THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Seahawks Headed For Regression, Baker Mayfield Deserves To Be PAID

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd (Hosted by Jason McIntyre & Rachel Nichols)

Episode Date: July 29, 2026
Episode Title: Seahawks Headed For Regression, Baker Mayfield Deserves To Be PAID
Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd (iHeartPodcasts & The Volume)
Hour: 1

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the top NFL storylines ahead of the preseason. Jason McIntyre, filling in for Colin, and co-host Rachel Nichols lead the discussion, exploring whether the defending champion Seattle Seahawks are poised for regression, why Baker Mayfield deserves a new contract with the Buccaneers, and the endless quarterback debates in Las Vegas, Denver, and Atlanta. An in-depth segment with NFL Insider James Palmer adds further detail on QB battles, playoff expectations, and organizational decisions across the league. The discussion stays sharp, data-driven, and opinionated—with plenty of back-and-forth banter and memorable moments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Are the Seattle Seahawks Set for Regression?

[04:48 – 10:45]

• Jason recaps Warren Sharp’s analysis: Despite last season's Super Bowl run, the Seahawks have major warning signs:

  • OC Clint Kubiak departed, taking two fellow offensive coaches to the Raiders.
  • Unproven play-caller (Flurry) steps in, running the familiar Shanahan-Kubiak system, but bringing clear risks.
  • Question marks about depth and talent in the running back room as MVP Kenneth Walker departs and Zach Charbonnet returns from injury.
  • Defense remains strong (nine returning starters), but a “defense and running back led” postseason formula is hard to repeat if there’s any slip.
  • Quarterback Sam Darnold benefited from elite defenses; when forced to do more, he remains turnover-prone (20 turnovers last season, including four in one game).
  • The regular season schedule is difficult, including two late games against the Rams and tricky cross-country trips.

• Jason’s quote on the Seahawks:

  “You look at the schedule, you look at the losses, and you’re like, hmm, is there regression happening in Seattle? We shall see.” – Jason McIntyre (10:35)

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2. Baker Mayfield Contract Saga: Underappreciated and Underpaid?

[10:46 – 15:31]

• McIntyre highlights Mayfield’s accomplishments:

  • Led Bucs to playoffs in 3 of last 4 years, matching Dak Prescott with two career postseason wins.
  • Mayfield is only 31 and remains healthy, with no missed games recently.

• Clips Baker’s own words on negotiating (June 2026):

  “Told you guys, it’s not going to affect how I approach this... For now, I’m worried about getting better each day.” – Baker Mayfield (11:24)

• McIntyre’s view:

  • Argues Baker deserves a raise above current “mid-tier” salary ($33M, below Daniel Jones & Deshaun Watson).
  • Notes the Bucs are risking instability by not extending Baker, when no young QB is in pipeline and division rivals are weak.

  “It’s very difficult to find a quarterback in this league... You don’t want to pay him? Show the man some respect.” – Jason McIntyre (14:56)

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3. Las Vegas Raiders QB Controversy: Cousins vs. Mendoza

[20:28 – 26:26]

• McIntyre laments coach Clint Kubiak’s clear starter decision (prior to preseason):

  • Despite fan interest in rookie Fernando Mendoza, Kubiak hands job to Kirk Cousins, citing “he played really good football.”
  • McIntyre compares to the 2024 Patriots’ Brissette-over-May fiasco, noting rookie QBs can develop quickly if given playing time.

• Notable quote from Coach Kubiak:

  “When we go out to practice tomorrow, Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He’s the guy. And he’s going to get a ton of reps, and he deserves them because he’s played really good football.” – Clint Kubiak (22:30)

• Rachel Nichols counters with developmental perspective:

  • References examples of QBs who sat before succeeding (Tom Brady, Drake May).
  • Suggests Tom Brady’s input (now a Raiders decision-maker) is more relevant than Jason’s stats.

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4. U.S. Men’s Soccer Coaching Situation

[26:46 – 29:38]

• Debate over coach Mauricio Pochettino’s future:
  • Led U.S. to first knockout win since 2002, but heavy loss to Belgium in Round of 16 raises doubts.
  • Contract talks stalling; Nichols wants Pochettino to take greater role in youth development, not just results at senior level.
  • McIntyre optimistic about program direction but notes urgent need for new defensive talent.

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5. Caleb Williams’ Development with the Chicago Bears

[29:39 – 33:36]

• Focus: Improving completion rate and processing speed.
  • Ben Johnson (OC) wants better accuracy and quicker reads:

    “He’s done a great job over the spring and summer just looking at himself, body position wise. The ability to see where I should go with the football, the process a little bit faster. That’s what I’m hopeful for.” – Ben Johnson (30:46)

  • Nichols worries that “coaching out” the improv magic could diminish what makes Williams special.
  • McIntyre identifies the importance and elusiveness of processing speed in NFL quarterback play.

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6. LeBron James’ Decision, the Jaylen Brown Trade, and Eastern Conference Fallout

[33:36 – 38:13]

• Rich Paul’s insider recap:

  • Philly wasn’t really in play for LeBron until after Boston’s Jaylen Brown trade.
  • Boston’s trade enabled LeBron’s move, and Brad Stevens (Celtics GM) may come to regret it, especially given the low return and sending a star inside the division.
  • Boston reportedly even inquired about signing LeBron themselves.

• Rachel’s sharp remark:

  “And to hand them one of your two best players was a little confusing to me. And then to make that possible, to get LeBron James, and that’s the entire reason LeBron James is now in your division facing you...” – Rachel Nichols (37:14)

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7. Interview: James Palmer, NFL Insider (Bleacher Report)

[42:45 – 54:11]

a. Broncos Outlook & Bo Nix Development

• Palmer sees Sean Payton warning his team “the pendulum’s going to swing back” after last season’s unlikely run of one-score victories.
• "Can Bo Nix deliver?" remains the central question under new OC Davis Webb.

b. AFC West: Chargers’ Leap & Justin Herbert

• Palmer is bullish on the Chargers’ changes.
• With a healthier offensive line and Harbaugh’s run/play-action emphasis, Herbert can shine without being asked to play “Superman” every week.
• “They just don’t want him to be that on a regular basis or have to be that on a regular basis.” – James Palmer (47:23)

c. Falcons’ QB Crisis (Tua & Penix Injuries)

• Both are sidelined; Cooper Rush brought in; Palmer says issues with Tua might be short-term, but notes Atlanta inherited “lengthy histories” of injuries.
• Inside note: Dysfunction in Miami at end of Tua’s time “won’t be present in Atlanta,” which could help him.

