Jason McIntyre (8:17)

No, no, turn on the news.

Colin Cowherd (8:20)

This is the Herd line news.

Jason McIntyre (8:23)

All right, Kyle, let's start with the NBA draft. Interesting name pulls out. And that is Tahad Pettiford, a superstar at Auburn. I love this kid's game. Lefty kind of reminds me of Jeff Teague a little bit. He was projected as a fringe first rounder. He's going to return to Auburn. I would have taken him in the lottery, but I'm irrationally high on him. I see some Kyrie Irving in this kid. He is going to have a massive nil package waiting for him at Auburn. And obviously Auburn made a deep run into the final four. But we've seen a lot of guys return to school this week. Colin?

Colin Cowherd (8:55)

Yes.

Jason McIntyre (8:56)

You've been on this for a little bit. Do you think NIL is kind of attractive?

Colin Cowherd (9:00)

No, I think nil is, is not saving college basketball, but is changing college basketball. These European, these 18, 19 year old European stars, they're leaving the Spanish leagues, they're coming over to our colleges. Kids, I saw this story last night from Kevin o' Connor had it. And there's about six kids that are back to college basketball that would be NBA players. I think the NBA loves it because these 18 year olds come in and I mean they just, they just need to play more real games. And I also think so. I think college basketball is a buy as a stock. Absolutely a buy. I think this is going to afford. I mean we, we watched that team a couple years ago. Nil was already underway at UConn. And you don't ever know in college are these guys any good. And then they go to the NBA and they're all good players. And you're like, okay, we're back to 25 years ago where if a guy dominated college basketball, he was going to be a really nice NBA player. Zach Edie was going to be a really nice NBA player. But we went through about a 20, 25 year run where it Was like, you could be player of the year and you are at best a rotational dude sometimes off the bench. So I think this just. It's just nil. It may drive people crazy. There's a lot of change. I understand it, but it, I think, I mean, Auburn is going to have an NBA guard now running the show, like a real NBA. Just like I said about Jamar Chase in College, that's an NFL player playing on Saturdays. He's clearly an NFL guy when he's like 20.

Jason McIntyre (10:30)

Yeah. So remember last year Kentucky had two guys. Rob Dillingham who was on Minnesota, sat on the bench basically all season, couldn't get off the bench. And Reed shepherd who went to Houston. And everybody's like, oh, Reed shepherd, he's going to be rookie of the year. He barely played. These guys could have gone back to school, got big nil money from Kentucky. Instead they sat on the bench in the NBA and maybe they'll pop next year. I think your point is a good one. Like at this stage, if I can make $3 million going back to a college campus, pretending to go to classes for six months, and then I get to make a lot of money, like Colin and I are really helping college basketball. All right, next up, let's go to the Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, their best pass rusher, their best defender. He really wants a new deal. And the Bengals said, you know, we're reluctant to pay you. Go seek a trade if you want one. Hendrickson did that. Then the Bengals wouldn't trade him. Cincinnati still hasn't signed their first round pick, Shemar Stewart, an ed rusher from Texas A M. Colin, it's like, you know, I don't want to bang on the Bengals too much. I'll let you do that because you're good at that. But I don't understand their logic here. With Hendrickson off the field, Warren Sharp has posted some numbers on social media. Their defense with out Hendrickson is dead last in like multiple categories. It's bleak. What does Cincy doing?

Colin Cowherd (11:50)

I just, I just feel like it's an organization that is. Is. I mean, at least they have an offensive coach and good offensive pieces. But I, I mean, all these ownership groups are getting $450 million checks annually from the NFL. Build a bigger scouting staff, hit on more of your draft picks in the middle rounds. Therefore you have cheaper labor. Therefore you have to pay a quarterback, a left tackle, a couple receivers and an edge rusher. If you're going to pay any defensive player. And the Rams are doing this, they're going to pay Jared Verse. Eventually they're just going to pay him and Kansas City's with Chris Jones. The modern NFL is mostly spend your money on offense draft and keep your defense young and inexpensive because it's an offensive league. But if you've got to pay one or two defensive players, do it for a for an unbelievable front five player or maybe an elite corner. If you have Patrick Certain in Denver, that's hard to let go of. But. But I just think this is an easy decision to make. Of course you pay me. He's been a great Bengal and a.

