THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Bears & Caleb Williams Regression, Watch Out For The Cowboys

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Guest Host: Jason McIntyre)

Episode: Bears & Caleb Williams Regression, Watch Out For The Cowboys

Date: July 31, 2026 (Hour 1)
Main Theme:
A lively breakdown of NFL off-season narratives, with a focus on media hype around the Bears and Caleb Williams, the underappreciation of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cowboys’ perennial underachievement, the state of conference power in college football, and critical updates on injuries and team moves ahead of the 2026 NFL season.

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Episode Overview

• Host: Jason McIntyre (in for Colin Cowherd), joined by Rachel Nichols
• Guests: Daniel Popper (The Athletic)
• Tone: Energetic, opinionated, playful banter
• Highlights:
  • Contrasting media hype for the Bears & Caleb Williams vs. disregard for the Jaguars
  • College football’s shifting power (Big Ten vs. SEC) and NIL culture
  • Dallas Cowboys’ off-season optimism and skepticism
  • Injury updates and aging rosters (Mahomes, 49ers)
  • NBA salary cap dilemmas (Knicks & Karl-Anthony Towns)

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bears, Jaguars, and the Caleb Williams Hype Machine

[03:40–08:15, 08:15–10:31]

• Jaguars’ Media Neglect:
  Jason McIntyre opens with criticism of how the Jaguars are ignored despite 13 wins last year, quoting Jaguars coach Liam Cohen.

  "Nobody's talking about you anywhere. And you won 13 games, by the way...ain't nobody talking about him. Nobody. Jacksonville just doesn't have the juice." — Jason McIntyre (04:58)

• Caleb Williams Celebrity:
  The media’s focus on the Bears, fueled by star QB Caleb Williams, is contrasted against the low Jacksonville buzz. Jason points out Williams’ "regression" post-Heisman, noting the intense scrutiny he faces—“the hype machine for the media is in overdrive on the Bears.”
• Ben Johnson's Response:
  Bears coach Ben Johnson shrugs off media stories; instead sees the “regression candidate” status as useful motivation:

  “We’re the number one regression candidates, so I think we got plenty of motivation ourselves.” — Ben Johnson (08:15)

2. College Football: Big Ten Ascendance, SEC in Decline

[10:31–13:24, 13:24–15:48]

• Kurt Signetti’s Spicy Quote:
  Indiana coach Signetti taunts the SEC, claiming the Big Ten is now on top:

  "We don't run a hype machine up here in the midwest. We believe everything's earned, not given." — Kurt Signetti (10:31)
  "We don't cry a river, whine and complain, all right? And that's why we're the best." — Kurt Signetti (10:35)

• SEC’s NIL and Brand Identity:
  The SEC’s regional sponsorships and NIL reality are mocked, contrasting blue-collar car dealership deals with Big Ten players’ tech sponsorships.
• Changing Landscape:
  Jason discusses Nick Saban’s transition from coaching kingpin to D.C. lobbyist, pleading for legislative relief for the SEC. Three consecutive national titles for the Big Ten underscore a shift in dominance.

3. Dallas Cowboys: Preseason Sound and Fury

[19:58–21:37, 21:37–24:05]

• The Usual Hype:
  Jason details Cowboys’ annual cycle of July/August noise and January-February silence.
• Jerry Jones’ Proclamations & Dak’s Nicknaming:
  Dak gives the offense a nickname, riffing off "Greatest Show on Turf:"

  “Why can’t we be...the greatest offense there is?” — Dak Prescott (21:37)

• Balanced Analysis:
  Jason acknowledges Dallas' potent offense but doubts their defense and schedules:

  “I don't have the Cowboys in the playoffs. The schedule is just unforgiving. Guys, six primetime games is brutal... I'm seeing eight, nine wins for Dallas.” — Jason McIntyre (23:20)

4. Injury Updates: Patrick Mahomes & the 49ers Age Problem

[24:05–32:45]

• Mahomes’ ACL Comeback:
  Rachel Nichols analyzes the risks of Mahomes returning early from surgery, highlighting medical perspectives and the Chiefs’ adaptions:

  “Just because you can come back for week one, should he come back for week one?” — Rachel Nichols (25:49) “You can't predict what happens on the football field. I think it’s a super interesting gamble and they could completely pay off.” (28:17)

• San Francisco 49ers Aging Roster:
  Rachel and Jason voice skepticism on the 49ers’ strategy of signing several 30+ skill players—citing historical examples where this backfired:

  “There’s never worked before basically to have five guys at skill positions, non-QB skill positions who were 30 year old.” — Rachel Nichols (31:58) Jason predicts Brock Purdy will be scapegoated if the plan fails.

5. NBA: Knicks, Karl-Anthony Towns & the CBA

[32:45–37:22]

• Tough Salary Choices:
  The Knicks want Karl-Anthony Towns to take a pay cut to keep the core intact; Rachel discusses how the new CBA is forcing stars to choose between money and winning:

  “With this Knicks team, you have proof of concept. They just won a title...Maybe you stay.” — Rachel Nichols (35:00)
  “All I know is happiness is, you know, you got to find that internally. Some...A couple bucks are not going to make you happy.” — Jason McIntyre (34:26)

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In-Depth: Daniel Popper (The Athletic) Interview

[40:53–50:56]

Chargers Outlook & Justin Herbert Narrative

• Herbert’s Playoff Woes:
  “The knock is that he hasn’t won the big game yet...As somebody...watching the film...I see what he’s capable of, but...it’s one of the most important positions in sports. And when you lose, you get all the blame...” — Daniel Popper (42:40)

Texans, Bears, and Hype vs. Disrespect

• C.J. Stroud’s Pressure:
  Playoff struggles, but o-line upgrades this off-season, aligns with defensive readiness.
• Jaguars & Motivation:
  Popper, who covered the Jaguars, validates that media disrespect can unite locker rooms:

  “I think Liam Cohen is, like, very aware of that. I think he’s using it to his advantage...it becomes something that the team can rally behind.” (45:10)

• Bears as Regression Candidates:
  Popper likes Ben Johnson, worries about Chicago’s o-line:
  “I believe in his offensive infrastructure. I have a little bit of a concern is on the offensive line.” (47:10)

Cowboys Analysis

• Offense top-five last year, but defense must improve:
  “If they can get that unit to be competitive, then I think the Cowboys are absolutely in the mix...” (49:18)

Sleeper Teams

• Jets (with Geno Smith), Bengals (with a healthy Burrow) cited as 2026 surprise potentials.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Jaguars’ lack of media coverage:

