Hour 1 - LeBron and Luka

Summary

Summary of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" – Hour 1: LeBron and Luka

Release Date: February 24, 2025
Hosted by: Colin Cowherd | Produced by iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Title: Hour 1 - LeBron and Luka

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Introduction

In this episode of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Colin delves deep into the evolving dynamics of the NBA, focusing on the interplay between LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The discussion extends to broader sports topics, including Jimmy Butler's impact on the Golden State Warriors, critiques of Joel Embiid's leadership, and strategic analyses of NFL quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford. Additionally, Colin touches upon the Dallas Cowboys' draft strategies and offers a critical perspective on the current state of NBA All-Star Weekend.

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1. Jimmy Butler’s Influence on the Golden State Warriors

Colin opens the conversation by examining Jimmy Butler's tenure with the Warriors and his transformative impact on the team's performance.

Colin Cowherd [08:30]: "Jimmy Butler gets people worked up. He's like, he works hard at practice. He'll get after a coach."

Colin argues that Butler brings necessary intensity and aggressiveness to a team that previously lacked offensive vigor.

Colin Cowherd [09:10]: "The Warriors were kind of a lifeless offense when Steph was off the floor. Butler creates intensity, gets teams to the free-throw line, and adds a feisty edge the organization needed."

He contrasts Butler's positive influence with his former teammate Joel Embiid, criticizing Embiid's leadership and performance decline.

Colin Cowherd [10:05]: "Joel Embiid has become mostly a big truck that half the time you can't even get out of the garage. He's getting benched and may have the worst contract in professional sports."

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2. LeBron James and Luka Doncic: Redefining the Lakers' Offensive Strategy

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the Lakers' strategic shift in their offensive play, emphasizing Luka Doncic's role as the primary initiator alongside LeBron James.

Colin Cowherd [12:00]: "LeBron now is in what year? 22. LeBron at his best is going to give you amazing four and five-minute flashes of brilliance, but he cannot be the initiator of the offense anymore."

J.J. Redick corroborates this strategy, highlighting Luka's elevated usage rate and best performance with the Lakers.

J.J. Redick [11:45]: "Luka had his highest usage rate as a Laker and it was his best game. This is how the Lakers should play."

Colin praises the Lakers' adjustment, noting increased efficiency and defensive prowess when LeBron steps back.

Colin Cowherd [13:22]: "Now somebody said this to me years ago and it was really smart about LeBron. Whenever you play with LeBron, you are playing in LeBron's offense. Luka is the playmaker, he initiates it. LeBron will have more efficiency and more energy late in the quarter."

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3. Comparative Analysis of NBA Players: LeBron, Steph, and Butler

Colin juxtaposes Jimmy Butler with other NBA luminaries like LeBron James and Steph Curry, emphasizing the unique qualities each brings to their teams.

Colin Cowherd [10:30]: "LeBron's not just talented, he's a winning player. Steph Curry is a winning player. Draymond Green is a classic. But Jimmy Butler is a winning player who creates things on the court."

He underscores Butler's role as a grinder and his ability to enhance team dynamics, despite not being a naturally gifted offensive player.

Colin Cowherd [11:50]: "Butler is not a naturally gifted offensive player. He is a grinder. He gets banged up, he plays hard. But he makes your basketball team better."

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4. NFL Insights: Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford's Future

Shifting gears to the NFL, Colin provides a detailed analysis of Aaron Rodgers' potential team movements and Matt Stafford's contract situation.

Colin Cowherd [29:50]: "Aaron Rodgers may stay with the Rams if Matt Stafford leaves. The Rams are well-run and coached, making them an attractive option for Rodgers."

He critiques the possible destinations for Rodgers, dismissing teams like the Steelers or Giants due to their offensive inefficiencies.

Colin Cowherd [30:20]: "The Steelers offensively don't, Giants don't. Raiders aren't. Browns don't. The Rams have leverage here because they're well-run and well-coached."

Colin argues that staying with the Rams would be the optimal choice for Rodgers, given the franchise's stability and competitive edge.

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5. Dallas Cowboys’ Draft Strategy and Team Needs

The episode delves into the Dallas Cowboys' current needs, particularly their quarterback position, and evaluates their drafting strategies.

Colin Cowherd [26:34]: "The Cowboys are saying ahead of the combine they want to draft a quarterback. Really? That's like one of your needs."

He assesses the quarterback class, suggesting that while it may be an opportune time to draft a backup, the current class lacks immediate starting talent.

Colin Cowherd [28:08]: "This year is the classic. Wait until the third and fourth round to get a running back. You're not, there's only a handful of great offensive tackles and rush ends."

Colin advises caution against drafting running backs in the first round, given the surplus of talent available in later rounds.

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6. Critique of NBA All-Star Weekend and Current Trends

Colin offers a critical perspective on the NBA All-Star Weekend, lamenting its diminished prestige and the players' disinterest.

Colin Cowherd [42:30]: "All Star Games are done. These guys want time off. The fact that they even show up is laudable, but it's bad and they're trying to tweak it and just leave it alone and let the young guys shine."

He contrasts this with the NHL's successful overhaul of their All-Star format, commending their innovative approach.

Colin Cowherd [43:15]: "Hockey's All Star Game is brutal. They did something called Four Nations. It was fantastic. You couldn't turn it off. It was a convergence of many things."

Colin emphasizes the importance of embracing change rather than attempting to tweak existing formats that no longer resonate with audiences or players.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Colin Cowherd provides a multifaceted analysis of current trends in the NBA and NFL, highlighting key player dynamics, team strategies, and league-wide developments. From Jimmy Butler's revitalizing presence in Golden State to the strategic realignment of the Lakers' offense with LeBron and Luka, Colin offers insightful commentary backed by notable quotes and informed opinions. Additionally, his critiques of NFL team management and NBA All-Star Weekend underscore his commitment to engaging, thought-provoking sports journalism.

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Notable Quotes:

• Colin Cowherd [09:10]: "The Warriors were kind of a lifeless offense when Steph was off the floor. Butler creates intensity, gets teams to the free-throw line, and adds a feisty edge the organization needed."

• J.J. Redick [11:45]: "Luka had his highest usage rate as a Laker and it was his best game. This is how the Lakers should play."

• Colin Cowherd [13:22]: "Now somebody said this to me years ago and it was really smart about LeBron. Whenever you play with LeBron, you are playing in LeBron's offense."

