Matt Hasselbeck (3:44)

Do you want me to hold up on the screen?

Colin Cowherd (3:46)

What?

Matt Hasselbeck (3:46)

I just.

Colin Cowherd (3:46)

It's incredible.

Matt Hasselbeck (3:48)

Gummy Bears, maybe.

Colin Cowherd (3:49)

I mean, I have gone through like 12 Sour Patch Kids and we're only an hour two in a Monday. Yeah. So Matt Hasselbeck's going to be joining us. A lot of different stuff to talk about. We do it every Monday at this time, football or not. Colin right? Colin wrong. And here we go, where Colin was right. Well, I said once they got Luca, it would take while to figure it out. And they won't be great defensively, but either is Denver in the West. But the Lakers will be a Western Conference finals participant. They blew out Denver in Denver. Luka now, not LeBron. For the first time ever, Luka's the quarterback and the initiator of the offense, and LeBron's more the tight end or wide receiver. And I think at this point, that's the best way to do it. J.J. redick deserves a lot of credit. He's saying the quiet part out loud. Luka's gonna lead the offense, allowing Austin Reaves and LeBron to be great off ball. This is how it should work. And J.J. redick, the new guys come in. I said this, this franchise now is Luka and J.J. redick's. That's not a shot at LeBron. But this game against Denver is what the offense should look like going forward. Where Collin was Raw There's a story today that the Vikings are considering re signing Sam Darnold and I'm a little confused by this. Not the franchise tech which would pay him a lot so that tells me J.J. mcCarthy's injury. There's still some concerns. Now Daniel Jones is there but a free agent. Listen I'm. I'm not one of these. Sam had a great year. 35 touchdown, 12 picks. Is it a lightning in a bottle moment? A little bit. But I think Sam's in his prime. He's coachable, he moves, he's got a good arm and I think Minnesota is really well coached. But I will be honest I thought he was moving off. I thought he Sam would have a market. I'd be surprised if the Raiders don't make a real run in him. So Darnold according to a story Vikings open to a contract where Colin was right I said this before I left Keep your eyes on Aaron Rodgers if Stafford leaves to the Rams and Pro Football Talk is quoting a general manager anonymous GM saying yep, it's being discussed. One of the reasons Stafford and the Rams are going to discuss a new deal at the combine starting Thursday and going through the weekend I'm told. But Aaron doesn't want a long term deal. He's been humbled a little in New York and also after playing in well run Green Bay he probably misses a really top to bottom well run organization. I'm not saying it's going to happen but I'm not surprised that Aaron who I actually think with a staff at the end of last year for the jets that was suboptimal. I thought Aaron was pretty good down the stretch Story today Rams are looking where Collin was wrong. Well they got Josh Hart finally back after 11 days off but they got I thought the Knicks were going to be a very good team better offensively with Karl Anthony Towns and very good at least as good defensively. They're not. They're bad defensively. Now they're getting Robinson back and Josh Hart came back but Boston and Cleveland attack Karl Anthony Towns and there is nothing they can do about it. Again I thought a lot of their defense would be solved by Mikhail Bridges, a very athletic wing. They cannot defend the three. In fact I think they're last in the NBA at defending the three. So of all the Knicks problems I thought they were going to be a better offensive team than last year. Still great defense. They are struggling on the defensive end where Colin was right. Never really understood the fascination with Joel Embiid right now they've Lost seven straight with Joel Embiid. He got bench yesterday. Listen, I know he's talented and I know he's worth something, but they chose. Embiid is the good guy and Jimmy Butler is the bad guy. And all Butler does is win. Now with the warriors and then with the Miami Heat, I don't understand his game. He's shooting more threes than ever. And he's bad at it, shooting 29. He didn't work in the Olympics with other star players, so I. I've never been a huge Embiid fan. He was gifted an MVP a couple of years ago because people didn't think it was fair that Jokic won three straight. Now you're seeing the result of that huge contract. Bad news for the Sixers where Colin was wrong. T. Higgins looks like he could stay in Cincinnati stories today. They are considering strongly a franchise tag. Now, that would probably overpay him for the short term, but my takeaway is outside of Burrow and Jamar Chase, who are you paying? You got one edge rusher. If Philadelphia can pay everybody, including Dom, they should be able to pay Burrow. Jamar Chase and T. Higgins. He's a really good player. He's durable. He's got a catching radius. I mean, he can take a hit. He can block a little. I'm surprised Cincinnati would open up the wallet here where Colin was right. We were huge proponents of Jimmy Butler to the warriors and their 51 since he arrived. They didn't have a consistent number two score. More than that, though. Butler gets to the free throw line and the warriors were bottom of the league in that category since he arrived. They're top one and two in the league in free throws attempted and free throws made. He's feisty. He is not a naturally gifted offensive score, but he works for it. He forces you to guard him and defend him every time down the floor. And he's the kind of guy that will challenge teammates, his staff, and I just think they needed to be more interesting. And he delivered where Colin was. Right? Tebo Samuel. The Niners have told him you have permission to look for a trading partner. I had said last year I thought he was the odd man out. Kittle still playing at an elevated level. Brandon Aiyuk is there down the field, deep threat. They've got to play Brock Purdy. They drafted two receivers. Pierce all late first round. Looks like he can fill that role. Debo is a really, really good chess piece and Kyle Shanahan is does wonders with those. I'm not sure if he's the same player if he gets a defensive head coach or a staff that doesn't quite understand his value doing many things besides wide receiver. But he felt like the odd man out to me during this season. And the stories now, San Francisco willing to move. Colin Right? Colin Wrong with that, joining us live, Matt Hasselbeck. 18 years in the NFL. So it's interesting, we were saying this morning, you know, you don't want to talk about a guy's money, but Matt Stafford's made a lot of it, 360 million.

