Fred Warner on the Niners Staying in the Hunt, Conference Contenders, and the Evolution of the Linebacker. Plus Life Advice

Summary

The Ryen Russillo Show

Episode Date: December 12, 2025
Guest: Fred Warner (San Francisco 49ers linebacker, podcaster)
Core Themes: Injury recovery, Niners’ resilience, the evolution of linebackers, playoff landscape, leadership, life and career reflections, life advice

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Episode Overview

This episode marks the start of a regular segment with Fred Warner, widely considered one of the NFL’s top linebackers. Fresh off a significant injury, Warner joins Ryen Russillo for a wide-ranging discussion on the Niners’ continuing competitiveness, the evolution of his position, inside stories about NFL prep, and broader reflections on leadership and the league landscape. The episode features rich storytelling, tactical analysis, and personal growth insights—plus the show’s well-loved "Life Advice" segment.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fred Warner’s Gruesome Injury and Recovery

[03:55–11:11]

• Warner discusses his ankle injury in graphic detail
  • Warner felt “invincible” after rarely missing games for 7+ seasons.
  • Describes the play in Tampa where the injury occurred (“my foot’s facing the wrong direction and I’m like, oh my gosh…”)
  • Vivid recollection of teammates’ reactions and stadium’s collective gasp.
  • Emphasizes the surprising lack of pain, describing the sensation as “just a thumping feeling…not agonizing.”
  • Dr. McAdams quickly reset Warner’s foot (“He’s a G, man. He ran out there, didn’t ask any questions. He just pop, pop, popped it back in.” [07:42])
  • Warner attributes his poise under duress to daily journaling and a sense of gratitude.

    Fred Warner [08:16]: “In the moment, even through the chaos, I was like…everything happens for a reason. God has a plan…”

  • Recovery has been arduous (“feels like the longest eight weeks of my life”), but he now feels “great” and is walking again.

Resilience of the 49ers through Adversity

[11:11–18:38]

• Warner credits the team's culture and preparation for staying competitive despite a litany of injuries:

  Fred Warner [11:51]: “That just shows…the character of our group, man, the resilience we’ve had all season long.”

• Walks through key games (notably gritty early-season wins), highlighting backup QB performances and the importance of division games.
• Praises defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (“best of the best”) for keeping the team’s defense afloat.

Chess Matches & Studying Quarterbacks (esp. Matthew Stafford)

[15:42–18:38]

• Warner enjoys the ongoing “mind games” with Matthew Stafford:

  Fred Warner [16:41]: “It’s always just such a chess match…we’re in a different type of mind trip the entire week…what is he expecting and what do I need to give him different…?”

• Describes Stafford's elite manipulation and the constant need to adjust on the fly.

The Art and Evolution of the Modern Linebacker

[20:26–36:02]

• Discusses the unique skillset required to play linebacker in today’s NFL.
• Emphasizes importance of emotional control and preparation.
• Warner has focused on pass coverage throughout his career, recalling key moments where practice paid off in big games.

  Fred Warner [22:08]: “…when you do try you, you have to make the play. Because if you don’t…quarterbacks now know that you can [be beaten]...”

• Talks about making impact plays, earning a “reputation on film” that deters quarterbacks from attacking his zone.

The Evolution and Valuation of the LB Position

[30:17–36:02]

• How the role has changed from “battering rams” to rangy, versatile athletes.
• Acknowledges linebackers rarely win high-profile awards (“they’re always going to look at the edge rushers”) but values affecting the game across all phases—run, coverage, takeaways.

  Fred Warner [32:23]: “You have to affect the game in so many different ways…”

Assessment of Current NFL Contenders

[36:02–47:45]

NFC Landscape

[36:47–39:46]

• Russillo asks for Warner’s pick as the NFC’s strongest unit:

  Fred Warner [36:47]: “Yeah, of course. The 49ers through and through.”

  • Warner also respects the Rams and Seahawks as “fantastic teams”—but it’s a “week to week thing.”

• Turnovers and situational football are described as the great equalizer; even top teams can falter (e.g., Rams vs. Panthers).

AFC Picture

[42:43–47:45]

• Warner: “It’s a toss up…It’s a fun time in the AFC right now.”

• Surprised at Chiefs’ struggles; marvels at the ascension of Patriots (Vrabel), Broncos, and especially the Texans’ defense.

• Warner gives insight into the Texans’ success:

  Fred Warner [45:17]: “They say defense wins championships. And like this is that type of defense where you could see if they were to make a run…it’s because their defense is just so dang good.”

• On which he’d trust more in the playoffs—Josh Allen or Texans D—Warner says you need balance: “You have to play as a team.”

Open-field Tackling: Lamar vs. Josh Allen

[47:45–48:19]

• Warner notes the challenge of tackling both, but calls Lamar especially tough:

  Fred Warner [47:50]: “Lamar’s just a different dude…he could truly play running back or receiver if he wanted to.”

Reflections on Coaching, Leadership, and Personal Growth

[49:57–53:07]

• Asks about Kyle Shanahan’s unique strengths. Warner recalls:

  Fred Warner [50:35]: “You’re either getting better or getting worse in this league, you’re never staying the same.”

• Warner says this philosophy drives his annual offseason evolution and competitive fire.
• Praises Shanahan’s detailed expectations—especially for young WRs—and his unique ability to connect with both offense and defense.

Life Advice Segment

[55:07–end]

The show’s signature "Life Advice" segment returns, mixing frankness and humor:

• Topics include:
  • Navigating post-separation dating and whether “go see other people” is a trap ([66:46–70:59]); consensus: there’s seldom a “trap”—do what feels right but understand the context.
  • Ethical dilemmas around euthanizing an elderly, ailing dog ([71:55–76:50]); empathy and compassion win out—there’s no perfect answer.
  • Lighter side: funny audience emails, roommates and relationships, advice for moving on after dating “near-misses,” etc.

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Notable Quotes

• On his injury mindset:

  “Everything happens for a reason. God has a plan. That’s what I was telling guys as I’m getting carted off…”
  — Fred Warner [08:16]

• On playing against elite QBs:

  “It’s always just such a chess match between each other…”
  — Fred Warner [16:41]

• On making a reputation as a linebacker:

  “When you do try you, you have to make the play…if you don’t, now quarterbacks know…”
  — Fred Warner [22:08]

• On the position’s evolution:

  “You have to affect the game in so many different ways…”
  — Fred Warner [32:23]

• On Shanahan’s philosophy:

  “You’re either getting better, you’re getting worse in this league, you’re never staying the same.”
  — Fred Warner [50:35]

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• 03:55–11:11 — Fred Warner recounts his injury and recovery
• 11:11–18:38 — Niners’ resilience, key early games, navigating adversity
• 15:42–18:38 — Prepping for Stafford, chess matches at the line
• 20:26–36:02 — Evolution and skillset of the modern linebacker, reputation, defensive impact
• 36:02–39:46 — State of the NFC, most dangerous teams, turnovers
• 42:43–47:45 — Chaos in the AFC, Texans’ defense, overall playoff predictions
• 49:57–53:07 — Shanahan’s leadership, coaching insights, personal growth
• 55:07–end — Life Advice segment

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Episode Tone and Personality

• Authentic, direct, and thoughtful: Fred Warner combines relatability (“…just like the average fan sitting there yelling at the TV”) with deep tactical knowledge.
• Russillo’s signature dry humor and curiosity: He’s probing but never too self-serious.
• Mix of storytelling, X’s & O’s, and life wisdom: Candid, locker-room style but insightful discussion.