  “Go look at the national media. They are obsessed with [the Bears]...But Caleb Williams is a star...he’s drifting that way, like Patrick Mahomes.” — Jason McIntyre (04:58)

• On Caleb Williams Hype:

  “You’re on the cover of Madden, right? You’re hanging out at Coachella with the Jenner sisters...now, he’s a full-blown celebrity.” — Jason McIntyre (05:40)

• Kurt Signetti’s SEC Takedown:

  “We don’t run a hype machine up here in the midwest. We believe everything’s earned, not given...” (10:31)

• On NFL unpredictability:

  “Every single year, wacky things happen in the NFL. So when you see some...really good teams that you think are going to be good, miss the playoffs, in my prediction—hey, listen, that kind of thing happens.” — Jason McIntyre (19:58)

• Rachel Nichols on Mahomes’ recovery:

  “Just because you can come back for week one, should he come back for week one?” (25:49)

• On 49ers’ aging offensive skill group:

  “There’s never worked before basically to have five guys at skill positions, non-QB skill positions who were 30 year old.” — Rachel Nichols (31:58)

• On NBA’s hard salary cap:

  “This new CBA is not really fair—it does...create what is essentially a hard cap and it creates these kinds of situations where players are being asked to take less money.” — Rachel Nichols (36:45)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:40] Jaguars media respect vs. Bears/Caleb Williams hype
• [08:15] Ben Johnson’s response to regression talk
• [10:31] Kurt Signetti’s Big Ten vs. SEC comments
• [19:58] Cowboys’ hype and Dak’s “Greatest Show” nickname
• [24:05] Patrick Mahomes injury risk analysis
• [30:46] 49ers’ aging roster dilemma
• [32:45] Knicks/Karl-Anthony Towns cap dilemma
• [40:53] Daniel Popper interview: Chargers, Texans, Bears, Cowboys
• [47:10] Bears regression analysis
• [48:35] Cowboys: Offense expectations and defensive uncertainty

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Takeaways

• Bears & Caleb Williams: Hype may not match substance; regression is a risk.
• Jaguars: Use national disregard as fuel; small market bias remains real.
• Cowboys: Off-season optimism again, but defense and schedule sap playoff hopes.
• College Football: Big Ten’s dominance now unassailable; SEC soul-searching.
• Injuries: Caution urged for stars (Mahomes), especially returning from major reconstructive surgery.
• NBA: New CBA’s hard cap means hard choices, even for champions.

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This episode was a quintessential sports talk ride—fun, spicy, and crammed with stats, shade, and sound bites for every NFL/CFB/NBA fan.

Transcript

[Jason McIntyre]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Covino]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started.

[Covino]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

It is Friday. Yes, everybody can feel it. The weekend is nearly upon us. It's me, Jason McIntyre, in for Colin Cowherd. I'm getting word via carrier pigeon that Colin is returning to civilization. He will be back on Monday. Get excited. If you follow him on social media, you know he's gonna have takes galore. He can't keep him in. I'm joined by Rachel Nichols. Rachel, we've had a glorious two week run here. I mean, the LeBron news, NFL camps opening. We both saw Odyssey. I don't know how we're going to top it today.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm, I'm excited. Look, there's so much going on. If you look at the slate for this show, if we have breaking news, I don't know what we're going to kick out of the show.

[Jason McIntyre]

That's a good point. Yes, we do have a lot happening. And let's get started with. Boy, listen, everybody has this one wrong. I'm just going to tell you right out of the gate. We're talking about the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yes, we never talk about them, but everybody is upset with Liam Cohen right now because they think he took a shot at Caleb Williams. Now it is fascinating that there's this legendary quote, the truth hurts. I think it was started by Lizzo. Maybe. I'm not, I'm not sure. And Liam Cohen, the Jacksonville Jaguars coach, gave an interview this week that really shocked a lot of people. And everybody's, whoa, how can you say that? I'm just telling you the truth hurts. This is such, such real talk from Liam Cohen. Here it is. Here's his thoughts on how nobody at all is talking about the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's the best part of coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars. You don't have to make up. Yeah, telling your players stuff. You have to make up the fire. You don't have to make it up. It's given to us every day. I just go pull up my phone, look at the NFL network website and just pop up here and any column. Curious. If I see any photos or anything about the Jacksonville Jaguar. I think I'll just scroll right on through.

[Rachel Nichols]

Keep going.

[Jason McIntyre]

Now I think I'll see 40 pictures of Caleb Williams and I won't see a single thing about any of our players on here. And so it's beautiful because it's like, yeah, guys, this is great. Thanks. Gift that keeps on giving. Tell all these guys how much you all think they suck. How good is that, folks? That is one of the best sound bites we've had this summer from anyone in the NFL. And let's be real, Liam Cohen is 100% right. Okay? The Jags won four games two years ago. They won 13 last year, 13 hosted a playoff game, and ain't nobody talking about him. Nobody. Jacksonville just doesn't have the juice. They actually had a better season than the Bears. And yet, as Liam Cohen astutely noted, the hype machine for the media is in overdrive on the Bears. Go look at the national media. They are obsessed with this team. And a lot of it obviously has to do with Caleb Williams. Right there. There. There's no denying that. But I do want to point out I was looking for. Is there a tidbit? Is there a fact that can show you guys that maybe Jacksonville, I don't know, doesn't get the love. Do you want to guess how many Sunday Night Football games, Just one. One metric, one data point, how many Sunday Night Football games the Jags have had in the last 18 years? The answer is two. They have won this season and it's because they're playing the Dallas Cowboys. Okay? Everybody knows Jacksonville. Not a big media market, not a lot happening there. People love Trevor Lawrence, but they don't. They're not going. They've never been to a Super Bowl. Right? Um, we're talking about Jacksonville. Nobody cares. They're not going to get any pub this offseason yet. It's all about the Bears. Why is that? Well, Ben Johnson, you know, talking a little trash last offseason, backed it up. Ben Johnson, a great head coach, looks to be one of the next, you know, in that Sean McVeigh Shanahan mold. And everybody loves Caleb Williams. What's not to love? You know, this was not a shot at Caleb Williams, that there's 40 pictures of him. But Caleb Williams is a star. He's not quite in. Your mom knows who Caleb Williams is. He's not quite in that territory, but he's drifting that way. Like Patrick Mahomes. Everybody knows him. Caleb's on his way there. I mean, you're on the COVID of Madden, right? You're hanging out at Coachella with the Jenner sisters. I mean, he's a full blown celebrity, you know, Now I know Caleb was famous at usc. You know, he was a superstar Quarterback and the first real nil big deal, won the Heisman. But do you remember the season after he won the Heisman? That was when, oh, Caleb Williams is going to be the face of the NFL for years to come. When he was at USC cooking. What happened that next year? Well, they regressed to eight and five. Caleb really had a brutal game. National TV game against Notre Dame, three picks. And then the backyard narrative around Caleb Williams started to swirl. It was like, oh, I don't know this guy, you know, he tried to make too many plays happen. Just sit in the pocket and win Caleb. And people started to pick him apart. Didn't win the back to back Heismans, they went 8 and 5. He still went number one, but his first year in Chicago, choppy. Now we've written that off because year two was so good. But Ben Johnson got wind of the Liam Cohen comments. And Ben Johnson, who's very stern and firm and remember, he's not smiling a lot in press conferences. Here's, here's Ben Johnson's response.