Jason McIntyre (12:55)

Great player, by the way, last two season. You want to guess who leads the NFL in sacks? Take a guess. A wild one.

Colin Cowherd (13:03)

Trey Hendrickson.

Jason McIntyre (13:04)

There you go. And it's not particularly close. Like, he's been totally dominant and he's seen a lot of double teams because they got nobody else on the front line. I just the Bengals are an embarrassment. Joe Burrow, you got to let him know. All right, final story Con let's stick in that rotten division. Cleveland Browns quarterback room Obviously, there's a lot happening when you're opening the show talking about OTA stats for the Cleveland Browns. You know, it's a big story. Okay. Joe Flacco is the grizzled vet and he is talking to the media about how mentoring the rookie quarterbacks at practice and what that's like.

Colin Cowherd (13:37)

If I say I don't want to be a mentor, I look bad. If I say I do want to be a mentor, then I look like an idiot that doesn't care about being good and playing football. I tend to try to be honest. And I've said I'm not a mentor. I play football. And in a quarterback room, there's a lot of times already. There's been already a ton of times where there's learning experiences and I have a lot of experience and I can talk on things and hopefully they listen. Hopefully. By the way, the best numbers, worst the door.

Jason McIntyre (14:04)

Well, hold on. Flaco's essentially saying, why would I mentor these guys? They're coming for my job. Yeah, I kind of want to be the starter, which is not a bad take.

Colin Cowherd (14:13)

Yeah. J. Mac with the news. Well, that's the news and thanks for stopping by the Herd lie news how cool would it be to coach at your alma mater? Even cooler. Pick for last finish first Unprecedented. I'm sure. I can think of a comp to what Kenny Dillingham did at Arizona State Big 12 coach of the year and he's joining us. Big 12 media days live. What an incredible story. You know, coach, it's interesting. I just saw this morning, obviously, the transfer portals alive and well and the nil. You went and got. I love this. You went and got a running back from Army. I love that. You know, you know, he's going to come in ready to play. And when you. When you went and got the army running back in the nil, did an academy matter, like a guy that would fit into your culture, because I think that's such. You didn't. You know, some of these coaches use it a lot. Lincoln Riley, some of it. You more sparingly. Gabo Sweeney doesn't like it at all. You went and got an army running back. Why?

Kenny Dillingham (15:17)

Yeah, I mean, well, one. His film was really good. So you turn on the film, you're like, okay, this kid's a good player. And then on top of that, when. When you talk to him on the phone, his maturity level was obviously super high. And part of that, his discipline level was super high. And part of that is directly correlated to know his school he was at. And for us, we wanted a kid who is driven, mature. To come in here and try to replace what people are watching on the screen right now is not the easiest thing to do. So we needed somebody who was mature.

Colin Cowherd (15:49)

You know, it's interesting you had to create self belief last year. You know, players can read, all right. They see 16th in the. In the Big 12. And you've got to create this. No, that's not what we are. Give me the moment. Last year you may have believed it, but that you felt your team finally came out of that tunnel and. And thought, we're really good.

Kenny Dillingham (16:15)

Yeah. I mean, for us, the first. The start of Kansas State on the road in Manhattan. One of the best coaching staffs, I think, in the country. One of the better teams in our league. One of the better teams in the country. And we just started with our hair on fire both. All three phases of the game. And that was the moment that I was like, oh, wow, this team's pretty good. We can actually do this. We can actually do something. I think that was the moment when we started a game where I was like, wow. The game versus the win versus Utah was critical for our program and the belief that the team and the physicality. But that moment we ran out of the tunnel versus Kansas State and started that fast. That was a turning point.

Colin Cowherd (16:57)

So I want to talk transfer portal. Brian Kelly did a lot, didn't work. Lincoln Riley did it a lot, didn't work. Dion had to do it kind of worked. What is your worldview on the transfer portal? How much to use and how. How much to avoid?

