Free agency Off and running deals galore Guys signing guys leaving Today was Today was more fun than I expected. I thoroughly enjoyed it watching McAfee with Schefter in the morning. I went out with Colin in the middle of the day. You can check out that podcast and I said you know what, let's just throw a bunch of my thoughts on in a notebook and let's just bang out some takes so that's what we will do today. From Malik Willis to the packers and the Eagles losing a lot of players to the Raiders, adding a lot of players to the Bears to just a big picture thoughts on individual teams. Kelsey coming back, Mike Evans going to the 49ers. We got a lot going on. I'm sure a lot will more will go on tomorrow. So we'll have another podcast reacting to anything else that happens and just let's buckle up. Probably do a mailbag a little bit later in the week. At John Middlekopf. At John Middlekopf is my Instagram just fire in those dms. But that will be the game plan today. Just a a free agent jam packed show. So you guys know the drill. Subscribe to the 3Now podcast. Wherever you listen, Spotify, Apple, you name it. Any of your podcast platforms, we got you covered. If you want to watch us, we're on this little application called Netflix. Go check that out every single day up on Netflix. So appreciate everyone that's checked that out and watching and let's just dive into some football. I do want to start because I actually think this is the coolest story of the year is Malik Willis. And I also think it it's kind of an inspiration to I don't care what you do in life, right? I'll promise you this. When you're young, there is a small percentage of people that like walk into a room when they're young. I don't care if it's in the NFL. I don't care if it's in Wall Street. I don't care if you're selling insurance. Where everyone in the room goes, this guy's going to be a star. Let's be real. Most people do not believe in you when you're young. No one, and I repeat, no one should believe in you more than yourself. But when you are in jobs like Malik Willis, public job, play quarterback and you do not play well, everyone's going to on you. It's going to be a universal take. I was guilty. I thought based on Tennessee, you know, he's a raw product coming out of college. I'm like, listen, I've heard great things about the person. Seems like a very impressive dude, but he couldn't play dead in a Western. And then I remember when the Green Bay Packer traded for him last year, I thought it was a dumb move. I was like, this is. You're going to make Malik Willis your backup quarterback. And Matt LaFleur and Gudikens immediately shut us all up because Jordan Love got hurt week one. And then immediately they won a couple games with Malik Willis at quarterback. Now granted it was a run heavy operation, but still I thought that was like one of Matt Lafleur's crowning achievements so far as the head coach of his tenure at the Green Bay Packers. Like you can win games with Malik Willis. And then this year there was really no disputing it. Like the guy could play. And I think the NFL, like a lot of our businesses, right this, this is not the NBA, right? These guys that are going to get drafted in this crop of Debonsa, the dude at Kansas boozers, kid like these guys are going to be viewed as stars the moment they come into the league. Now whether they live up to the hype or not, who knows. But that's kind of way basketball works. Most of the best players in my life in basketball were drafted extremely high. Even a guy. Well, Steph Curry wasn't drafted one. Yeah, he was drafted seventh. You know, Michael Jordan was drafted third. Magic Johnson was drafted one. You know, I mean Shaquille o' Neal drafted one. I think in this day and age Kobe Bryant wouldn't have lasted till wherever he went. 12, right. With with the Internet and video. Like most people hadn't seen him play at Lower Marion was a little harder to get tape back then. Where in football we see it all the time. And I'm not just talking, you know, position players, quarterbacks as well. No one would have thought that Kirk cousins would make $300 million and be a decade long starter. Not in a million years. And, and I think a Malik Willis comp. If he just becomes a good player is Dak Prescott bit now he's got a bigger arm than Dak, but really mobile. Super smart, high level guy. Just needed to improve. If you watch Dak Prescott at Mississippi State, you would never have thought he would go on to have a 15 year NFL career. And where we currently sit in 2026, he's one of the more consistent passers in the league. Improvement over time, work ethic, Practice, it's. It's really the only sport where practice you practice way more than you play. Even in the pros. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, all off season, all training camp, even Saturdays the day before you're doing walkthroughs, right. The whole point of football is you are given the opportunity to improve. Great players improve constantly because it's right in front of them all you do. The majority of you only play 17 games. Yet all off season, all training camp and all season you're on the field every single day, you're practicing live reps, even if you're not being tackled to the ground. So if you're willing, which Malik Willis clearly was, to put in the work, to put in the sweat equity McAfee I was watching today is free agent frenzy, which was extremely entertaining. Gets him on the phone. Where was Malik Willis? On the grass. Just finished a throwing session. If you are wired the right way in football, if you have the mental and physical toughness, if you have the desire to be a better player, I'm not. It's easy to throw alley. I want to be a great player. Do you have the desire to just improve, try really hard? What did we talk about yesterday with Max Crosby? His greatest attribute is simply his effort. He literally plays harder than everyone else in the league. That is a skill, right? And that skill, the ability to play hard, is what you have to work hard because your cardio has to be at a super high level. Why could Steph Curry for 15 plus years run circles around everybody all game long and not get tired? Because when we weren't watching during the day, during the off season, his training regimen, you couldn't even argue, had to be elite. Football is no different. The difference though, is unlike some of these other sports, you are spending a lot of times with your coaching staff and that's out of your control. We saw Malik Willis in Tennessee, which was at the end of the variable 10 year. It was just weird. Everything was off kilter. And you need good coaches, you need a good scheme. You need people that believe in you. And in football, when people believe in you and then you're willing to reciprocate it, good things can happen. Now this is the best case is Malik Willis just got almost $50 million guaranteed. Think about that. If I would have told you a couple years ago that a team would give Malik Willis three years and $70 million and $50 million guaranteed, I rounded up a little bit. You would have been like, you are out of your mind. That's the most insane team in the history of sports. And honestly, when that deal came up today, I'm like, that makes perfect sense. And here's the other thing, specifically, in football, you never know. You never know who's going to be around you. Your position coach within a year could be the offensive coordinator somewhere else. Your offensive coordinator or defensive coordinator could immediately become head coaches. The assistant GM that you see in the cafeteria, that you see at practice could be running a franchise within six months of the summer. That's how fast it flips. Think about when Malik Willis got