J.J. Redick (10:26)

And here's the thing, I think it's 365 million. But anyway, that's just on the field.

Colin Cowherd (10:32)

That's right. And you know, I know California taxes gobble up a little bit, but you start your career and you go to Green Bay, right, well run. And Seattle when you were there, Holmgren, well run, you know, at any one time there's about 10 well run organizations right now. The Rams are one of them. How much does that mean if the money is greater elsewhere as you aged in your life, Matt, do you sit down and go, listen, your agent may not be pushing this, but guys, McVeigh indoors, weapons, I got no interest in the Giants. Is that a discussion you would have?

J.J. Redick (11:09)

You discuss it all And I would even say, you know, University of Georgia is a long way from home, friends, all that stuff. But I think kids and family, like all the stuff comes into it. It's not just X's and O's, it's not just coaches, but there's some excitement. I would also just say it's a two way street, you know, if you're the, if you're the Rams, you're saying to yourself, okay, how many more years is he going to play? So do we want high level quarterback play for another year, year or two and then what? Or you look around at some like what some of these other teams have done, you know, like where you just have consistent, consistent high level quarterback play and you hand the baton off smoothly. You know, a lot of people talk about Green Bay, but there's other teams that have had a smooth baton handoff. You know, what if you did let Matthew Stafford go and you know, you were able to get a younger, slightly cheaper option. Maybe it is Sam Darnold coming back to, you know, la, you know, who, who knows. But I do think it's a two way street. All of this gets discussed and usually gets discussed at the combine. People think the combine is all about college kids working out. It's where a lot of deals get done as well.

Colin Cowherd (12:14)

Yeah, you're right. You know, somebody said this to me yesterday, a buddy of mine, John Middelkoff, former scout with the Eagles, Andy Reid, hired him. And he said the thing he. The difference between Stafford and Aaron Rodgers, Stafford will stay in that pocket and take shots. He will wait that extra half second. Aaron didn't want to get hit at this point, like he's. He didn't have any real interest. And he said, that's the difference. It's not arm talent. It's not that one moves great and one can't move. It's that Stafford is in it to win it and he's going to take shots and he's going to sit in that pocket. And he said, I don't know if Aaron, at this point in his career is interested in that. What is your interpretation on where Aaron is today? If the Rams got him for two years?

J.J. Redick (12:52)

Yeah. So first of all, no quarterbacks like to get hit. So I can speak, you know, confidently about that. You know, Stafford makes it look good. You know, he's always got blood somewhere, kind of like Kurt Schilling with the bloody sock. He's always got like a. A bloody elbow, a bloody hand, like something. I don't see the Rams moving on from Matthew Stafford with the chemistry and the rapport, like, they're just next level. No, look, passes all day long and going to Aaron Rodgers, it's kind of like. I don't know why you would do that. I think what you would do is maybe that baton, that handoff. So you have, you know, you go from. Basically, you get your. Find your Jordan love, so to speak. Yeah, that's what I could see happening. But, no, I, I don't. I don't see Aaron in that. I don't see him in that situation. Not because I don't think he could do it, but I just. It's. It's kind of. I don't know, they're. They're too similar. The age thing. I. I wouldn't. I wouldn't make that move.

Colin Cowherd (13:45)

So Shador Sanders played a lot of college games. We got a lot of film, a lot of tape. People have seen him. I have a scout friend that went and watched him three times. He's not going to throw at the combine. Do you like that? What do you think of that?

J.J. Redick (13:58)

You know, I don't like it, but I'm not going to hold it against him either. I'll just say this. I've been at the combine for the last, I don't know, five years with the wide receivers and the quarterbacks. I'm not planning on being there this year, but when I'm there, there's guys that choose not to throw. I will tell you, once they're like their agent tells them, hey, don't throw. You're going to have a pro day throw there. You know, everyone advises them that when they sit around when they're at Lucas Oil Stadium and they're sitting there and they're watching the other guys throw, it's killing them. Like, they want to be throwing. They want to be out there throwing. So what would I recommend? I'd say to the guys, listen, if you're confident in your ability, throw, compete. Let's compete at everything we do. Let's compete. Now, you're not going to run the 40. You're not going to do the 225 bench test. You're not going to do all that stuff. But no, the smarter thing is to not, not throw, wait, and just throw on your pro day. But I know it's going to be hard watching. I know that gonna be boring and hard and you're gonna, like, want to be one of the guys, you know, getting that arm on tape. The good thing, like you said, is his arms already on tape so people can go look at that. So he's got good film out there.

Colin Cowherd (15:05)

So the Darnold thing kind of throws me for a loop. I like him. I like him a lot. I think on the.

J.J. Redick (15:11)

Love him. You love him. You don't like him, you love him.

Colin Cowherd (15:13)

I do. And I also kept saying all year I was waiting for the shoe to drop. That Lions game. I'm like, I know Sam. He can be reckless. He can. He's got a little Carson Wentz where, you know, series to series, he looks like the best guy in the league. And then all of a sudden, uh, oh, what does it tell you that a story comes out that Minnesota is considering options here and re signing him. What does that tell you, Matt?