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Takeaways

• Fred Warner is more than an elite athlete—he shares vulnerability about injury and recovery while doubling down on what drives his on-field presence and leadership.
• The 49ers, while battered, thrive on a culture of resilience and elite coaching.
• The modern linebacker is a hybrid—instinctive, athletic, and smart.
• The playoff race is wide open, and turnovers plus situational awareness remain the league’s currency.
• Life advice and sports wisdom blend seamlessly in this episode—reminding listeners why this show, and Warner’s new role within it, will be must-listen content the rest of the season.

Transcript

[Ryan Rosillo]

Hey barstool listeners. You can find every episode of the Ryan Rosillo show on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon.

[Fred Warner]

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[Ryan Rosillo]

The Ryan Rosillo show is presented by DraftKings. Excited about this? Almost an hour with Fred Warner, the best linebacker in the NFL rehabbing from injury. We're going to ask about that horrific injury that we saw halfway through the season. He's also a podcast host. The real ones the league. Make sure you check out that stuff and on YouTube as well. So we'll get into the NFC race, the AFC race stuff that he's talked with Shanahan about the evolution of the linebacker and we've got a life advice that probably didn't go that well. Stars are going off, rookies are making noise and the action doesn't stop. DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA is where you can get in on all of it. I think this league this year with this rookie class, it's not just that it's deep and that it's exciting and it's all these guys depending on what the role they're, you know, they're being asked of to accomplish with their different teams. What I think is fun is that we've probably had four different rookies at some point this year all feel like they're everybody's favorite rookie. Whether it's Vijay earlier the Knipple push or you're like do you realize what Cooper Flag is actually doing with this team? And the Derek Queen Fears tandem Dylan Harper on and on and on. We have not seen a lot of Noah saying a San Gay Assange. Missouri fans, listen up. DraftKings sportsbook is now live in the show Me state. With more live markets and nonstop action, it's no wonder DraftKings is the number one sportsbook for live betting. And don't forget the Emirates NBA cup is heating up. Big games, big moments and plenty on the line. New customers bet five bucks and get $200 in bonus bets if your bet wins. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use the Code Ryan. That's Code Ryan. R y e n bet 5 bucks win get 200 in bonus bets in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours.

[Fred Warner]

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[Ryan Rosillo]

This is something really exciting for the show. As we announced earlier this week, Fred Warner of The San Francisco 49ers, I think the best linebacker in the league. He's going to join the show regularly now throughout the rest of the football season. So we have a bunch of dates on the schedule and we're talking to the four time all pro first team and rarely do I get to have a co host. Like Canel was a really nice guy, but he was never my favorite quarterback. And I can, I can confidently say my favorite linebacker's now hanging out with us talking to ball. So good to see you, man.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, great to see you too, man. And thanks for having me. It's a joy to talk the game, especially with you. And yeah, obviously I have a newfound perspective being on the outside, looking in, not being a part of it week to week. But you know, I still love the game. I still keep up with it. I'm just like the average fan who sits there and yells at their TV and like is in it. So plenty to talk about around the league right now.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Let's start though, and maybe we won't have to do this every single week. But how are you doing after the injury?

[Fred Warner]

I'm doing great, man. I love where I'm at, truly. You know, I gave an update on my podcast this week and going back to when the injury happened, let's just, I mean, start there. I remember I made a joke. It may have been to Brock Purdy or somebody in the locker room couple weeks before this happened. And you know, usually guys will ask you after a game, they're like, man, how'd you come out? And I said something foolishly of, oh, you know, I'm great. I always come out great. Right? And that Truly was my Thought, like, I truly thought I was invincible for a long time. Right? Because when you go seven plus seasons, you miss one game because of a fluke hamstring injury, which honestly, I could have played through that. They just held me back because they didn't want me to hurt it more. But I remember how big a deal that was because I messed my streak up of continuous games in my career. But when you only miss one game through seven years playing middle linebacker and you're making plays, you're doing your thing, you're like, man, I feel like I truly was untouchable. And so then October 12th happens where we're on the road against Tampa Bay and was feeling so good about that game. I remember early on I made a play on one of the screenplays where there's just. Sometimes you're just in your zone. And I dropped back for maybe half a second and I saw Tristan Wirz in the center or somebody already leaving to go block. And I just triggered. Even though that was. No, that was. I was not supposed to be part of that play. I just saw it and I went and blew it up. And then, yeah, man, it was only like, what, the second or third drive and I'm on a block and they had a downhill lane at me. I tried to spin out of the block and boom. Like, it was just, Just violent hit down below where I'm. I'm on the ground now. I look down and my foot's facing the wrong direction and I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, that's the type of injury where you see it happen to other guys. And you're like, oh, my gosh. Like, hate that for that guy. Because that's just one of those ones where it just look nasty. And it's like that could never imagine that happening to me. And sitting there, being in it, seeing my foot facing the wrong way. I think the thing that was like, the feeling wasn't pain. It wasn't like this, oh, my gosh, this agonizing pain. It was like a thumping feeling to it. But the thing I remember most, like, vividly was just this uncomfortable feeling because. Uncomfortable one, because your foot's in the wrong direction. But then two, like, the shrieking that's going on around you of the players, like, they're all grabbing their helmets. They're like, oh, oh, oh. And so, like. And then, so you have that first round of it. I'm. I. I kind of. I kind of lay down and just. I'm holding my leg, waiting for them to get to me. And then there's a second round of shrieking when they show it on the big board. So the whole. The whole stadium now seen the replay, and they're all shrieking. So I'm on the ground. I'm just like, man, just please put this thing back in place. And so our doctor, Dr. McAdams, he's a. He's a G, man. He ran out there, he didn't ask any questions. He just pop, pop, popped it back in. Right, Right in place and was. It was nice and straight, and they. They put it in the air cast. And, you know, I did have a sense of calmness about me, though, in the moment, you know, even through the chaos, I was like, you know, I remember. I journal often. I journal every day. I especially journal before a game. And I remember that night before the game, I was journaling, man, and I was just overcome with, like, just gratitude in the moment. I don't know why. I just. I truly was just. I. I was grateful just for being where I am, where my feet were and where. How I was doing that season. And so, you know, when it happened, I was just like, man, everything happens for a reason. God has a plan. And that's what I. I was telling guys as I'm getting carted off and they're. They're feeling sorry for me, and I'm like, bro, it's all good. I'll be good. So, yeah, I say all that to say, man, fast forward now. You know, it's been. It feels like the longest eight weeks of my life, you know, since surgery. I had a sur. I had surgery, I think two days after the. So it's been eight weeks and a couple of days. And when I tell you when they took that cast off a week after surgery, they took that little hard shell off to put it in a boot. And I remember seeing my foot for the first time, and I'm thinking to myself, oh, my gosh, there's no way, because of how swollen and just how it just looked like a club at the bottom of my leg. And I'm thinking, oh, my gosh, this is going to be tough. But then you look, you fast forward now, and I'm, what, eight weeks removed from surgery, And I'm like, I'm. I'm up on my. On my feet. I'm feeling like myself again. And it's so incredible, and God is so amazing. So it's one of those things that once they put it all together and you kind of just get some of that swelling out and start moving it Again, it starts feeling a lot better. So, yeah, yeah, I'm feeling great.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Did it hurt?