d. Baker Mayfield’s Contract Stand-Off

• Palmer says Mayfield, not the Bucs, drove the negotiation stand-off. Baker set and stuck to his deadline, and is “wired” to thrive on proving people wrong:

  “He walked in the building today and was like, ‘I’m playing on the final year. Let’s go.’” – James Palmer (51:41)

e. Raiders QB Battle: Mendoza’s Future

• Palmer supports starting Cousins for now; believes Mendoza can learn the offense and “beat teams with his mind” before taking over.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Baker Mayfield:

  “You don’t want to pay him? Show the man some respect. He brought you guys back after Tom Brady left. Won you a Super Bowl. Kind of disrespectful.” – Jason McIntyre (14:56)

• On the Raiders QB decision:

  “Just throw Mendoza out there. Mendoza gets me to turn on a TV and watch the Raiders in week one on Fox against the Dolphins. Cousins. Dolphins. No, I’m not checking that out.” – Jason McIntyre (25:54)

• On player development philosophies:

  “Do you know who sat for a while and then turned into a Hall of Fame quarterback? Tom Brady. You know who helps decide what happens at the Raiders? Tom Brady.” – Rachel Nichols (26:52)

• On LeBron & Boston-Philly fallout:

  “And to trade him in the division to a guy you’re going to see over and over again... to hand them one of your two best players was a little confusing to me.” – Rachel Nichols (37:14)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Seahawks Regression Deep Dive: 04:48 – 10:45
• Baker Mayfield Deserves His Payday: 10:46 – 15:31
• Raiders’ QB Decision/Cousins over Mendoza: 20:28 – 26:26
• US Soccer/Pochettino Segment: 26:46 – 29:38
• Caleb Williams/Processing Speed: 29:39 – 33:36
• LeBron, Jaylen Brown, Boston/Philly: 33:36 – 38:13
• James Palmer NFL Insider Interview: 42:45 – 54:11

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Closing Thoughts

This episode offers a fast-paced, numbers-driven, and candid look into NFL storylines with plenty of strong, well-argued takes—especially on the importance of offensive continuity, quarterback development, and franchise stability. With several memorable analogies (past QB “sitting” cases, LeBron decision mechanics), listeners get both the stats and the storylines that will define the upcoming season.

Transcript

[Rachel Nichols]

This is an I Heart Podcast.

[Covino]

Guaranteed Human plans can be a maybe for people with chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more. Botox Onobotulinum toxin A prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It prevents on average eight to nine headache days a month versus six to seven for placebo. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medicines like botulinum toxins, which may increase the risk of serious side effects. Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX this episode brought to you by Verizon Business the World cup from FIFA isn't just the biggest ever. It's also the most technologically complex. 104 matches, 16 stadiums, three countries. 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 Alienware's Back to School Events, the perfect time to score top gaming gear with incredible features and Intel Core processors to go beyond performance. Start your A Alienware journey with the Alienware 15 gaming laptop featuring intel core processors smoothly game live stream and multitask for hours on end. Pair your incredibly smooth gaming experience and immersive visuals and sound by saving on sleek Alienware monitors, headsets and more. This limited time sale awaits you [e-mail] deals. That's alienware.com deals. Thanks for listening to the Herd podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports radio at noon to 3 Eastern, 9am to noon Pacific. Find your local station for the [e-mail] or stream us live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.

[Jason McIntyre]

Now let's get this party started.

[James Palmer]

You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's Wednesday. Here we go, the Herd from sunny Los Angeles, it's me. Jason McIntyre is still in for Colin Cowherd. We have an unbelievable show today. Yep, that screen is right. Ohio State superstar Jeremiah Smith joining the show later on. And obviously also UCLA coach Bob Chesney. Hey, he's a JMU guy. Somebody graduated from JMU here. I'm joined by Rachel Nichols. I know she's excited. Big Ten media days.

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't see any Northwestern people on that list. It's really confusing.

[Jason McIntyre]

Our great booker, Dave is effort someone on Northwestern, but we don't know who any of the players are. So a bit of a tall order. But Rachel has some big breaking news at the outset. She has seen Odyssey.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes.

[Jason McIntyre]

Survey says excellent.

[Rachel Nichols]

Excellent work. Very into it. Love the whole thing.

[Covino]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

What'd the family think? Were they as on?

[Rachel Nichols]

Everyone was on board. We went and saw it in the full 70 millimeter IMAX experience as Nolan intended. As the Internet will tell you. It was fabulous. Yes, it was great.

[Jason McIntyre]

Congratulations.

[Rachel Nichols]

Quick went three hours. Went by quick.

[Jason McIntyre]

So fast.

[Rachel Nichols]

Not as quick as this show goes by in three hours.

[Jason McIntyre]

I know.

[Rachel Nichols]

Very quick.

[Jason McIntyre]