J.J. Redick (15:38)

It tells me that everyone else did their offseason evaluation and now getting leaked, he's the number one free agent quarterback that people are going to be looking for. Everyone else around the league likes their girlfriend more than they know they should. Like their girlfriend is basically what. What I'm saying. They love him. He's their top guy. And you know, that's he's on the top of their list. And they're like, oh, shoot, he's on the top of their list. Like, maybe, maybe we should re look at him a little bit closer. But they're well positioned. You know, they have J.J. mcCarthy, they have Daniel Jones, they have options. That'll be an interesting one to see. I think that's the big domino that will decide, I mean, Stafford and Darnold, those are the two dominoes that'll decide a lot here.

Colin Cowherd (16:20)

What are you doing? And we can use Sam Darnold on this. What did you do in late February, early March? What do you do as a quarterback right now?

J.J. Redick (16:30)

Yeah, every year is a little bit different. The strength coaches will tell you, get away, recharge, play other sports that are safe, obviously do other types of training. Like if you've never, you know, they play pickleball, some guys play basketball, that kind of stuff. Cardio, maybe you do CrossFit, Pilates, like whatever. Work on what you think you need to do to get healthy and get back so that you can be ready for your off season training program. There'll be, you know, some guys go to a quarterback guru, some people do off season studies, but a lot of it is something new and fresh and cross training. I remember one year I went to Vancouver and lived up there for a little while and trained with a guy that, that trained mostly hockey players. Hockey and soccer, ironically. And that was, that was incredible for me. One time I went down to Arizona and spent time with a guy that dealt with baseball players and pitchers and that kind of thing, something different. So that when. And just kind of dabble in the throwing so that when you ramp it up in March and April, you're able to be somebody that can be healthy enough and for competitive throws, I guess. But you don't want to go all out. You really want to peak when you show up for training camp. And it is a unique schedule. Like pitchers and throwers show up in baseball for their season. Football, you come back for OTAs and come back for voluntary minicamps and you come back for mandatory mini camps. Then you take like a month and a half off so the, so the coaches can go fishing or something like that, get their vacation finally. And then you come back for training camp and that's go time when your arm as a thrower has to be ready to roll.

Colin Cowherd (18:02)

So do you know we were talking about the Bengals where Joe Burrow all year was cranky and my take was he wanted to send a message this was not a coincidence. T. Higgins, Jamar Chase, they let players go like Joe Mixon. And Joe, to his credit, said, listen, I look around the league at Philadelphia's roster, I look around the league at the Niners roster. We Gotta find money. Are players aware, on average, of a team's financial situation? Is that talked about where you. I mean, again, Seahawks had Paul Allen, the late Paul Allen. Money was not a problem with Seattle. Right. But not every organization has a Stan Kroenke or a Jeffrey Lurie. I mean, you tell me, did you know about finances of your team and what they could afford and what they couldn't and where they were at, you.

J.J. Redick (18:51)

Know, at the highest level? Like the teams that have all the money and, you know, the teams that have the least amount of money and, you know, because your agents are telling you. I think the unfortunate thing for the Cincinnati Bengals, going way back, they were a team that wasn't spending money. They weren't spending money on scouts. Like, when I was coming out of the draft, you know, every team had coaches and scouts. The Bengals basically had coaches who also did the scouting. Wow. I don't think it was actually the worst thing, but, you know, it's just. It was back in the day, it was different. Now I think the Bengals are not the Bengals that they used to be. I think they're willing to pay. I mean, they obviously paid Joe Burrow. They're going to pay people, but you have to get creative. Now, listen, they had a lot of money spent on offense this year, and you saw that didn't work out for them as a team. So they got to figure out, like everybody else, how to put the pieces of the puzzle together. When they went to the super bowl, they had a formula. It was free agency on one side of the ball and it was draft on the other side. Yeah, but you know about these fantasy players that you can't lose guys like a BJ Hill, you can't lose the glue, guys that hold the team together. And so it's not quite as easy as you think. And when you have a quarterback making that much money, it gets a lot. It gets a lot more difficult. So we'll. We'll see. He said he's open to restructuring, but I would just say there's a lot of teams out there that are willing to pay and can pay top, top dollar for T. Higgins.

Colin Cowherd (20:19)

Finally, NFL changed its kickoff. People didn't like the optics. The numbers are out, concussions down, returns up. What was. What do you make of that? And what did you make of the change?

J.J. Redick (20:31)

I think it's great. I think it's a credit to the NFL and the NFLPA and then also to the special teams coaches who worked in collaboration with the competition committee at the combine and said, hey, here's, here's what we think would work. I think it was data driven, which I really appreciate. There aren't a lot of concussions on punts. There's way too many concussions on kickoffs. How can we make a kickoff look more like a punt? Now, I would say there's a sort of the law of unintended consequences. Now your kicker's got a tackle because it's a lot more easy to design up plays. Now your kicker's got a tackle. So I think you saw, you probably saw. I don't have the data here. You probably saw more injuries of kickers this year because they were forced to, I don't know, play a little nine on seven ball. So we'll see. Maybe it opens up the, you know, more opportunities for aspiring kickers out there. Teams don't get through the season with just one guy.

Colin Cowherd (21:24)

Matt Hasselbeck. You said you've been to the combine. Do you, do you make the trip? I know you played for the Colts. It's in Indianapolis. Do you go to it?