[Fred Warner]

Which part?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Well, I imagine you're going to say that putting it back hurt way more than the actual injury, but.

[Fred Warner]

No, I mean, them putting it back honestly wasn't that bad. It just felt like a crunching, almost like. It's hard to explain, man, but it did. There wasn't like a. Like a pain to it. It was literally just like a thumping. It was like the thumping of the trauma of it all and the blood, like, flowing to that area of, like, you know, that's what I remember so vividly was like, the feeling of that boom, boom, boom. You can feel your pulse in your. In your foot. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, it was crazy, man.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I was reading a quote from John lynch, who I think all of us, as NFL fans love. And, you know, he's obviously in charge over there, but he said basically he was like, I never put anything past Fred, that you were swimming. Did you see this video of you? Like, do you. Do you train in combat sports? Like, do you. You do, right?

[Fred Warner]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So have this. I don't know if you saw this.

[Fred Warner]

No, I know exactly what you're talking about. We were actually just joking about it in the locker room just a minute ago. They're like, oh, bro, I saw this AI video you. I'm like, that wasn't a. That was me. All right, so.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So for the audience, so they can keep up with this year. Yeah, because, like, at first it's like, all right, he's done for the year. He's not playing again. And then Lynch's thing is like, well, I wouldn't put anything past him. But it wasn't like, you know, I think he's kind of just speaking to your character and your drive. And, like, every single minute has to be maximized here. And, you know, maybe that's just the way to rehab. You have this hope. And then this video from I don't know how long ago surfaces up this last week. And it was like, fred looks amazing. And I'm thinking, one, there's no way that's him after the. And the moves are so absurd that I could see how some people thought it was AI. So there's a lot going on in there. I don't even know if there's necessarily a question because it was really impressive. And of course, after this injury, it was like, that's impossible. There's no way.

[Fred Warner]

1,000% it was a video that surfaced. I want to say maybe have been like, a couple years ago, man. Because that guy came out when it first surfaced, and everybody was saying it was me. And of course, I'm just kind of on the hush, like, aha. Like, everybody thinks that's me. Like, cool. Like, let them think that. You know what I'm saying? But then he came out and actually said, like, oh, this is me. The actual guy in the video is a real person who does. I think it's like capoeira or something like that. I think that's how you say it.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Wild. And I'm like, what is he doing?

[Fred Warner]

Yeah. I mean, that video was kind of older. So then when it resurfaced again after the ankle, I'm like, yeah, I mean, that's. If you, you know, you really put it together. I'm pretty sure that's not even possible. So, yeah, that's. That was funny.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I want to talk about this team. And then we're going to talk about the league and talk about the playoff races and everything else, as we're going to do this quite often. And again, just a reminder for everybody that's a huge Fred Warner fan to check out the Warner house that is up on YouTube as well, the podcast. And look, they've got real ones.

[Fred Warner]

Real ones the league.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Okay? Real ones the league as well. That's right. This Niners team's had to deal with a ton of adversity. I mean, there's. There's injuries around the league, but then when you start going like, okay, who are their five best players? Like, how often have the five best players been available on top of everything else, like, having to juggle the quarterback thing? How is it possible that this team is still this competitive and alive in the playoff race?

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, man. I mean, it speaks to a ton of things. You go all the way back to just even week one going on the road. I remember how excited I was for that Week 1 matchup, because I'm like, bro, if we can come out of Seattle, week one, who. They finished super hot last year. Like, they were a really good team who was returning damn near everybody, right? And they had added some pieces. They added Sam Darnold, who they signed the off season. They drafted well. And so I'm like, if we can go into Seattle, we can beat them and be one zero to start the year on the road and one and, oh, in the division. That's huge. And so we had to scrap for that win in week one where Brock Purdy gets hurt with a. With a. With a toe injury, which he played Through George Kittle goes down in the beginning of the game because of a hamstring. And you know, the savior of that game was Jake Tunjas who catches a ball in the corner of the end zone over, over their, their corner. And so, you know, it was like it was such a great start to the season. And then you go, you win a, you win a big game on the road against the Saints. And through all of this I'm seeing Nick Bosa play the best ball. He's played like he has finishes in both of those games with the strip sack fumble against Seattle. And then again, well, Bryce Huff had it at the very end of the series before that Nick Bosa had one. So he's playing his best ball, you know. And then Mac Jones comes in and helps win us these games, right, as the, you know, as the new QB one while Brock was injured. So, you know, there was so many things happening early in the season where it kind of gets lost, where it's like, oh wait, that did happen, huh? Like where we had to kind of gut out some wins where, oh yeah, you're supposed to beat the Saints. Well, not necessarily. I mean, early in the season you never know. Like nobody knows who, who is who yet. Yeah, you kind of, you have an idea. But those are the games that we dropped at the beginning of the season before back in 2024 where you know, we were going against a beat up Rams team where they found a way to beat us and then we dropped a game to Arizona. Those were the games we were winning at the beginning of this year. And I think the best game, the best win early in the season obviously was that Thursday night game against the Rams where everybody didn't give us even a glimmer of a chance to win that game because of the injuries we had sustained. We had just lost. Nick Brody re injured his foot against Jacksonville. George is still out. Ricky Pierasol hurt his knee. So offensively we were relying on Kendrick Bourne and DeMarcus Robinson. Obviously Mack Jones was going to be the quarterback again. Defensively we're missing Nick trying to figure out who else we were missing but a ton of injuries and the Rams are hot, but those division games, man, you, anything could happen. And we came in there with a different type of, a different type of funk to us where we're like, man, if we just come in here and we try to just hit him in the mouth, like we gotta surprise them and you know, trying to find a way to just score more points than they did and that's what we did. You know, they. Matthew Stafford still threw for damn near 400 yards that game, all in the second half because he's Matthew Stafford. But we held him off and made a huge fourth down stop at the end of the game to win in overtime. So, you know, that just shows, like, the character of our group, man, the resilience that we've had all season long and through the adversities, man, just. You can't speak enough about Robert Sala and the job that he's done after losing me, losing Nick and different guys coming in the lineup week in and week out and just keeping the shift steady. You know, there was a time there where we'd win a game, we'd lose a game, win a game, lose a game. But now I think we found that continuity where we're like, man, take this thing one week at a time. Give it everything we have to just win one game. We're not looking ahead, we're not looking behind, you know, and that's. That's ultimately built all throughout the off season. We had a great off season. Everybody showed up for OTAs, had a great training camp. And so ultimately, it's a product of a lot of things, but it speaks to the character of the 49ers.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I feel like I want to stay in the Rams thing because that game in particular, like, I remember staying with it a little bit later, when you pull that one out against LA and then lynch is on the sidelines at the end, he's getting. It was like, okay, this. This is the kind of game where it's like everybody's counting us out. And, you know, maybe it's the familiarity with an opponent there, but it felt like it meant a little something extra, considering just how it felt like the odds are against you in that one. But specific to that matchup, like, you had a stretch where you were getting the Rams all the time. They obviously got the rematch this year. But when you're going up against a Stafford, this is something I want to understand, especially with the way you play middle linebacker, like when you're prepping and you're trying to figure out your game plan defensively and, you know, Stafford's, I think, in a class of some other guys as well, but, like, there's some quarterbacks where I'd have to imagine you're going to Dickens and go, okay, this guy's kind of limited in these spots, and these are the places that we have to worry about. He likes to throw here, he doesn't throw here. With Stafford, it feels like it must all be on the table.