traded to the Green Bay Packers. Jeff Halfley had just left college and became the Green Bay packers defensive coordinator. Two football seasons later, he's the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Oh, yeah. With the assistant GM of the Green Bay Packers. So two guys that had a front row seat and Jeff Halfley. Every single day at practice. When Jordan Love was healthy, who do you think was servicing the defense? Who do you think was playing scout team quarterback? This isn't college or high school where you got a bunch of quarterbacks out there. It's the backup quarterback. It's Malik Willis. Who do you think was part of that trade and talking about his development and just having a front row seat every single day, the general manager. And that's the thing in football. Even if your team's average, your guy can become a head coach, let alone if you're a good team like the Green Bay packers. You know, Joe DiMaggio said this thing that the reason that he always played hard, because he never wanted a kid or someone in the stands who might be the first time he's ever seen him play to be disappointed in watching him. And I think when you bring the mentality of, like, every single day I'm trying to impress the people I'm around, because as we see in the NFL, these guys constantly get spread all over the league. All of a sudden, the guy that was my quarterback coach, three years later, he's the head coach of the New York Jets. That's how fast it flips. And Malik Willis took complete advantage of that, clearly on the field from improving, doing everything he could to get better. And then at the end of the day, like, regardless of what you do, your opportunity comes. You. You, you got to come through. And sometimes you're ready and sometimes you're not. And this year, Malik Willis's opportunity came through multiple times. One opportunity, he got the chance to start, so he got to prepare all week. Did excellent. But to me, the most impressive game that Malik Willis has played in his career was this year against the Bears when Jordan Love got KO'd and he had to come in and he was excellent. He was playing in a cold environment. He was playing in a game that was not game plan for him specifically. And I thought he was. I remember watching that game on my couch thinking, this guy's good. Like, this guy's good. Now, is it going to go well in Miami? Do I believe this guy's going to become some top 10 quarterback? I do not. But I have seen a Guy who's constantly improved. I have seen a guy who has gotten better at every step of the way. When he finally got around credible people in the Green Bay packers. And then these guys get their opportunity, they kick to it of the curb. Who goes to the Falcons? I mean, does anyone like short left handed quarterbacks with below average arms like Kevin Stefanski? I mean, what, what are we doing? Like, I'm trying not to shit on the Falcons. Kevin Stefanski seems like a nice guy. We'll see how it goes with Ian Cunningham. But you signed Tua Tonga Vailoa like that. That feels like the better version of Dylan Gabriel in tua. And I mean that as, I guess, a compliment. But Dylan Gabriel to me is like a borderline UFL player. And to me too, he starts for you consistently this year. You're winning five or six games. And that might be the case anyway with Pennix, I'm out on the Falcons, I really am. I know everyone thinks Stefanski is like some Shanahan McVeigh LaFleur, Kevin O' Connell level guy. I don't necessarily. And clearly his evaluations when it comes to quarterbacks are atrocious. I mean, they just simply are. So the Dolphins take a historic, historic, just dead cap hit in booting Tua. And I also think the one thing we've seen with TUA and Kyler is that you better be very careful with who you give a big contract to. And I think the day and age of seeing average guys get $200 million is over. Because we just have two examples with, you know, two, owed $99 million in dead cap. The wherever Kyler ends up landing, the Arizona Cardinals are gonna have to pay him 36, 37 million dollars this year. Uh, you just can't make those mistakes. It's one thing if you sign a guy and then he's kind of up and down and you know, Jalen hurts, right? He's got to play better. Jordan Love, he's got to play a little bit better. You know, there's no, there's nothing wrong with saying you got to play better. But it's like when I want immediately out of your business and I'm willing to take a $55 million dead cap hit or $99 million dead cap it to just get away from you. That is a sign that you signed one of the worst contracts in the history of the league. And it's one thing like when the Denver Broncos made the deal with Russell Wilson, I supported it. I'm not going to act like I was against it. I understood it. He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory. Some might say he's still a Hall of Famer. I think it's kind of up for debate how it ended, but he was one of the best players of his era. This was a team that was desperate. But he wasn't your guy. And a couple years later you have a new coach and it just goes kind of haywire. Right? But the Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins had these guys in house. Like they knew how talented those guys were, that they knew their warts and they still signed the deals and it completely blew up in their face. Two teams that have been, obviously the Eagles have been to a couple Super Bowls in the last four years. The packers have been one of the better franchises in all of American sports for 30 plus years. Have a lot of turnover. And looking at the Eagles today that lost Nicobi Dean, the loss Reed Blankenship, I understand why they lost Jordan Phillips when Jordan Phillips signed with the Carolina Panthers. And to me, nothing sums up free agency quite like that. And I get the Panthers are a little desperate. They need more help up front. Under no circumstances even of how he had the available cap space. I couldn't see him signing Jordan Phillips to four year, whatever, $30 million a year and giving him $80 million guaranteed. That to me, of all the contracts today was like, damn. Now I, I went on with Colin the last couple days we had a couple podcasts out. So go check that out. I do have a philosophy when it comes to signing guys that aren't going to go to the Pro bowl, right? We're not going to be probably all pros. You're going to have to overpay in free agency. That's part of the exercise, right? These guys are available. You got multiple people bidding on them. It drives up the price. It's basic supply and demand. Like this is a basic economic exercise. The reason these contracts are bigger than they would be if someone had just given this guy an extension a year ago on the team is because you have people bidding for their services. But once you pay that guy, like last year when the Patriots gave Milton Williams a ton of money, it seemed crazy. It's like you're going to give a guy who has never been a full time starter. Even, even the year that the Eagles won the super bowl and he had his breakout season, he was good. He didn't. He played like 50% of the snaps. But if you're going to, quote, unquote, pay a premium, overpay, he's got to Be a really good player for you. And what was Milton Williams immediately for the Patriots? He was an excellent player. Plug and play, high end starter on a team that won the afc. You feel good about that. Even if Jaylen Phillips isn't, Miles Garrett isn't Max Crosby isn't, Aiden Hutchinson, that's fine. Can he be a really high end starter on a team that clearly has aspirations on going back to the playoffs and winning nine or 10 games, then you feel good about it. In a perfect world, would you like to give them $18 million? Sure. But