[Daniel Popper]

Well, we're the number one regression candidates, so I think we got, we got plenty of motivation ourselves. We talked about Caleb in the past. He's used to handling a lot of attention. So I'm not, I'm not worried about that.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, look at that face. He's the number one regression candidate. So just contrast the locker rooms, right? Liam Cohen. Hey, guys. Nobody's talking about you anywhere. And you won 13 games by the way. The Jags finished last year 9 and 1 and they nearly beat the Bills in that playoff game. Finished 9 and 1. Jacoby Myers, remember that pick? Oh, you don't remember it? Okay, yeah, you, I'm sure you remember every Bears comeback. Caleb's six fourth quarter comebacks, seven if you count the playoff game. He's got a celebration. You know what you need to do to get juice and be on this NFL website that he's talking about? You need a cool celebration. Maybe Trevor Lawrence needs to step his game up and do something like the Iceman. Folks, Ben Johnson's not wrong. They are the number one regression candidate. Or one of them right there with the Patriots and Broncos in the league now, I will have my playoff teams at the top of 10 o' clock out here on the West Coast. And I guess we'll just see if the Bears make it or not. All right, I want to go to college football. Big Ten media week. What a thriller. So many good quotes. We had a couple great guests, but nobody can top Kurt Signetti, the Indiana football head Coach who is just listen. He's on top of the world. When you take Indiana, a doormat for decades in college football, and you bring them to the top and you go undefeated and you beat everybody in your path and Fernando Mendoza comes out of nowhere to win the Heisman, you can talk your talk. And Kurt Signetti is a bit of a soundbite machine now. Now, college football is going through a weird transitional phase. And can you imagine. Just wrap your head around this. If I, if I told you the Indiana football head coach is going to take shots at the SEC and they can't do a damn thing about it, what would you say? Because listen to what Kurt Signetti said this week about the Big Ten in the sec. The Big Ten is the best league in football. I mean, we don't run a hype machine up here in the midw. We believe everything's earned, not given.

[Covino]

And when we fall short, we say we fell short.

[Jason McIntyre]

We don't cry a river, whine and complain, all right? And that's why we're the best. Shots fired, as the kids like to say. Oh, my gosh, Kurt Signetti. Now who's he talking about? Whining. Who could that be? Could that be his old friend Nick Saban, perhaps? Nick Saban. No longer on the sidelines, Nick Saban has now become essentially a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. begging. Begging elected officials, please save our conference. No expansion. Well, we don't want that. Not good for us. Can you rein in this nil stuff? I mean, Nick Saban is groveling in Washington D.C. trying to get elected officials to save the SEC. But, like, this is a, a conference that was on top of the world for two decades. I mean, they were totally dominant in every facet. And now the Big Ten has won three straight national championships. And as you see Oregon on the screen, maybe they'll be number four. And it, it's just such a wacky turn of events that we had, someone in our, in our morning meeting had a great line, hey, the SEC used to foam at the mouth for college football. Now the only foam in SEC country is when you tap the keg on Saturday's tailgating. I mean, things have changed dramatically. And I didn't totally realize this, but this, the nil money is. We know it's dramatically changing college football, but have you seen some of the sponsors that Arch Manning, an SEC guy, has gotten? It's so funny because we know SEC country historically is, you know, the car dealerships are huge. Arkansas has the Tyson food chicken patch. You know, meanwhile Ohio State has JPMorgan Chase. Okay, slight difference there, but Arch Manning is reining in all the nil money in SEC country, but doing it with essentially Big Ten territory sponsors like Warby Parker, okay, Google, Gemini. I mean, it's absolutely crazy that Arch Manning is doing commercials for Vori, right? And he's playing for Texas. It's like, folks, we are just at such a bizarre time now. Our staff had an unbelievable turn back the clock. So Ed Orgeron famously, you know, had a great run in the sec. He's just a quintessential SEC coach, right? He did a commercial back in, they're telling me 2006, which I would say sums up the current era of nil action in the SEC. Here's Ed O. Back in 2006. Hey, I'm Coach O. I just love my Hummer. I believe the Hummer is the best

[Covino]

vehicle on the road.

[Jason McIntyre]

Big, tough, aggressive, and it represents everything that we want at Ole Miss. I have my Hummer. You need a Hummer. Tell them about it. JoJo, Mississippi, they are here.

[Covino]

The new Rogers Dabs H. Three Hummers are here.

[Jason McIntyre]

The folks at Rogers Dabs Hummer are first team players. Come see them.

[Covino]

Rogers, Dabs and Hummer like nothing else. New age three, starting at just 32,000.

[Daniel Popper]

Love it.

[Jason McIntyre]

JoJo, tell them about it. Yeah, in Big Ten country, they don't go to JoJo. They go to Mark Cuban, the billionaire. Larry Ellison, billionaire. Phil Knight, billionaire. That. That's the difference here, folks. That's what we're up against. And I don't think this is a slam of the sec, but honestly, the last three years, Big Ten has dominated them. You saw the numbers on the screen. Is it safe to say the SEC is now a college baseball conference? That that's where their juice is, the college baseball world? That's what's going on in SEC country. They just can't hang with the Big Ten. Now. There's only three meetings this season with the Big Ten, right? And the SEC, they're all on September 12th. We'll see what happens. Big Ten favored in two of those. You know, Texas at home against Ohio State. They'll probably need that win, but it is crazy. That SEC has basically their regional footprint. Their identity has been football. Not a ton of pro teams. In SEC country, there's, of course, there's a handful, but Big Ten country is spread out nationally and they're just dominating the competition. Whether it's first round picks. If you look at the last draft, I mean, it's all Big Ten. They they really are taking over. And I applaud Kurt Signetti for getting out, thumping his chest and saying, listen, stop whining and crying, Nick Saban. Just get with the program. Get on the field and see if you could beat us. So, yeah, we have a spicy show today, partially courtesy of Liam Cohen, partially thanks to Kurt Signetti. And coming up next, oh, boy. What's going on in Dallas is Dallas started to run their mouths to what? Huh? That's next year on 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.