[Kyle Ceruti]

No, it is.

[Fred Warner]

And there truly is such a mutual respect between Stafford and I because we've competed against each other ever since he joined the team in 21. And we've had some great battles, right? Whether it's playoffs in the NFC Championship or obviously all the divisional games that we played against each other. But it is always just such a chess match between each other. Because, for example, going into that game on Thursday night, I'm like, okay, it's a new year going against him. And I know in his mind he's going to be thinking, all right, is Fred going to go about it this way because he played it like this last time, or does he know I'm thinking that so he's going to do it the same way again? And then so I'm thinking that and I'm like, wait, is he thinking that? It's like, bro, it's like, seriously, just this complete mind trip the entire week getting ready for him. Because I'm like, what is he expecting and what do I need to give him different to kind of switch it up for him? And then it becomes a battle of in game making adjustments for my own technique because he'll catch on to what I'm doing early in the game and then he'll try to manipulate things because he's so great at manipulating defenders with his eyes. And since we're so heavy, you know, vision, we're such a vision based defense where we're taught to look at the quarterback. Ball out, break. If you're looking at him and he's looking this way and you try to break this way, he's throwing it back that way, right? So it's like you kind of have to change up your technique a little bit going against him, but then also he knows you're changing up your technique. So it's like that. It's constantly that battle between us. And you're right, everything is on the table with him. But that's so unique of a situation compared to other weeks where I'm not thinking about any of that going against any of these other guys. Because one, I'm only playing them once during that year versus Matt, I'm playing against them twice. But then of course, with how advanced he is with manipulating defenses and knowing what you're doing. So you have to make sure you're really on it. If you're, if you're not, he's gonna, he's gonna be on you.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It's official. The Big Shack is out now. Let's Run through it. We're talking two Angus beef patties, three buns, new secret sauce. It's stacked, balanced, and built the right way. You get everything you expect from Shake Shack. Fresh ingredients, that toasted potato bun and sauce that pulls the whole thing together for 9.99. It's kind of wild how much burger you're getting, especially one that doesn't taste like typical fast food. It's big, it's fresh, and it's legit. One of the best burgers yet. There's a Shake Shack right next to my boat in Marina del Rey. And I'll tell you, a lot of times when I'm thinking about a burger, I'm like, can you be responsible for the laws of any maritime situation after just housing a bunch of burgers and maybe even a little side chicken? Here's the thing at Shake Shack, I don't worry about it. I don't even need the charts. I can take down the Big Shack and still feel great. Great about myself, great about my decisions, and great about who has the right away, depending on port, starboard. So look, if you've been waiting to see what all the hype's about, today's the day. Go to Shake Shack and order the Big Shack. Sounds familiar. Made different. So I was watching the Jacksonville Miked up game on NFL.com right. In preparation of this, right? So it was fun. It was eight minutes, and you just. I. I couldn't tell, like, because it was a slow start. You had to talk that much because you knew you were miked up. Like, it was. You were trying to stay hyped up as the team is. I don't remember the kickoff, but my guess would be that you guys started watching and you were just sitting there going, I don't want to get. I don't want to have this emotional peak where I come out of the field and then I'm just sitting here watching football all the time. So either it was because you were miked up or the leader of the defense or for your own, like, let's make sure I stay engaged in this thing. Emotionally, it felt like that was a lot behind what was going on there.

[Fred Warner]

No, I mean, I'm kind of always like that. I wear my emotions on my sleeve in games. I feel like that's just one of my. If anything, that's one of my superpowers, like, to be able to kind of play with emotion while also staying Steady Eddie throughout a game. I learned early on in my career by playing too emotional. You go through kind of dips within a game and you don't want to do that. You do want to stay steady throughout a game, regardless if you're winning or losing. But I guess Mic'd up is a way for people outside of the game to watch what truly goes on, play to play, or even while you're not on the field on the sideline, the communication that's going on. But man, I just have a lot of fun doing it, man, and I'm passionate about it. So when you see that on the field, that's truly just how I am.

[Ryan Rosillo]

But it also kind of speaks to what you were talking about there with Stafford. And look, I've always thought that, you know, I'm, I'm spoiled by watching Brady being from that part of the country and watching it from the very beginning and knowing just the way he steps into a throw that he has something right and then knowing how he would want to attack linebackers and that I think most quarterbacks think if they can get any linebacker in coverage, especially on a kind of like seam route, I mean, it's one thing if you get kind of lost and somehow you end up outside, which is not something you would probably want to have happen. But the difference with you is, is that if you're turning and running with somebody, it's not the advantage that the quarterback is used to against lineback. And that's on top of all the things you do well and how smart of a player you are. That's something you just kind of take away the middle of the field almost as a corner. If they want to use. Like I doubt any quarterbacks anymore think they have some advantage in a tight end one on one against you. Do you. I assume this is something you're aware of now, as, as you play well.