in the situation they're in, you got to overpay. It is what it is. But you get to a position when you're Howie, you have no choice. Even if you want to retain his services, which clearly they do. Their edge rush was not great. They got the two defensive linemen. Obviously Jordan Davis is now under contract and you know, Jalen Phillips, or excuse me, Jalen Carter. It's just a tough situation. Like, are you going to be cool with giving him $150 million guaranteed? I, I think the Eagles are a little uncomfortable doing that. I think it's safe to say. But when you have those two defensive tackles, if you have a couple good edge edges, your defensive line is going to be good. And Jalen Hunt is a guy who's really, come on, they need to keep Nolan Smith on the field. But this is the first year that Jalen hurts is cap hit isn't nothing. It's. It's not 2 or 3% of the cap, it's 10% of the cap. And next year that only rises. And same thing with the packers, who lost a ton of guys today. I think a lot of people go, well, they're paying Micah Parsons 45, $47 million a year. Micah Parsons cap hit is half as much in 2026 as Jordan loves, which is 12% of the cap. Which is it? Everything. It's not as high as Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield and Matt Stafford, but it's still pretty substantial. And once you get in a position where you're paying your quarterback a lot of money, you have to make some other decisions around the margins. And if you make a bad decision, as the packers did last year with Aaron Banks, they gave him way too much money and all of a sudden you kind of got up. Yeah, we can't Quay Walker to keep him around. We have to cut Jenkins the offensive lineman. We're pro, we're not going to resign. Romeo Dobbs kind of is what it is. As of recording this they're not. Who knows, Maybe they end up doing that. But these are the type decisions you have to make. You know, Reed gets a bunch of money from the Houston Texans. Nakobe Dean gets a bunch of money from the Raiders. Obviously Jalen Phillips, which if you would have told me when the Eagles traded for Jalen Phillips that another team would offer that contract in November, I would have been like, jaylen Phillips was just playing out the season with the Eagles. He's not going to be around anymore because they weren't going to. No chance. It's not even an option. So this is part of doing business in the NFL is once you start paying a lot of guys money, even though you can manipulate the cap, which how he's probably the best in the league, you get in positions where you have to make financial decisions and you have to let guys who have been consistent winning players for your franchise, they get to a number that you just literally can't match, even if you like the player, even if you like the person. And that's part of football, right? You got to draft, develop, you got to replace. I mean, the Ravens did it for 20 plus years. The Chiefs are about to attempt to do that, right? Let trade McDuffie, let Jalen Watson go cook the safety. It's part of the league is you got to get some turnover and then you got to have the next crop of young guys take their spots. But this is the reason that these teams sign veteran players, because, yeah, I can hope the guy draft in the second round becomes Eamon Worre or becomes A.J. brown or becomes Nick Chubb on the Browns. But a lot of times that guy, it's a 50, 50 coin flip at best, becomes a guy that can't be on the field for a playoff team and becomes a guy that gets beat out by a fifth or sixth rounder. The draft is a crapshoot. I love it, you love it, we all enjoy it. But there's a great unknown, right? We were all in college, graduating classes. I was in one in 2008. A lot of people went on different paths. Some people made millions, and some people, now that I graduated with a Cal Poly, are probably doing nothing. And life's not great. So there is no guarantee just because everyone starts at the same spot. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet. Florida's sportsbook March is officially here, and that means more college hoops. And it takes center stage, baby. Stakes are rising, the shots are falling, and now is the time to hit the hardwood with Hard Rock Bet. Sign up the day and double your winnings on your first 10 bets. Max $50 that's right, your winnings are doubled on your first 10 bets. So if you would have won 100 bucks on your bet, that makes 200. That's how you start March hot. And the welcome offer is just the tip off all tournament long. Hard Rock Bet is rolling out daily dance and boosts featuring a live profit boost and a parlay profit boost every single day. More ways to shoot your shot, more ways to cash in with the boosted odds. So don't sit this one out on the bench. Download the Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app today and let's get the party started baby. Payable and bonus bets Not a cash offer Offered by Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC and all other states. You must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. To play terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida? Call 1833-playwise in Indiana. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-9 with it gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where it all comes together. Ferguson Home is designed for the way you want to shop. Experience today's top products by brands like KitchenAid firsthand by visiting a Ferguson Home showroom where you'll explore stunning displays featuring today's latest products and innovations, or browse their extended selection of products online. Ferguson Home understands that every project is made up of countless decisions, and that's why their expert consultants are committed to helping homeowners, builders, contractors and designers bring all the details together. You can count on support from them start to finish, from choosing the right products to coordinating deliveries with your project schedule. Book a one on one consultation at your local Ferguson Home showroom or shop online at Ferguson Home. Whether you're working on a new kitchen, a new bathroom, or a whole home remodel, you'll find the latest designs and technologies from the brands you trust at Ferguson Home. Hey, this is lavar Arrington here from up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything like like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com when you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. That leads me into the Raiders who I gotta bring up this tweet from Schefter that brought their additions today. And I've said this forever. Back when I worked in the Bay Area, I was adamant that moving to Vegas was crazy. It's clearly the best thing they ever did financially. Not only they moved to Vegas, the financial windfall of the new stadium, but Mark Davis deserves credit for reaching out to these billionaire guys, getting them involved as minority owners, and bringing in Tom Brady, who is clearly part of that package because they've given him an influx of cash. It doesn't mean just because you have money it's going to work. I mean, last year hiring Chip Kelly for three years, $18 million is one of the most embarrassing hires in the history of the league. I mean there have been countless articles you talk about a mail in job, but it does give you the resources to attempt to do stuff like that. And if that $6 million could have been used on the right guy, they just got the wrong guy. And you can also take advantage of free agency because you can use signing bonuses. And one thing the Raiders have going for them and this the Cowboys have going for them if they ever wanted to get aggressive in free agency is, you know, the, the, the Florida teams. Like