[Covino]

Hey, we're Covino and Rich, Fox Sports

[Jason McIntyre]

radio every day, 5 to 7pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We never have enough time to get to everything we want to get to.

[Covino]

And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised.

[Jason McIntyre]

You see, we're having so much fun

[Covino]

in our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly, because this guy is over promising things we never have time for.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, you blubber lips blaming me. Well, you know what it's called?

[Covino]

Over Promise.

[Jason McIntyre]

You should be good at it because

[Covino]

you've been over promising women for years. Well, it's a Covino and Rich after

[Jason McIntyre]

show and we want you to be

[Covino]

a part of it. We're going to be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to talk life and relationships and, and if Rich and I are arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it will continue on our after show called Over Promised.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make sure you check out Over Promised and also uncensored, by the way. So maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's going to be the best after

[Covino]

show podcast of all time. There you go. Over promising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely.

[Jason McIntyre]

Join us.

[Covino]

Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode brought to you by Verizon Business. When we watch the World cup, we focus on the stars, the players, the coaches, the matches. But here's what's fascinating. What does it take to make an event this big actually work? The World cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, 3 countries. Think about that. That's not just a sporting event. That's one of the biggest logistical and technological challenges in the world. And with billions of people watching, there's no room for error. But for Verizon business, that's another day with private 5G networks in every stadium, more than 80,000 miles of fiber, end to end security. Verizon business is powering FIFA's World Cup. If Verizon business can do that, imagine what they can do for your business. Visit verizon.com powering FIFAWorldCup now to learn more now more than ever, Americans need a laugh. Enter the Super Troopers to the rescue. Vermont's finest and most shockingly offensive mustachioed highway patrol officers return to the big screen in Super Troopers 3. More pullover pranks. More over the top shenanigans than ever. The latest installment of the cult comedy classic Rod Farva is the wildly over the top Indian engagement to Thorny sister spirals out of control. Debauchery, bachelor parties, a wedding that Thorny's desperate to stop in a dangerous drug smuggling ring all threaten the troops. Friendship and future. Fill your liter of cola, grab your buds and roll up to the multiplex for Super Troopers 3 only in theaters August 7th. Get tickets? Meow. For any small business owner, there's a moment when you realize the next hire could be the difference between staying busy and actually growing. The challenge is finding the right person without wasting time sorting through candidates who aren't the right fit. That's where Indeed Sponsored Jobs comes in, where a workplace chaos hits and you need somebody who can step in and make a difference. This is a job for Sponsored Jobs. It helps you put your job in front of candidates who match the criteria that matter most to you, whether it's skills, experience, certifications, or location. And you're certainly not alone in using Indeed. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. That's millions of businesses turning to Indeed to help solve hiring challenges and find people who can drive results. Spend less time searching, more time actually interviewing candidates who check all the boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Get your 75 doll sponsored job credit today@ Indeed.com podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring now then, this is a job for Indeed. Sponsored Jobs. If you're spending time outside, it's important to know the potential risks of skin cancer. Non melanoma skin cancers, or NMSCs, including basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, are common in the US and can become advanced and harder to treat if left undetected. Our sponsor, Regenerative Ron, is raising awareness about advanced NMSCS Learn more and take the pledge to see a dermatologist annually at let's Get Real about skin cancer dot com.

[Jason McIntyre]

My super bowl prediction coming up at the top of the hour. I'll go with every divisional winner, wildcard teams, and as a reminder, every single year, wacky things happen in the NFL. So when you see some, shall we say, really good teams that you think are going to be good, miss the playoffs, in my prediction. Hey, listen, that kind of thing happens. By the way, I'll remind everybody, if you can find me, the immediate person who had the Seahawks and Patriots meeting in the super bowl, gold star for you, because nobody had that, folks. All right, so let's go to the Dallas Cowboys here briefly, because, you know, they got to make noise in July and August. We know they don't make noise in January or February. This is what the Cowboys now resorted to. Jerry Jones, goofy proclamations. Dak Prescott hyping up and giving a nickname to his offense. I. I didn't know that was a thing. You know, this is a Dallas Cowboys franchise, folks. Just remember when they had Dak, CD Lamb and Micah Parsons, three of the, you know, best guys at their position in the league. Dak's a top 12 quarterback. You know that they had one playoff win. This is a team that has not been to the conference championship game in 30 years. Conference championship. Every other team in the NFC has been there. Hell, my jets, just a pathetic franchise. They have two conference championship appearances in the last 15 years. I remember both those games vividly. One time we got blown out. The other, devastating loss to the Steelers. Cowboys can't get to the conference championship, but we've got Jerry Jones out here talking super bowl. And we've got Dak Prescott giving his offense a nickname. Here's Dak.

[Covino]

Why can't we be, you know, and just. Yeah, let's be the greatest offense there is.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, you've heard the Greatest show

[Covino]

on Turf and all the other different nicknames. And so just in our trip in Utah, you know, something I guess I thought about in the time leading up

[Jason McIntyre]

to that and just kind of presented

[Covino]

it to the guys in the. In our trip. And each and every one of them, you know, loved it.

[Jason McIntyre]

Listen, I want to like Dak. He seems like a nice dude, okay. Mostly says the right things. Did you just say the Greatest show on Turf had a nickname? We need one. Didn't they win, like, 14 or 15 games and win a Super Bowl? Like, you got. You got to get to the playoffs, Dak. 7, 9 and 1 last year with a gaudy 15 and 1 record against playoff opponents. Okay, so now that was, you know, two minutes of negativity. I do think there is some positivity with Dallas because, yes, their offense is top 10. You could argue top five if Pickens and Lamb are healthy. Dax gonna put up video game numbers again. The backfield, you know, by committee, Javante, Williams, whatever you want, they're gonna be fine. You know, it's the defense where there are question marks. And it was atrocious last year after trading Michael Parsons, they finished down like bottom three by most advanced metrics. Now, here's the good news, right? It can't get much worse. It can only get better. And it looks like. And the depth charts, not finalized. Probably five new defensive starters. We know the new defensive coordinator, Parker, he comes from Philly, very highly regarded. And I like Caleb Downs. I think he's a high impact player. The problem, and this is where, you know, breaking news, I don't have the Cowboys in the playoffs. The schedule is just unforgiving. Guys, six primetime games is brutal. They got to go play the Ravens in Brazil. And I just can't get over this stretches where it's like, hey, Ravens, Texans, Bucks, Packers, Eagles early on. That's going to determine a lot. I'll just tell you now, you better beat Tampa and Tampa's no pushover. And then look at 12, 13, 15 Eagles, Seahawks by Rams. That's just not easy. I don't think much of the 49ers, so I'm seeing eight, nine wins for Dallas. And guys, I don't think that's going to get it done in a loaded nfc. Let's go to Rachel Nichols with the news. No, no, no. Turn on the news. This is the herd line news.