• Colin Cowherd [29:50]: "Aaron Rodgers may stay with the Rams if Matt Stafford leaves. The Rams are well-run and coached, making them an attractive option for Rodgers."

• Colin Cowherd [42:30]: "All Star Games are done. These guys want time off."

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This comprehensive summary distills the key discussions and insights from the episode, providing an engaging overview for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Colin Cowherd]

You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Acquired card has no cash access and expires in six months. Colin Coward here with pro tight end Dallas Goddard to share his journey with plaque psoriasis and how he tackles his symptoms with otla.

[Dallas Goddard]

Aprimolast yeah, being a football player with plaque psoriasis can be challenging. My skin gets flaky and itchy so my doctor told me about a pill o Tesla. It works from the inside out.

[Narrator]

OTESLA is a prescription medicine used to treat adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. OTESLA can help you get clearer skin after just four months. Dallas is an OTESLA patient that has compensated for his time. Don't use OTESLA if you're allergic to it. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms, severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss can happen. Tell your doctor if any of these occur and if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts.

[Dallas Goddard]

Talking to my doctor about a pill was a total game changer.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you're struggling with plaque psoriasis, talk to your doctor about Otesla. Visit otezla.com for more information or call 1-844-4-OTEZLA for prescribing info. Info Virgin Voyages isn't your average cruise. It's a masterclass in luxury all in voyage. Pricing includes over $1,000 in value, Wi fi, tips, entertainment, even specialty dining. No hidden fees, no surprises. The cabins are next level private terraces, virgin red hammocks, unbeatable sea views. Add in the adult only factor. No kids. That's right, just relaxation. It's no surprise they're award winning. And the destinations Caribbean this winter, Iceland, North America and the Mediterranean in 2025 and 2026. Virgin Voyages is where luxury meets travel. Book it and see what you've been missing. Learn [e-mail] or contact your travel advisor. These days it feels like everyone is talking about how the American dream of home ownership has become out of reach. Well, Rocket is trying to give more people a chance to own their homes. They're making home ownership simpler and more accessible to more people, turning renters into owners. Rocket believes that everybody deserves a shot at the American dream. So are you ready? Own the dream. Visit rocket.com or call 804Rocket. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR. Now, let's get this party started. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All right, here we are. Vacation is officially over. Live in Los Angeles, little new studio. For a while, it's the Herd. Wherever you may be and however you may be listening, thanks for making us part of your day. J. Mac, we went to different places. You were on the beach. I had a hammer and nails and was making things happen. But it's interesting what happened. It was pretty good, Pretty good week to take off. There wasn't a lot going on. But over the course of the weekend, we saw some very interesting things happen. And with the Lakers, with the warriors, with the Knicks, with the Celtics, and I want to talk about that. So, you know, sometimes people get blamed for stuff, and sometimes they're at fault. But Jimmy Butler is one of those guys that, throughout his NBA career, lot of finger pointing. Jimmy's a problem. But I had said about a month ago, the warriors need to create some inertia. They're boring. Steph looks bored. They just look bored. And Jimmy Butler gets people worked up. He's like, he works hard at practice. He'll get after a coach. Well, the warriors are now 5:1 since Jimmy Butler arrived. By the way, how are his old team, the Sixers, doing with Joel Embiid? They've lost seventh straight and Embiid got benched yesterday. And remember, Embiid was the franchise. Jimmy Butler in Philadelphia was viewed as a problem. He was also viewed as a problem in Chicago, where he led him to the second round of the playoffs. And they've been unwatchable since. He goes to Minnesota, great numbers, playoffs, they blamed him there. He goes to Miami. They didn't blame him. Last four years, Finals twice. Miami, a very strong organization, figured out, hey, Jimmy's not for everybody. But what Jimmy creates is intensity. And in the NBA, all these guys are talented. I mean, you don't make the NBA. Just think of how great you have to be to be in the NBA. But I would argue there's not that many winning players. LeBron's not just talented, he's a winning player. Steph Curry is a winning player. Draymond Green is a classic. Not as talented as a lot of guys, but a winning player. Well, that's Jimmy Butler. Bulls playoffs, T Wolves playoffs, Miami Heat finals. And here he goes to the Warriors. So the warriors were kind of a lifeless offense. When Step was off the floor. Pods was like sometimes a one or a two. You can never count on Wiggins. Well, now they have a number two and what he's doing, he's getting to the free throw line. So the warriors just didn't get to the free throw line. And that is part of being a winning player. And that's what Jimmy Butler is. Right? I just looked this morning. Free throws made. They were near the bottom of the NBA since he arrived. They're first. A free throw percentage. Bottom of the NBA since he's arrived, they're second. That is what a winning player does. And this organization needed, fight, needed, feisty, needed to get to the line, needed contact. And Jimmy is not, by the way, Miami Heat 15 since he left. Warriors 51 since he arrived. And again, I get that Butler's not for everybody, but this is what I said a month ago. This is a boring team. They don't have any offensive energy. If Steph's done on the floor, they're unwatchable. Jimmy Butler will just create things. He'll get on his coaches, his teammates, practice will be harder. And he's a really nice offensive player. And the thing with Butler, he's not a naturally gifted offensive player. He is a grinder. So he gets banged up, he plays hard. But when you watch the warriors today, now Pods is their third or their fourth guy. Steph's their one, Butler's there too. Kaminga now, everybody, it's like a pitching staff that gets a true number two starter behind their ace and it sets up everybody else to go against a pitcher that's of the same talent. So they were asking guys like Pods and and to do things he's not capable of. They wanted more consistency from Kaminga. At this point. You don't always get that. You know exactly what you get with Jimmy Butler. He has created a lot of things. Free throws, free throws made. They'll be better defensively, better in the half court offense. And Steve Kerr, 5 and 1 since he arrived, talked about Jimmy Butler feels easier right now for us game. You can make a mistake and keep playing and not Feel like, you know, my God, we got to. We got to flip things right now. The trade itself, I think I mentioned this after the Sacramento game. We just. We needed it and, you know, we felt it. We were kind of treading water. Sometimes you just. You got to shake things up. And we shook things up. For the record, Joel Embiid has become mostly a big truck that half the time you can't even get out of the garage. He's getting benched. He won't play back to backs. And this is an organization where people are going to lose their jobs because Embiid is not delivered. He may have the worst contract now in professional sports, he's getting hurt more often. I've never seen him as a leader, but it was Embiid. Sometimes talent, sometimes. Remember Durant and Westbrook? Nobody can deny Westbrook's energy, production and talent. And Sam Presti is a brilliant GM, but KD's like, I'm the better player by far. Can I get a little love? And I think. I think Daryl Morey's a smart guy. But in the end, Embiid struggles. Forget getting along with teammates. Embiid struggles to play well with others. Hell, he struggled at the Olympics. Remember the Olympics? It was the one guy that didn't work at the Olympics. Butler can work with any team. There is no team. I don't care if he went to the Knicks or the Celtics tomorrow. Butler works with every team. He makes every team better. He gets into the playoffs. Yes, he can wear you out. Some relationships don't last forever. Steph Curry doesn't wear people out. Jimmy can wear people out, but he'll make your basketball team better. All right, Something else that happened over the weekend. So this has been a long time coming, and this is not a shot at LeBron James, but LeBron now is in what year? 22. LeBron at his best is going to give you amazing four and five minute flashes of brilliance, but he cannot be the initiator of the offense anymore. If Luka sits down. He can be. If, if, if, if luka's playing and LeBron sits down. Austin Reaves also capable of being a playmaker. J.J. redick finally said the quiet part out loud as the Lakers beat Denver is that Luka had his highest usage rate as a Laker and it was his best game. This is how the Lakers should play. Because, remember, as great as Kyrie Irving was in Cleveland, he was relegated to a shooting guard with LeBron and probably should have been as great as D. Wade was in Miami. He was Relegated to off ball. And he's not a great, pure shooter. LeBron has been such a force of nature and so great for so long that everybody wants him to play off ball. And AD is great, but AD can't be the playmaker. So LeBron's entire career, it's not that LeBron's selfish. I always use a statistic with LeBron James. He averaged like 28 a game his junior year in high school. He could have averaged 60 his senior year. You know what? He averaged one more point of senior year. LeBron wants to pass. He likes to be a playmaker. I've always felt he's more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. He wants others to score, but he likes to control the offense. Finally, finally he has a teammate. This is, this is due to two things. Luke is a really good playmaker and LeBron's now 40. So the combination of the two, a transformational young talent in Luka and The fact that LeBron is older and is great in spurts. But in the Denver game when LeBron didn't have to be the initial the initiator of offense, his usage rate was only 29%. That's well below his average. Did you also notice since Luke arrived, What's happened to LeBron's efficiency? It's gone through the roof. So he's fresh for those flurries late in the round, late in the quarter, late in the sequence, late in the half, late in the game. So this is finally. And now, now it's working. Now somebody said this to me years ago and it was really smart about LeBron. Whenever you play with LeBron, you are playing in LeBron's offense. You just have to figure out now, Kyrie got really frustrated with it, but I think Lebron, because of his age and because I think Lucas even, I mean, listen, Kyrie's an all time talent, but I think he looks at Luka and goes, okay, finally, as much as I loved AD, he's not a playmaker. Luka is. Austin Reaves is. LeBron is. But this is what JJ Redick said after this win in Denver. And this is the quiet part. Finally, finally being said out loud.