Hey, listen, we might need four today. The NFL takes are flying. Let's jump right into it, guys. You know, one of the things that Colin loves to say about this show is he wants interesting. Above all, he wants interesting. You know, if the takes are super hot, you may not like him. You may. He's wrong. Who cares? You're interesting. We're making you think. Well, we had somebody yesterday on the show, Warren Sharp, really interesting individual, guy who covers the NFL, kind of his own deal and he said some fascinating stuff about the Seattle Seahawks. And yes, that we're talking about the defending super bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The mighty Seahawks who beat the Rams twice last year. I mean, they steamrolled the Patriots in the Super Bowl. He thinks the Seahawks could be a prime candidate for regression. Now, I've been listening to a lot of NFL stuff. I've been devouring NFL content. I ain't seen nobody say a word about the Seahawks. Taking a step back, here's Warren Sharp yesterday on a potential regression for the super bowl champs. I don't think people realize the buttons that Kubiak was able to press last season. That changed dramatically from 2024 to 2025, dramatically reduced the rate of 11 personnel, three wide receivers on the field, dropped it down, used a lot more 12 and was the number one most efficient offense out of 12 personnel. If this offense is not to that same level because Kubiak's ability to dial up these things early on in games and on first down, keep the team ahead of schedule, he's no longer there. He's down in Las Vegas coaching the Raiders. That's going to be a big time problem for this offense, folks. It's weird. 20 turnovers for Sam Darnold. I somehow forgot that now. You know, I've been on the show here for a few years now. You guys know I'm very numbers oriented, right? The sun sets and rises every day with the numbers. I mean, that's my edge, you know, Hey, I didn't play football at any level. How the hell am I on TV talking about NFL all the time because of the numbers. That's where I find my edge. And you know, I had a take earlier this week that let's just say some people disagreed with. And I had a former super bowl champion player text me. He's two time all probably and he's like, hey, J. Mac, listen, I love you, but some of this take, you know, if you want the players to respect you, you can't say this stuff. And I told him, you know, respectfully, I didn't play at any level. They're not going to respect me. Regardless, here are the numbers to back up my take. And the response was very silent, shall we say? I'm just telling you the numbers say a lot about the NFL. And I know there's the well I played. And you know, folks, I'm just telling you, look at some of these Seattle numbers. So Warren outlined it. 20 turnovers for Sam Darnold. Remember this was on a defensive led team. Defensive led, yes. They were turn nine starters on defense. The defense will be very, very good. But if they take even a step Back a little bit. Sam Darnold has to do more. Sam Darnold has had two great 14 and three seasons with a Brian Flores defense and a Mike McDonald defense. He didn't have to do much when he was pressed to do stuff. Bit of a turnover machine now. Yes, you could say. Well, Jay, four of those picks were in one game, right, against the Rams early in the season. Okay, fair enough. When it came time to fourth quarter comebacks, Sam Darnold delivered well. Not really. They weren't trailing often in the fourth. He had two fourth quarter comebacks. One of them was fluky as hell against the Rams. We know that. But hey, sometimes you catch some breaks. So I look at those Darnold turnovers, I'm like, oh geez, that's significant. And then Warren mentions the loss of Clint Kubiak. So I drill down deeper. Kubiak just didn't leave. He took two other coaches with him from the offensive staff. So now you're down three coaches from the offensive staff. And oh, by the way, Kenneth Walker, the Super bowl mvp. And now we know that the new OC has never called plays before. Flurry is his last name and he comes from, you know, the Shanahan Kubiak system. So it'll be run first. But we had some issues in that backfield, do we not? Charbonnet, coming off a major injury, he's not really a bell cow. And then you've got Price, the young kid out of Notre Dame who I like, but I don't know if he's going to hit the ground running. And beyond that there isn't a lot of depth. So now you're talking about, okay, so we're taking away the offensive genius in Kubiak who's now a head coach of the Raiders. We're taking away the super bowl winning mvp. And people will say, well, Kenneth Walker didn't do much in the regular season, yet two 100 yard gains. Very fair. And in the postseason, when you want to shrink the games and you want less on your quarterback, what do you do? You hand it off to K Dubs and Walker was a monster. Two 100 yard games in the postseason, four touchdowns. It was a defense and running back led Seahawks team in the postseason, guys. And again, I'm not saying they're falling off a cliff. Okay, that's obviously not going to happen. But I did look at the schedule. It is somewhat difficult, especially down the stretch if they are teetering in wild card territory at all. We got two very late games in the season against the Rams. There are two cross country trips, one from Seattle to Philly, one from Seattle to Carolina. And you, you just look at the schedule, you look at the losses, and you're like, hmm, is there regression happening in Seattle? We shall see. All right, now on to what I think is the biggest NFL actual news of the day, and that is the Baker Mayfield saga in Tampa, folks. What Baker Mayfield is this a guy who led Tampa to the playoffs three of the last four years and the team decided, we're not going to extend you. You're one of the lowest paid starting quarterbacks in the league. You know what? We're going to let you play it out here. Final year of your deal, no extension. And it caught me by surprise because I'm like, wait a minute. This. This is the same Baker Mayfield who has the same number of playoff wins as Dak Prescott. They both have two, by the way. Like, well, we don't want to pay him now. I don't know if Baker's a franchise quarterback. I do know this. He's still only 31. He's still in his prime. And as I said, he got Tampa to the playoffs three of the last four years. Yeah, it's in kind of a weak division. I get it. But at the same time, what the hell's going on in Tampa? I mean, Baker's numbers since joining the Bucks are very, very good across the NFL. He's put up good numbers. And as Baker will tell you, he's not missing any games due to injury. This guy's showing up. Here's Baker in June talking about his need for a contract.

[James Palmer]

Told you guys, it's not going to

[Covino]

affect how I approach this.

[Jason McIntyre]

Things will happen when they should.

[James Palmer]

But for now, I'm worried about getting

[Jason McIntyre]

better each day, finishing minicamp in this

[James Palmer]

offseason program the right way and going into. Going into training camp. So, yeah, just handle it one day at a time.

[Jason McIntyre]

Indication to you about, you know, bring these negotiations about the need to protect your body even more. I mean, I know it's a delicate challenge.

[James Palmer]

I started every single game last year for the three years, so I don't know if that should ever be a question.

[Jason McIntyre]

Combative Baker. I like it. You know, we're. We're shaping up to Baker betting on himself. And if you want to go look at the track record, it kind of sort of has worked for him. Go back and look at what happened at Texas Tech when he got to college. Then he goes to Oklahoma, you know, and he gets jettisoned by the Browns, bets on himself. Showed out against the Panthers, bets on himself against the Bucks, and now he's like, guys, can you pay me? And I did. Look, guys, Baker's around 16th in the league for quarterback salary this year, but he's below guys like Daniel Jones. Sorry to beat up on Daniel Jones for the second time this. This week. And Deshaun Watson, who I don't think has done jack squat in the league in the last four years. How is Baker below them? I mean, $33 million is nothing to scoff at. That's. That's a fine salary, but he's not even near what he should be paid. And again, I'm not saying he should be paid like Dak Prescott again, same number of playoff wins, but you paid Dak Prescott. Now Dallas can't get to the playoffs, so I don't think you pay Baker Mayfield 60 million. I don't even know if he's 50, but can we bump him up to 45 mil? Remember what's going on in Tampa. So they finished last season two and seven. That's not all on Baker. They had a bunch of injuries. And, oh, by the way, Todd Bowles was so bad down the stretch, we don't even have time to drill down on how awful he was. They finished 2 and 7, missed the playoffs. So now you've got Bulls entering the season on the hot seat. No contract extension for your quarterback, by the way, there's no young quarterback in the pipeline that they're waiting on. And, oh, by the way, you just had two leadership anchors walk out the door in David and Evans, and it's like, you know, Mike Evans is going to go catch passes in San Fran now, and it's like, Vita Vea, get me out of here. What's going on in Tampa? I mean, I think Baker has a right to be upset. Again, I'm not saying you pay him at the top of the market, but letting him walk out the door. It's very difficult to find a quarterback in this league. So the Miami Dolphins are like, hey, let's move off to. We'll get a new quarterback. Let's go get Malik Willis. Malik Willis has proven nothing in the NFL. Absolutely nothing. He. I think he threw under, what, under 150 passes last year? Might have been less than that. And they're willing to pay him. And I'm. And the Bucks don't want to pay Baker Mayfield. Listen, if you want to do the full reset, go for it. They're going to be too good this year to draft in the. In the top 10. They're not going to be that bad the division. I know some people love the Saints. I ain't in that boat. I think the Panthers are going to be on the struggle bus again. I tried to sell the staff on the Atlanta Falcons is a big story today. They're not biting, but both quarterbacks are hurt. Listen, Tampa could go out and win the division with Baker Mayfield. That's how bleak that division is. And you don't want to pay him. I mean, show the man some respect. He brought you guys back after Tom Brady left. He won you a Super Bowl. Tom Brady leaves, and now Baker Mayfield's got you back at respectability and you don't want to pay him. Kind of disrespectful. All right, coming up next here on the Herd. Well, first of all, I. I gotta sell this. The over under bets are in. You know, I consulted the model last night crunching the numbers. I'm ranking all the players so that if a left tackle's out, you know what that kind of sort of means to the spread. I've got three overs and three unders that you are gonna love. What I don't love is the next topic, and that is the Raiders have made a decision at quarterback and it is not going to be Fernando Mendoza. I hate it. 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.