[Rachel Nichols]

Jason, from one old guy to another old guy. No, Patrick Mahomes. I do want to talk about his injury. Look, torn acl. That was December. He's back on the field. You see the brace? We talked about that earlier this year. He's looking okay. Look, he's twisting, he's turning, he's slicing, he's dicing. Not doing the Dak Prescott hip thing, but still. Here's Andy Reid talking about how he's looked so far in camp and why he's not conserved.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, he looked pretty good today, I thought, you know, strong. You see the strength in his legs and which is important with a leg injury. Kind of look at that first. See how his feet are moving and feet are moving well. So I thought it was positive. I'm Obviously keeping a close eye on him.

[Daniel Popper]

I'm not the doctor, but I'm keeping

[Jason McIntyre]

a close eye on the small things, technique wise. But he's, he's prepared for those things.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, so Andy Reid's not a doctor, I'm not a doctor, but I'm going to play one on TV here for just a minute and tell you that coming back this early, it's pretty possible, but it does have risks. When you are 9 months post this kind of surgery, and this was pretty major reconstructive surgery on that knee, your cells are still developing, the blood flow is still coming back to the ligaments, and you have risks of fatigue, instability, especially because that left leg is his plant leg. Right. So not only are you putting your weight on it, it's the torque that you're rotating on it too. So one of the questions I had as I'm watching him here is just because you can come back for week one, should he come back for week one? Because obviously if he gets hurt again earlier in the season, that that's kind

[Jason McIntyre]

of it for them.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Wow. Are you sure you're just a doctor on tv? That sounded really close to like covered

[Rachel Nichols]

a lot of ACL injuries over the years. This is 20 something years of ACL injuries. And I've had an MCL injury too, which he also had.

[Jason McIntyre]

But you were on a TV show recently. It wasn't a doctor show.

[Rachel Nichols]

It was the Jon Hammer Friends and Neighbors.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes, yes.

[Rachel Nichols]

I like, I play a friend and neighbor on tv.

[Jason McIntyre]

Not quite a doctor.

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't play a doctor on tv. But I. This is something I've spent a lot of time on. I've talked to a lot of physios about. And by the way, anyone on the Chiefs would tell you the same thing. This is not secret information. These are the risks. What do you think? Because this is, this is interesting. It's one thing to be able to come back. Another thing, you know, do you give it an extra month, that kind of thing?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. Well, we saw the packers are playing extra cautious, extra cautious with Micah Parsons. They're saying week six, Mahomes is gonna be out there week one. You know, they gave him that contract. The league is like, oh, okay. He's gonna be fine. Yeah, okay. Big time games. I will add this. A new element to this story is the tragic situation with Eric B. Enemy's wife, now your offensive coordinator, who you know, obviously from being with the team, he's now out and. And it's like, geez, Mahomes is health oc missing like

[Rachel Nichols]

that doesn't worry me as much vis a vis this. Obviously that's much more serious than anything we're going to talk about today on this show. But in terms of just Patrick Mahomes health, it is an interesting question because the Micah Parsons situation is a great comp. He actually had less of a tear. I mean they're all obviously an ACL tears and ACL tear. But Mahomes had additional tearing to the knee. And when you look at that and you say the packers have, as you point out, they have a nine month rule. You can't even get back on the package practice field until you've been out for nine months post surgery. He's going to play nine months post surgery. That's. That injury happened in December. It is an interesting thing. Now they're taking precautions. Obviously. Mahomes has operated in the shotgun a lot in the past. Right. We know the scrambling has been his strength, that backyard football kind of thing. This is going to be completely different. They're going to go to a 12, right. Andy Reid's going to go with the two tight ends have a lot more pocket protection from a home. Obviously they spent a lot of money at running back. They're going to do a lot more play action. So there are definitely changing things there. And you can see it in the early training camp film. You know, when you break down what they've been able to show the media, you can see all the changes they're making so that it's not like they're not aware of all of this. But you can't predict what happens on the football field. I think it's, I think it's a super interesting gamble and they could completely pay off. I mean they get off to a strong start here, could really change their season. It's just if he gets hurt, I mean that's your whole year.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. And now their openers against Denver, I believe. Didn't they lead the NFL in sacks last year or they were up there?

[Rachel Nichols]

No, they did. No, no. They did lead the NFL. You are completely right.

[Jason McIntyre]

They will. I'm going to go ahead and guess that they will be dialing it up against Mahomes to see how that leg is doing early. And you know, we got to monitor the tackle situation for Casey. The young kid out of Ohio State missed a lot of games last year. There was questions on the other side. We'll see a lot of question marks all of a sudden.

[Rachel Nichols]

And look, Patrick Mahomes said, you know, we've had it on the Screen a few times that he actually ran more last year than he ever has before. His rushing totals were the highest of his career in, like, three categories. So his point was, hey, take a look there. I mean, look at all those numbers in yellow. Those are career highs. So his point was, I did it too much last year anyway. Might have been, you know, kind of leading to what happened. Weakening the knee before he even got it hurt and it was time to play. And look, I will say this. Mahomes is years old, and I'm joking about him coming in like, oh, from one older guy to another old guy. You know, normally 30 is where we see these quarterbacks turn the corner. However, it is kind of, I don't want to say the perfect age to have this kind of injury. There's no good age to have this injury. He's old enough that he's experienced enough that you are just, you know, perfection at picking defenses apart. And he knows how to sit back in the pocket and find the weaknesses in a defense in a way that maybe he didn't even five years ago. And he's young enough to have his body be healing. Your body heals better at 30 than it does at 35. Any of us who are over 35 can tell you that. So if it's going to go well, this is the time for it to go well. But it is a risk. And as you watch them go through, you know, the rest of training camp and week one, again, just because you can doesn't mean you always should. It's going to be interesting to see what they decide here. All right, I want to get to the 49ers because this is a bunch of old guys, or at least it's turning into it. They've had so many injury issues. San Francisco is now bringing back Debo Samuel on a one year, $7 million deal. This comes with Christian Kirk out due to a strained calf. Ricky Pearsall, as we know, has been dealing with those PCL issues. And in fact, the team is concerned he might need a surgery that keeps him out long term. Pearsall. So, like, this could be a big deal. Deebo Samuels, obviously, I saw him last year on the Commanders. Did not have an elite year. I'm just going to put it that way. What do you expect from Debo this year?