Kenny Dillingham (17:13)

Yeah, I mean, I think it's. You want to make sure you get the right guys for your program, whether it's high school or transfer portal. I think I don't want to live in a world where it's all this or all that. I think every year your team's going to be different. For me, I want to replace transfers with transfers, and I still want to be able to sign the high school class based off graduating seniors. And if you're doing it right, you will hope that the kids in your program can become the starters, can develop to become the starters. But if you ever need a transfer to come in here and fill an immediate need, you have that ability. So I would say the transfer portal to us should hopefully be to fill gaps, not to build the house.

Colin Cowherd (17:52)

So you came from a totally different program. It was west coast, but it was Oregon, where you had Phil Knight, where you had history, where you had inertia, and you're going to Arizona State and kind of rebuilding this thing. But give me, despite some dissimilarities, give me the one thing you took out of Oregon. And you thought, hey, we can replicate that pretty early.

Kenny Dillingham (18:11)

The fun. I think when you think of Oregon, there is a brand behind what they do you. Everybody thinks of Oregon football. They know what to think about. Green, yellow, fast, fun, explosive. That's what you think about, right? And I think for me, it was, what is the brand of ASU football going to be? When people look at that photo and they look at those gold jerseys you're looking at right now, what do they think about? And I wanted to be passion, man. Those guys play so hard. They have so much fun playing hard, man. That's what I think. Look at those guys on the screen. I want people to think, we're gonna have so much fun playing so hard and growing up and learning how to become a person, learning how to become an adult. I want the fun, the excitement back, and I want people to think about that when they think about Arizona State football.

Colin Cowherd (19:00)

What is. You are coaching your alma mater? Are there ever moments on the sideline you're like, I was at a frat house nine years ago. What I mean is it. Do you have pinch me moments?

Kenny Dillingham (19:14)

Well, I mean, you look at Post Utah when they're interviewing me and the crowd's definitely around, and that was a pinch me moment. When I jumped into the crowd, said I was one of these guys, I Kind of lost it there. That was a moment. In game I'm pretty focused. Usually people can't even get my attention. But after the game I usually have those pinch me moments after the game in the locker room. Moments like that with Scat when I'm just with the guys is when those pinch me moments happen. Like when I, when I'm just in it and it's just pure relationship and it's just, it's special, that's for sure.

Colin Cowherd (19:49)

So you return a bunch of starters. 16. Sam Levitt's a really good player. When you have a young quarterback and you're building that culture and now you're a winning culture, what are the steps for Sam Levitt? Productive. Doesn't make a ton of mistakes. Do you lighten the leash up a little bit? Do you let him do more like, like what's the growth for a young quarterback at the college level? Can you open up the playbook or did you use all of it last year?

Kenny Dillingham (20:17)

Yeah, I think no. We grew as the season progressed. So I think a big reason for our success was we opened that playbook up gradually throughout the season. As Sam got better, Sam got more comfortable. J.T. i mean, there's multiple players that went into it, but obviously your quarterback's a big piece and I think this year it's going to be how do we control early downs? I think the biggest sign of a quarterback is if you lean on him, controlling early down, quick passing game. If your quarterback can take control of first and second down in rhythm passing game and you have enough confidence in him, that's when a quarterback really takes control. That's when he can really grow and to become a Heisman level player. So I think for him this year it's taking control of the early downs and putting the ball in his hands more on good down and distances earlier in games and on early down.

Colin Cowherd (21:08)

So Cam Scatter Boo became everybody's favorite running back in the country. And again, I'll pose this question. Obviously you liked him, but 2300 scrimmage yards is insane. Were there moments that you would watch him and go, this, this guy, this guy's better than we recruited? He's better than I think.

Kenny Dillingham (21:31)

Yeah, I mean, for sure. I mean, there's times in a game, I remember year one, I mean, we were so bad year one, I mean, it was like watching paint dry and he catches the ball of one of our only decent games that we still lost versus usc. In game one, he catches a swing pass on the sideline. Steph's Arms a dude and goes for like 55. And I'm like, holy cow. And then you're watching the highlight tape. One person just couldn't bring him down. And it would be over and over again. You'd watch these plays. And I think one of the plays that really, you know, separates Cam was we're in the Big 12 title game. We toss him though, we hand him the ball. He runs left. He's about to lose 8 yards. He Pirouettes backwards, throws the ball away. Like, who has the awareness at running.