J.J. Redick (21:31)

You know what? I was uninvited to the NFL combine in 1998 when Ryan Leaf came out early as a junior. And so when I got the opportunity to go back as a combine mentor, what I really heard was the NFL would finally like to invite you to the combine. So that was my true motivation. Colin.

Colin Cowherd (21:49)

Hey, that jet fuel still burning today? Matt Hasselbeck. Great seeing you, Matt, on a Monday. Thanks, man.

J.J. Redick (21:55)

All right, see ya.

Colin Cowherd (21:57)

For years, we talked about going to the NFL combine. They let certain people in. They wouldn't let other media in. I don't know. It's one of those things. It has value, and I like watching it. I, I, you know, how certain things over the course of your life, like, I love mock drafts, I like the draft more now than ever. I'm not sure I feel as passionately about the combine. I think a lot of it's window dressing. And when I see, like, guys like McVeigh not going or Shanahan for years, it's like, well, if they're not going, I know Belichick did, but he didn't draft particularly well. Are you a combine junkie?

Matt Hasselbeck (22:32)

So when I had run the website back in the day, like 15 years ago, I went twice, paid for my own way, got hotel rooms. And the access you get is not bad, Especially after hours, you're at a bar and guys are just coming up to you. Hey, man, I saw what you wrote about me. You have no idea who they are. They're like an assistant GM or whatever. You really meet a lot of people. I thought it was productive. I still text a bunch of them. You can't actually get in the facility to watch the players do the 40, so I don't know that the value is there for you, but you know, it's fun and different. It's a change of pace for sure.

Colin Cowherd (23:01)

Yeah. All right, Rachel Nichols is joining us in studio later live in Los Angeles. It's the herd. One more herd. The herd streams 24 hours a day, seven days a week within the iHeartRadio app. Search herd to listen live or on demand whenever you'd like. 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 card has no cash access and expires in six months. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just ask the Capital One bank guy. It's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh really? Thanks Capital One Bank Guy. What's in your wallet? Terms apply see capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC Colin Carrot here with pro tight end Dallas Goddard to share his journey with plaque psoriasis and how he tackles his symptoms with otesla. Aprimolast yeah, being a football player with plaque plaque psoriasis can be challenging. My skin gets flaky and itchy, so my doctor told me about a pill, otesla. It works from the inside out.

Dallas Goddard (24:39)

OTESLA 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 OTLA 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 suicid Thoughts.

Colin Cowherd (25:05)

Talking to my doctor about a pill was a total game changer. If you're struggling with plaque psoriasis, talk to your doctor about Otesla. Visit otezla.com for more information or call 1-844-4-HTZLA for prescribing info, info about cost.

Rachel Nichols (25:21)

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 (25:44)

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

Matt Hasselbeck (25:47)

Hug and I was standing there?

Rachel Nichols (25:48)

Oh yeah.

Colin Cowherd (25:49)

I was like, can I also hug.

Rachel Nichols (25:52)

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.

J.J. Redick (26:08)

You felt safe enough to throw out a bad idea, right? I mean, that is the key because.

Colin Cowherd (26:12)

You'Re definitely not throwing out good ideas all the time. I mean, that's just not how it works.

Rachel Nichols (26:16)

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

Colin Cowherd (26:22)

Four nations in the NHL. It's a great idea. It's a dead time. We got the post football blahs NBA All Star Game. Meh. Stars don't really want to play it. LeBron didn't want to play it. And so hockey says, let's do this four nations cup. And it was great. It was fantastic. I loved it. And then it's over and it doesn't matter. Remember years ago they were doing these, the Winter Classic in hockey. And they play outdoors and everybody's like, ah, hockey's arrived finally. Are they playing outdoors? Are they doing that anymore? Like, we don't watch hockey. We do in person and we like it. But it's Canada's. And let's be honest, we have an incredibly. I don't think people sometimes understand how crowded our sports buffet is. Every time I fly into Dallas and I look at these nine high school football stadiums on a Friday night that are packed, high school sports is huge in this country. College Sports. There's 360 Division 1 basketball programs. I'm watching games this weekend. St. John's is good again. There's cities in big cities Small towns. And then you have NHL baseball, NBA, there's UFC on Saturdays. And the reality is in Canada, they may have a couple NBA teams, but the league's ours. Right? And so hockey's everything. They don't have our college systems. Simon Frazier, you know, that's the one college football program I've seen from Canada. Right. So I thought four nations was great. It was wonderful. I hope they do it every year. I'll watch the Olympics. But too much was made of. What does this translate to? Nothing. It's Tebow with the Broncos. It's the Wildcat offense. It's Linsanity. It's amazing. Trump's poking Canada. Trudeau's firing back. They boo our anthem. There's some good fights. It was good hockey. It was even and it was fun. And that's it. And then we go about our lives. J Mac with the news. No, no, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the Herd line news.

Matt Hasselbeck (28:30)

Now this is an interesting one that I did not see coming. So Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were both at quarterback last year for the Steelers. Jay Glazer had the big scoop that Russ will not be back. Well, now there are new reports emerging that there is some divisiveness in Pittsburgh. The owner Art Rooney wants to bring back Russ. Mike Tomlin wants to go with Justin Fields. According to this report, the Steelers are also getting linked to Stafford. Maybe they were able to get in the bidding war. Everybody knows Aaron Rodgers and Tomlin have a much a long standing history of friendship. Colin. I'm surprised because usually Pittsburgh's a buttoned up franchise. They've got their act together. It's gotten squirrely post Ben and now they have like a divide among what to do at quarterback. I don't know how this ends at.

