Podcast Summary: The Right Time with Bomani Jones
Jason Goff on Sherrone Moore Absurdity, Phillip Rivers Starting Again, NFL's Quarterback Problem
Date: December 16, 2025

Episode Overview

Bomani Jones welcomes Jason Goff to break down a whirlwind week in the sports world, focusing on the wild Michigan coaching controversy involving Sherrone Moore, frustrations and absurdities within the NFL quarterback market, the oddities of the Heisman’s declining relevance, and nuanced debates about coaching, culture, and race in both the NFL and college football. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, sharp observations, and signature humor.

Major Discussion Themes

Sherrone Moore Scandal and the State of Black Coaching

Timestamps: 01:36 – 12:31

• Social Media Chaos & Parody Accounts:

  • Bomani and Jason discuss the confusion and misinformation surrounding the Sherrone Moore story, reflecting on how Twitter’s (now X) blue check system lost its credibility.
    • "I've never seen people fall for it more than on this story... people's brains still take the blue check as meaning something." (A, 03:17)

• Coaching Fraternity and Fallout:

  • They critique Moore's lack of “game” and support from the football coaching network, questioning why he fell into a trap that ruined his meteoric rise.
    • "You ain't got no buddies in the coaching fraternity game?" (B, 04:27)
  • Bomani notes Moore was more a victim of quick institutional punishment than any nefarious acts, and explains the increasing impatience not only for Black coaches but for all in the NIL era.
    • "I think that we have reached a different point with black coaching, by and large, where... patience is thinner than it has ever been." (A, 07:21)

• Stereotypes & Archetypes in Black Coaching:

  • Jason and Bomani discuss the limited personality archetypes available to Black coaches (stoic, serious, “football-only” men) and compare them to their white counterparts, longing for a “Black Lane Kiffin.”
    • "There’s never really been a Rex or Buddy Ryan type of black fella allowed to run one of these franchises." (B, 11:12)
  • They highlight Fran Brown and Deion Sanders as new types, noting how rare it is for a “black weirdo” to coach a major program.
    • "He’s the first full on black weirdo that I think we’ve ever been allowed to have." (A, 10:42)

Quarterback Disasters, NFL Systems, and Retreads

Timestamps: 21:05 – 47:00

• Phillip Rivers “Comeback” & Coaching System Obsession:

  • Bomani jokes about the Colts' willingness to bring back veteran QBs like Rivers instead of trusting younger talent.
    • "I can't believe any of them are willing to risk this for another week to give this a try." (A, 22:05)
  • Jason critiques coaches’ fixation on their own systems instead of adapting to player strengths, pointing back to Bill Walsh and the West Coast offense as ground zero.

• Lawrence Taylor, Schemes, & Heisman Ennui:

  • They celebrate Lawrence Taylor’s influence, who forced offensive innovation.
    • "Lawrence Taylor made them invent stuff." (A, 22:55)
  • Both share nostalgia for the Heisman’s previous significance, lamenting how the award has faded from "event television" to an afterthought.

• Diversity Waves in Football:

  • Discussion includes the surging impact of Latino and Nigerian players, and the NFL’s attempts to globalize.
    • "This really was a great year for Latino football players…” (A, 27:03)
  • Both riff on how broad labels like "Latino" and "AAPI" group together disparate cultures purely for statistical diversity.

Personal Style, Image, and Black Masculinity in Sports

Timestamps: 13:53 – 20:56

• Marcus Freeman’s Beijing & The Bald Truth:
  • Bomani and Jason dissect Marcus Freeman’s commitment to his painted hairline, comparing him playfully to LeBron, and reliving old NBA moments like Scottie Pippen’s infamous shaved head debacle.
    • Memorable joke: "Let me tell you something, man. Marcus Freeman, like LeBron, he don’t have a head that worked for this." (A, 14:40)
  • They reminisce about publicly aging stars like TI (Atlanta rapper) and Jerry Rice holding onto youthful style, with jokes about hats, hairlines, and cultural perceptions.

NFL Quarterback Market: Is There a Problem Nobody Can Fix?