Colin Cowherd (22:11)

Back to throw the ball away? Every fan has said it.

Kenny Dillingham (22:15)

Why didn't he just throw it away? He's the last 12 yards.

Colin Cowherd (22:18)

Well, he did it.

Kenny Dillingham (22:19)

He did the thing that everybody said, why don't they always do it? And that was Cam, and that's what made him special.

Colin Cowherd (22:25)

Okay, you play, I think, Colorado late in the season. I look at it here. I want you to go back one year because you obviously know personnel, and I think Shador Sanders is good. And the reason I do is because he didn't have much of an O line and he didn't. He didn't have Cam Scatterboot in the backfield. And he played a lot of good teams in your conference, and he didn't win a lot of those games, but he was darn productive. And a lot of people, you know, you play at Ohio State, you know, you play at Texas, you don't get touched. You play at Colorado last year and you're running around. Give me an evaluation on film and what you saw from Shador Sanders, who dropped in the draft. If I said to you, coach, there's one thing he's going to do really well in the NFL. Was there one thing that jumped off on tape when you prepped for him?

Kenny Dillingham (23:11)

Yeah, I mean, preparation. You know, when I actually recruited Chador and, you know, I got a chance to get to know him a little bit and being able to meet with him in the recruiting process, his just intelligence for the game, his passion for the game and his intelligence on the whiteboard was something that blew me away back when he was a 16 year old. So I could only imagine that is now. So I think for. For him, when you watch his tape, you see a guy who's prepared, you see a guy who has a plan, and you see a guy who's poised. And I think, you know, when you can. Great quarterbacks can play, you know, when they're under pressure, and it never looks like they're under pressure. And I think there was a lot of times on his tape where, you know, he's being pressured, but he's calm, he's collected and he knows where to go with the ball. And that's based off the preparation.

Colin Cowherd (23:57)

Yeah. So whether you play teams or not, you see a ton of him on film and he was on TV or on film and you're watching and I just think he's got something special. Finally, when you look at your age, a lot of people are going to go, look at this kid. I mean, this guy's going to the NFL, this guy. And I have no problem with that. There's a lot of changes in college football. You guys don't get enough time off. Is, is there a concern with you where the NFL does have space for coaches to have a life? You guys got two recruiting windows now. You're recruiting your own players. If you could change college college football, if you were running the sport, you're the czar of it, would you, would you give. Is there anything that a young coach, you feel like, man, I'd probably change.

Kenny Dillingham (24:42)

I would just try to change. Stop changing. Like that would be my change is let's just stop changing. Let's figure out what's best for these players. At the end of the day, this is college athletics. Like, it's all about the player. Everything I'll ever do is about the players. Everything I'll ever fight for, everything I'll ever compete for is about how do I make the player experience the players pockets, the player experience the player energy and what they remember college to be about better. Like we're molding these kids for the rest of their life and it's all about the players. So I would just say how do we stop change, create some consistency, whatever that is, and make it about the player again. Make these kids still 18 to 22 year olds, regardless of how much they make, regardless of how much we publicize them, these are still 18 to 22 year olds who we have the responsibility to help them be successful and figure out this time of their life. And I think too many times we kind of put these guys on too high of a pedestal. They'll be perfect because they make money now, because they're famous at 16, 17, 18 years old that we lose sight that they're still 18 to 22 year olds. So if I could change one thing, it would be stop putting so much pressure on these guys. Even if they're making money, it's not their fault. This is an adult's problem that the kids are living in. And let's let these Kids have fun being college athletes and living out their dream.

Colin Cowherd (26:08)

You know, you're so youthful looking. I, you know, it's just 14, so.

Kenny Dillingham (26:14)

Yeah, so it's a good twist.

Colin Cowherd (26:17)

It's just incredible what you've done. First year in the Big 12 pick for last wins the conference. Good for you, man. Not the last we've seen of you up. That army running back works out. I got a feeling him and Sam Levitt are going to make a nice combo coach. Thanks for coming on the Herd.