[James Palmer]

But here's the thing.

[Rachel Nichols]

We're.

[Jason McIntyre]

We never have enough time to get

[James Palmer]

to everything we want to get to.

[Covino]

And that's why we have a brand new podcast called Over Promised. You see, we're having so much fun 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.

[Covino]

Well, you know what?

[Jason McIntyre]

It's called Over Promise.

[James Palmer]

You should be good at it because

[Covino]

you've been overpromising women for years.

[James Palmer]

Well, it's a Covino and Rich after

[Jason McIntyre]

show and we want you to be

[James Palmer]

a part of it.

[Covino]

We're going to be talking sports, of course, but. But we're also gonna talk life and relationships. 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

[James Palmer]

Over Promised and also uncensored by the

[Jason McIntyre]

way, so maybe we'll go at it even a little harder. It's gonna be the best after show

[Covino]

podcast of all time.

[Rachel Nichols]

There you go.

[Covino]

Over promising. And remember, you could see it on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen to Over Promised with Covino and rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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, and 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 at Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Hiring now then, this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs plans can be a maybe for people with chronic migraine 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting four hours or more. Botox Onobotulinum toxin a prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month. It prevents, on average, eight to nine headache days a month, versus six to seven for placebo. Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Botox effects may spread hours to weeks after injection, causing serious symptoms. Alert your doctor right away as trouble swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life threatening condition. Those with these conditions before injection are at highest risk. Side effects may include allergic reactions like rash, breathing problems, dizziness, neck and injection site pain and headache. Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions like als, Myasthenia gravis or Lambert Eaton syndrome and medicines like Botulinum toxins which may increase the risk of serious side effects. Make a plan and ask your doctor about Botox. Visit botoxchronicmigraine.com or call 1-844botox 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 FIFA World cup now.

[Jason McIntyre]

To learn more back here on the Herd. I know you're stoked for the over under bets. I don't love that we have three QBs up there that you could probably guess what you're gonna be overs and what you're gonna be unders. Speaking of quarterbacks, let's go to the Raiders. You guys know about my love for Fernando Mendoza? Oh man, this kid is special. Just seems like a great human being. Always says the right thing. I'm excited to watch Fernando Mendoza play football. Very excited. I am not excited to watch Kirk Cousins play football in the least, not at all. Now it's interesting. The schedule makers didn't really give any like prime time spots to the Raiders despite having the number one pick in the excitement over Mendoza. One of the great stories we've seen in recent college football history. I mean look at the schedule. There's a lot of bad games on there. Let's start with the Dolphins who have one of the lowest win totals in the league. I mean, that's a layup for my guy Mendoza. You toss him out there. Fernando Mendoza could cook. And let's be real. Come on. Go. Going to the Saints, that's not tough. Spagnolo could be a challenge.

[Rachel Nichols]

No.

[Jason McIntyre]

Jesse Minter with the Chargers. I think there's an opening here for Mendoza to start and do well. But Mr. Kubiak, Clint Kubiak does not agree with me because yesterday Clint Kubiak met the media and announced well before preseason game number one, he's seen enough. Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback of the raiders. Here is Mr. Kubiak.

[James Palmer]

For every position, there's got to be competition, right?

[Jason McIntyre]

The best player has to play.

[James Palmer]

And that's not just what I'm going to see. You guys are going to see it in the preseason games. You know, we, as coaches, we're going

[Jason McIntyre]

to see who's the best guard is. Okay. Best quarterback across the board.

[James Palmer]

There's battles everywhere on the roster. So it's important for me to be

[Jason McIntyre]

fair to the players is to put the best player out there. When we go out to practice tomorrow,

[James Palmer]

Kirk Cousins is the starting quarterback. He's the guy. And he's going to get a ton of reps, and he deserves them because

[Jason McIntyre]

he's played really good football. But I want Fernando and I want Aiden to push him. He's played very good football. When? Not recently. I mean, not playing football for the Raiders. He's a practice. He did not play good football last year. You know what this reminds me of? And I. You guys are going to love this. So in 2024, the Patriots had a coach by the name of Gerard Mayo. And the Patriots had just drafted this young kid out of North Carolina named Drake May. Okay, I was bullish on May. You can run the tape. I thought May would be better than Jaden Daniels. I would have taken May ahead of him in the draft. I look like a buffoon by October and a real clown by November when Daniels was cooking in the fourth quarter and on fourth down and the Washington Commanders go to the conference championship. All right. Meanwhile, Drake May started the season on the bench. He started, I believe, 26 games at North Carolina. By the way, Mendoza has 35 college starts, if you counting and care about numbers. Gerard Mayo came out in August of 2024 and said, Jacoby Brissette gives us the best chance to win football games. And New England collectively groaned. What are we doing here? We just drafted Drake May. This is so silly. Now, obviously, Brissette is a little different than Cousins. Cousins has a relationship with Kubiak. Mayo was a defensive coach. Kubiak's offensive, it's not apples to apples, it's not exact, but it's in the same galaxy. Okay, you know how that worked out, right? Jacoby Brissette vomits all over himself, is terrible. By October, it's like, we got to get Drake May out there. Drake May is pretty damn good. Now they lose a billion games. May gets his brains beat in, but Drake May took his licks and his whack going down, getting sacked, getting dropped like a bad habit, and he kept on ticking. And do you know what happened in year two for Drake May? Ain't nobody had the Patriots going to the super bowl in the preseason. Nobody. Nobody had the Patriots. I don't even think in the conference championship. Not one person who talks about sports on TV or the radio or podcast had the Patriots doing anything with Drake May. In year two, Drake May was phenomenal after sitting for a few games for no reason and then starting in over his head and struggling. And in year two, Drake May was the runner up to the MVP of the National Football League and help get the Patriots to the Super Bowl. Now, there is zero that we've heard that. Oh, Drake Bay. I really needed to sit those first five games. I learned so much watching Jacoby Brissette just struggle. Like there's. There's no evidence of that. And yet here we have Kubiak say, well, Kirk Cousins, he's our starter. I get it. You know, Kubiak wants to win games. This is his first time coaching. He knows Cousins. He knows what he's getting and he's entitled. Maybe changes his mind during the preseason, but this, that was a strong statement. Like about Kirk Cousins there. There's no wiggle room here. He wants Cousins under center and that's. Hey, that's fine. Maybe they smashed the dolphins 38, 10, and he looks like a genius. Whoopty damn do. It's doing nothing for the future of the team at all. Nothing. I don't. I don't think we're going to get a quarterback controversy in Vegas because we know Cousins is limited. You know, I mean, the guy could barely throw out patterns. Cut off the Achilles. You saw him last year. Come on, guys. What are we doing? Just throw Mendoza out there. Mendoza gets me to turn on a TV and watch the Raiders in week one on Fox against the Dolphins. Cousins. Dolphins. No, I'm not checking that out. Let's go to Rachel Nichols with the news. No, no, no.