[Narrator]

Luka needs to be the guy that.

[Dallas Goddard]

Controls the offense and Bond and ar, because we're going to stagger everybody. They're going to have their times to.

[Colin Cowherd]

Be on the ball. But all three of those guys are.

[Dallas Goddard]

Very intelligent basketball players and we can create mismatches if we can get teams in the blender.

[Colin Cowherd]

Nobody's ever said that like that has been thought about. Privately, it's been whispered. It's been, you know, it'd probably be bet the whole AD time we kept waiting for the baton pass. That against Denver, that was the baton pass. That was a moment. That's what I said. I think the Lakers can play for the Western Conference finals if they play like that. You got Rui in the corner. Austin Reeves is your third best playmaker. Luke is your primary initiator. And LeBron off ball unless Lucas sits for the record. LeBron sees it and said this after.

[Dallas Goddard]

I'm a natural born wide receiver and he's a natural born quarterback. So it fits perfectly. You know, I'm. I've been running the floor and running lanes like, you know, pretty much my whole life. And he's been throwing great passes pretty much his whole life. So it's not. It's not hard to get a rhythm when it comes to that. You know, it's just all about, you know, eye contact and, you know, him being the great quarterback like he is, and me being the recipient of it.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is not a small thing. This has, like, been the discussion for years. This is what Kyrie complained about. D. Wade didn't complain about it. D. Wade and Spoelstra figured it out after about two practices. This is gonna be LeBron's team. Kyrie pushed back, but LeBron was better at it. AD I'm not a playmaker. This is what it can look like. This is what it can look like at its best. Luka's the playmaker. He initiates it. LeBron will have more efficiency and more energy late in the quarter. Half game, and they blow out Denver. And Denver is a team I don't know in the last 15 is the. Is Denver 14 and 1. Denver always beats the Lakers. And this wasn't even close. So I don't want to get too crazy, but this is what it should look like. J. Mac, listen. Hockey blew up when I was gone. Aaron Rodgers may be a Ram. Colin, right? Colin Wrong. NFL may screw around with their kickoffs even more. I hope you had a great time with the fam.

[J. Mac]

I did. Wife and I went to Grand Cayman, so nice little getaway down to the Caribbean. It's good to be back and hear you saying nice things about LeBron. Oh, my gosh, Colin. That's awesome. Am I wrong? No, you're right. It does feel like we're a little far away. I feel like I have to wave or maybe shout a little louder.

[Colin Cowherd]

For those watching, that may have been intentional. Oh, shots fired on Monday, so I will say this. We are. I'm not going to tell you why we're in a makeshift studio. It's amazing how good of a makeshift studio it was. They told me call to have a makeshift studio and I thought we were going to be in a broom closet. So I came up here this morning with very low hope. My optimism was at a low. Nothing against management, but I went up to a broom closet and I'm like, all right, it's going to be a rough four months. I can't believe how nice it is. In fact, you may want to cancel those plans and use that budget for something else because I am really comfortable up here. I am feeling great. Rachel Nichols Matt Hasselbeck is joining us today. Colin Right? Colin Wrong. Don't forget the combine starts Thursday. Very interesting week in the NFL. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app you can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Cart has no cash access and expires in six months. Last week was our first playoff game and my plaque psoriasis was so itchy under all my gear. Sometimes just thinking about scratching could take me out of the moment. And then my doctor told me I could get clearer skin with a pill called Otezla.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Otezla Epremilast is a prescription medicine used to treat adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. Otzla can help you get clearer skin after just four months.