Colin Cowherd (29:15)

Well, this is all on the Steelers. When Ben was aging, they drafted Mason Rudolph. Ben didn't like it and they were like, okay, we don't want to offend Ben. Well, the packers offended both Favre and Aaron Rodgers when they were close to their prime. Get over it. Belichick drafted a quarterback every third year with Brady in his prime. Get over it. It. So to me, you deserve. You know, it's like, it's like Democrats that complain about Trump. It's your policies that got him elected. You're complaining about your quarterback situation. It's because you didn't take it seriously for years. The Steelers have earned this. And then by the time it was too late, it was a terrible quarterback class. And you reached on Kenny Pickett, who I was Told was a third round pick. This is all the Steelers with a defensive culture spending all their money on the wrong side of the ball. And now they look up and they're like, they've got two C plus quarterbacks. That's a you. And for the record, in a division with Lamar and Joe Burrow, okay, who are two of the best four quarterbacks. So I have no sympathy for people that create their own mess. This is all on the Steelers.

Matt Hasselbeck (30:19)

What's your best guess? We have no idea how this is going to play out. But like, does the owner win? Does Tomlin win? Like, if I find it hard to believe that Tomlinson wants Fields when he's the one who put Russell Wilson in. And despite Fields being good, remember at.

Colin Cowherd (30:34)

The beginning of the season, is it fair to say this? I can't take the Steelers seriously as an elite franchise until they take offense seriously. And that's how I feel about them. I just, if you told me right now, the teams next year that I'm going to take seriously, Washington just became emerged as a new team and it's, you know, Chargers, Rams, Niners, Eagles, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Kansas City, Buffalo. It's the teams that even if you have a defensive coach like Buffalo. So Buffalo's got Sean McDermott, they draft Cook, they, they've gone out and got Stefan Diggs and Amari Cooper. They have drafted a first round wide receiver and a first round tight end. Like Buffalo may have a defensive coach, but I wouldn't say it's a defensive culture. They have absolutely poured resources, money and draft capital into offense. Now they overpaid for Von Miller, but Pittsburgh, I think they're going to leave the NFL. Didn't they leave the NFL for the third straight year with defensive spending?

Matt Hasselbeck (31:39)

Something like that, yeah.

Colin Cowherd (31:40)

Kate, that's on you. No sympathy.

Matt Hasselbeck (31:42)

You know, the Bills got it. They got the memo when the Chiefs keep out scoring him in the playoffs. The Steelers keep getting their butts kick to the postseason and haven't learned any lessons. They keep doing the same thing, like, what are we doing at quarterback? Not, not great in Pittsburgh. Let's go to the Detroit Lions. They got bounced unceremoniously from the playoffs by the commanders and your guy, Jaden Daniels. So then they lose both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and D.C. aaron Glenn. Everybody's concerned about a pullback. Well, Aiden Hutchison is in the midst of his rehab following that broken leg this season and believes that losing both coordinators will not have much of an impact.

Colin Cowherd (32:17)

I don't care who they bring in to coach us. Obviously Keeping Dan there is what we all want. But coordinators, position coaches, it doesn't matter. It's. It's.

J.J. Redick (32:27)

As long as we have the right.

Colin Cowherd (32:29)

Guys in the locker room and those foundation guys on offense, on defense, you can roll anyone in there to call the plays. And at the end of the day, it's the. It's going to be the. The playmakers who are. Who are making those plays on Sundays, you know, so that's. As long as we keep our core.

J.J. Redick (32:43)

Group, you know, keep everyone there.

Colin Cowherd (32:45)

We're going to. We're going to stay in this window of winning. The Philadelphia Eagles are a great example. That is not true at all. There is a big gap between the best pilots in the sky today and the worst. The Philadelphia Eagles lost Shane Steichen. They hired an OC that was over his head and they went on like. I mean, didn't they lose the last 10 weeks?

Matt Hasselbeck (33:06)

They started 101 but then cratered at the end.

Colin Cowherd (33:08)

Yeah, like, I got news for you. In baseball, a manager can win four games, maybe six over the course of a season. In the NBA, it's hard to screw up. LeBron in his prime or Magic or Bird in his prime. In football, Brandon Staley and Jim Harbaugh, same roster, defensively worst to second best.

Matt Hasselbeck (33:31)

I didn't.

Colin Cowherd (33:32)

It. It is. Football is the coaching sport.

Matt Hasselbeck (33:35)

I don't like this take from Hutchinson at all.

Colin Cowherd (33:37)

I. I think. I think.

Matt Hasselbeck (33:38)

Smart guy who's such a great player. What's he.

Rachel Nichols (33:41)

What?

Matt Hasselbeck (33:42)

Coaching doesn't matter. We get to keep Dan Campbell. Who cares about Ben Johnson?

Colin Cowherd (33:46)

Well, and Dan's not a scheme guy. Dan is really known as a culture guy. He's a rah rah guy and nothing wrong with that. I was wrong on Dan Campbell. I never thought. But he deserves all the credit in the world, sir. But he's not Andy Reid. He's not McVeigh. He's not a scheme guy. He's a culture guy. So the Lions are going to be more dependent on scheme assistance than the Rams would be, than Andy Reid would be. Andy Reid can lose guys every year. He's the scheme guy. Same with Shanahan. Can run through guys. That's different when you're a culture guy. Even with Jim Harbaugh would tell you defensively, Harbaugh, you know, he likes. He. He'll spend money on a defensive coordinator at Michigan or where the Chargers are, the Niners, like the coaches know what they are and what they're not. So Detroit is going to be much more reliant on good offensive coordinators than a McVeigh or a Reed team would be.

