The Ringer Fantasy Football Show — Dec. 10, 2025

Episode Overview

In this “Power Hour” episode, hosts Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck dive into the fluctuating landscape of NFL quarterbacks who may be available in the 2025 offseason. Special guest Chris Ryan joins for an “Eagles Wellness Check.” The crew explores which QBs might realistically change teams, how the Colts’ Philip Rivers signing triggered the discussion, and the current state of fantasy football during playoff crunch time. The episode concludes with the always-chaotic Fantasy Court and listener stories.

Key Segments & Insights

1. QB Carousel: Ranking Offseason Quarterbacks

[00:19–43:47]

• Kickoff: Phil Rivers & the Colts

  • The surprising Colts' move to sign 44-year-old Philip Rivers sparked a deeper dive into the 2025 QB market.
    • “We were frankly just so blown away that the Colts actually signed grandfather Philip Rivers that we are just going to look at the quarterback carousel.” — [00:24], Danny Heifetz
  • Rivers has been running the Colts' offense for his son’s high school team and is buddies with head coach Shane Steichen.
    • “Apparently, Rivers calls Steichen and talks to him about the offense and like how things are going, discussing plays and even film, according to J.J. Watt… This makes more sense why they called Philip Rivers.” — [03:22], Danny Kelly

• NFL Draft Outlook

  • This draft’s QB class is thin after top prospects like Fernando Mendoza, Dante Moore Jr., and Ty Simpson (“not much hope” for the Colts, who have no first-round pick).

• Who’s Actually Available?

  • Priority: QBs whose teams might answer trade calls, factoring in contracts, age, and schemes.
    • “We are considering every single element of what it would take to bring a quarterback in, including the best abilities, availability.” — [08:24], Danny Heifetz

2. Team-by-Team QB Deep Dive

[12:48–43:47]

Notable QB Situations

• Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins)

  • Unlikely trade due to unmovable contract; team locked in for 2026, potential out by 2027.
    • “I think Tua is basically untradable and uncuttable in 2026… but if they can find a way to foist him upon someone, I think they would.” — [12:50], Heifetz

• Kyler Murray (Cardinals)

  • Most likely to move; benched, big contract, could go for a 3rd/4th rounder.
    • “Kyler is the most available of all these guys.” — [14:58], Heifetz
    • Discussion: Even at a lower cost, is he worth the contract/fit? Concerns about leadership and injury history.
    • “I don't think he's known particularly for his leadership skills… Injuries have been an issue. It’s been all downhill for Kyler since like a couple years ago.” — [15:30], Kelly

• Mac Jones (49ers)

  • Most desirable trade target: Cheap contract, fits many play-action-based schemes, would cost at least a 2nd-round pick in a competitive market.
    • “Mac Jones is number one on my list in terms of guys who are like—gettable.” — [28:11], Heifetz
    • “He reminds me of that Alex Smith type situation… he by far looked I think the best of any of these quarterbacks that we've talked about this year.” — [30:06], Kelly

• Geno Smith (Raiders)

  • Possible bridge option; could be an upgrade for teams with ready-made rosters but seen as a “good team, good QB” fit only.
    • “If Geno Smith went to the Vikings or the Colts… it would certainly be less improbable than what Daniel Jones just did or Darnold did the year before that.” — [34:01], Heifetz

• Other QBs:

  • Bryce Young (Panthers): Unlikely to move because he’s cheap, but mixed reviews.
  • Kirk Cousins (Falcons), Aaron Rodgers (Steelers): Likely to stay put.
  • Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, etc.: High-floor backup/bridge types.
  • Running theme: the rest of the market is “bleak,” so bidding wars for second-tier starters are likely.

Staff Commentary: Ranking Potential Moves

• Top Tier:
  1. Mac Jones (“clear number one” trade target for multiple teams)
  2. Kyler Murray (high risk, potential reward if you can eat the contract)
  3. Geno Smith (intriguing if all else fails)
• Next Tier: Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco—low-cost bridge options.