[Colin Cowherd]

Okay, ready for the next game? Talking to my doctor about a pill was a total game changer.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Don't use OTLA if you're allergic to it. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms, severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss can happen. Tell your doctor if any of these occur and if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts. Live in the moment. Ask your doctor about Otlsla. Call 1-844-4-OTESLA or visit otesla.com for prescribing info info about cost and more. The More Better the merrier title of your podcast. All your old Brooklyn Nine nine friends are appearing on your favorite podcast, More Better. Don't miss Brooklyn Nine Nine stars and show hosts Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero as they welcome their friends and former castmates back to laugh about old times and swap some stories. This week it's Gina Linetti herself, the talented Chelsea Peretti.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember when we were in that scene where you guys were just supposed to.

[J. Mac]

Hug and I was standing there?

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. I was like, can I also hug.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Them then next week, the 99 nonsense continues as the More Better amigas sit down with Joe Latrulio AKA Detective Charles Boyle. There'll be more laughs, more conversation, more stories from the set and more More Better. Don't miss a minute.

[Colin Cowherd]

You felt safe enough to throw out a bad idea, right? I mean that is the key because you're definitely not throwing out good ideas all the time. I mean that's just not how it works.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Listen to More Better with Stephanie and Melissa on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm Mark Seale.

[Mark Seal]

And I'm Nathan King.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli.

[J. Mac]

The five families did not want us.

[Colin Cowherd]

To shoot that picture.

[Mark Seal]

Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli is based on my co host Mark's best selling book of the same title. And on this show we call upon his years of research to help unpack the story behind the Godfather's birth. From start to finish, this is really.

[Narrator]

The first interview I've done in bed.

[Mark Seal]

We sift through innumerable accounts. 35 pages isn't very much, many of them conflicting.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's nonsense.

[Mark Seal]

There were 60 pages and try to get to the truth of what really happened and they said we're finished.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is over. It only stopped going to work.

[J. Mac]

You got to get rid of those guys.

[Mark Seal]

It's just that Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Mark Seal]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

So Aaron Rodgers is back in California. In fact Southern California working out over the weekend. TMZ caught up with him. He says he wants to for a good team and one that wants him. And I do believe I put this out there a couple of weeks ago. I think If Matt Stafford leaves the Rams, Aaron Rodgers is their choice. And I don't think the Rams want to get rid of Matt Stafford, but He has made 350, 360 million. I would stay in Los Angeles. Stan Kroenke less need. Sean McVeigh. Indoor weather. He's got a place by the beach. He played for a loser for 12 years in Detroit. He got beat up. Rams have a good offensive line, a run game, Puka Nukua and a great offensive coach. I would not leave the Rams. You can't just chase money. There's got to be more to it than that. And if he goes to the Steelers or the Giants, and those are the rumored teams, those are bad offensive lines and those are offensively inept teams. But my take is if he leaves, Aaron Rodgers will be the choice over a Sam Darnold. Here's why. The jets had one of the worst coaching staffs in the league after Robert Sala left. And yet Aaron Rodgers, last 10 games and I've been a critic of him. They're pretty good. 18 touchdowns, four picks. He's pretty good now. He doesn't want to get hit anymore and he doesn't move like he used to. And he's past his prime. But when he finally found his rhythm after that ACL surgery, Aaron wasn't terrible. Secondly, Sean McVay likes a good project. Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff. Third is Aaron doesn't want to play forever. He doesn't want a four year contract. He's probably got a year or two left. Wants to hang out in the weekends. You know that he stopped playing at his Malibu mansion. So I think it works. And I think again, there's an old saying on Wall street, buy the dips, right? Saquon Barkley. Better than his value on the market. Derrick Henry, Raven, Smart team. Better than his value right now. The pendulum has swung so far with Aaron Rodgers. He is undervalued. And you know, I love Sam Darnold, but I think he's overvalued. I think everything worked for Sam Darnold. The left tackle, the coach, the wide receivers, the run game, the division. I thought, I think air, I think, and I love Sam, but he's a little overvalued now. Aaron now buy the dip. He's undervalued. He may not be a 50 stock, but he's certainly not a twelve dollar stock. And if you can give me those numbers with a second third tier jets coaching staff, go get him. And by the way, people say, well, has Aaron been humbled Aaron is what Aaron is. He's complex. The vaccine stuff turned off a lot of media people. I don't think the public cared, but the media did. And they've just decided Aaron's not worth anything. Yes, he is. And one of the things that's very attractive Stafford right now is a bad contract relative to the top quarterbacks in the league. I mean, he's in. I think right now he's paid less than Tua. That shouldn't be the case. Okay. But the Rams are going to play hardball and the Rams have leverage here and their leverage is we're well run. And the teams that want you, the Raiders, the Giants and the Steelers offensively aren't. So the Rams have leverage here. And I do think there's a chance that Stafford's going to have a market and the Steelers or the Giants or the Raiders are going to make a bid on him. Because I think he has two really good years left and maybe three. And if that happens, I said it two weeks ago and I believe it. I think McVay could get a really, really good year out of Aaron Rodgers. And because they have a great defense, I mean, it gave. Jalen hurts all sorts of problems in the snow. What do you thought for 64 yards in that divisional playoff game? You saw, you saw Jalen hurts against the Commanders and the Chiefs up and down the field. He didn't do that. Didn't do it against that Rams defense. Young and getting better. It's not a team that will be carried by the quarterback. You're not going to ask Aaron Rodgers to be a savior. It's got much more of a Tom Brady to Tampa field. We got good players, we got an offensive coach. Can you keep this thing humming and make six to seven big throws a game? That's it. It is much more Brady to Tampa than it is Russell Wilson to Denver or Aaron Rodgers to the Jets. So keep your eye. If Stafford leaves, I think Aaron's the answer and I don't think it's Darnold. I think Donald right now it's getting a little rich, in my opinion. J. Mac with the news. No, no, no, turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

[J. Mac]

Hey, let's start with the super bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles smash the Chiefs in a blowout, but they're going to look a little different next season. Colin OC Kellen Moore took the job in New Orleans and Philly recently promoted their pass game coordinator Kevin Petullo to replace kellen Moore. And A.J. brown is very fired up about this.