the no state income tax is a really big deal. It, it really is. And I don't think enough people in the media really dive deep enough into it when you're talking at the units and the numbers that these guys are making the difference of signing with a no state income tax in a place like Illinois, New York, California can be millions upon millions of net dollars in your bank account. So I know it makes some people uncomfortable, but this is real big business. This is real money. So it's like do you want to keep it or do you not want to keep it? And when you're a bad team, you got to quote, unquote, overpay sometimes. But when you have the capital to buy guys, they're going to be very interested because of the money they're going to get to keep in their bank account. And we'll get to the Linder Bond thing here in a second because I think that's directly tied to Max. But they signed Quay Walker. They signed to Kobe Dean, who was just like an A plus character guy and if he's healthy, is a good starter. Jalen Naylor. Every time I looked up from Minnesota, especially when Jordan Addison was injured or you know, in trouble, like you talk about a guy, he ran a 45 at the combine, but I feel like the guy plays like 4:3. He, he's averaged like 15 plus yards of catch. He's had a bunch of touchdowns even though he hasn't been that productive in terms of reception standpoint. I, I like Jalen. Jalen Naylor. Quiddy Pay, Eric Stokes, Malcolm Coons. They bought a bunch of guys on defense, right? And you lose Max. Their defense wasn't very good to begin with. You just buy a bunch of guys on defense and listen just to get your franchise going in the right, right direction. Like, do I think the Raiders are just going to win nine or ten games this year? I don't. But do I think that they can just be a credible football team when you turn on the television in October and November? I do. And I also think this allows them to use that 14th pick on offense. You can either take a sweet wide receiver, you can take a sweet offensive lineman. You don't have to like really think about a need. And to me, I would use that pick somewhere on offense, 100%, not on defense because I, I, I just think you get the opportunity. The Oregon tight end. I, I don't not sure if there's a receiver worth the 14th overall pick. Definitely has an opportunity to be an offensive lineman Worth the 14th overall pick. Then you get Mendoza, you get your center, which, let's face it, they gave Tyler Lindenbaum a lot of money. He makes dramatically more than the next highest paid center. Don't mind overpaying a center which is going to touch my rookie quarterback every single play of his career. Like that kind of matter. Maybe not the, the total length of his career, but for the next several years, Lindenbaum is going to be right there with Fernando Mendoza in the meetings, on the practice field every single day. They should be attached at the hip and obviously he's played a huge had A huge impact on the Ravens with Lamar and the offense. And I also think that if you're a Raider fan, you look at it simply like us trading Max to the Ravens and the cap space which he takes. Lamar has the biggest cap hit as of right now. They could restructure his contract in the NFL. In the NFL for, for example, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts are 31 and $36 million, which is the biggest on both their teams. Hertz is 10% of his cap. Love is 12% of his cap. Lamar Jackson is more than double Jordan Love. So you're talking about a guy in the high 20s, his percentage of their salary cap. So part of trading Max Crosby to take up that space is Linder Bom is not even an option for them. Because I'll get into it later this week when I'm sure we'll do a mailbag, maybe in a couple days when things die down. Is someone asked me, why didn't they transition, tag the center and just use that money to try to work out a deal? Because they don't have the cap space. They don't have the financial flexibility. And once you get Max, who ain't making $5 a year, you got to make some tough decisions. And the Raiders were able to pounce on that because I think there were countless other teams interested, specifically the Washington Commanders, when it came to Linderbaum's services. But the Raiders, and this is where like 20 years ago, they don't get them because they wouldn't have had the money to give just a historic deal. But now with these billionaires like cut the check, it means little to nothing to them. And I, I think it's a massive, massive move for them. I. I really do. It's. It gives them credibility for their young quarterback because when you remove a guy like Max, which the Ravens are really going to benefit from being the heart and soul of your franchise, the work ethic, the team captain, it's hard to replace that. And this is not, you know, no one in the NFL tanks and doesn't add veteran guys. That's not the way it works. You need people that know what they're doing to look up to. Right? Or for your young guys to look up to. You know, remember Sam Hinkey? When they did trust the process, they would have no veteran guys. So as they started drafting good players, they're good players and they kept tanking. Like Ben Simmons and Embiid are just looking up to scrubs. It's like, that's not a good way to Set the culture in your organization. You need guys who have won to be around. It's why I think, listen, the Chiefs were not comfortable with the contract that Trent McDuffie got, and they knew when they traded them what the numbers were. They were not going to give that money. And they have to make financial decisions. They have. You know, Chris Jones makes a lot of money. Patrick Mahomes still makes a lot of money. Obviously, there's a couple offensive linemen make a lot of money. They just gave Kenneth Walker a lot of money, but they just couldn't do it. I think if you're a good team and you pay a guy like that, you better be very sure of the person. The Chiefs love the guy, which clearly the Rams do, too. It's much easier to bring him into that locker room. Like, we've been winning. He's like, oh, yeah, I've been winning, too. I got multiple Super Bowls, and I've been to another. So, like, I. Oh, yeah, and one of the Super Bowls, we won. Debo Samuel and all those wide receivers for the 49ers, I shut them down. I locked them all down. I was fucking incredible. So you bring in a guy to your locker room who's going to be making more than the majority, basically everyone on your team, he better have some pelts on the wall. If you're a good team. If you're these teams like the Raiders, who's. Who's going to be jealous of Tyler Lindenbaum's contract? Like, no one has a leg to stand on, right? And no different, like, okay, I bring Max, and he's making a lot of money. Everyone in the Ravens organization will immediately respect Max. I got a text from a scout in there on their team that was, like, just super fired up. Don't blame him. I would be, too. But when you are a good team and you bring one of these guys on, like the Chiefs, you bring in a guy like Kenneth Walker. Easy for him to get in the huddle with Kelsey and Mahomes going, I'm a champion, too. We're all champions. You're a champion. I'm a champion. I'm a winner. I know how to win. That really, really matters. So. And that's what makes it difficult, I think. Why so many teams? You look at all these packers guys getting signed, all these Eagles guys getting signed, because you feel like they know how to play in big games. They know what January football is like. They know what preparing to win a division is like. They know what preparing for a playoff game is like. They Just that type credibility as a player when you're paying for it really, really matters. So I