[James Palmer]

Turn on the news.

[Jason McIntyre]

This is the herd line news.

[Rachel Nichols]

I was gonna argue with you about this because we've been arguing about this for a month straight now, but you made my argument for me. Thank you for bringing up the Drake May case. That was so kind of you to demonstrate how sitting for four or five weeks can help a quarterback succeed. So that was really nicely done. Thanks so much.

[Jason McIntyre]

0 quotes about how the sitting helped him.

[Rachel Nichols]

Do you know who sat for a while and then turned into a Hall of Fame quarterback?

[Jason McIntyre]

See Tom Brady.

[Rachel Nichols]

Tom Brady. You know who helps decide what happens at the Raiders? Tom Brady.

[Jason McIntyre]

Six round pick, Tom Brady.

[Rachel Nichols]

I'm going to take his experience over yours.

[Jason McIntyre]

I think it matters a little bit. He did play in a few Super Bowls.

[Rachel Nichols]

I know you like to run numbers, but he did play.

[Jason McIntyre]

He did.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, let's get to one of your other big areas of interest, soccer. Believe it or not, there is one man taking longer to make a decision about his future than LeBron James. US Men's Soccer Coach Mauricio Pochettino is still yet to choose whether he wants to sign up for another World cup cycle or try to make a return to coaching in the Premier League. Now, Pochettino, of course, led the US To a group stage win, its first knockout win since 2002. But the 41 embarrassment to Belgium, Round of 16, did sting a little bit, raise questions, Jason, about whether he wants to come back. Now, look, he might put pen to paper today. We got a new report last night saying that he is close to reaching an agreement. A little bit more negotiating there. He was already expensive to begin with. He's taken this long to sign the deal. You have to assume they're throwing even more money at him. So I want to know, you say it's great if he stays on. What are we getting? What does success look like if he resigns?

[Jason McIntyre]

That's a good question. Listen, we obviously we'd have to, you know, do well in the Gold cup and Copa America, all these tournaments that the US Is going to play and we need to show well, right? And I think my guess is Pochettino is going to put a lot of pressure on guys like Pulisic to start showing up, right, and be leaders and none of this like, hey, we're, we're us, we're great, you're superstars, Captain America, blah, blah. You know, I think my guess is talking to, you know, he had Clint Dempsey on and we had a couple other soccer guys on, and I think that Pochettino was probably asking for some specific things in this contract. That's why it's taken a few weeks here. But I'm extremely bullish on Pochettino in the US I think they're going to probably have an influx of young talent, right? We got a lot of young potential guys.

[Rachel Nichols]

I don't know.

[Jason McIntyre]

Well, we certainly need a new goalie. We need a new defender for.

[Rachel Nichols]

I know we need an influx of new talent. It's the US Development program that I have questions about. And he's supposed to be influencing this. We heard that from the U.S. soccer Federation president, you know, a couple years ago. I know he's since retired, but the idea that he is going to be influencing the program at large, obviously the history of Argentina, he's got all this experience. You know, we have the US Way now as our development program. Yet another development program in this country for yet another round of soccer hopefuls. I just, I want to. This has been a lot of. Of hand wringing, a lot of all of the stuff I want to see. I want to see more results next time, and I want to see it all the way through the way we. Spain.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. What results do you think? Do you are realistic? I mean, it's 2030. We don't know what the roster is going to look like.

[Rachel Nichols]

I want a better US Pipeline. I want better US Talent coming up through. I mean, Pochettini even complained a couple years ago. He's like, oh, we don't have a top 100 player on this team. I think they lost a pair of friendlies a few years ago. I think that whoever takes this job, and I do hope it's him, I think you're right, that continuity is good. Has to have a hand, especially if you are a more senior guy in the sport like he is, has to take a bigger hand in the development of the program. If you are here and you are signing on for what will now be eight years with this program, you have to do more than buy the groceries. You have to help talk to people and the farmers about how to grow the food. There you go. All right, let's get back to the NFL. Because Caleb Williams last season, yes, he impressed us all. However, he did finish last season ranked dead last in completion percentage among all 32 quarterbacks who threw at least 250 passes. Jason, 58% completion percentage. So I'm unsurprisingly, that has been a big point of focus for both him and Ben Johnson. Here is Johnson pinpointing exactly where he thinks Caleb needs to take his biggest step. Forward this season.

[James Palmer]

He's done a great job over the spring and summer just looking at himself, body position wise. From an accuracy standpoint or my feet aligned to where I want to throw the ball, the ability to see where I should go with the football, the process a little bit faster. That's, that's what I'm hopeful for is

[Jason McIntyre]

that we see another step in terms

[James Palmer]

of the processing speed.

[Rachel Nichols]

Look, Jason, I get it. You of course want a quarterback to be able to take those easy check down throws. Don't put yourself in the position to have to be Superman in the fourth quarter. But people like watching Superman. We don't see a lot of movies about Clark Kent. Are you afraid this is gonna sort of disrupt some of the magic that make Caleb Williams special?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah, that's tough. I mean, what does make him special. Yes, is the off script plays the run around and, and, and make things happen. But I mean he's been doing that for two years now. Is it easy to coach out of him, Rach? I, I, I don't know the answer to that. I will say Caleb Williams, another guy who started from the jump, they threw him in. He was well in over his head. Struggled with Nagy. I think N. Was Nagy the head coach? No, no, it was, it was another Chiefs guy who's the head coach of his first head coach before Ben Johnson. Ebert. Was it Eber Fl.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yes. Right?