[Jason McIntyre]

I. I expect him to play a lot, maybe with this Piersol news. Not great.

[Rachel Nichols]

This is the old guys. This is what I'm talking about.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is basically, what is this? Last Vegas, the movie with all the old guys.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, I mean, look across, across the way, you've got the warriors, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

Who are going to be possibly the oldest team in the NBA now. You've got the oldest team here down in Santa Clara, man.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. By the way, Debo, he was. I mean there's no way to be nice. He was bad last year.

[Rachel Nichols]

Thank you.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like he was not good at all. And to sign him is like they're

[Rachel Nichols]

desperate, you know, I mean, look, obviously Kyle knows him, Kyle Shanahan. And this is the place he played best, all of that stuff. But I want to, I want to give you a good number. So if he starts, if Debo starts, it'll be him. Mike Evans. Right. And you've got McCaffrey. Right. George Kittle, you've got Kyle Juszek, you've got DeMarcus Robinson. That would be only the third time in the super bowl era that teams have ever started five 30 year older players at non quarterback positions, at the skill positions. So I'm going to tell you the other teams that have done it. The 04 bucks for one game.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, one game.

[Rachel Nichols]

The 03 Broncos for one game. And the 92 team in Washington for two games. But that's how long it lasted in all of those cities. So this has never worked before. Basically to have five guys at skill positions, non quarterback skill positions who were 30 year old.

[Jason McIntyre]

You want a prediction? This ends up coming back to Brock Purdy. Well, we had to sign all these old guys cuz we paid Brock Purdy, which is silly, but he's going to end up taking the heat for this because there's no way they're going to be successful.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right. This is. It doesn't look good. It doesn't look good. And. And this sort of feels like the ultimate turn the page moment.

[Jason McIntyre]

Does that include Shanahan?

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't think so. Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm just trying to get him fired. So he's with the jets next year.

[Rachel Nichols]

I was gonna say. What are you doing?

[Jason McIntyre]

I want him on the Jet. I need an offensive guy on the jets next year.

[Rachel Nichols]

You need a lot of things on the jets next year, my friend. All right, let's go to the NBA. One of your other teams, the Knicks, Carl Anthony Towns looking to land an extension after being. Of course. This is. This guy. This is one of the main reasons you won the title. You're out in the streets celebrating. Go thank Karl Anthony townes for your first title in more than 50 years. Reports are indicating New York is going to ask him to take a discount. He is eligible for the full four year, $272 million max. This is the extension that he wanted last summer, by the way. They didn't give it to him. This is the summer they need to give it to him. Otherwise he'll be playing on what is essentially an expiring contract because he's got a player option. But they need him to take a discount. Otherwise, next summer when they have to go pay Jalen Brunson, they're going to have to start cutting guys. So you can't keep the championship core together if Carl Anthony Towns doesn't take a discount. This is a tough position to put a player in who clearly earned it. I mean, if anyone earned it on this team, right, it's Kat. What would you do if you were him?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, does it specify how much of a discount?

[Rachel Nichols]

No, I mean, that's, you know, it's negotiable.

[Jason McIntyre]

Jason, I mean, are we looking at the wembanyama? Fine, I'll take 10 million less. Or are we talking about like 75 million less over three years?

[Rachel Nichols]

It's a little different because it's a discount against the cap versus this, which is more of a discount discount. But yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

You know, listen. I mean, listen, Rachel, I don't want to get in anyone's pockets, but I'm going to be completely honest, and this would be my real take.

[Rachel Nichols]

Okay.

[Jason McIntyre]

Carl, how much do you like being in New York? Yeah, okay. Do you enjoy. You enjoy life there? You got. Is it the girlfriend, wife, fiance, whatever you. You like being in New York? He's from a. He's a Jersey guy. Right?

[Rachel Nichols]

Jersey.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay. You can make a lot of money

[Rachel Nichols]

off the court in New York. Being a champion makes you a lot of money.

[Jason McIntyre]

Do you want to be the guy who's looking and being like, I can't believe I'm making less than Joe Smo. Joe Schmo on the Phoenix Suns or whatever? You could be that guy. Or you could just be like, yeah, fine, I'll take 50 million a year instead of 65 or. Or whatever the numbers are. Again, I'm not talking for anyone else. All I know is happiness is, you know, you got to find that internally. Some. A couple bucks are not going to make you happy. Is it going to make you happier? 10 million more to play in? I don't know. You're already in Minnesota, Utah or Memphis. Is that going to make you happy? I don't know. I don't.

[Rachel Nichols]

Here's what I like about this situation for Carl is that he knows he has proof of concept We've talked about this on the show a couple times in the past week or so is that I would not take a discount for just any front office. I wouldn't. Right. Because some of these front offices, they're not that good and they could turn around and trade that contract. Cause all of a sudden you've got a team friendly contract, right? So you don't want that and you don't want to take a discount for a team that's gonna be crappy. But with this Knicks team, you have proof of concept. They just won a title. So, you know, A, this front office knows what they're doing, you know, B, this team around you, if you can keep them together, you have a chance at continuing. And yes, you know, in New York City, you have the ability to take that kind of discount and make it up on the other end. Not only is it good for your endorsement, future Karl Anthony town fiance Jordyn Woods. I saw her doing a Spider man ad the other day. She was on Instagram doing an Instagram Spider man advertisement. When your girlfriend, when your fiance is getting ads, is getting endorsement deals because of the purse that she brought to play to watch you play and is getting a Spider man ad because of it, maybe you stay, I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

There you go.