think all these variables in free agency get factored in and like, back to the Rams thing, I think it's easier to be like, listen, this guy's going to be way richer than the majority of our players on defense. But it's like, what's Jared Verse going to say? Like, hey, Jared, a couple of time all Pro, and I've won rings. You want. You want to win a ring? I can help you win a ring because I know what it takes. I've been in a defensive meeting room that for three straight years. We were playing in the. In the Super Bowl. So I think you got to be careful about making those decisions, which has happened in the history of the league. You know, bad teams, they signed like Albert Haynes or to a historic deal. It's like, that ain't going to work, you know, and it never does. So I think, speaking of legendary players, I haven't talked to anyone on the Chiefs about this, and I have. Kelsey's one of the best players I've ever seen. He's everything you want. In the prime of his career as a guy to go to battle with, he came up with huge plays. He was so talented. His rapport with the quarterback was elite. His ability to work with the coaching staff and Andy, like, it was one of the most special things we've ever seen. But last year, like, a lot of players in the history of the league kind of looked like he was trending in the wrong direction, looked like his arrow was pointing down. And I think sometimes, you know, Bill Walsh made this famous, and then Belichick copied him. A lot of other guys do the same, and he's made a career of doing this is sometimes you just let a guy go a year early before you get burned a year late. And you could argue it was a couple years ago, the Chiefs could have kind of pivoted. Now, it's hard when you're winning Super Bowls, but last year, you saw signs, and I thought that the Chiefs would go in another direction. The thing I underestimated is clearly they have a connection. They have a belief in this guy. They want this guy around. And there's a value in which he brings in the locker room that I can't quantify, because I'll be honest, if you would ask me, what would you do? I would have said it just would have been one of those situations where I'm not offering him another contract. Now it's easy for me to Say, sitting in my office, talking on a podcast, Coach Reed might say, well, it's like, it's not like our receivers are, you know, beating down the door. He still is a valuable player. Yeah, he had some bad drops last year, but we don't think that's necessarily because he can't catch anymore. And we're giving him a $12 million contract. We're. We're not giving him two years, $30 million, but yeah, I mean, we're hoping we can get a little bit more out of him and his practice habits and what he brings to the table Monday through Saturday, when none of you guys are watching still matters, because that's the only way I think you could justify bringing him back. And listen, there is an intangible connection just of, he's one of the best players in the history of the franchise. His number is going to be retired. He's going to get a statue outside of our organization. He really, really matters for the city, for this team. I just think you got to be careful doing business like that. But maybe he, like Mahomes, is just a pretty unique player that it's. It's hard to just quantify by a number on the salary cap sheet. Right. Because Mike Evans, I looked today, Baker Mayfield has one of the biggest cap hits in the league. Okay. If we go to. Because Mike Evans joined the 49ers, and if you go to the Internet and you look at the cap hits for quarterbacks, I didn't quite realize this. I had looked at it before today of obviously, Lamar, which we talked about, is one of the biggest. Jared Goffs is massive. Josh Allen are the top three. Tua, which is a epic disaster, is fourth. You know who's fifth in terms of biggest cap hit in the league is BAKER Mayfield at 52 point, basically $53 million, which is a huge number and almost 17 and a half percent of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers salary cap. Now, they made a couple little moves today. They signed Anzalone, I think Kenneth Gainwell. He was a really good player. I mean, I like both those two signings, but they were, I don't want to say on the margins, but they weren't that expensive. But like Kelsey, I would say that Mike Evans holds a unique place in the history of Tampa Bay. Right. When you think of the most famous Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you clearly think of the late 90s, early 2000s, Lynch, Ronde, Barber, Warren Sapp, Derek Brooks, that group. Then I think, you know, Tom was a hired gun. But to me, the most famous player post that group Is easily Mike Evans, who was going to go to the hall of Fame, who was Jason Light's first draft pick, who I think I saw today, Schrager, say that their families are friends, they have a special connection. But you get to a point, the 49ers offered the guy like three years, 60 plus million dollars, and I'm sure a lot of guaranteed money. It's like we can't go to that number. And he's going to be 33 this year in the fall. And this is where I kind of thought that the Chiefs would do with Kelsey. Now it's different because Kelsey won more Super Bowls. They've been to more Super Bowls. I just think Travis is a more historic figure for the league. Slash. The popularity element of, you know, the Taylor connection, it's just, it's a unique thing going. But Mike, when it came to Tampa, I thought was kind of similar. But you get to the point where you kind of got to make a tough decision and we would love to keep you, but we got a number and we just can't match the number that you're being given. And one thing that the 49ers really, really value is smart, tough players. I mean, when you think about the best players on the 49ers are smart and tough. Fred Warner, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams, Christian McCaffrey, like they, Mike Evans fits the mold of their crew. The only thing that makes me nervous because I, I can't quibble with, he got banged up this year when he broke his collarbone. But the previous two years with Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans accounted for 24 touchdowns. Mike Evans is a monster when he's on the field. Now we'll have to see who the other wide receivers are for the 49ers, but if Pierce all can stay healthy, big question mark with KD coming back from this injury, you know, we think they're going to figure something out. With Trent, you got Purdy, but you know, you got Christian McCaffrey. Probably got to add another running back. Maybe Dre Greenlaw, who just got cut comes back. This is going to be a team that is going to have a bunch of high end guys like they did last year, but going to be older, right? Kittle, McCaffrey, Fred. Like these guys got a lot of tread on the tires. Mike Evans got a lot of tread on the tires, but I get it. Like, I got no problem overpaying Mike Evans a little bit, you know, relative to what they like what they need gives them a red zone target. I mean, that's been one problem for them. It's why Juwan Jennings has excelled. You know, a couple years ago, their, their two wide receivers were Debo and Iuk, not big guys, right? So Juwan Jennings and George give them their listen. Brock Purdy, 6 foot 1. Sometimes you just kind of, I can't really see I need to throw up a 50, 50 ball in the red zone. And that's what Mike Evans excels at. Throw him a jump ball, corner the end zone and let the dude play hoops. What a career. What a career. I looking at the history of Mike Evans right now, career earnings, what would you guess? My guess would have been probably $110 million, $130 million. And that doesn't count the 49ers contract. So when it's all said and done, Mike Evans is probably going to make $175 million. I, I said it the other day with Khalil Mack, there has never been a better time and it's only going to get better to be a good football player. And now college like you go to, you're a good football player in college, you get seven figures and then you come to the NFL. If you can have a long career, you are going to at minimum make 100/4 million dollars. And if you play wide receiver, if you play defensive end, if you play tackle, if you obviously quarterback, if you play corner, you're going to make several hundred million dollars. For a long time it was like, you know, kids play baseball. Like, that's easy to say when you're on a, you know, I saw a headline, will Kyler Murray go back to baseball? You guys understand that baseball, like, he doesn't just go to the big leagues. You think Kyler Murray being paid $36 million by the Cardinals is going to ride a fucking bus in New Mexico and random cities in Arizona and Texas in the South? Are you out of your gourd? Are you out of your mind? Like, no chance. And I just think that great time business is booming. Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner creating your dream space or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where it all comes together. Ferguson Home is designed for the way you want to shop. Experience today's top products by brands like KitchenAid firsthand by visiting a Ferguson Home showroom, where you'll explore stunning displays featuring today's latest products and innovations, or browse their extended selection of products online. Ferguson Home understands that every project is made up of countless decisions and that's why their expert consultants are committed to helping homeowners, builders, contractors and designers bring all the details together. You can count on support from them start to finish, from choosing the right products to coordinating deliveries with your project schedule. Book a one on one consultation at your local Ferguson Home showroom or shop online@fergusonhome.com whether you're working on a new kitchen, a new bathroom or a whole home remodel, you'll find the latest designs and technologies from the brands you trust at Ferguson Home. Hey, this is Levor Arrington here from up on Game. This message is brought to you by Apple Card Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and more@applecard.com if you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place, from H Vac and plumbing supplies to lighting and more. And all delivered with plenty of time left on the clock so your team always gets the win. Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. The Steelers One main question I have for the Steelers is who's gonna play quarterback? Is who's going to play quarterback right there. I I think Mike McCarthy. The branding on Mike McCarthy is there has never been a more accomplished and consistently good at his job individual whose brand acts like he's a scrub, who acts like he's not any good because his resume is Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. Yet John Harbaugh just got $100 million. Mike Tomlin will take a sabbatical doing who knows what this year, traveling, probably do some TV and we'll get $100 million next year. Yet Mike Tomlin gets hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers and people fall out of their chair laughing at the Steelers. It's like, listen guys, it might not be the sexiest hire and I do think it has to do with like his weight, right? Harbaugh. You look at John Harbaugh down I saw him at the combine, he looks fantastic. I mean he looks like he's got like 7,8% body fat there's a coolness factor with. With Mike Tomlin. Mike Tomlin ain't exactly, you know, on GOP ones. Like, he's not the skinniest cat at this point. Maybe he will be when he goes away. I think the thing with McCarthy is he goes away. Like he takes a year off and he gets bigger and then everyone just makes fun of him. Like, that's just that jolly, fat, shitty coach. It's like, no guys. Actually a couple years ago, the Cowboys, three straight years, 12 wins. Won the division twice. If you. If you want a quibble with his playoff success, okay. Has he underachieved with the packers and the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs? No disputing that. He's lost as a favorite multiple times with the Cowboys the year two when they were playing the Niners on the road. He should have won. Listen, Dan Quinn's defensive performance that game was atrocious. Dakshit to bed. The other two games. Some of the Green Bay games we could be critical of for sure, especially the Seattle championship game. But like Mike McCarthy is. Let's not act like he's Pat Shermer. Joe Judge here. And they made an emphasis today to get offense. Rico Dowdle is a good player. Like, I didn't understand why they didn't give the ball to Rico Dowdle. More so the running back position. I like the Iowa running back. Last year they drafted in the third round. It was a disaster. He had the one play, whereas the kickoff returner bounced off him. And then he like basically never played the rest of the year. That that pick looks like it might just. You never want to just overreact to a rookie season, but I don't think a rookie season could have gone worse. But here's the other thing I'd say about Mike McCarthy. Mike McCarthy was there. Devonte Adams rookie year. You might want to Google that one and. Or google devonte. Talking about. It did not go well. And within a couple years, Devonte was one of the best wide receivers in the league. So part of his ability is to coach guys up is to help change guys career guys who are playing crappy, make them good players. He is a really, really good offensive coach. So you add Michael Pittman who has kind of, I don't want to say fallen off a cliff, but a couple years ago, Michael Pittman was one of my favorite players in the league. I mean, it wasn't that long ago. He got 109 balls in the season. And then last year banged up, you had Tyler Warren. Their offense changes. Pierce really Excels, and he kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Has some DJ Moore vibes. So you could argue with Michael Pittman and DJ Moore. We're kind of buying low. Everyone's out on them, but it's kind of because their market value is. We could revitalize it pretty quickly. They're actually a stock that's undervalued. And if Michael Pittman's healthy, like he's a player that's going to translate to cold weather to that division. He's a tough, high character, just physical guy to go over the middle. That kind of complements dk, who was like a Ferrari, right? And you get dowdle in there and you get McCarthy. But the question mark is simply, even if Rogers comes back, I mean, last year, you know, 42 years old, he's got a torn Achilles, he's got a broken hand. It's like, can his body last in this NFL Now, I don't know what their other options are. They don't really have any. They drafted. I always get Will Howard and Riley Leonard mixed up. They got one of those two guys. I think they, they have Riley Leonard's on the Colts, Will Howard's on the. On the Steelers. So listen, I, I don't think you bank on one of those guys. Could they draft like a Nussmeyer type in the second or third round? I definitely think they could, but maybe they are still. And again, I'm recording this around dinner time on Monday because I, I held out for as long as I could for the podcast tomorrow. Could they be in the Kyler sweepstakes? Have a hard time seeing McCarthy. I mean, when you think about the guys McCarthy has coached recently and the light. Honestly, post Rogers was obviously Dak Prescott. He. He won some games with Cooper Rush, right? So to me, guys like what