[Jason McIntyre]

Yes, Eberfluss. They, and they struggled. Caleb was not very good and there was a lot of questions. Is he gonna, is it going to work out with him? And Ben worked out pretty good. Like I still think there's room for improvement. I would, I don't know what to do with the Bears this season.

[Rachel Nichols]

Look, I, obviously you have to be able to throw a check down throw. Right? You have to be able to do it. What interested me about what Ben said is he said the processing speed has to come up. You know, you mentioned Drake May at the top of this segment. He is, you know, fantastic at that. That's his skill. Right. He just looks up and he can see everything. He's like a computer when he looks downfield. Caleb needs to have some of that. Is that reps. Is that something that you can sort of train into someone to just be able to recognize things quickly or do you think that's just people's brains work at different speeds and I'm not talking about intelligence. Those are two different things. Just the speed of the computer.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. I wish we could get Brock Purdy on because he's pretty much the poster child for processing, right? Dead last pick in the draft. Nobody thinks much of him. And then he gets out there and Shanahan's basically like, this guy's a processing machine. He's a top flight computer. I don't know what it is. That's the unquantifiable right now. I know in the draft process, they're starting to give new tests to see if you can process quickly. You know, in youth sports, they'll have basketball players work on their handle by wearing, like, goggles and juggling a tennis ball. So you're doing multiple things at once. I don't know if that applies to quarterback, but it is still the most difficult position, I think you'd agree, in sports to figure out.

[Rachel Nichols]

I think it is an underrated skill. I think you're right that the NFL is understanding how much more important it is not just to do it. Cause they've always known that. But to be able to do it fast. You know, they do the things with the hands. I'm sure you've done this, Jason, where, like, people are dropping sticks, right? There's like a machine that drops sticks and you gotta catch them. And whatever the brain, you know, you can. You can try to train the brain to work the same way. Larry Fitzgerald did this a lot when he was younger, and it does make a difference. I think we're gonna see this valued more as we go. I just don't know if at this level, at the NFL level, how much that can shift with a guy, but we'll see. Cause obviously it's a big priority to them. I just still want a little Superman. Little Superman. Still little Superman. Let's get back to LeBron because signing with the 76ers still a surprise for a lot of people. And even he has said he went back and forth until the 11th hour over which team he wanted to join in a new conversation with Shams, Max Kellerman and Rich Paul. On the Rich Paul podcast this week, made some really interesting comments about how LeBron viewed Philly early in this process. Listen to Rich.

[Jason McIntyre]

We never really heard from the Sixers because the Sixers never really thought it was even a chance. And I talked to Bob a lot, you know, but we talk about other things.

[James Palmer]

He never.

[Jason McIntyre]

And obviously I talk to Tyrese all the time. No, never even thought it was a chance. We started having conversations about just basketball in itself and how things could play out and what it takes to actually win and where, you know, and, you know, not to get into everything. But there was. There was Several conversations. And as you know, all these decisions are layered.

[Rachel Nichols]

So he said in that, in that podcast, he said that they didn't even consider Philly until after the Jaylen Brown trade, that that was it. He said he wasn't considering them. Early in the process, they have all these conversations and then he went on to say, we didn't even consider them until the Jaylen Brown trade happened. Then we started thinking about them. I hear that and I think if I'm Brad, Steve Stevens, I am already regretting this trade. Are you regretting this trade if you're Brad Stevens?

[Jason McIntyre]

I mean, if, if you're Brad Stevens and you don't think highly of Jaylen Brown and you're like, oh, 41 year old LeBron that, like, I mean, Boston knows what they are, right? We would agree next season. Tatum surrounded by shooting three and D, we got Mitchell Robinson. I, I, you and I have talked about the Sixers for five days now. I don't know what they're going to be next year. I don't know if Nick Nurse knows well. So I don't know that he would regret it so much now. If they, if they take down Boston, obviously in the playoffs, I don't know if they'll fire Brad Stevens for that. But by the way, do you think Brad Stevens definitely made this trade or did, Was he nudged by anyone else in the building?

[Rachel Nichols]

I mean, there's, there's speculation that ownership was a little bit tired of what Jaylen Brown was doing off court, as we say, Twitch, etc. Etc. I was very surprised the trade was made as quickly as it was made, I mean, at all summer to make this trade. Even if they decided we can't afford to go into training camp with this guy waiting around to see what develops and see if there was a better offer. Obviously LeBron James waited to see what developed. And what developed was a Jaylen Brown trade. So, like things were still happening. And the idea that they took this offer from Philadelphia, which was not nearly as high as anyone expected Jaylen Brown to be traded for, was quick to me. It was unnecessary to me. And to trade him in the division to a guy you're going to see over and over again, they always seem to meet up in the playoffs, these teams. The playoff history is usually lopsided despite this past season, usually lopsided toward Boston. And to hand them one of your two best players was a little confusing to me. And then to make that possible, to get LeBron James, and that's the entire reason LeBron James is now, in your division facing you, there was another report. Dave McBennamin reported that the Boston Celtics actually reached out to Rich Paul about the possibility of LeBron coming to their team. So clearly, Brad Stevens feels LeBron still has value. Wait, wait.

[Jason McIntyre]

Is this before or after the Brown thing?

[Rachel Nichols]

Not clear.

[Jason McIntyre]

Huh.

[Rachel Nichols]

But the idea would be that Obviously you'd have LeBron there.

[Jason McIntyre]

LeBron Tatum, Paul George.

[Rachel Nichols]

Yeah.

[Jason McIntyre]

Huh. That would have been a lot. I'm curious. So I would assume Tatum guards Jalen Brown, Paul George on LeBron, that's not a bad matchup for the Sixers. No, I mean, and then you put Derrick White theoretically on. On Tyrese Maxey. I'm telling you, Boston matches up well with them. I. I know people are, oh, Boston, crazy, bad trade. And I'm not afraid at all of Joel Embiid. I don't. I don't think the six. I don't think the Celtics are either.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right, all right. So you have no regret, you and Brad Stevens living a regret free life? I like it.

[Jason McIntyre]

You can't. No regrets, Rachel. Isn't that the best way to live life? Come on.

[Rachel Nichols]

Well, we'll see come playoff time this spring.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah.