[Fred Warner]

It'S, it's, it's a couple things, I think. I think when you. There's going to be moments in a young player's career where you're going to be in that matchup one on one with a guy. And I think back to my matchup against Ceedee Lamb in the playoffs a couple years back. It was, I think in 2022 season, we were playing the Cowboys in the divisional round and I had a one on one with him down the middle where I'm lined up in the A gap and I had to go spray my tail off to go get to him. And there's a difference. When you're just covering a guy and then you blanket him versus you're covering a guy, that ball's in the air way down the field, nobody else around, right? And it's like you and a receiver where you're not usually linebackers in that scenario are super uncomfortable where you're either going to grab the guy, defensive plat, pass interference, you're going to flail your arms, not know how to play the ball, and so the guy's still going to catch it on you. But I had practiced that rep so many times that prior off season because of a rep I had the year before in 2021, I'm in the same exact scenario down the middle on the tight end versus Green Bay. And Aaron Rodgers just lobbed it up there and I panicked. I grabbed him. Pass interference. They get an automatic 30 plus game that was in primetime and they went on to win that game. And I remember just feeling so sick to my stomach because I'm like, I know that I'm an elite player when it comes to middle of the field game. I'm not going to let that happen again. So when they do try you, you have to make the play. Because if you don't, then now quarterback that's on film that quarterbacks now know that you can, regardless of your reputation of this, that or the other, you have to show and put it on t that you, you can make plays on that ball. Same thing goes with making interceptions over the middle of the field. Last year, Jacoby Brissette against the Patriots thought he had a, a dig route down the middle and I'm a cover 2 middle runner and I fall off the, the mid, the middle seam to then pick the dig off and I go score a touchdown. When they show that clip in other, in other meeting rooms after that game, our quarterback's going to want to throw the dig down the middle of the field. Probably not, because Fred Warner's in there somewhere. He's probably going to pick you off and run into the end zone. So like, you build his reputation as a player by plays that you make on film that are now going to be circulated around the rest of the teams that you play. So. But at the same time, all it takes is that one guy who's got that, got that something in his neck where he's like, you know what? I don't care who that is that's in the middle, I'm going to throw it anyway. And they complete it. Now you just opened it, you opened up the floodgates again because you didn't make that play, right? So it's like a constant. You have to stay on top of it. But when you were able to make those plays in those big moments. It just deters everybody else to even throw that ball because they're just afraid of what might happen.

[Ryan Rosillo]

The reason I also love that mic'd up thing too, is that I think the way it was shot, you know, there's so many cameras on a game, but because you were mic'd up, it was shooting it kind of from your perspective. So it may start with a shot on you, and then it was almost giving us what you were looking at because. And look, I don't know what the snap numbers are, the number of times you pass rush, the number of times you drop back the coverage. My guess would be the pass rush. You're not asked to be doing that throughout your career. When you're. When you're like getting side to side, though, are you looking? You know, I can figure out on a screen when they want to let the rush come through, then it's like, okay, it's a screen. It's a screen. They don't even want to block these guys, they want to get them up field, they're going to throw behind them. And that's the whole thing. How do you change? Like, I imagine you have your own scattering ports and some tackles or guards. Like, you can't just go, hey, every time a guard pulls, I know that it's going to be that side. Maybe the odds would be in your favor by following that kind of rule, but then some other places are big on misdirection and trying to do that to you. But it really felt like with that vantage point, I got a sense of you were reading things and your break on the ball directionally is related to like all the prep and the fact that you have that physical ability to go, okay, as soon as I know foot in the ground and I'm to that side.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, I mean, it is a combo of the preparation and then just the God given ability. Because honestly, I feel like when I came in the league, I sensed that I had this ability to process at a higher level than probably most just based off of who I based off of just seeing everybody else. I picked things up in our defense with coach Salah and d'. Amico. Like, to be able to have the green dot as a rookie, I had to pick it up quick. And it's not about just picking it up. Anybody can go into a classroom as a player, they ask you to draw something on the board, you do it to a tee, you go out to a walkthrough, you do it perfectly. But then you go out and lie bullets and have to do it. Now, with everything happening that much quicker, how can you now process that information and then go make a play? Right? And so early on, I feel like that was. That's something that kind of came more natural to me. And so, of course, over the years, being able to now have all those repetitions, playing in the same defensive scheme for eight years straight, you start to see how offenses attack your scheme. And so now you pick up on little things of situational football. You know, it just depends. Is it first, first, second, third down, what's the down at distance? And it's a copycat league. Everybody tries to run the same stuff, different types of ways to try to get you. So, you know, now I'm at a point where the game's so slow. To me, I do see things before they even happen, just depending on the point of the game, where the ball's placed on what part of the field, first, second, third quarter, fourth quarter. You know, I kind of have a feel for what. What an offensive play caller might be thinking in that moment. And it's not always right, but sometimes you have to take your shot. And that's where you see guys who make those tremendous plays. It's like, oh, my gosh, this guy's just unreal. It's like, no, he took a chance where that could have bit him right in the. In the. You know what? But. And it probably has before. I've gotten bitten plenty of times, but that one time you hit, then it's like, okay, those are the type of plays that make the differentiators from the good, from the good to the great. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, it's like. It's just about repetition over time and having that feel for the game.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Is there a linebacker that's not on your team? That's your favorite to watch on Sundays now, as you've been, unfortunately, rehabbing getting to watch more of these games.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, no, I do watch a lot. I watch a lot of guys around the league, and there's tons of guys who are. Who are playing outstanding, you know, guys who've been racking up tackles all around. I mean, Jordan Brooks over in Miami is having. Having a great year. Jack Campbell with the Lions, I think, is probably playing the best out of anybody, just in terms of what everything that he's doing. He seems like a complete player from, you know, stopping the run. He's better about his pass drops, you know, at this phase in his career, attacking the football, you know, as A blitzer and he's big. He's like 65250. It seems like he's a big dude. So he's playing great. Zach Bond coming out last year was fantastic. I loved watching him last year. I know his team's struggling this year. I'm sure he wants to finish strong, but his style of play, loved it. Roquan, of course, has always been up there with me in terms of the All Pros and Pro Bowls and everything. And again, another guy who's probably their team's not having the best of season. But yeah, man, I mean, there's guys all around. You talk about a guy who probably gets zero talk. Nate Landman over in in with the LA Rams. Probably has about four or five force fumbles. And I remember being in that Thursday night game seeing a guy in the middle who I'd never heard of, and I saw him like cock his hand like this and throw one. I'm like, what the heck? Okay, that looked kind of good. Like he didn't just throw it, just to throw it. Like he had some technique about it. And so then I go and I look and he had already had like two to start the year, and now he's up to like 4 or 5. He had one against Juwan Jennings against our game at home, and they resigned him. And I'm like, okay, like, they obviously saw something in him too. So old Nate Landman over there balling too. We'll see. We'll see how that goes playing against him in the division for years to come. But I'm sure there's other guys out there I'm missing, man. But it's fun to see Ernest Jones with Seattle balling five interceptions on the year. That's unheard of for backers. Yeah, man, guys are balling.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Do you think they would have made you play safety if you came out in the 90s?

[Fred Warner]

Man, I think in the 90s you had to be at least 2, 250 playing in that box.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I just think of that Steelers front seven and it's like all the. Granted, the pads have evolved like everybody else, but it was, you know, look, it wasn't as pass heavy then. I mean, that was one thing.