[Colin Cowherd]

New promotion, I truly feel like it's a great hire. He. He already has been involved in almost everything. Him, Kellen and Nick basically called the plays already. It's a great hire, and he's already familiar with us. We have a great relationship and he knows what we need to work on because he's been there and he's been there for a while. And like I said, he's already been a part of all the situations and the conversations and everything.

[Dallas Goddard]

So I think it's a great hire.

[Colin Cowherd]

I was thinking about this this morning when I saw this story. In just a couple of years, this is what's happened to the NFL. Bill Belichick is now coaching the 23rd best college football program in the country, and Nick Ceriani is routing Andy Reid in the Super. I don't think this is a. I don't think this is a coaching team. I think it's a roster that is built by a gm. I think there's a lot of different ways to win in the NFL. This team is winning with their GM and their quarterback and their roster.

[J. Mac]

Yeah, I mean, listen, Jalen Hurts is about to have his fourth offensive coordinator in four years. I mean, they had Shane Steichen, Brian Johnson, Kellen Moore, and now Petullo. I just wonder. Last time they promoted Johnson, remember, within. After Steichen left, it was a mess. There were a lot of problems. It was like, that's Jalen Hurts, his guy. I mean, Petullo is promoted from within. I don't know how this is going to go. I'm not ready to go. Eagles will repeat. They're certainly in the mix. They're one of the five best teams in the league.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, they'll be, you know, it's a loud city. It'll be a loud off season. That's what Philadelphia does.

[J. Mac]

Division. Jaden Daniels is here and Matt Stafford. You know, we started that super bowl week, remember?

[Colin Cowherd]

You did. You started it two weeks before the Super Bowl Bowl. You said Stafford of the Giants, and you were right.

[J. Mac]

And now we'll see. Well, it's not done, but that division all of a sudden gets much tougher. We'll get to Dallas shortly. They're not going to be tough, but the NFC north is stacked. I. I don't think the Eagles are a gimme to repeat. It's going to be a great, great NFC next season. Colin, let's move on to the Dallas Cowboys, who lost Dak to that torn hamstring, remember, in week nine, ending their season. Dallas will have a healthy Dak next season. But according to EVP Steven Jones they want to draft a quarterback. Listen, we know the messaging from Dallas is always crazy. They're now saying ahead of the combine we want to draft a quarterback. Really? That's like one of your needs Colin. They say Cooper Rush is probably going to be priced out by Dallas as the backup.

[Colin Cowherd]

He will.

[J. Mac]

Trey Lance has been the third stringer back to back years. He's probably not going to do that again. Once a crack somewhere. I don't know if he's going to get it. And now a quarterback is needed. We saw Zach Martin retired last week.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'll make an argument this is a great year. Could be a great year to draft a backup quarterback. Like I think there's a lot of guys that aren't ready to start in the NFL. Kyle McCord, Riley Leonard, Jackson Dart. Those guys are not ready to start in the NFL right now. They all could be with a year or two behind somebody. Like last year was a year that Jaden Daniels was ready to play. Bo Nix had 61 college starts. He was ready to play Caleb Williams. This year's class outside of Cam Ward and Shedeur even I Jay I like Jalen Milroe he not ready to start in the NFL. Like so this year is if you're looking for a backup for two years this is not a terrible quarterback class. It is lacking start right away talent.

[J. Mac]

So I would agree good time to find a backup. But Dallas has needs all over the place. Oh I know you can't be taking a quarterback in the second round when you're the Cowboys. Listen there's a world where they're like a five win team next year and then you even have a better draft pick.

[Colin Cowherd]

Like yeah that world you're talking about is a reality. That's not that you're not being over the top. Zach Martin retired.

[J. Mac]

I looked yeah the Zach Martin retired.

[Colin Cowherd]

Fast offensive lineman just retired.

[J. Mac]

Yeah but the rookie Geithner, I looked his pff numbers up terrible year last year. Now maybe it's just a bad rookie year but they got needs all over the place. Running back is a need for the record.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we we know 12 first rounders will be overdrafted. 10 to 12 that like that's the rule. This whole thing about Dallas taking a running back in the first round it's timeout. This is the richest running back class I can remember. I mean I saw the other day people have Woody Marks at USC the best back since Reggie Bush as a 12th best running back. Woody Marks is 85 to 90% of the Boise State guy. You can get him in the third round. Like, I know everybody like Austin, Jenny. He's a really good running back. This year is the classic. Wait until the third and fourth round to get a running back. You're not. There's. There's only a handful of great offensive tackles and rush ends. Those guys are done by the late third round. So it's interesting when I hear the Cowboys, every mock draft has them taking a running back. It's like, bro, this is not the year to draft a running back in the first round.

[J. Mac]

Cowboys defense has a lot of needs as well. There's the Micah Parsons stuff looming. I know people are sick of us talking about the Cowboys, particularly you, but they're interesting because right now it. It looks like a bit of a tire fire, doesn't it?

[Colin Cowherd]

Oh, it is.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Colin Cowherd]

I don't even think. I don't think there's anything. Looks like it at all.

[J. Mac]

Final story, Colin, is to the NBA, where my Knicks, it was not a great week.

[Colin Cowherd]

They do not match up with Cleveland or Boston. They cannot stop. They can't stop. And by the way, Cleveland offensively, I mean, they are their top four players. Look at their efficiency rating.

[J. Mac]

Yeah. The Cavs beat the Knicks by 37 on Friday, and then yesterday they were down, I think by 20 in the first quarter. And they got smoked by Dallas.

[Colin Cowherd]

They're.

[J. Mac]

I'm sorry. By Boston. They're 0 and 2 against Boston this season. After the game, Jalen Brunson spoke up and is like, I got to be ready to step up and lead. He's sitting on a grenade. He does not have to. This is about Carl Anthony Towns and his lack of defense. He cannot guard anyone.

[Colin Cowherd]

The last two times the Celtics have played the Knicks, the first eight minutes, you can tell Boston comes out and they attack Carl Anthony Towns. Like, there's no doubt about those. Games are over eight minutes in, so. And you know, it's funny because the Tibbs is a defensive coach. They got Mikhail Bridges, og. They've got defensive players.