Notable Quote:

• “What a sad and depressing offseason we have. It's the Mac Jones sweepstakes. Who's going to get Kyler, Murray, Mendoza, and Ty Simpson? What is this?” — [46:49], Korbeck

3. Eagles Therapy with Chris Ryan

[54:43–79:59]

• Chris Ryan joins for a Philly session:
  • The Eagles’ collapse, Jalen Hurts’ robotic emotions, playcalling issues, and Nick Sirianni’s job security are all up for debate.
  • “Thank God no one else in this division is capable of threatening our supremacy… The group chat civil war raging. The Hurts camp, the Nick camp, the nobody camp. Is it Tanner time?” — [55:32], Chris Ryan
  • Hurts as leader:
    • “When you're just like watching the broadcast and [Hurts] is staring into space, it's really tough, man.” — [59:23], Chris Ryan
  • “There's almost like, emotionally, the Eagles are built to dominate when they have the lead… but they're not built to deal with adversity.” — [60:00], Heifetz
  • AJ Brown’s effort called into question: great stats but questionable intensity, confessional postgame comments.
  • Future outlook:
    • A likely “soft reboot” this offseason; O-line retooling inevitable, AJ Brown’s future uncertain, but hope remains due to weak NFC competition.

4. Fantasy League Recap & Listener Stories

[66:43–90:50]

• Ringer Fantasy League playoff update: Chris Ryan clinches a playoff spot, faces office banter over who deserves to win.
  • “I like, like you said, I didn't get a chance to draft my team. So it's been a process of getting to know these guys, of getting close to Drake, of getting, you know, like believing in Jameer Gibbs where nobody else did.” — [69:16], Chris Ryan
• Toilet Bowl Bracket and League Rules:
  • Debates over the fairness of playoff tiebreakers and loser punishments (e.g., podcast headbands, coffee challenges).

5. Fantasy Court: The Jalen Hurts Benching Dilemma

[80:56–85:54]

• Listener “Tim from Ireland” wants to bench Jalen Hurts in order to knock out a rival from the playoffs — is that ethical?
  • Ruling: “You have to in good faith start, because that's just straight up… not collusion, but it's just… sabotage.” — [83:21], Korbeck
  • It didn’t matter in the end since Hurts scored only 0.4 points; segment used as a jump-off for cathartic anti-Hurts stories from the weekend.

6. Grab Bag: Chargers/Chiefs Hot Takes, MLB Tangents & Referee Anecdotes

[24:06–99:26]

• Wild playoff prediction: Chiefs not “dead yet”; Chargers regression looms.
• Listener stories about terrible youth sports referees.
• Lighthearted tangents: what fair-weather fandom says about sports, the joy of being a bandwagon Dodgers fan, and fantasies about epic NFL kicker walkout music.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the QB Market:

  • “If you have the option to get Mac Jones or Kyler Murray, I would take Mac Jones in a second.” — [15:23], Craig Korbeck

• On Kyler Murray:

  • “Kyler needs to go to a team without an identity. He needs to go to, like, the Raiders or something where he can just kind of… they start with Kyler and then build out from there.” — [20:09], Korbeck

• On the State of the Eagles:

  • “This makes it seem like there’s something wrong. This makes it seem like you guys don’t like each other or you’re not listening to Nick, or Jalen’s, like, bailing out of plays.” — [66:16], Chris Ryan

• Fantasy Court Wisdom:

  • “Can you deliberately sabotage your friends? That's exactly what I'm asking you.” — [83:44], Heifetz

Important Timestamps

• QB Carousel & Rivers Discussion — [00:19–08:24]
• Draft Class & Team Needs Breakdown — [08:24–11:48]
• Detailed QB Availability Rankings — [12:48–43:47]
• Eagles Therapy with Chris Ryan — [54:43–79:59]
• Fantasy League Recap & Listener Stories — [66:43–90:50]
• Fantasy Court: Jalen Hurts Benching Ethics — [80:56–85:54]

Tone & Language

• Conversational, irreverent, and occasionally self-deprecating.
• Dynamic back-and-forth between hosts, playful tangents, and a cathartic vent session with Chris Ryan.

TL;DR

• Colts’ wild Philip Rivers signing prompts a comprehensive look at the 2025 QB market.
• Mac Jones is the coveted trade target for “win-now” teams; Kyler Murray and Geno Smith next-best options, all others are backups or “bridge” solutions.
• The fantasy playoffs are here, and league shenanigans abound — with drama over last-place punishments and playoff tiebreakers.
• Chris Ryan delivers peak Philadelphia panic, but hopes for a gentle Eagles reboot next season.
• Listener questions ask: is it ever okay to bench a player just to sabotage someone else’s chances? (No, but it’s funny.)
• Tangents include MLB free agency, sports fandom philosophy, and the need for NFL kicker walkout music.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

This show is perfect for you if you want to know exactly where your team stands in the never-ending NFL quarterback roulette, get the latest fantasy insight on playoff strategies, and enjoy a no-holds-barred Philly therapy session. If nothing else, you'll leave grateful your fantasy fate doesn’t depend on Jalen Hurts’ Monday night performance!