[Rachel Nichols]

All right.

[Jason McIntyre]

Rachel with the news.

[James Palmer]

Well, that's the news, and thanks for

[Jason McIntyre]

stopping by the herd line news. All right, coming up next, we break down the Raiders quarterback competition with James Palmer. Also some wacky Jerry Jones quotes. The calendar says July, so that's on brand for him. All that next year on the hurt. Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd, weekdays at noon Eastern, 9am Pacific.

[Covino]

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[Jason McIntyre]

Oh boy. Love talking to James Palmer, NFL Insider at the Bleacher Report. He's currently in Denver where Hey, listen, hey, we did a lot of Bonicks earlier this week and the Broncos fans are wrestlers. So let's go bring in James Palmer flum Bleacher Report to talk about the. Listen, we're not going to gas up the new Broncos facility. It does look like you're in a police lineup right there with the blank white wall they got to get.

[James Palmer]

I was going to say severance, but it's, it has that feel in it right now.

[Jason McIntyre]

Like, heard about that.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, they've spared no expense jmac by any stretch with this new facility. I don't know what they spent on the air conditioning, but they got their money's worth. I am freezing inside this building right now.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right.

[James Palmer]

But it is brand new. Like this room isn't even finished that I'm in. So they're still working, but we're in it. And we'll get out on the field with the guys right after I get done talking to you.

[Jason McIntyre]

Okay? Speaking of cold world, let's go to Davis, Web. He is the new fresh, I mean brand new OC and listen, that schedule is right out of the gate is unforgiving. Manta had a good take, I thought, I don't know if you heard it earlier this week he said basically the Broncos season hinges on Bo Nicks. We know what the defense is doing. They got a good head coach. They added Jaylen Waddle. Can Bo Nix deliver? What's your early read on the Bo Nix Davis Webb marriage?

[James Palmer]

Yeah, the relationship was really good when obviously Davis is in his ear every step of the way and now he just gets this promotion. So obviously they had a really good foundation. I know talking to Davis last year on the sideline before one of the games, he actually said to me, he's like, you know, I think Bo on the run is the best thrower the football in the NFL. Like, there's some traits that he has that Davis just thinks the world of. What I'm going to watch as soon as I get done talking is obviously, how's Bo's moving? We're seeing his feet right there. After the, after the two procedures he had on the ankle and so where is he at in terms of that? I think he's supposed to be 100%, but obviously we all want to see it. And then how is the interaction between Davis Webb and Sean Payton and Bo Nix because he is passing this over to Davis Webb. But how we know the way Sean's wired. Everybody read Seth Wickersham's article, right? We know that he is just 100 miles an hour into way this offense runs. Can he take that step back? And Bo thinks that Sean will be more like a quarterback coach in this season than, you know, then, you know, kind of fill that role that Davis had to where he can just kind of look at some little things, some mechanical things, some. Some technique things and Davis will handle all of it. Is that the way this is going to happen? And I think the early part of the season that you mentioned is a huge tell of it because it's a murderer's row that they're going through. Desean continue to trust Davis. If there's struggles, we're going to have our eyes on Davis Webb through the first, first part of the season because this is a true super bowl contender

[Jason McIntyre]

again, to mention a couple numbers here. Last year, 14 wins, 11 and oh in one score games and now their win totals nine and a half. So I'm not the one bashing them. The Broncos are Knicks. I just think the market's telling you that this team is coming significantly back to the pack. Where do you have the Broncos in the AFC West?

[James Palmer]

Yeah. You know, I'm a big fan of what the Chargers have done this offseason. And I think Mike McDaniel is going to be a big, big influence. Not in the game. I think he does maximize receivers. I think he's great at that. We know that. I think Amari and Hampton's gonna have a monster year just by the way Mike works on the run game. I think that's a big deal. But I think you're right. And you know what's funny, that's Ben. Shawn Payton's message to the team, to my understanding, Jason, is that these one score games, the pendulum's gonna swing back. Like he's been very clear with his team about some of the pixie dust that was spread on this team in the fourth quarter. A lot of these games. Right. And it really was a lot of things fell their way in fourth quarter quarter of games. And Bonix obviously played very well in those situations. But Sean has been very open and he studies numbers and data tremendously. And oftentimes when you see this Happen, you see it swing back the other way. He's almost preparing his team to say, we can't be in these situations again. We have to be up by, you know, more than a score in the fourth quarter. We have to put ourselves in better situations because things are not going to fall our way again. So I, I, I am a big fan of the Chargers making a monster leap. There's no way you lose both your tackles again and now your quarterbacks again engaged. So he's excited. And I really think Mike is a big, big part of honestly what they're going to do offensively. I'm excited to see what they put together.

[Jason McIntyre]

Since you brought up the Chargers, let's go to them. We'll get to the news of the day in a moment. But obviously, Justin Herbert engaged to famous Instagram singer with 39 million followers. But I think the big story is, you know, listen, Justin Herbert is thought of as a top six seven quarterback in the league and he still doesn't have a playoff win. And again, the chorus is going to grow louder every year. But Peyton Manning went through this. You know, there just wasn't social media to amplify it. I don't know. Do you have any concerns about Herbert

[James Palmer]

or not really, I don't have any concerns about Herbert. You oftentimes wonder when things like this happen and they start to snowball, what the mental side of it is like, can you get over that hurdle when the playoffs roll around? Where is your mindset? I think there's a little pressure on Jim Harbaugh there as well. I mean, what they went through to get him into that organization, that he doesn't have a playoff win just yet. And I do think if you look at the way they went about this off season and the way that they bulked up and adding another full pack and multiple tight ends that can do a lot of different things. And Jim Harbaugh just loves utilizing the tight end position in a variety of ways. This is to protect that man right there. It's protect Justin Herbert and to make sure that he is healthy by the time the back end of the season rolls around. They know he can be Superman. And this is the way it was described to me. They just don't want him to be that on a regular basis or have to be that on a regular basis. I remember talking to lad McConkey last year and I was like, there's really literally nothing this man can't do. Like, that's the way we view him. But I don't think they Want him to be put in that situation on a regular basis. So run the football better. Use the play action game to take some of these shots down the field. Change the way you run the ball a little bit and you find ways to maximize those moments that we know he can be a superhero in that he doesn't have to do it for the duration of a game. And I think that's where I think the change is. And if you can change the health of this thing a little bit, I mean, I don't know, I don't know if you got a call. I got a call to play offensive line for the Chargers this year, this last year. So like, I mean, that's where it was at. And so I don't think you have the same luck. I just think they're trying to set him up to be in a position to where he doesn't have to be Superman.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, so let's go with the news happened about two hours ago. The Falcons, I mean, goodness gracious, poor Kevin Stefanski. The Falcons just announced that TUA is still hurt and he's not ready anytime soon. And by the way, Michael Penix is still out and now they're having to sign Cooper Rush. I think I saw him working at Dave and Buster's last weekend. I mean, I didn't know he was still in the league. Kevin Stefanski gets out of Cleveland. Finally. I escaped the disaster that is Cleveland and now he's dealing with this. I mean, I almost, I feel bad for the guy.