[J. Mac]

Josh Hart.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yeah. Like, there's no reason they're this bad defensively. This is one of the things that. And I've watched Karl Anthony Towns play in person four or five times. He's a remarkably gifted offensive player. He really is. But he is. He is a hole defensively. And the good teams and the teams with depth, like Cleveland, who's got real bigs, and Boston, they just attack him.

[J. Mac]

It's not great. I don't know that there's an easy Fix last year they had Hartenstein, remember? Well, you knew what you were getting. Defense and rebounding from him.

[Colin Cowherd]

Aren't they getting the big. They're getting a big back.

[J. Mac]

Mitchell Robinson, he's going to have to show up, but you need towns on the court. I'm at the concern level with the Knicks right now because, Colin, as it's slated, they're going to face the Celtics in the second round. They're not beating Boston.

[Colin Cowherd]

I think there's an argument though. The two best teams in the league are Boston and Cleveland. No, I mean if you take those two teams out.

[J. Mac]

Did you already forget your opening segment? The Lakers are one of the two best teams in the league. Okay. And I'm not surprised you didn't say Oklahoma City, who's also given the Knicks fit.

[Colin Cowherd]

I just think we'll over every. Historically, every sportscaster overlooks Cleveland just as a rule. But if you watch Cleveland and look at their efficiency numbers, it's unbelievable how good they are. They match up actually with Boston.

[J. Mac]

Okay, so I'll just, I'll just say this. We have been fooled many times by an NBA regular season. And everybody's like, hey, hey, look at this team. They're amazing. Let's just pump the brakes. The Knicks, because they can't beat the great teams. People are freaking out. OKC steamrolling everybody. Cleveland steamrolling everybody. The playoffs, we know this a different story. I think the Knicks are going to be fine. I would take the Knicks over Cleveland in the.

[Colin Cowherd]

I would not. But I. But I also think I would not. But I. First of all, they don't match up with Boston. That one's done that.

[J. Mac]

That's not a great matchup.

[Colin Cowherd]

Right? But I, I think we have to be fair about this. If the Cleveland team played in New York and the New York team played in Cleveland, we'd all be high on Cleveland. I think they're really good.

[J. Mac]

Listen, man, they're a regular season team. They look awesome and so is OKC and the Lakers. We know the Lakers are taking down okc. That's a given.

[Colin Cowherd]

No, we. We don't know that. You spent too much time in the Caymans. You got too much Sun J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd line. Colin, right? Colin, Wrong. Top of next hour. One more heard. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the iHeartRadio app. Search her to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'M Rich Davis and together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything. Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something. So check us out. We like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich. You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Colin Carrot here with pro tight end Dallas Goddard to share his journey with plaque psoriasis and how he tackles his symptoms with otesla.

[Dallas Goddard]

Aprimolass yeah, being a football player with plaque psoriasis can be challenging. My skin gets flaky and itchy so my doctor told me about a pill o Tesla. It works from the inside out.

[Narrator]

OT is a prescription medicine used to treat adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. Otezla can help you get clearer. SK after just four months, Dallas is an OTESLA patient that has been compensated for his time. Don't use OTESLA if you're allergic to it. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms, severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss can happen. Tell your doctor if any of these occur. And if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, talking to my.

[Dallas Goddard]

Doctor about a pill was a total game changer.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you're struggling with plaque psoriasis, talk to your doctor about Otla. Visit otezla.com for more information or call 1-844-4-Ot EZL prescribing info info about cost.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

And more the more better the merrier title of your podcast all your old Brooklyn Nine9 friends are appearing on your favorite podcast, More Better. Don't miss Brooklyn Nine9 stars and show hosts Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero as they welcome their friends and former castmates back to laugh about old times and swap some stories. This week it's Gina Linetti herself, the talented Chelsea Peretti.

[Colin Cowherd]

Remember when we were in that scene where you guys were just supposed to hug and I was supposed to standing there? Yeah.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Can I also hug them then? Next week the Nine9 nonsense continues as the More Better Amigas sit down with Joe Latrulio AKA Detective Charles Boyle. There'll be more laughs, more conversation, more stories from the set and more More Better. Don't miss a minute.

[Colin Cowherd]

You felt safe enough to throw out a bad idea, right? I mean that is the key because you're definitely not throwing out good ideas out. I mean that's just not how it works.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Listen to More Better with Stephanie and Melissa on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

I'm Mark Seale.

[Mark Seal]

And I'm Nathan King.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli. The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

[Mark Seal]

Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli is based on my co host Mark's best selling book of the same title. And on this show we call upon his years of research to help unpack the story behind the Godfather's birthday. From start to finish, this is really.

[Narrator]

The first interview I've done in bed.

[Mark Seal]

We sift through innumerable accounts. 35 pages isn't very much, many of them conflicting.

[Colin Cowherd]

That's nonsense.

[Mark Seal]

There were 60 pages and try to get to the truth of what really happened.

[J. Mac]

And they said we're finished.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is over. It only is not going to work. You gotta get rid of those guys.

[Mark Seal]

This is that Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Mark Seal]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[J. Mac]

Fox the NASCAR Cup Series is in Texas, where the best drivers in the world take on the twists and turns at the Circuit of the Americas. Pre race coverage begins at 2:30 Eastern with the green flag at 3:30 only on Fox.

[Colin Cowherd]