[Fred Warner]

An extra two sizes up shoulder pads on me and bulked me up an extra £10. But I'm feisty. I'll still scrap it up in there. I'll still get in there and get my nose dirty.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You play at what, 2:30?

[Fred Warner]

2:30 up?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yep. But isn't that kind of the conversation though about, you Coming out, it was like, oh, because, like, let me. Before you answer that, like forever there was this. I still always kind of laugh about the running back committee that had like a zoom, as if there was like this aggrieved party. It's like, hey, they're not paying us and let's have a zoom and meet on this whole thing. And yes, you know, I think history would tell you that maybe you don't want to prioritize. Like, you've got to spend this money. You've got to spend it somebody. You want to spend it on tackles, you just spend on a quarterback, receivers, corners, edge guys and all that stuff. But if there was a defensive side of the ball that feels like it's kind of left out or deprioritized its linebacker, and I don't know if that's just because it's like, you know, I remember people being like, oh, are you a three, four or four, three? Like, who cares? Like, everyone's basis nickel. Like, you have to be almost, you have to almost prioritize what your base pass defense is and you have to think of like, what are we going to look like on third and long? So it, it almost feels like the position becoming deprioritized. Also evolve the position away from like, we don't need these, these battering rams to just follow the defensive line and hope they're plugging the right hole. We need guys that are far more athletic. But because you never get the sack numbers, because you're just not tasked with that, you almost become this forgotten group. Because I think, you know, just looking at sack numbers is so annoying and be like, hey, this guy's good and this guy isn't good, but you're just not going to get those opportunities unless you're an edge guy.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, I think when it comes to the conversation of like, you know, level of respect amongst positions, like in terms, let's say defensive player of the year, for example, they're always going to look at the edge rushers because of. They have to look at who impacts the game at the highest level. And it just so happens that, you know, they pay these quarterbacks a lot of money for a reason. Like, those guys are the ones that are driving their, their teams to wins at the end of the day. And so who has the direct impact on a quarterback and that's going always going to be a guy who is able to sack the quarterback, cause a strip sack, fumble, you know, those sort of things. So for a linebacker, you have to have some sort of something about you, where you truly are impacting the games in such a way like that, where you're able to affect the ball on any given play. You're able to affect the quarterback in the way that he's processing the game. So that's how I kind of picture it when I'm out there. How can I affect the game in all these different facets of it? Not just, oh, I'm able to drop back in the pass game and defend the middle of the field. And I do that really well. And that's it. Because now the game has progressed too. Where it's, the league is cyclical, right? Like, yeah, there was a point in time where they got away from the run stoppers at linebacker. I think it was truly when I came in, like they started looking for more linebackers who could cover. But now it's like it's getting back to like, man, no, teams want to run the ball like I think forever in time they wanted to, but. But you had teams that were throwing quarterbacks that were throwing for over 4,000 yards and so you had no choice but to adjust. But now teams do truly want to run the ball, especially this time of the year, because the teams that can play good defense and that can run the ball in the playoffs are usually the teams you're going to see winning the super bowl, right? So I think you have to be able to do both. Like, you can't just be a pass covering guy. So I take great pride in ensuring that part of my game up because when I came in, I wasn't just a run stop. I wasn't the great, the greatest running, the greatest linebacker in the run game. It's something I had to work on. And you can't just like get guys to the ground. You have to be an imposing tackler, you have to knock guys back. You have to be able to shock and shed these big 300 plus pound linemen. And that's just the basic like the basics of it though, like that's the bare minimum. Making plays in the run game and being able to cover in the past game where it starts getting into actual impact now, making plays on the football. Who disrupts the football? Because the greatest indicator of winning and losing games is the turnover battle, you know, so who can, which team can hold, possess the ball, which team can take the ball away? And as a, as a player, I'm like, all right, early in my career, okay, they value, if they're valuing this part of the game so much, like, why wouldn't I try to focus on those things to help make myself more valuable. So that's why I instilled the peanut punch into my game. Right? That's why I started catching 100 balls after practice. Because I'm like, if that ball gets in my hands, that's more valuable than me tackling a guy 10 times down the field. Right? So, you know, you have to affect the game in so many different ways. And that's why, of course, like, I would love to blitz more and be more of an effective blitzer, but in our scheme, that's just not what's asked of me. Right. It's just they need me for other things, and we rely on guys like Nick Bosa to go and affect the passer, like, let him do his thing. You know what I'm saying? So I'm not even sure what the actual question was, but I think it was just about overall impact of the position, the linebacker position. You have to be able to do it all. And if you can, then there's a. There's a, you know, something to be said about the importance of the position. Because if you're just run stopping and you're. You're back there pass dropping, you're not. That's. I mean, that's whatever. Anybody could do that, right? Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Look, there's going to be a lot of these during the weeks. Sometimes they're going to be straightforward questions, and sometimes they're just going to be talking and wanting you to back off with that because, you know, just trying to figure out some of this stuff. And speaking of, like, with the nfc, okay, like, the AFC is weird because it feels like it's everybody. And the teams of this higher seeds are like, okay, so it's this group, so maybe we'll get to that in a second. But if we start with your conference, you know, you looked at that Packers, Bears game, and the Bears lose that, go from the one seed to the seven seed. So they're still in this top four seeds, Rams, Green Bay, Philly, because of the division. Then you've got Seattle, then you've got you guys at 6. Detroit's not even in it right now at 8 and 5. Do you have a team out of that group that you look at and go, okay, I don't care about seed. I don't care about record right now. This is the most complete unit in the NFC.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, of course. The 49ers through and through.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Great conference. Right?

[Fred Warner]

I mean, come on.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Right.

[Fred Warner]

What you thought I was going to say at that question. No, I'm Just kidding. Yeah. Look, of course I'm always gonna. I'm always gonna have the most. You know, I'm die hard about my own team. Of course I'm always gonna, you know, pump us up in that way. And I. It's not just false. It's not just false confidence. I'm around the building. I see what goes on. I know we got Christian McCaffrey, we got Trent Williams, got George Kittle, we got, you know, we got all these guys that you, you need guys when it comes down to. To making it to the playoffs and winning this thing. So we got guys. You know, of course, people are just going to look at the defensive side of the ball and how we don't have, you know, our horses on that side. But it's a scrappy group. A scrappy group. And you have the best of the best at defensive coordinator Robert Sala on that side, who knows how to scheme things up and put people in position to be at their best.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Right, right. I can't believe I have to take the Niners off the board here, but are you, Are you not willing to say, hey, like, would you not want to say the Rams are the best team because you feel like you're betraying the guys?