Kenny Dillingham (26:35)

I appreciate it.

Colin Cowherd (26:35)

Go Devils. Just, just incredible offensive coordinator. He was a very popular offensive coordinator at Oregon, and I think he left after the 2022 season. And then he goes to Arizona State. And they weren't good initially. And Arizona State's always been kind of a sleeping giant, but they've been sleeping for a long time. Like, there was not a lot of giant. There was a lot of sleeping. And then he goes there. And I, about midway through the season, I'm like, what is their record? What's happening with Arizona State? And they had this young Levitz, like just a kid, and you're watching him and scatter. Boo. And it's like, wow. The quarterback's young. The coach is young. Wow. Arizona State undergrads, 65,000 students. It's. It's a gigantic, beautiful campus. By the way. They. Over the last 20 years, boy, they. They have. I think they have the. I think Arizona State has the largest off campus. They have a. It's amazing how many people aren't on campus that go to the school off campus. Students. Undergrad is 65,000. My staff just wrote that. Largest in the country. How about that? And Sam Levitt last year in his last seven games, 16 TDs, two picks. So that. That young quarterback, keep your eye on him. He is. He's getting really. And he can move. He can. And he can throw it when he's moving it. All right, tomorrow's headlines today with J. Mac. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific. 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, 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 Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now, what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake? That's a no. A Philly cheesesteak? That's a yes. A nice tan. Sorry. A box fan? Happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. How about a box of fine wines? Yeah, that's happening. Delivery's on its way. Okay. How about some clear skies? Nope. Well, how about some French fries? Yeah. So how about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there. But a barbecued prawn? Order it and it's on its way. Even throw in some paper towels. Clean up after the feast. So while you can't get fun in the sun, deliver. Don't worry because you can get pork buns delivered. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. At the end of the season, there's only one team that can call themselves NBA champs. Only one player that can call themselves the number one pick in the NFL draft. Well, there's only one electric SUV worthy of the title. The ultimate. The all electric BMW ix. What I love about the IX is that it delivers legendary BMW performance. While its sleek design exudes innovative style from the inside out. Not to mention how much space and utility it provides. Over 75 cubic feet of cargo space. The IX is completely changing the game with an all electric suv. The greatest legends of sports never compromise any part of the game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? After all, there's only one ultimate the BMW ix. Everything you love about the ultimate driving machine. Electrified. Interested in investing in Bitcoin but not sure how to get started. Well, with the Gemini Credit Card you can dip your toes into Bitcoin without even trying. Just spend like you normally do, groceries, gas or a night out and instantly earn up to 4% back in Bitcoin or one of over 50 other cryptos straight to your account now with no annual fee. The Gemini Credit card is pretty much a no brainer and right now you can grab a $200 bitcoin intro bonus. So go to gemini.com card to learn more and start earning today. Terms apply. Again go to gemini.com card start building your Bitcoin stash now. Terms apply. The Gemini Credit Card is issued by Web Bank. In order to Qualify for the intro $200 crypto bonus, your application must be approved by June 30, 2025 and spend $3,000 in your first 90 days. Terms apply. Some exclusions apply to instant Rewards in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts this content is not investment advice and Trading Crypto involves risk for more details on rates, fees and other Gemini Credit card terms, see Rates and Fees. Hey, so we all make mistakes, but owning up to them is the right thing to do. So you know Degree Cool Rush deodorant, right? Well, last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with their fans. So Degree's whole thing is it turns up the sweat and odor protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring the original formula back. One guy even started an online petition and Degree listened. They admitted they effed up. They're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. There's a reason it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people were not happy when it changed. So if you've never tried it, it might be a good time to see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart Target and try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. Well, always one of our favorite parts of the week as I am headed out after the show. I'll be back in about 10 days. J Mac's going to be taking over tomorrow and the rest of the week. But one of our first of all, I love Kenny Dillingham. I just love to see a young coach. He joked that he's 14. Can you imagine being picked dead last at your alma mater and winning? That's like one of the stories of the year. And the Big 12 had interesting teams. You have Texas teams, you have Utah. I think you got byu. They didn't play Colorado, but they, they, they Colorado. But he's. He's a guy that's kind of known as a relentless recruiter. So, you know, it's. It's interesting when he talks about Shidore Sanders on the whiteboard and when he's talking about recruiting him, and it's just. It's just. I just love that story. That makes me happy.