So mostly when I take a vacation, I stay off social media. I get out of here. I've been doing this long enough there about six to eight weekends or six to eight weeks during the year that you should take off. They're slow. So you do the NFL, the Super bowl, long season. We ask a lot of our staff. Our staff doesn't take any dates off. We're working Friday, Saturdays, Sundays. That's the way it is. So after the super bowl, you talk about it from four or five days. Hopefully it didn't get stomach flu in New Orleans. I think everybody did, ourselves included. And then you take a week off and it's quiet. There was a little bit of noise. And part of it is based on All Star Games. Let me say this. All Star Games used to feel really special. I'm old enough to remember when, you know, you got one baseball game of the week on Saturday and one on Monday and there was an interleague play. And I couldn't wait to watch the baseball All Star Game, which remains the jewel of All Star Games games. But it doesn't feel as special. Okay, the Pro Bowl. I've said this for since I've been a broadcaster. Unwatchable. And I love football, hockey, All Star Game so bad they gave up on it. Get to that in a second NBA All Star Game. The players make so much money now, they just don't care. And that's natural. Stuff you care about when you're not worth 150 million may matter more than stuff. Once you are worth north of 250, 300 million. A lot of these stars, and I don't want to hear that NBA guys are bad guys because they love the Olympics. I'm currently watching something a streaming service, watching something on USA Basketball and in Paris and it's wonderful and the players are like kids and they still care. But All Star Games are done. These guys want time off. You know these guys. The NBA just signed a $76 billion deal for 11 years. The owners are happy, the players are rich. Adam Silver's happy. The All Star Game's a shot weekend. Nobody cares. The stars would rather have it off. The fact that they even show up is laudable, but it's bad and they're trying to tweak it and just leave it alone and let it be and let the young guys shine. It's just a different time in the NBA. But hockey, to its credit, and that's the sport that, frankly, it's big in Canada. We don't watch it here a lot. Even the Stanley Cup Final, we just don't watch it. So hockey's like, our All Star Game is brutal. So they went and did something called four nations. Finland, Sweden, Canada, usa. We're gonna face each other in a tournament. It was fantastic. You couldn't turn it off. It was unbelievable. And it was a convergence of many things. It got 10 million viewers for USA Canada. It was Trump poking Canada. It was Trudeau poking back. It's USA versus Canada. I've never thought of us as rivals in the Olympics. I always root for Canada. I go to Canada every other summer. I love Canada. Okay? Most Americans I know love Canada. If not, we love their Molson. Like, they're nice people, but, you know, we got a little rivalry tariff talk. So that's part of it. The fights are part of it. Canada booing us at our anthem is part of it. And it just made for an unbelievable week of hockey that you could not turn off. I thought it was fantastic. And you can nitpick some stuff about it. Let's not. Let's enjoy it. But not everything becomes something greater. Tim Tebow in Denver. You can't recreate it. Lynn's sanity, St. Peter's in March Madness, the Wildcat offense. You know, we spend so much time instead of just loving the moment and going, damn, this is good. Just love the moment. Years ago, I used to cover boxing. You'd get about one fight every two or three years. That was magic. And they'd always have a rematch, and the rematch was never as good. And generally, the sequel in movie making is never as good. And I just thought this was wonderful. It was a convergence of format and timing and. And we were underdogs and we were booed, and you couldn't turn it off. You make Americans underdogs, and you get into fights with them and you challenge us. We've got a healthy enough ego and pride. We're gonna fight back. So I thought it was wonderful. I give the NHL a ton of credit for saying, listen, our All Star Game is different. We're not going to tweak it. We're going to blow it up. We're just going to do something completely different. And I think that's great. And Gary Bettman gets a lot of crap. It is Hard to sell hockey in America. Canada does not have our labyrinth. Labyrinth of college and university sports. They don't have a March Madness like us. I mean, high school sports are big in America. College sports, you know, Division 2 sports. We are just wildly distracted. It is hard to sandwich in Canada's favorite sport and say, everybody watch it. We don't. This we watched. It's just for a moment due to several factors. Remarkable television and I loved every bit of it. But it's not going to mean anything. We're not going to now. A lot of hockey games play this weekend and Americans didn't watch. Just enjoy it. Not everything needs a sequel. Now, you may do this on an, you know, listen, Italy's got the Olympics in 2026. It'll get feisty again. We may, in this country love hockey very situationally. Olympics this tournament. This may be when we love it. And that's okay. What we don't love about the NBA is All Star Weekend. And it's very clear the players don't like it. Draymond Green was complaining about it. Here's a clip of that. I had to work so hard to play on Sunday night of All Star Weekend. And because ratings are down, because the game's bad, we're bringing in Rise and stars. That's not a fix. I never played in the Rise of Stars game my first two years. I didn't touch that game. And these guys get to touch the All Star floor. Yeah, if I was the NBA, I'd leave it alone. I'm serious. Just like, it's not going to be a big deal. I'd let the young guys take over. There's tons of young guys. I think the, the NBA is listening to their critics and they're trying to tweak it and fix it. Just let it be. Nobody really cares. The football season's over. It's a boring week or two of sports. We're all waiting for the combine and NFL free agency and March Match Madness. Okay, here's another thing. Now. Some things, speaking of, you don't need to fix it. So you have to be careful. I tell young broadcasters this whenever I speak to a college class. One of the first things I say is just don't listen to the noise. Trust your instincts, work hard, keep your head down. Don't stay off your phone. Just that stuff. I'm old enough now. I don't care. But when you're in your 20s and 30s, sometimes I watch these leagues and they're listening to critics. Don't worry about critics. I mean, the NBA just signed a megadeal. Who cares what critics say? Owners happy, Players happy. Adam Silver happy. Now, NBC may have reached and overbid. That's my feeling. They won't be happy, but everybody else will be. But here's something that the NBA, which is the great tweak league, and I've always had respect for the NFL. NFL is the great tweak league. They are constantly tweaking stuff. I've seen them change the catch rule in a Super Bowl. So this year, they tweaked the kickoff, and they had two concerns. Too many concussions during the kickoff. This had been like a decade concern, and there weren't enough returns, too many touchbacks. So they tweaked it and people didn't like it. And I said at the time, take a deep breath. You know, nobody likes change. Just take a deep breath. I think it'll be okay when the season's over. Well, the numbers are in. And there's a story this morning. They want to tweak it again. And my take is don't. So the number one concern was concussions, right? Concussions this past year were down 17%. Historic NFL low. So it worked. Okay, let's talk about kickoff returns. Oh, let's look. Oh. Kickoff returns rose 53%. In fact, there were more 40 plus yard kickoff returns than in any year since 2016. So there were two objectives with this kickoff rule. I know it looked weird. A lot of stuff looks weird until you get used to it. They wanted fewer concussions. Check. They wanted more kick returns, especially big ones. Check. Do a Vegas dealer move. You're done. It worked. It's over. And. And I said, Day one, we all struggle. I've used this stat before. 40% of Americans never move away from their zip code. People don't like change. Like right now in the White House, people are freaking out. There's a lot of change, a lot of it good. Maybe some not. But people just don't like change. They don't like it. People don't like to move. They don't like to move out of their comfort zone. So the NFL kickoff room aesthetically, was weird looking. It was like, okay, they can't move until they grab it. It's weird. They did that for concussions. So the numbers are out. They both worked. And we had more big returns. We had more returns by almost over 50% and concussions were down. And that's exactly. And I'll give the NFL credit, it's easy to make changes when you're bad I always said Tiger Woods, Tiger woods changed clubs when he was the number one golfer in the world. That takes courage. Okay. Oprah Winfrey changed formats when she was the number one daytime talk show host. That's courage. The NFL is number one by a mile and they're constantly tweaking. Total respect for that. But the kickoff thing, it worked. You got it right. Okay, I want to go back to the Matt Stafford talk with the Giants because Albert Brear not on the show today, but somebody we respect a lot talked about this. So this, this Stafford has a bad contract right now and he's made a lot of money, but he's not happy with it. And they've kind of put a bandaid on it in the last year. But Stafford, now this stuff gets out because Stafford and his people want it out. They're unhappy. And so Albert Breyer says the Giants, the Browns and the Steelers and the Raiders have all shown interest. Well, my take is you could put a caution tape around those four franchises. Offensively, those are bad. Danger, stay away. The Rams have two big advantages with Stafford here. Number one, they're really well run. How many NFL franchises, if I ask you today, are really well run? Baltimore, Kansas City, Philadelphia Rams, Niners. It's not that many. And how many of the well run franchises are also well coached? Then it gets down to about six and the Rams are one of them. So sometimes your greatest leverage as a company is we've got our act together. Steelers offensively don't, Giants don't. Raiders don't. They're running through people. The Browns don't. So in this you think to yourself, Stafford's got leverage. No, Stafford's talented and he's great and he'd be crazy to leave, but he spent 12 years in Detroit. Okay? That stuff doesn't leave you. Like they always, therapists always tell you what, what happened to you at nine will stick with you for life. Even if you go to therapy. If you're in a bad 12 year relationship in the NFL with your organization, that stuff doesn't leave. I mean, Aaron Rodgers right now had a great relationship. Why? Stafford was with the Lions, he was with the Packers. Aaron goes to the jets for two years, he's like, oh, you don't think he'd be interested in the Rams? Like I, I've been with a bad franchise. There's no fun. So to me, Stafford would be nuts to leave, I think if the Rams went, listen, we're going to give you $40 million, two year deal. 80 million total. 40 million, two years call today, you'll be 40. It's over. I would take that in a second. Stafford had won a third year. Probably not going to give it to him. It's a much better college quarterback draft class and also Aaron Rodgers out there for a year or two. But when I look at the teams that are out there, my take is, Matt, you've made a lot of money. You've made $360 million. If you sign 40 million for two years, you end up making close to 450 million and you get a Super Bowl. And I'm serious here. Rams for the next two years with Stafford are in the super bowl bubble. And I'm not sure how far they are off. You go to that game against Philadelphia, more yards, more first downs. They held Jalen hurts to about 65 yards passing. Remember that big completion, J. Mac down the right sideline to Puka? We were sitting there going, wait a minute, are they gonna steal this game? They haven't even played well. I mean, they hadn't even played well and they were driving down the field. A dome team, essentially. SOFI is a, you know, semi dome. They were driving for the win. And that, that D line which destroyed the commanders and the chief's front, that after that completion right there, you're like, holy crap, they're down to the 15 yard line. So for Stafford to leave that I think would be a huge, huge mistake. And I know J. Mac, J. Mack's theory is always strike when the iron is hot. But what if the iron is the Steelers, Giants, Raiders, Brown, that's, that's not a hot iron.