Dallas Goddard (34:39)

Yeah.

Matt Hasselbeck (34:40)

Final story. Colin. To the NBA. We were on break last week. We missed it. Victor Wembanyama is going to miss the remainder of the season because of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, AKA blood clots. That is just horrific news for Wemby, the Spurs, the league, Everybody likes Wemby. I thought for sure they'd be in the playoffs this year. Despite De'Aaron Fox, they will now miss the playoffs. It's almost certain. And. And, you know, I know a lot of people are concerned about the Chris Bosh blood clots. Really ruined his career. I. I think Wemby's gonna be okay. This is a shoulder.

Colin Cowherd (35:14)

Yeah.

Matt Hasselbeck (35:14)

As opposed to the legs for. For Bosch. I'm hopeful. You know, we were worried about Wemby.

Colin Cowherd (35:20)

Getting injured, and I'm gonna throw this at. So I saw somebody in our space and said that they don't believe an international player can be the face of the NBA. So. And I was thinking about that a lot, and I don't know if they can or can't. I would say. I mean, Kareem Abdul Jabbar was the best player in the league for a decade and didn't want to be the face of the league. I think a lot of being the face of the league is do you want to be like. Like, Ant, to me, feels like he's dynamic, he's good looking, he's funny. He could be a face of the league. He just plays in Minnesota. So what is your take? Can you be an international player and be the face of the league? Yeah. So I think so, too. I think now, I'm not saying.

Matt Hasselbeck (36:04)

Time out. Let me ask a question. What is face of the league?

Colin Cowherd (36:07)

Okay, so that's a. That's a great question, because that was my first take. Face of the league means you are like, for instance, Patrick Mahomes. For years, it was Brady and Manning were the face of the league. I think Brett Favre in his prime felt like, even more than Brady, face of the league. Tom felt like a component of the system in New England. Then, as Tom aged, he and Peyton became face of the league. Wholesome guys, workaholics. Okay. Mahomes now feels like, hey, the face of the league again. Good guy, funny. Good sense of humor.

Matt Hasselbeck (36:39)

Well, hold on. You just named 4 guys 1. One common thread for all of them. They won multiple Super Bowls. Like, you win. You could be the face of the league.

Colin Cowherd (36:47)

Right. Would you agree? Well, it's different. So all those guys are example. When Charles Barkley was a great player in his prime, he didn't want to be. Remember, he was doing I'm not a role model. He was getting into trouble. Barkley was funny, but I don't think you'd want him as a face of the league. But he was great.

Matt Hasselbeck (37:04)

Not in the Magic.

Colin Cowherd (37:05)

Michael Jordan. Jordan was much more corporate.

Matt Hasselbeck (37:08)

And he won. You gotta win to be the face of the league.

Colin Cowherd (37:11)

Yes, yes. You have to win.

Matt Hasselbeck (37:13)

So Anthony Edwards is out.

Colin Cowherd (37:14)

Sorry.

Matt Hasselbeck (37:15)

I love him. He can't be the face of Leeds. They're not winning. It's got to be Luca.

Colin Cowherd (37:20)

But I think. I think it's stylistic. For instance, you can't be a. I always joke that Alex English led the NBA in scoring in the 80s, but he wasn't dynamic enough in a very creative league to be the face of the NBA. He just scored a bunch of points. So there's guys like face of the league to me means. It generally means, honestly, you're a little bit corporate. I mean, Brady was kind of corporate. Jeter was kind of corporate. I mean, let's be honest. Michael Jordan, Nike was corporate. He didn't want to talk politics. It tends to be somebody that the league looks at and says they don't get in trouble often either. Good looking, their game is dynamic and all of a sudden, you know, stuff gets pushed in their direction. I think it's possible for an international guy.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:03)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (38:03)

I'm not sure if Wemby wants it.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:05)

Not yet. He's like 21, 22, like. Right. I think Wemby or Luka will be the face of the league next five years.

Colin Cowherd (38:11)

Right.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:12)

Because there isn't anyone on the Celtics who really wants it. It's not going to be Tatum. I don't think it could be Jaylen Brown. Celtics are the best team.

Colin Cowherd (38:19)

Do you have to have like right now in baseball? I don't know if there's a face of the league but Otani.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:26)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (38:27)

And I don't think he cares that he's face of the league. He just happens. I would say he and Aaron Judge are the face of the league. Big, nice guys, humble, gigantic athletes, superstars, huge brands. Aaron Judge feels like face of the league with Ohtani. I'm not sure a league has to have one.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:45)

Do you think Giannis was when they won the title a few years ago?

Colin Cowherd (38:47)

No, I just think he was great. I mean, good God. NBA. Remember when it was like the COVID year and they were putting them on at noon on NBA tv? A playoff game remember that? It was like the league was telling you.

Matt Hasselbeck (38:57)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (38:57)

He doesn't. It's also, I think, harder to be a face of a league when you're 7ft and above, because I think that's you don't sell as many shoes as forwards and guards and ball handlers and playmakers. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news, and thanks for stopping by. The Herd Line news. Rachel Nichols, NBA Insider, going to be joining us next hour. Live in Los Angeles, it's the Herd. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio, FS1 and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, hey. 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, right? 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 kobenonrich 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 9090 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Banking with Capital One helps you keep more money in your wallet with no fees or minimums on checking accounts and no overdraft fees. Just asked the Capital One bank guy it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. He'd also tell you that this podcast is his favorite podcast too. Oh, really? Thanks. Capital One Bank Guy what's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC 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.