Jason McIntyre (33:39)

You mentioned he looks young. You know I still get carded at bars, right? Well, you didn't know that because you don't hang out with me anymore. You don't call me. You're hanging out with all the. You're such an elitist now. Coward. All these trips and hanging out with big important people.

Colin Cowherd (33:54)

Yeah.

Jason McIntyre (33:55)

And bashing lowly guys like me and Jalen Hurts and Brock Purdy. By the way, I have been. We're talking Jalen Hurts tomorrow when you're gone. I have so much ammo that is just. You're gonna see it when it goes on social media. Be like, I gotta change my Jalen Hurts take.

Colin Cowherd (34:11)

Listen, J. Mac, I got news for you. I'm not on social media. When I go on vacation, you are. All right, let's do it. Tomorrow's headlines. Today, let's talk about the Cleveland Browns, week one starter.

Jason McIntyre (34:25)

Well, we're going with a theme and there's some quarterback controversies sort of in the league as we head into the summer. We'll start with the Browns. We. You saw the numbers from the OTAs. A lot of controversy. The headline will B. New picket fence. Browns build wall around. Next quarterback. So sorry to your boy Shador Sanders, who threw three touchdowns at OTAs. This is Kenny Pickett's job to lose. Colin, you and I may not think Pickett's the long term answer, but in terms of the Cleveland Browns right now, he's not only a clubhouse leader, he will be starting in week one if he's healthy. That's very clear. Gabriel, who Kevin Stefanski loves, he's not quite ready yet. We know Shedeur is not ready. Wouldn't be surprised if Shedeur was inactive for several of the first few weeks of the season. Not even dressed. Kenny Pickett is going to be their guy. The best chance those rookies have, Colin, is if another quarterback is hurt. And then the Browns say, hey, we've got Kenny Pickett. If you don't want to splurge for Cousins, here's Pickett. But otherwise Kenny Pickett will be starting week one for Cleveland.

Colin Cowherd (35:27)

Tomorrow's headlines today. How about the allergic to offense? Pittsburgh Steelers Week 1.

Jason McIntyre (35:35)

So the Pittsburgh Steelers, we know that Aaron Rodgers is toying with the idea of going back to to the NFL. He's sitting in lecterns and saying, I don't know. The headline in Pittsburgh will be are we going to see it? Red Nose reboot. Rudolph returns to guide Steelers Night. I don't think Aaron Rodgers is coming back. We will have wasted so much bandwidth on Aaron Rodgers potential return. I just think it's going to be Mason Rudolph. You saw the quotes yesterday, how excited he is to just be wanted and I'm kind of happy for the guy. Will Howard is the other quarterback. He ain't ready. So it'll be Mason Rudolph. I don't think he's going to get you a lot of wins. But Colin, I do wonder if not only Terry Bradshaw out on Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, his comments have been kind of lukewarm. It's almost like, hey, we just saw that with the Jets. What are we doing? The vaunted Pittsburgh Steelers getting in the Aaron Rodgers business. So I think it'll be Mason Rudolph as QB1 for Pittsburgh this season.

Colin Cowherd (36:34)

All right, let's go to the nfc. Tomorrow's headlines today. What's it going to be for the Falcons and the atl?

Jason McIntyre (36:43)

So you know Kirk Cousins is not showing up at ota. It's kind of troubling. We know he's probably the better quarterback right now than Michael Penix, but the headline will be breaking Kirk Few. Cousins locked out of the QB room. He wants to be traded. He's not even going to compete because Colin, I mean I don't. Do you think it's fair that he's not even getting the chance? They're just handing it to Penix who looked pretty good at the end of last season. I mean, I know they didn't get the wins necessary. Pennock looked okay in a comeback role. I like him a lot. But Kirk Cousins is a veteran and you know, if we're being real here between Pitts, Bijan, Drake, London, the offensive line, Atlanta is ready to win now. Yeah, I like Penix. I think he's going to get it. But there's a case for Kirk Cousins if you really look at it.