a cousins. To me, cousins can't move in the cold weather. Don't love that. They don't really have any options. It's no one's fault. But I do wonder if they just draft a guy. But we saw Rooney talk like, this is a team that never plans on just like, we'll be cool with winning six games one year and having like the seventh overall pick. That's not how this franchise thinks. It's not how they're wired. It starts at the top. That's why they hired Mike McCarthy and not some random younger coordinator up and coming guy, because they want to win nine or ten games this year. And if you told me they just had a capable quarterback, I'd be like, yeah, they could win nine or ten games this year. One rumor again, Internet rumor. I'm not Shafter here, but love a good Internet rumor is they were sniffing around on Tyson Bagehot, the Bears backup quarterback from like Division 7, which I do think the Bears signed Case Keenum today as a backup quarterback. And it's not like they got him for 800 grand. I mean they gave him a couple year contract, like five or six million dollars. So maybe they are, hey, listen, they really want a second round pick for Tyson. Maybe they end up giving to like, hey, give us like a third and a five. I, I definitely think the Steelers are gonna have to do something because what they have, even the Rogers thing, there's no guarantee that Rogers can stay healthy at this age. There's no guarantee that he's going to give them a yes or no anytime soon. He's kind of beaten to his own drum, him and his wife. Who is the most mysterious wife in the history of wives. I mean, I, I could. Who, if you're listening to this right now, I could find you on Instagram and know more about your family in two seconds than I can about Roger's wife. But he is wearing that, that ring. So I'm glad he's happy and happy wife, happy life. So yeah, Tyson Badgett to the Steelers, that, that'd be kind of fun. The Bears signed Kobe Bryant, who I saw a bunch of the former Seattle guys tweeting like, you got a stud. I didn't quite realize just how productive this guy's been the last couple years. Multiple time starter now for Mike McDonald since he got there. Seven picks, I think, seven force fumbles, a bunch of PBUs. Just a smart, really, really good player. And you know, the Bears signed Devin Bush, they signed a defensive lineman, they signed some defensive guys because I think you can plug holes with veteran defensive players and at least just get bodies of people that know what they're doing. But one thing that I googled, I'm like, where did Bryant go to college? He went to Cincinnati and he played on a team with Alec Pierce with Sauce Gardner. So between the three of them, Pierce got well over $100 million today. Sauce got a massive contract A couple years ago. Bryant got like 40, 45 million dollars. I mean that's 250 million dollars worth of player on a non Power 5 program. There's a reason that team was now they, they played bam in a bowl game and got their ass kicked, but was like competing to run the table. The reason Luke Fickle got the Wisconsin jobs was getting offered jobs left and right because they had elite NFL talent on their roster. I mean I didn't quite realize, I'll be honest, I didn't know that much about Alec Pierce till the last couple of years till he and definitely this year I did not know that Kobe Bryant played for Cincinnati. Maybe it was just wasn't as dialed into their roster. To me, Sauce was clearly their most famous player in Desmond Ritter. But that is, that's a good job. Whoever you know, building a non power four team. But that that's the type stuff that we talk about all the time is the ability to build the team that's going to have a bunch of NFL talent on is basically impossible now at programs like that. Now Cincinnati technically is a Big 12 program now, but Cincinnati is not keeping Guy. If Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Oregon want Alec Pierce, want Sauce Gardner. Listen, I. Ashen Genti is the last of a dying breed, right? He was offered seven figures. Most people thought it was like Texas to be the running back a couple of years ago. And he denied him. And he was like loyalty. These guys stood by me. And I think the most boys he could pay him was like 300 grand nil those days, just sadly. And as someone that loves college football and someone that loves like I got my start at Fresno State, but these program, when I was at Fresno State we would have had multiple guys making seven figures. I mean Derek Carr would have got a substantial amount of money. Ryan Matthews would have got a huge contract from one of the big programs. We had a ton of wide receivers and corners and offensive linemen. All these guys, we would have lost 10 guys a year. So I props Cincinnati, no wonder they were really good. And props to the Bears who I think when you look at it, that division which I thought last year coming in was stacked. I it's got question marks. I mean the Green Bay packers have lost a lot of core guys. Now you can say they were trending in the right in the wrong way. You can say that they're no longer good players relative to what they were. Totally understandable. But you still got to replace those guys. Like someone has to replace Quay Walk. Someone has to replace Rashawn Gary. Right? Someone has to replace that guy. And I think anytime you're in a position with a lot of new guys, even at a franchise that is great at drafting and developing and figuring things out, it is a challenge. Minnesota, like I just their quarterback situation I can't take seriously. And the Lions, like they're just, just some question marks, right? I Mean they're very top heavy. They got new offensive coordinator. Can that revitalize them a little bit? But I think the Bears are in a really, really good position. I mentioned this to Coward. If Caleb Williams can just improve 5 to 7% just some of those basic routes that he was overthrowing. He hits, you know that out route on second and seven just would put them in first and 10 instead of being in third and seven. He hits that, you know that wheel route in which he air mails or skips. He hits menundi in stride. If he can do some of that, he doesn't need to be Drew Brees or Steve Young from an accuracy standpoint. But if he can just be more consistently accurate on the basic shit, I to me, I like them to win the division because the packers have a lot of question marks. I mean the best player on their team is coming off an ACL injury, right? To me, the Minnesota Vikings, I'm sorry, your quarterback positions, J.J. mcCarthy and Kyler Murray or whoever, like I'm out. And the Lions, who I'm not selling all my stock. I'm still a stockholder. There are just some question marks to be answered if they're going to get back to win 12 plus games a year. I'm still a believer in Dan Campbell and I really like their high end talent but their offensive line definitely needs to improve. And yeah, I mean defensively can they keep core guys healthy because every single year they drop like flies. I would say the same thing for the NFC East. You know the Seagulls team is just going to be a lot different than it has been in years past. They lost some core guys today. They got some major question marks internally with some key guys. What happens with A.J. brown? And you look at the Cowboys like defensively you add Gary to go with Quinn and Williams. You got multiple first round picks. If you can keep improving the defense, you know the offense is good. Like they could just be a credible team next year. And the New York Giants clearly are going to be dramatically better than what they've been now. Are they going to be as good as everyone thinks? I don't know about that because their quarterback's going to have