[James Palmer]

I do a little bit. And it's almost indicative, honestly of the situation he is walking into though. I mean, this is the history of both of these quarterbacks. It's a lengthy history with both of them. And it's funny to say it's a lengthy history with Michael Penix in such a short NFL career, but it is through the duration of his really playing career. If you go back through the multiple colleges and the injuries he's had in college, Tua has obviously a variety of injuries that have a little bit of question marks next to them. So we knew that we were stepping into this situation. But when it's a battle in a quarterback competition, every rep matters, right? We count every single thing in training camp. And so when you're going into it almost limping with both guys, that's not really obviously the situation you want to go in. And so I don't think the TUA back situation is as bad as maybe some people may perceive it. It might be a handful of days, hopefully. I think that's the optimistic side of it. I will leave you, I will say with this about the competition. I thought this was interesting talking to some people in Miami. The thought was that some things transpired there towards the end of Tua's career with the Dolphins that are not going to be present in Atlanta, and they think that's very favorable to tua. And I think there's. Obviously, people think that, you know, Stefanski fits into this, into this mold with Tua pretty well, but I thought that was interesting that there were some things that happened at the end in Miami that won't be there in Atlanta, and that may help out TUA a little bit.

[Jason McIntyre]

James, the consummate replacement reporter. Things that happened. Do the initials have to do th with any of that stuff? I don't know. I'm just guessing. Tyreek Hill related, but I could be wrong. I could be wrong.

[Rachel Nichols]

There's.

[James Palmer]

There's. There was a variety of things. I think some of them, honestly, were related to Tua as well and how he handled some certain things. Obviously, I think we. Those are. Those are pretty. You know, that's out there. And so I do think that the way that everything was, you know, kind of just laid out there in Miami, I think a fresh start for him and some of that stuff not being present, I think actually does bode well for Tua. He's changed himself a little bit as well.

[Jason McIntyre]

Yeah. All right, let's go to another quarterback situation in that division, and that's Baker Mayfield. And I'm a little surprised by this, that the Bucks just said, you know what? We're just going to have you play it out this year. No extension. I mean, he's got them to the playoffs three of the last four years. He's been pretty durable. You got Vita Vea saying he wants out. They don't want to pay Baker. What am I missing in Tampa? Is there something happening there? Todd Bowles, we know, is on the hot seat.

[James Palmer]

Yeah, for sure. And I think it's less of Tampa saying, hey, we're good with you playing the last year and more. Baker say, hey, you didn't get it done in time. I'm playing my last year. From talking to people there, Jason, I really did get the sense that he walked in the building today and was like, I'm playing on the final year. Let's go. Like, he. He was not budging off of the deadline that he said, and a lot of people thought that that was going to be a little bit flexible.

[Rachel Nichols]

Right.

[James Palmer]

If the right numbers come into play. Hey, man, he's going to go past this date. But I don't think a lot of people know how Baker may feels wired. And he is wired in a sense to where he walked in and made kind of a proclamation to my understanding of, Yep, I'm playing 26 on this deal. Let's go. And he loves when people doubt him and he loves when people don't think. You know, obviously he's going to follow up or stay to his word. He, he is in this instance. And I think the timing of things played a little bit of a factor because there has always been a belief in Tampa with Jason Light that he's a little bit old school, likes to negotiate these things face to face. That's why they get a lot of their contracts done obviously in the, in the later part of of training camp. So I am a little bit curious of like, the way Jason works and the deadline that Baker put forward, if that didn't align properly to get something kind of done. But I knew they were far apart on a variety of things within the deal. And here's the deal. If he plays great and he's happy there and they want to there, the

[Covino]

number's going to go up.

[James Palmer]

But is that the worst thing in the world? Your quarterback played really, really well. Right. So I think you answering a question of going, okay, at least we got this figured out with a lot of offensive pieces that people think are pretty good. So I do think just Baker is just prefers to stick to his word and he's gambling on himself. And I do know that there are some people in that building that are kind of like, ooh, an even more motivated Baker when he's doubted. I don't hate that some people in the building do feel that way.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, James, we got 30 seconds. Fernando Mendoza will not be the starter in the preseason. Do you hate it? Like it or love it?

[James Palmer]

I like it. I like it. I'll say that, Jason. I like it because Kirk Cousins could teach this offense, he could coach this offense. And I think what Fernando needs to learn very early on is, yes, I'm more talented, I'm more physically gifted than Kirk. I want to learn how to be teams with my mind in this offense. And that's, that's what Kirk does. And I think that's the way this entire group, from Tom Brady to Clint Kubiak has always thought of how it works with quarterbacks. But if he goes out there and, you know, absorbs everything, I mean, I do think he's mentally okay to go out there and play if he's hit early. That's one of the things that rattles quarterbacks. I don't think that will rattle for Nana Mendoza if he is put out there sooner than later.

[Jason McIntyre]

All right, James Palmer, NFL Insider, Bleacher Report. Great stuff, James. Thanks, my man. All right, coming up next next over unders on the NFL. Three up, three down.

[Covino]

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[James Palmer]

Thirty years ago, an island off Manhattan almost brought down New York City.

[Jason McIntyre]

Who will you trust? Your friends and neighbors?

[Covino]

Who will you trust?

[Jason McIntyre]

The people five miles overseas.

[James Palmer]

This is a story about neighbors turning on each other and what happens when a forgotten place decides it's had enough.

[Covino]

But we're not stopping, are we?

[James Palmer]

Listen to revisionist history, the Staten island problem on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Covino]

Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This season on my podcast, here's the thing. I talked to composer Mark Shaiman.

[James Palmer]

It's about the hang.

[Jason McIntyre]

It's the pleasure of hanging out with

[James Palmer]

the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang.

[Jason McIntyre]

And director Morgan Neville. Film school teaches you all the wrong things about making documentary. What do you want to say? Documentary is all about your ear. What do you hear?

[James Palmer]

I feel like my job is listening really, really hard.

[Jason McIntyre]

Listen to here's the thing on the

[Covino]

iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Rachel Nichols]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.