[Fred Warner]

The Rams, The Rams are damn good. They are. I got a ton of respect for the Rams. I got a ton of respect for Seattle. I think they are fantastic teams. And both teams that we've beaten this year, I'll say that as well. You know, those are two teams we have beaten. You know, you see the Rams lose, lose a road game to the Panthers, and it's like, oh, man, the Rams, I thought they, man, you can't be going on the road losing to the Panthers. Then they go back and they beat up the Cardinals the following week, drop 40 on their head, and. And now everybody thinks they're the best things since last. So it's just a week to week thing, though. You know, it's like, all right, who's the best this week at this point in the season? So everybody's record is what it is, but there are some other heavy hitters that are, that are, that are still in there, aside from guys who are in the NFC west, you know what I'm saying? So it's a very competitive group in our conference right now, and I'm excited to see it, seriously.

[Ryan Rosillo]

But I see, I think that Carolina game speaks exactly what you were talking about. Like, hey, I can tackle a guy, 10 guys 10 times down the field, but if I can, if I Can change the turnover game. And that's how, you know, you look at Carolina. 2 4th down conversions, they've got the big staff return over, by the way, there are seven and six team and they seem to play better against the better team. So the Carolina loss is not the same as like, hey, what's wrong with them? But even the best teams in this league have that week 3,000%. What was that? So the simplest explanation, whenever I see something going on, I'll be like, I immediately look at like turnovers. It's like, okay, well they're minus two. Like they have 180 yards. The other team has 40 yards and it's 10 nothing. And it's because of the two turnovers. What happens when it's not the turnover game? What, what happens? Like, is there ever a team, I don't know if it's been this year or like you, you were like, hey, no one would ever believe us, but we were in the locker room being like, I can't believe they have this bad record because that team seems way better. Or at least they were against us on a Sunday.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, I mean it usually, a lot of the time it does come over to that turnover battle, you mentioned it in that game versus the Rams with Carolina. But it also has to do with just every single play that happens in a game. I mean, there's so much, there's so much to be said about situational football. And I think that's what made the Patriots dynasty so great. And Bill Belichick is, from what I hear, you know, I obviously was a fan watching the game when that was all going on. But they talk about how meticulous that Bill Belichick was in those team meetings and talking about situational football, whether it was a two minute drill, you know, before the half, two minute drill, end of game, you know, third downs, third and shorts versus third and long and all these little things in between first, second downs. Right. So, you know, teams that are maybe younger, you know, and if it's a head coach that may be young or a team that's young and they're just not dialed in on those specifics, but they're, they come out there, they're feisty, they hit you in the mouth, they fly to the football, they got playmakers who make plays on the ball in the air and quarterbacks that rip it like, yeah, you come away from that game thinking, God dang, like that team is legit. How I don't know why the record looks like that. There's plenty. You see that all the time. But most of the time late in the season like this, if you have a juggernaut versus a team that hasn't had a lot of witness, usually because that other team turned the ball over, they couldn't find a way to get it together. Right? So I think that's usually what happens, especially this late in the season.

[Ryan Rosillo]

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[Fred Warner]

Boy, it's a toss up. It's a huge toss up right now. You know, I think it's fun. It's a fun time in the AFC right now. I think that's the word to use in the afc because of course, before the season, who was penciled in to be at the top of the conference? The you had the Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Andy Reid. You had the Ravens, who on paper are loaded. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, whole defensive side of the ball loaded. Of course, the Bills, Josh Allen and everything that he's done. MVP Joe Burrow before the season. Then the Bengals, they thinking, okay, if they can sh up that defense, you know, they paid both their top receivers, they're ready to Sling that thing and get this thing rolling. Those were the guy that, you know, those are the team. Those are the four teams that everybody's had had penciled in for, like, the last four seasons, right? But then, man, this. This season with injuries and nobody. I mean, I. I would have never thought that the Chiefs would be where they're at right now. You're talking about not even making the playoffs with the Chiefs. That's. That's crazy to think about, you know, but it is fun to see a team like the New England Patriots with Vrabel bringing them to. Being at the top of the conference with the. With the Broncos. Right? They're neck and neck right now for that one seed. So to think that the playoffs could run through Foxborough or Denver, like, oh, shoot, who would have thought that? But there's still things with both of those teams where you're like, I don't know, like, they're both young. They're young teams, like, not to say that their coaches are young, but, like, they got young players. And so, you know, is the moment going to be too big? So it's. So it's a. It's a fun. It's an interesting time to see. I don't know. I wouldn't. I wouldn't know who to pick out of that. Out of that conference. But it's. And then you talk about the Texans. Like, I think about the Texans, Amico Ryan's. Their defense is just stingy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Like, bro, what's their defense doing? Cause, like, this has been going on, but it was easy to overlook. Cause then CJ's out for a couple games and you're like, I don't know how. And then it's like, hey, man, we're almost through the season. And the stats, there's no argument when you look at the stats. So what do you see from the Texans defense? Cause, like, there's part of me that's thinking, if this is what the field's going to be like, right? I had said a couple weeks ago, this is setting up for the Bills. The Ravens are a mess. Mahomes might be at home. You know, Burrow's not going to be playing. But this is the worst version of the Bills in the last five years, so it sets up better for them. So when I start looking at, like, I go, am I just going to.

[Fred Warner]

Go, hey, you know what?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Stroud's gotten a little bit better. You know, Nico's an awesome number one. And look at this defense. Like, I might ride that defense all the way through the afc, because I just don't know what to do with the other teams that are improving just like they are.

[Fred Warner]

They say defense wins championships. And like this is that type of defense where you could see if they were to make a run. It's like, oh, my gosh, they made it because their defense is just so dang good. Like, I think you look back at that, that primetime game against the Bills where they, they sacked Josh Allen the most he's ever been sacked in his career. What was like seven or eight times in one game. They do a phenomenal job of stopping the run. I mean, they play our scheme. It's d' Ameco brought obviously the defense that we ran here and brought it over there. They just got guys who, who. Who are running it at a different clip right now. Their DBs are, are playing phenomenal, taking the ball away out of the air. Linebackers, my, my guys, he's all Shahir, holding it down in the middle, making plays. And of course, their D line, the edge rushers are two of the best in the game. And like just being able to affect the passer. They're phenomenal on third down, phenomenal in the run game. All the things that you see one in the top defense every single. Every single time you watch the Texans, you look up and you see the scoreboard and you're like, they literally hold teams under 20 every game. It seemed like in the fourth quarter, you're looking up, it's like, oh my gosh, the other team has 10 points again. Like, how are they doing this? And they're just, they're just playing stingy ball. Like they're on it. They're on the details. It's a product of the miko Ryan's, their D.C. you know, and they're, they're. They're playing tough right now. I don't know. Team wants to see that defense right now.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, they haven't get up what I think more than 20. I think one time in the last eight games.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, I think that was what to.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Seattle last seven games. Yeah, Seattle, they gave up 27. Yeah, they did win against Jacksonville, 29. But then every other game you're just like you said, just under 20 points. Would you rather have Josh Allen headed to the playoffs or that Texans D?