Timestamps: 47:25 – 65:56

• JJ McCarthy, Sam Darnold & The Vikings:

  • Bomani discusses the Vikings' lukewarm support for rookie QB JJ McCarthy and how coach Kevin O'Connell’s public barbs suggest internal rifts.
    • "They're taking notes on everything they don't like that you’ve done and said. And they springing this up in front of other people. They can’t stand him." (A, 48:54)
  • Jason reflects on the perils of drafting QBs to fit a system rather than developing quarterbacks with true franchise potential.

• A Generation of “Incompletes”:

  • Bomani and Jason systematically review most NFL starting QBs who entered the league after 2019, expressing doubt about almost all.
    • "Do you have the quarterbacks that you believe in... like you believed in Aaron Rodgers?" (B, 52:19)
  • Both agree the pipeline is thin, with too many systems trying to recreate magic out of mediocrity, and too much instability for both QBs and coaches.

• Shanahan, “White Bread” Quarterbacks & System Mania:

  • Bomani paints a vivid analogy: Kyle Shanahan prefers “white bread” QBs—bland, undemanding, system-compliant signal-callers who won’t challenge his scheme. (See 58:30–59:44)

• Bears “Finally Have a Guy” in Caleb Williams:

  • Despite uncertainty elsewhere, Chicago feels genuine hope with Caleb Williams. Jason celebrates the rare moment of QB optimism:
    • "It is great to be in the position, as a Chicago Bears fan, where the quarterback position is as stable as it is right now. I don't know when I'm going to be able to say that again, brother." (B, 63:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sherrone Moore’s downfall:

  • "I think that we have reached a different point with black coaching... patience is thinner for everybody, which means the patience is really thin for you." (A, 07:21)

• On hairlines, image, and public aging:

  • "Marcus Freeman, like LeBron, he don’t have a head that worked for this..." (A, 14:40)
  • "Kevin Durant been getting away with the yarmulke for a very long time. Because that yarmulke is seven feet off the ground." (A, 19:20)

• On the quarterback drought:

  • "You got Caleb Williams, you got Jordan Love and you got J.J. McCarthy... C.J. Stroud, I still feel good about. Daniel Jones is still Daniel Jones, and he tore his Achilles." (A, 55:10)
  • "This is why the Anthony Richardson thing is so wild... two years from now, whenever that deal is up, a year from now, somebody gonna be like, hey, man, would you like to play football with that body you got?" (B, 61:14)

• On finally having optimism as Bears fans:

  • "This entire city has not walked around with a bad one on their arm in, in forever." (B, 64:10)

Episode Structure & Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – 01:36 | Friendly banter, travel, parenting humor
• 01:36 – 12:31 | Sherrone Moore controversy, pitfalls for Black coaches, archetypes and racial dynamics in NCAA/NFL
• 13:53 – 20:56 | Marcus Freeman’s hair, personal anecdotes on hair, hats, and aging in sports
• 21:05 – 25:47 | Phillip Rivers, NFL coaching obstinacy, Lawrence Taylor, Heisman trophy’s decline
• 27:03 – 32:54 | Latino & Nigerian talent wave, cross-cultural labeling, sports demographics
• 33:40 – 47:00 | NFL social change, Bears/Cubs/White Sox fan identity, AG1 ad break (skip)
• 47:25 – 65:56 | Minnesota QB drama, NFL quarterback class skepticism, coaching impact, Bears/Cubs optimism

Takeaways for Listeners

• The episode delivers a masterclass in blending on-field sports breakdowns with off-field issues of race, culture, media, and image.
• It dissects not only who is playing or coaching, but how and why—digging into old stereotypes, systemology, and the perennial search for the franchise quarterback.
• Rich with punchlines and long-form analogies, the conversation manages to be both critical and celebratory of football’s evolving diversity, as well as refreshingly honest about its enduring dysfunctions.

If you missed the episode:
This summary brings you the debate, jokes, and key insights—whether it’s about blue check chaos, the ongoing search for a “Black Lane Kiffin,” the tragicomedy of NFL quarterback development, or just aging gracefully in public. Rounded by a genuinely hopeful note for Jason Goff’s Bears, it’s an episode that moves seamlessly between current events, personal reflection, and cultural analysis.