Rachel Nichols (41:43)

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 (41:54)

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

Rachel Nichols (42:00)

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. Ask 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 Otesla. Call 1-844-4-OTESLA or visit otezla.com for prescribing info, info about cost 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 (42:51)

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

Matt Hasselbeck (42:54)

Hug and I was standing there?

Colin Cowherd (42:56)

Yeah. I was like, can I also hug them?

Rachel Nichols (43:00)

Then next week, the 99 nonsense continues as the More Better Amigas sit down with Joe Latrulio, AKA Detective Charles Spoil. There'll be more laughs, more conversation, more stories from the set, and more More Better. Don't miss a minute you felt safe.

J.J. Redick (43:15)

Enough to throw out a bad idea, right? I mean, that is the key because.

Colin Cowherd (43:18)

You'Re definitely not throwing out good ideas all the time. I mean, that's just not how it works.

Rachel Nichols (43:23)

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

Matt Hasselbeck (43:29)

The fastest racing on Earth is coming to Fox the 2025 IndyCar season gets underway in St. Petersburg, the first stop on the road to the Indy 500. Sunday at noon Eastern, live on Fox.

Colin Cowherd (43:43)

Usually in negotiations, somebody has a little more leverage. We were talking, is it, is it Stafford? Does Stafford have the leverage with the Rams? He's better than anybody on the market. He's got great chemistry. He and McVay get along. He's really, really good order. The Rams have leverage. We're really well run. We have Sean McVay. Go ahead and go to the Giants. Like, it's very interesting. It's a bad quarterback class that helps Matt. But my takeaway is if Aaron Rodgers would have been a big success in New York, then I think Stafford would have more leverage. I honestly think, I think it's a little bit of a stalemate, but I think the Rams are well run and the teams that want him, like the Raiders or the Giants of the Browns. So I think that's a, that's a kind of an institutional advantage to the Rams over Stafford. The other thing that works in the Rams favor is Matt played for The Lions for 12 years. He knows what it's like to have a suboptimal organization at every turn. It also helps that he's made 360 million. He's rich. So Matt Hasselbeck earlier on the Rams.

J.J. Redick (44:54)

Decision, if you're the Rams, you're saying to yourself, okay, how many more years is he going to play? So do we want high level quarterback play for another year, a year or two and then what? Or you look around at some like what some of these other teams have done, you know, like where you just have consistent high level quarterback play and you hand the baton off smoothly. What if you did let Matthew Stafford go and you know, you were able to get a younger, slightly cheaper option. Maybe it is Sam Darnold coming back to, you know, la, you know, who knows. But I do think it's a two way street. All of this gets discussed and usually gets discussed at the combine. People think the combine is all about college kids working out. It's where a lot of deals get done as well.

Colin Cowherd (45:39)

Yeah, I was told that over the weekend is that the agent for Stafford and the Rams will meet in Indianapolis and try to nail it down. Because the Rams have hit on so many of their defensive draft picks, they're not paying anybody defensively. I mean, if the slate is clean, it's just good young players like Jared Verse, they're not paying him. So their defense is cheap. What they need to do, if the Rams could absolutely guarantee they get One of the top four offensive tackles. That means either Haven Stein or about to be paid left tackle, last name Jackson. They wouldn't have to pay then they could afford him. So right now they're paying a tight end, they're paying Cooper cup, they're paying Matt Stafford, they're paying Haven Stein, the right tackle. So if they could get a tackle, one of the four or five best in the first round and you could guarantee that they resigned Matt Stafford because they're paying nobody defensively, they're not paying anybody in special teams. They drafted a punter, a kicker, long snappers, they're not paying anybody. All their money is on offense. They may, however, have to pay both tackles. That's the issue. That's why their first draft pick, in my opinion, should be an offensive tackle. Not because their tackles aren't good. But you can't pay both, right? Like Kansas City tried to get away with it, paying, you know, one, hedging the other. That's just a position when you have an older quarterback or a quarterback that's been banged up, you can't screw around with. So Hasselbeck also now there's a rumor and I think it's well founded and I, I have somebody who I trust that believes this is a possibility. Aaron Rodgers right now is, you know, a little north of LA right now, working out, got a place in Malibu. He's in good shape. He's 41 last 10 games. He was good. Hasselbeck on the idea that if Stafford left, Rams don't want him to. If he left. The idea that here comes Aaron for a year or two is a, is a Band Aid.

J.J. Redick (47:36)

I don't see the Rams moving on from Matthew Stafford with the chemistry and the rapport, like they're just next level. No look passes all day long and going to Aaron Rodgers, it's kind of like. I don't know why you would do that. I think what you would do is maybe that baton, that handoff. So you have, you know, you go from. Basically you get your. Find your Jordan love, so to speak. That's what I could see happening. But no, I, I don't, I don't see Aaron in that. I don't see him in that situation. Not because I don't think he could do it, but I just, it's, it's kind of, I don't know, they're. They're too similar. The age thing, I, I wouldn't, I wouldn't make that move.