Colin Cowherd (37:31)

Well, speaking of young quarterbacks, the New York Giants drafted Jackson Dart out of Ole Miss. Tomorrow's headlines today Staying in the nfc. What's the headline for the new New York Giants? Week one starter.

Jason McIntyre (37:46)

You know, it's interesting. The Cleveland Browns are soaking up all the oxygen. Oh, they're controversy. Why is nobody talking about the Giants where Jackson Dart was just taken in the first round. The Giants traded back in to get him. Is it going to be Russ or Dart? What about Jamis? The headline for the New York Giants will be from Russ with love. Giants embrace new free agent. Little James Bond play there. Russell Wilson's going to be the guy. It's interesting because Brian Dabel talked about it before the draft or I'm sorry, after the draft saying, yeah, Russ is our starter. But Jackson Dart when he takes the podium is saying all the right things. You know where Russ is by the way? He's at New York Knicks, front row with his wife. Have you noticed he's decked out on these outfits. Russ is acting like he's the mayor. He loves being in New York in the spotlight. But Jackson Dart quietly behind the scenes looks the part, sounds the part. Winning over the media. I think Russ gets it. But this is going to be closer than the experts think. Russ Russell Wilson better look over his shoulder and quit watching Knicks games from celebrity row.

Colin Cowherd (38:48)

I am, I will say I am kind of interested by how that plays out. And finally, what will the headline be? Tomorrow's headlines today for the Saints weekend one starters.

Jason McIntyre (39:02)

So this is a legit controversy in New Orleans. I mean it's not a sexy one. Since Carr retired. It's like Spencer Rattler, Tyler Schuck who guy is 27 year old rookie. The headline for the Saints will be what the shuck Saints swear Spencer is right choice. I'm going to go Spencer Rattler here. I know he didn't show particularly well last year. The Saints are a disaster. I mean if you look at actual depth charts right now, they're one of the worst teams in the league. Their win total is is terrible. A car might have made a smart decision retiring. I don't love Rattler, but I really don't like Tyler Schuck. He's going to get an opportunity because he's 67 and looks the part. But I think Rattler's going to win this job. A little bit of an experience edge and I think he'll be a little bit of a better fit for the Kellen Moore system. But man, that is not the sexiest quarterback controversy in the league.

Colin Cowherd (39:58)

You know, I was just thinking about this Jason, as I'm watching the Saints. We can blame whoever we want. But what happened to the Saints when Brees retired, the Steelers when Ben retired, and the Patriots when Brady retired? Suddenly smart people look incompetent. I mean, you can even say this. When Andrew Luck suddenly retired, they've been bailing water in Indianapolis and by the way, did a pretty good job. Carson Wentz had a pretty good year. Philip Rivers had a great last year in the league, made the playoffs. I mean, Carson Wentz had 27 touchdowns, seven picks. It was not a disaster. So Chris Ballard, like found Carson Wentz and he's got an offensive coach and they got Philip Rivers. But when you lose a transcendent talent, young Andrew Luck, big Ben, Breeze, Brady, you know, the franchise that hasn't happened to Green Bay loses, Favre, loses Rogers, and can still be a playoff team. And I think one of the things you and I think you said this like five or six years ago when we started working together, one of your first takes was you should draft a quarterback every year. Just. And for the record, Belichick, he, he did about every other year and he had Garoppolo in the second round and Robert Kraft made him get rid of him. And that just infuriated him because he knew Tom was getting older and he may have overvalued Jimmy Garoppolo, a lot of us did. But it is, I mean, it's really funny when these legendary quarterback talents leave. It doesn't matter who your GM is. I mean, if Mahomes today, I'm retiring. I don't care how good Brett Veach is, like, this was not a good quarterback. Draft you next year. What do you do? What do you give up to get up Drew Aller or Arch Manning?

Jason McIntyre (41:45)

You don't necessarily have to draft one early, but you have to have a secession plan. Like, what do we do if things fall apart? And that's a good point on the Chiefs. There's nothing. I mean, you look at politics. Once that old former president was cooked, it was like, what do we do? And they were left holding the bag and they screwed it up. You have to have a secession plan. I mean, you know, you look around the league. Colin, that's a really good point. What teams do not have any backup quarterback ready if somebody up and retires.