[Rachel Nichols]

But Carl has definitely earned that extension. I'm really impressed by what he did this year.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I. It's a tough one. And again, I don't want to be looking in people's bank accounts. I should. We shouldn't. But you know what, this is part of the job. And I guess my take would be, where are you going to be happiest, Carl? Making a little less in New York or making more on a crappy 42 win team living far away from New York where you don't get to go to the Spider man premiere, you know, or whatever with the girlfriend, fiance. I don't. It's a difficult discussion, but the Knicks need them. There's not 10 Carl Anthony towns out there in the league. I don't know that there's three.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, look, this is why the head of the NBA Players association came out last week and said this new CBA is not really fair because it does. It creates what is essentially a hard cap and it creates these kinds of situations where players are being asked to take less money. And again, by the way, that money will go to other players. It's not like it's going to the owner's pockets. I want to make that clear. But it's less money for these Big Macs players so that they can have other players on their team that are more highly skilled, that can help them win titles. And, you know, look, this is all a lot of money, but it is just questions that these guys now have to figure out.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, rich people questions. By the way, just to be clear,

[Rachel Nichols]

they are rich people questions.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Rachel with the news. Well, that's the news. And thanks for stopping by the Herd lie news. All right, coming up, are the Bears really the number one regression candidate this year? As Ben Johnson said, we'll find out next. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Covino]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Let's get right to our guest. He covers the the NFL for the Athletic Daniel Popper. I have followed his career a long time because he used to cover my New York Jets. Let's welcome in Daniel on the Cowherd Global Network. Daniel, great to talk to you finally, man. I've been reading your stuff for years. Obviously you covered the Chargers very recently. I'm bullish on them heading into this season. What can we expect from the McDaniel Herbert pairing in LA?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, that's the key storyline for me heading into this Charger season. Obviously they only scored three points in a playoff loss to the Patriots last year, fired Greg Roman and went out and got one of the best offensive minds in football. And the idea here is to create an ecosystem for Justin Herbert so that he can succeed in the playoffs. That's the impetus here. They're going to ask Herbert to get the ball up more quickly. They want to create more yards after the catch in the quick game. You're going to get a more dynamic run game with the outside zone scheme that McDaniel runs. And I think at the end of the day they want to take some of the load off of Justin Herbert shoulders. He shouldered too much last year under Greg Roman and they're hoping that this ecosystem is going to elevate him and get the best football out of Justin Herbert.

[Jason McIntyre]

I know that narratives are. Can be silly in the NFL, Daniel, but, you know, there is one on Herbert. Like, I can't win the big game, can't win in the playoffs. I mean, you know, like you said, he had no tackles last year. You know, they blew a huge lead in, in the first one against Jacksonville. I. I'm space. Oh, he had a bad game against the Texans. That was a legitimately bad game. But I don't know, is it? I had him like, sixth in my top 10 quarterback rankings, and people are outraged. Well, he doesn't have a playoff win. He can make every throw. He's mobile. Like, what is. There's no real knock on Herbert, is there?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, I think the knock is that he hasn't won the big game yet. And that's going to be a talking point until he does it. Like, that's just the reality. You know, as somebody in my position who's covers the Chargers on a daily, I'm watching the film from every single game and I see what he's capable of. Right. But when you're on the outside, you're looking at the results, and the results are that he's.03 in the playoffs and frankly hasn't played well in those games, particularly the last two under Jim Harbaugh. So until he does that, it's going to be a storyline, and that's just the nature of the position. It's one of the most important positions in sports. And when you lose, you get all the blame. When you win, you get all the accolades.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, it's like Matthew Stafford. It took him 13 years to win a playoff game. So what, was he not good for the first decade? Like, he was a great quarterback. You know, it's just. It's tough in these circumstances. Kind of sort of matter. Let's stick in the afc. It's kind of off the board, but a lot of. There's a lot of advanced stats that like the Houston Texans a lot this year. And C.J. stroud is another guy coming off an abysmal playoff performance. I mean, Daniel, like, that was one of the worst games I've ever seen in the playoffs for a quarterback. Stroud was horrendous. You know, talk. Can you talk at all about the pressure these quarterbacks face in the postseason?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, I mean, there's pressure in terms of the outside north. There's also pressure when your offensive line can't protect. And that's been a big issue for CJ Stroud, I think what we saw in his rookie season is what he's capable of the last two years. The offensive line hasn't been good enough. And I see a quarterback that is a little bit shaky back there in terms of his trust and what's in front of him. Now, the Texans have gone out this offseason and really invested in the offensive line. Keelan, Rutledge, who they drafted in the second round, I think is going to be a really good player. They went out and got Braden Smith and they re signed Trent Brown. Like, they've done. They've done some stuff on the offensive line to try and create an environment where Stroud can return to that rookie level. But with the Texans, like, the defense is ready to win a Super bowl, so the offense has to catch up with that side of the ball and lead them to a place where they can take advantage of what's one of the best defenses in football.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, I want to get to a quick war of words ish. Between Liam Cohen and Ben Johnson this week. You know, Liam Cohen was doing an interview. He's like, I love that nobody talks about us. We won 13 games. Nobody cares. Go look at the NFL website. We're not on there. Meanwhile, there's 40 photos of Caleb Williams, you know, and then Ben Johnson's like, hey, we're a big regression candidate. I don't want to hear it. You've covered teams. Do the players and the coaches, like, come up to you when you're talking to them? Be like, hey, I read. You know, I know what you said. I know what people are saying.

[Rachel Nichols]

Or.

[Jason McIntyre]

Or do they kind of play it off? Do they use it as motivation?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah. So the. The Jaguars example is interesting because I spent a year in Jacksonville. My first job at the Athletic was actually covering the Jaguars. And so I have a lot of familiarity with the market. And at the end of the day, like, it is a small market, and it's hard for them to get the type of exposure that you would get in New York and Chicago. And I think that can be, like, a really profound rallying cry for the Jaguars, specifically. The year I got. The year I got there was 2018. That 2017 team made it to the AFC Championship game, and it was Blake Bortles, who is Blake Bortles elite? Right. Like, it becomes something that the team can rally behind. And I think Liam Cohen is, like, very aware of that. I think he's using it to his advantage. And those really good Jags teams going back to 2017 use that as. As Motivation. I think at the end of the day, like, publicly, players are always going to be like, oh, I don't read anything, but it's human nature to read it. I think, like, with, as far as how I do the job, like, I just try and make sure that, you know, I do the research and I'm putting in the work so that when I do criticize somebody, you know, I have, you know, data and information to back it up. And, and that usually resonates with players and coaches if you do it that way.