Colin Cowherd (48:15)

The thing that you have to remember, the Eagles hammered the Chiefs and Hammered the commanders. And we showed this video. We could show it again. Just don't forget what happened when the indoor Rams with immobil Matt Stafford went to Philadelphia. They were driving down the field for the win and they were marching for the win. And they out gained the Eagles that day and out first downed him. Time of possession was even. Jalen Hurts threw for under 70 yards. The Rams were going for the win. People forget this. They were moving the chains. Stafford had production big throw to Puka. They got down to the 15 yard line. Touchdown Pat. They were going to beat Philadelphia. So you know the one thing Stafford can say is fellas, fellas, they're a completion away. You J. Mac, you can roll your eyes. Watch how Philadelphia crushed almost all of their late opponents. That was a go. Either way, that game's in SoFi. It may not look like that.

J.J. Redick (49:12)

Yeah.

Matt Hasselbeck (49:13)

If memory serves, Jalen Carter dominated the last couple plays of that series.

Colin Cowherd (49:17)

Just owned the against a rookie six round center for the Rams.

Matt Hasselbeck (49:21)

Yeah.

Colin Cowherd (49:21)

Bad matchup.

Matt Hasselbeck (49:22)

I mean listen, Rams played great. No doubt about it. They came back strong despite a woeful start in the snow. I like Stafford. I don't think the Rams are gonna let him go. I think it's interesting that you know Giants are all in and he's chirping but ultimately I think so you're.

Colin Cowherd (49:37)

I, I said this to my buddy yesterday, John Middelkoff. I said would you flip would if you could get Stafford and all you had to do, you have the third pick. Giants Rams have like 20th. Would you flip them?

Matt Hasselbeck (49:49)

I don't think that they're going to do that. I don't.

Colin Cowherd (49:51)

You wouldn't flip picks to get Matt Stafford. You still have a first year or two. No, you get an absolutely. He. You'd sign him to a three year deal.

Matt Hasselbeck (50:00)

I, I don't know about that. I don't think they're gonna get.

Colin Cowherd (50:02)

If I, if I'm. Let me tell you, if I am Brian Dable, am I not pounding the table for that? Then I have a quarterback. What are you gonna do? Gonna be fired.

Matt Hasselbeck (50:10)

I don't think Brian Dable's pounding any tables given the situation that him and.

Colin Cowherd (50:14)

The gm Joe Shane is never gonna get another GM job if he gets fired after that HBO Max series and the Barkley move. He's not getting a job. You. I cannot believe how many Ram fans or how many Giant fans are saying I wouldn't even flip the first. It's a weak draft, it's early.

Matt Hasselbeck (50:33)

Let me say I, I may change my mind. In a couple weeks, once we start to hear stuff come out of the combine. What if Cam Ward or Shador is there at 3? I don't think they will be. But what if they are? Wouldn't you rather roll the dice with one of them for a decade as opposed to two more years of Matt Stafford?

Colin Cowherd (50:48)

Well, I know what the Rams would do if the Rams got the Giants pick. They flip first.

Matt Hasselbeck (50:52)

I don't think that's happening.

Colin Cowherd (50:53)

You're not. You still have a first. If you flip first, the Rams would trade down and just. Because what they want to do. Yeah, what the Rams want to do is find their quarterback. They don't love either of these guys. So my take this. They would fill the roster up, then they go get Aaron and they've got 11 picks. You hit on seven on a pretty good.

Matt Hasselbeck (51:13)

What the jets did. They filled the roster up and got.

Colin Cowherd (51:15)

Aaron, plugged him in. He stunk, but he was terrible. One has Sean McVeigh. One had the jet staff. So McVay's. I mean golf was seen as a bust and then he wasn't with McVeigh. Baker Mayfield's career pretty much hit a dead end. Then it didn't with McVeigh. You don't think Aaron Rodgers, with McVeigh for a year, could not be a 28 touchdown 7 pick.

Matt Hasselbeck (51:40)

So you read the report that the jets said to Rogers, hey, all this doing podcast paid stuff that's out the window. No more of that.

Colin Cowherd (51:47)

Rams don't care. They don't care about that. That stuff.

Matt Hasselbeck (51:50)

Interesting.

Colin Cowherd (51:50)

I mean, I don't care.

Matt Hasselbeck (51:52)

Toxic for the locker room.

Colin Cowherd (51:53)

It doesn't bother me that Aaron's doing podcast. It just doesn't. It's once a week. It's a 40 minute.

Matt Hasselbeck (52:00)

It's not the Micah Parsons podcast, which is like friendly and jovial. And this is a different talks.

Colin Cowherd (52:06)

A little vaccine.

Matt Hasselbeck (52:07)

He wants to deport Fauci or something like that. Come on, bro.

Colin Cowherd (52:12)

Colin Coward here with pro tight end Dallas Goddard to share his journey with plaque psoriasis and how he tackles his symptoms with otesla. Alas, 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, otesla. It works from the inside out.

Dallas Goddard (52:30)

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 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.

Colin Cowherd (52:55)

Talking to my doctor about a pill was a total game changer. If you're struggling with plaque psoriasis, talk to your doctor about Otesla. Visit Otesla.com for more information or call 1-844-4-OTZLA for prescribing info, info about cost and more. I'm Mark Seal and I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

J.J. Redick (53:17)

The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

Colin Cowherd (53:20)

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. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

Rachel Nichols (54:25)

And Kyra K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host.

Colin Cowherd (54:28)

And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please.

Rachel Nichols (54:30)

With Mel and Kira.

Colin Cowherd (54:32)

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. An iHeart wins sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Rachel Nichols (54:47)

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