Colin Cowherd (42:09)

I mean, that's why Jimmy Garoppolo is a, is with The Rams and McVeigh, he knows he's been in big games. Can, can. If Stafford gets banged up, he's older, he's not super mobile. Their O line's pretty good. Jimmy Garoppolo can play three games and win a one or two based on where you're playing, what the matchup is. So, I mean, that's, that's why a Chase Daniels lasts forever. He knows the playbook, he's been around, keep him in the room. He's a great mentor. You know, on average, I don't know the exact number last year, but over 50 quarterbacks have played the last two years. And that's in a league now where you can't grab them and drive them, you can't hit them low. I mean, quarterbacks have never been more protected. They've never practiced being sacked as much. And you're still playing 50 to 55 quarterbacks a year. That's why it's maddening when you look at Pittsburgh and you're like, guys, what are you doing right now? You have the worst quarterback room in the league, by the way. Brian Schottenhauer, Cowboys coach. New Cowboys coach was asked about the core quarterback room today in Dallas. Talked about Dak Matic. Dak is in the developmental phase, and that sounds crazy for guys played that much, but, like, there's things that we're tweaking with Dak. Yeah, I'm not sure what you're. What are you tweaking with that at this point? I don't. I'm not sure if Dak needs to be tweaked. He just needs to stay healthy.

Jason McIntyre (43:27)

Yeah, that.

Colin Cowherd (43:28)

That's weird.

Jason McIntyre (43:28)

Doesn't sound great. But another guy besides Chief Daniels, Ryan Fitzpatrick, I mean, he was in the league forever. He's a great bridge quarterback, a great backup who can get you to it through a year. I don't know if Zach Wilson is that kind of guy. Like, can. If things go awry, can Zach Wilson keep you afloat? I don't.

Colin Cowherd (43:45)

Well, the encouraging thing is there has never been that I can recall more really good. I mean, Kenny Dillingham's another offensive guy. There have never been more good young offensive minds in college or pro football. I mean, Kenny Dillingham may be a pro football coach in years. Lane Kiffin could certainly coach in the N. Steve Sarkeesian could coach in the NFL. I mean, there's. I mean, college pays them great and they love it. Lincoln Riley, who knows? But, I mean, I think college and pro look more similar than they've ever looked. It used to be you just wouldn't hire a college basketball or a college football coach. I think college football now, Harbaugh maybe is a bit of an outlier, but, you know, a guy like Kenny Dillingham. If they win again and he's doing creative stuff at some point, he can clearly 59 quarterbacks started last year. 66 quarterbacks started games two years ago. Get a backup. Get a quarterback. Pittsburgh J Mac will be in tomorrow. We'll see you then. Summer is here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. Now what do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parm delivered. A nice tan? Sorry, A box fan? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol in select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Looking to transform your business through better HR and payroll? Meet Paycor, a paychecks company. The powerhouse solution that empowers leaders to drive results. From recruiting and development to payroll and analytics, paycor connects you with the people, data and expertise you need to succeed. Their innovative platform helps you make smarter decisions about your most valuable asset. Your people. Are you ready to become a better leader? Visit paycor.com leadership to learn more. That's paycor.com leaders just like how true champs master both offense and defense, the BMW IX masters both ultimate performance and unbeatable space. Love mine. The greatest legends in sports never compromise in any aspect of their game. So why would you settle for anything less from your suv? What I love about my BMW IX is that it redefines the electric vehicle experience, seamlessly integrates powerful performance, its bold, daring design, a refined interior, details, cutting edge technology. Basically pushes the boundaries of innovation. Thousands of details went into creating the ultimate electric suv. Compromise. Not one of them. Okay, have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant and their fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back. And Degree listened. That doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and they're bringing back the original Cool Rush scent. They're bringing it back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason it's the number one men's any perspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under four bucks. So try and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target to try the OG Degree Cool Rush for yourself. This is an Iheart podcast.