to prove that he can play the whole season. And Matt Nagy's calling plays, you know, solely he's called some plays with with Andy. But the offense is now his baby for the first time since the Chicago Bears. So can Nagy thrice as an offensive coordinator? I'm believing him. Love the guy and could Jackson Dart stay on the field but they are going to be. Their defense could be dramatically better. They paid a punter today. Well, why do you think they did that? They're going to try to play some Baltimore Ravens smash mouth fucking football. But if your quarterback can't stay on the field and they're going to have to balance like, you know, they were running like quarterback power constantly last year with him, which he's actually pretty good at because he's an underrated athlete. But you know, you get scatter Boo back, maybe you draft another run. I guess they got multiple running backs. You get Malik neighbors back, you add Isaiah likely. Their offense is pretty interesting. The commander still a lot of question marks. I mean, they paid Tunsville today. Their quarterback who was one of the great rookie seasons we've ever seen. Health to me is the number one thing. Their team was really old last year. I just got some question marks there. They obviously got new coordinators on both sides of the ball. But that division to me is just more interesting than coming in. This year was like, Eagles are going to win it. Like there wasn't a bigger lock. To me, I'd say them and the Bills. I thought the Bills were locked, which obviously they weren't. But I thought the Eagles were probably the biggest lock in the entire league because you just looked around, you're like the commander's roster. I know they had a great season. Just isn't good enough. The Cowboys, once they traded Micah Parsons, their defense was going to be a shell of itself. And because they were going to have no pass rush and their DBs were already kind of bad and the Giants just. You just weren't buying the stock coming into the season and obviously it just got derailed. But that is not the case now. That is not the case at all. And same thing with the Bears. Like that division was, was like, hey, it's going to be the packers, it's going to be the Lions. Minnesota, if JJ is pretty good, is now wide open. And honestly, Eileen, just the Bears, like right now, I picked the Bears to win that division. When it comes to the NFC East, I think, I think the Cowboys and Giants got to be looking at themselves going, we got a shot, we got a shot to have a hat and T shirt at the end of the year. And the commanders just go, hey, if we just. If our quarterback can play 17 games, he can be one of the better players in the league. Even if we have some flaws on the roster, if our quarterback's that good, we're going to be a very, very competitive team. Maybe not Carried by football gods and angels as it was a couple years ago, hitting Hail Mary's when Stevenson's looking in the crowd. Maybe those days are over, but like we can get back to nine or 10 wins and I think the Eagles and that's part of, Listen, the wind blows the hardest at the top of the mountain and the hardest part about sports, the hardest part about business, the hardest part about anything once you're successful is other people in your industry are all coming for you. Like, do you know how hard the Chiefs, the like five year run they had of every regular season game was the biggest game their opponent played all season? Think about that. I'm not even talking the playoffs of the Super Bowl. I'm just Talking by like 20, 22, 2023, every regular season game against the Cardinals, against the Jags, against the Ravens, against, you name it, every single team in the league, whoever their opponent was, that was the biggest game on their schedule. That's. Listen, it was easier to load your roster. But say what you want about Saban for a decade plus, he was by far the biggest game every team played on his schedule. Right? By far. And that's attacks that I don't think we discuss enough. That's really hard. It's what looking back at the Brady Belichick era from 2010 to 2018, once it was well established these guys were goat level individuals, they were getting everyone's, I mean, best right shot they could every single week. And that, that, that's what's hard about football, right? That's what's going to be challenging for Ben Johnson and the Bears. Like, we don't, we don't get to kind of sleep. Like, no one's like not paying attention to us anymore. No one's like, are these guys good? No. It's like everyone's taking us seriously. Every single week, every single week they're going to approach us no different than they would the Bills or the Ravens. Like, this is a real game with a playoff team. Like better buckle up because if you don't, we will lose. And that's what separates teams. That's what separate coaches over the course of years, right? It's honestly probably an underrated part of the Tomlin stat that he never lost because it's like the guy just refused to ever have a season where they just went like 6 and 11. Just, just refused. And I, I think that is not, not just respectable, that's fucking badass. And in a sports world where these other sports teams tank, even in the NFL where you have these inept franchises like the jets and the Cardinals, you know, winning every single year, even if it's not the super bowl, even if it's not 14 games, even if you just being above.500 and being a competitive team year in, year out, even if that means being the last team in the playoffs, like that's, that's a very respectable thing in the competitive industry. So I love football. Fun day, jam packed day and a lot of action. Hopefully we get more action the next couple days. I'm sure we will officially get some trades, which A.J. brown is probably the name to keep an eye on. Like what is going to happen there and then we'll see what else shakes out. So buckle up and I'll have you covered. Adios. The volume. If you work in university maintenance, Grainger considers you an MVP because your playbook ensures your arena is always ready for tip off. And Grainger is your trusted partner, offering the products you need all in one place from H VAC and plumbing supplies to lighting and more. And all delivered with plenty of time left on the clock. So your team always gets the win. Call 1-800-GRAINGER visit grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Next Monday, our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards are happening live at south by Southwest. This is the biggest night in podcasting. We'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative of talent and creators in the industry. And the winner is. Creativity, knowledge and passion will all be on full display. Thank you so much, iheartradio. Thank you to all the other nominees. You guys are awesome. Watch live next Monday at 8pm Eastern, 5pm Pacific free@veeps.com or the Veeps app. I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think on and off the court. Nothing's off limits. We talk tanking. I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening. In the wnba, we talk about our mistakes too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be rolling around the city like this tonight. Before games, check out Game Recognized game with Stuy and miles on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast. Here's the thing. I talk to composer Marc Shaiman. It's about the hang. It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang. And journalist Chris Whipple, every White House staffer, they work in a bubble called the West Wing. And it's exponentially more so in the Trump White House. Listen to the new season of here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.