[J. Mac]

Well, let's look at the. Have you looked at the Rams free agency situation? It sounds like both tackles may need to be replaced. For the Rams, that's not ideal. They don't have a second round pick, I believe because they had to move up for the kid from fsu.

[Colin Cowherd]

Haven Stein is getting old, but is still a top five right tackle.

[J. Mac]

It sounds like Jackson's going to command a lot of money on the market. Rams may lose him. So now all of a sudden Stafford's looking around like, damn, my tackle situation's uncertain. After Puka Koopa's Cooper's gonna be gone. I think Tutu Outlaw's a free agent. I think Robinson's gonna be looking elsewhere as a free agent. And now you're like, oh gee, we got a lot of holes on this team. You're gonna need to pay me.

[Colin Cowherd]

So we're better. Their first pick is gonna be a left tackle which will free up money they would have to spend on their left tackle for Matt Tyler, Higby Puka, Nakua. They're going to draft a receiver, I think with one of their third round picks. Wide receiver. It's not a terribly deep wide receiver class like previous years, but it's good enough. I'm going to say. Mcvan the Rams will score points with or without staffer next year. Colin Right? Colin Wrong Next. Colin Carrot here with pro tight end Dallas Goddard to share his journey with plaque psoriasis and how he tackles his symptoms with otesla.

[Dallas Goddard]

A Primalast yeah, being a football player with plaque psoriasis can be challenging. My skin gets flaky and itchy so my doctor told me about a P otla. It works from the inside out.

[Narrator]

OTLA is a prescription medicine used to treat adult patients with plaque psoriasis for whom phototherapy or systemic therapy is appropriate. OTLA can help you get clearer skin after just four months. Dallas is an OTESLA patient that has been compensated for his time. Don't use OTLA if you're allergic to it. Get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing or swallowing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, throat or arms, severe diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss can happen. Tell your doctor if any of these occur and if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts.

[Dallas Goddard]

Talking to my doctor about a pill was a total game changer.

[Colin Cowherd]

If you're struggling with plaque serotonin, talk to your doctor about Otesla. Visit Otesla.com for more information or call 1-844-4-OTEZLA for prescribing info, info about cost and more. I'm Mark Seale.

[Mark Seal]

And I'm Nathan King.

[Colin Cowherd]

This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[J. Mac]

The five families did not want us.

[Colin Cowherd]

To shoot that picture.

[Mark Seal]

This podcast is based on my co host, Mark Seals best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others.

[Colin Cowherd]

Yes, that was a real horse's head.

[Mark Seal]

Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Colin Cowherd]

Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's the thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd. I love writing more than anything. You're left alone, you know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon, go pick up a kid from school and write at night. And after nine hours you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time Ladies European Tour winner, and Kira K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please. With Mel and Kira. We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their superpower and iheart.

[Mark Seal]

Wins Sports Production in partnership with Deep.

[Colin Cowherd]

Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephanie Beatriz]

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.