[Jason McIntyre]

I'm wondering, in your time in Jacksonville, did the players not, did they not like being in a market where nobody talks about them and they're not on Sunday Night Football and all that?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, I mean, it certainly becomes something. Oh, there goes the lights. It certainly becomes something that is, is a talking point, you know, like specifically what you're talking about in terms of the, you know, the, the Sunday night games, in terms of getting on prime time, all that kind of stuff. You know, players want to be in those moments, right? They want to be, they want to have eyeballs on them and, and they want to, you know, succeed in those moments. So. But at the end of the day, like, I think for the Jaguars in this situation, it becomes something that's beneficial.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. What about Caleb Williams and the Bears? Yeah, they are a prime regression candidate. A lot of numbers defensively say it was smoke and mirrors. Caleb, you know, can he duplicate six fourth quarter comebacks in the regular season? Where are you on the Bears heading into the season?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, I mean, I trust Ben Johnson. You know, I think like, offensive infrastructure is something that, you know, is sustainable year over year. And I believe that he's one of the best offensive coaches in the league. You know, I guess where I have a little bit of a concern is on the offensive line. You know, specifically at center. Drew Dahlman retired and they went out and signed Garrett Bradbury. They drafted a rookie out of Iowa, and Logan Jones, that's something to monitor. And then at left tackle, Ozzie Tropillo, who was their, their left tackle in the opening game of the playoffs, got injured. Braxton Jones might be starting at left tackle. You know, obviously in that divisional game, they kicked Joe Tunney out there. So there's a little bit of concern for me on the offensive line. You know, at the end of the day, you make it to the divisional round and even if you make the playoffs or in, or and you're in contention, but you like losing the first round or something like that, you can label that as Regression. I like some of the stuff they did on defense. You know, they went out and signed Kobe Bryant at safety. They drafted Dylan Tiennemann. I think those two safeties are very interesting. So at the end of the day, of course it's. It's possible, but I believe in the head coach and I believe in his offensive infrastructure.

[Jason McIntyre]

We're contractually obligated to ask about the Cowboys. You know, it's July and August, so they now have a nickname, the Goti Gotti. Dak Prescott's trying to hype up his offense, which I think it's a little goofy. The offense is good, though. It's really good. But, like, you know, Jerry Jones is talking Super Bowl. I don't know. This is like an annual Cowboys tradition now, is it not?

[Daniel Popper]

Yeah, I mean, the offense was a top five offense last year. They finished fifth in EPA per play, according to True media, which is sort of like a comprehensive offensive stat. They have one of the best receiver duos in the league. They have a really good quarterback. Javante Williams is back. He's coming off a career season. The offensive line is really good. Like, I expect the offense to be among the best in the league if everyone stays healthy. The big thing for me is defense. Like, if they were even like a top 20 defense last year, you know, you're talking about a playoff team. The defense was really, really bad. So they went out and they got Christian Parker, a defensive coordinator. They did a lot of stuff on defense in terms of bringing on talent. And if they can get that unit to be competitive, then I think the Cowboys are absolutely in the mix of the playoffs because the offense was really good, and it should be really good if they healthy.

[Jason McIntyre]

Two more quick ones. So I always like sleepers. I want to hear who you think is going to be good that literally nobody else thinks anything of. Like, you could try to sell me on the Arizona Cardinals or the Dolphins. It's a tough sell, but I want to hear it. Is there a sleeper team out there that you think could surprise some people?

[Daniel Popper]

Let me think about it. I mean, you go to the. You go to the Bengals. I see Joe Burrow on the screen there. Obviously, he was injured last year. You know, that's a team that could come back and be good. You know, you bring up the Dolphins, it's just tough with their salary cap situation. But, you know, I think the jets did some interesting stuff.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, right.

[Daniel Popper]

Like, I think that I. I could see them, you know, being in, you know, flirting with 500. I think they brought some adults I think they brought some adults into the room on defense, which is, which is what they needed. I like the David signing.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. You covered the jets back in the day. Like, do they want to be 500? Do they want to be four wins and get Arch Manning or have their pick of the litter at quarterback?

[Daniel Popper]

They did trade for Geno Smith, so obviously like they're, they're bringing in a quarterback that has had success in the NFL. And, and in that sense, like you're trying to be competitive in a certain sense. They spent in free agency on defense. You know, the head coaches has to win some football games or you're going to start hearing a bunch of noise there in New York, obviously. So I think like on a, you know, for, from a fan perspective and a broader, you know, long term team building perspective. Yeah, you gotta, you gotta figure out quarterback. But based on their moves, like they're trying to, to win some games.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, for sure. All right, Daniel Popper, the Athletic. Great stuff, man. Good to talk to you and enjoy the rest of the summer before the NFL arrives.

[Daniel Popper]

Awesome. Thanks so much. Appreciate you having me.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, Daniel Popper from the Athletic. Good stuff. Except for the jets. That's terrifying to me. I do not want to win eight games. I mean, Rachel, you a Washington Commanders fan? It's weird. We haven't had any of these football guests come on and say Washington is a sleeper, have we? I think our next guest, next hour.

[Rachel Nichols]

Are you trying to hurt me?

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, no, I'm asking.

[Rachel Nichols]

We spent two weeks together.

[Jason McIntyre]

Two. Two weeks ago. Wash. Sorry. Two years ago, Washington was in the conference championship.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes, they were.

[Jason McIntyre]

Why can't they get back there?

[Rachel Nichols]

They will.

[Jason McIntyre]

Oh, this year. Are you willing to get bold?

[Rachel Nichols]

No, that's not, not necessarily this year. I'll make you this bet. We can bet dinner. You ready? My team will get to the conference championships before your team.

[Jason McIntyre]

No, I'm not doing that. Are you kidding me? It's a lock. Gosh. Jets are not going to get back there unless we get. If we get Arch Manning. I will make that bet. You know, we could do bigger than if I. We could do a cowherd Jet ski

[Rachel Nichols]

special if I ever saw it.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, NFL super bowl picks coming up next.

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[Jason McIntyre]

This is Andrew Martinez from IRL podcast here to tell you about something new and delicious from McDonald's. So they just released an all new Caesar sauce that is a creamy blend of rich Parmesan, zesty lemon and bold garlic flavors. The sauce on a Chicken Caesar snack wrap or the McCrispy strips.

[Daniel Popper]

Delicious.

[Jason McIntyre]

Which by the way, the crispy strips are even crispier now and that combination is perfect from McDonald's. And for a drink, I'll probably have a nice cold Sprite to go along with that perfectly and I will be a happy girl. Don't take my word for it. Try it out for yourself for a limited time while supplies last at participating

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[Rachel Nichols]

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