[Fred Warner]

I guess it just depends, man. I mean, if you, if you have a phenomenal quarterback, but then no defense. I mean, is that that. Is that really going to. That. That reminds me of last year's Joe Burrow. Like, Joe, and I'm not trying to, you know, speak down on the Bengals at all. Like, this just, this is just what it was last year. You see Joe, you see Joe Burrow week in and week out, throwing for over 300 yards. Jamar Chase, three touchdowns, and they're putting up 30, 40 points, but they're still losing every game. And you look up, you're like, well, what the heck? We have a phenomenal quarterback. We have a great duo and trio. With T. Higgins, it's like, why aren't we winning? It's because it's complimentary football. You have to play as a team. So, you know, I can't, I can't really say which one I'd rather have. You got to obviously have both.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Who would you rather be? An open field one on one tackle, Lamar or Josh Allen?

[Fred Warner]

I've been there both times and I've lost both battles. You know, Lamar is just different dude. Like, he could truly play running back or receiver if he wanted to. Not to say that Josh Allen couldn't go play another position, but Josh is, is big and, and just really just savvy about him. You know, there's a savvy about him, but Lamar truly runs like a 4:2, you know what I'm saying? And can play receiver if he wanted to. So it's just. Lamar's pretty tough in open field.

[Ryan Rosillo]

So did Josh. Did you. Was it a.

[Fred Warner]

It was in the snow. It was in the snow last game last, last year, and we played him in prime time and, you know, it was out in open field. He just ran away. And I'm trying to get my footing, can't get in. I dive at him. He looks back at me, one of those, and I'm like, all right, remember that old Joshi?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, he's. He's one of the few guys like with Cam, you know, you go, hey, I wonder if this guy can run it in from the five yard line like this all season long and hold up. Yeah, you know, I, like Jalen Hurst may not be my favorite, but I also think with some of the stuff that they do, it's like physically you kind of need him to take, take that toll because he's so strong. He's not big like Cam, but he's, he's stout, right. He's strong as hell. And so it's, it's not necessarily my favorite thing with quarterbacks because I always feel like one thing I can't stand with younger quarterbacks is if you're super athletic. Like, they look at one thing and then they go, right, they, they have one thing, and it's like, they freak out. It's like, well, there's seven yards right here, and it looks really good. It looks, like really good in the beginning of their careers and all this kind of stuff. But then I start thinking, like, all right, if you're in the red zone and you keep doing this over and over, and you're gonna get killed.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You know, like, Jackson dart. It's fun.

[Fred Warner]

God bless him.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Right? It's fun, but, like, at some point, you have to evolve from this thing. Yeah.

[Fred Warner]

I think he just watching from afar. It looks like he made of the right stuff. You'd rather tell a guy, hey, let's. Let's tone it down than to giddy up. You know what I'm saying? So it seems like he got.

[Ryan Rosillo]

He.

[Fred Warner]

He got there. He made it the right stuff. He'll figure it out.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I want to end on this today, and I'm really excited to do this. As we gear up, we'll start looking ahead to games and all that kind of stuff, you know, and our text thread will start heating up a little bit. The Shanahan experience. I've heard the stories. There's too many people that have played quarterback, that coached, that work in the game, that talk about him in almost revered tones. What was something that you think about with him? And I granted his focus on the other side of the football, but I imagine you've been there long enough where there was something that made you realize that this guy is different than other people.

[Fred Warner]

I don't know if there's necessarily a moment that comes to mind. I mean, there are things that he has said that have stuck with me to this day. I remember being in a meeting, in a team meeting early on. I think it may have been as early as my rookie year or second season. And he said something as simple as, you're either getting better, you're getting worse in this league, you're never staying the same. And he was just, like, so. So direct about it. And I remember hearing him say it, and I'm like, I mean, he's right. Like, there's no such thing as, like, you see players every year. You're like, oh, it seems like that guy's just as good as he was last year. And it's like, no, there's no such thing as just as good as you were last year. You're either a little bit better or you're a little bit worse. And so for me, it was like when I hit that peak of an All Pro and a pro bowl and then I didn't get it the next year. This was in 2020 I achieved that. And in 2021 I didn't get was just such a distinct reminder of like, oh, it's true. Like you're eating better, you're getting worse. And I made it my thing. From 2021 on, I'm like, I will never miss an All Pro. I'll never miss a Pro bowl ever again unless you go and snap your ankle and that. But you know, other than that, it's like I'm going to make sure I'm better than I was the year before. It's like you can't just redo the same things you did in that offseason training the year before. You have to make sure you add things and continue to evolve in your game. Right. So that was something that stuck with me. But I mean, truly, just all throughout training camp, man, there's so much I learn and throughout the season, of course, but especially in training camp when he's going through that film of the practice before every single morning when we get in that team meeting and he's showing things. I mean there's so much things I've learned about wide receiver play that I probably know more about wide receiver, what we expect of all wide receivers in this system than some of our young receivers that are playing for us right now. Because I've just heard the same things over and over again throughout the years about just catching the ball, drop stepping, like different things in the run game, being able to block and when you catch the, like just all these little minute details that are expected of our receivers. Like it's tough to come in here as a young receiver and play in our system because of, of the level of detail that he expects. Right. But I mean he knows the game in and out, man. He's, he's able to connect not only just being an offensive minded coach, but to the defense because he truly understands and, and values how important high level defensive play is. So, you know, I, I have utmost and total respect for Kyle, man. And he obviously is putting on a, a masterclass of how to head coach, especially this season through a lot of the things that we've dealt with. So, so I'm glad he's my coach.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I lied. I have one other thought. How did you feel about BYU not being in the playoffs?

[Fred Warner]

Tough, man, tough. Those are my guys. Obviously still had a great season, but anytime you get blown out by the same team twice in the same season, man, it's going to be hard to Plead your case for why you deserve to be in there. Right. So at the same time, like I said, phenomenal season. Coach Kalani, best in the game. Love what he does for the team. Obviously. He was a coach for me for two years and is such a player's coach. Love him through and through. They've gotten exponentially better since I've been there. The fact that they're even competing for college playoff spots now is phenomenal. As a fan of the game to watch them. But, yeah, like I said, like, it's just. It's just tough. Given the circumstance.

[Ryan Rosillo]

A fair and reasonable answer from an alum. So I wasn't. I wasn't prepared for that. But that's you just being a character. Like I said, we're going to do this throughout the season. Make sure you check out real ones. The League, a podcast hosted by our guy, Fred Warner. He just had Derwin James on the Puka new cool ones. Already done. Over a hundred thousand views. So he's got a lot of really good stuff going on there. And interviewing players that are currently active. I'm sure fired up to talk to Fred, just like we are, man. So are you going to be in the building for the Tennessee game or.

[Fred Warner]

Of course, absolutely every game.

[Ryan Rosillo]

All right. We'll be looking for you. We'll be like, hey, that's our guy.

[Fred Warner]

That's right.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Boots on the ground. We'll get a full CAM award scouting report next time we talk.

[Fred Warner]

That's right. Sure will.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Hey, thanks, man. Enjoy the weekend.

[Fred Warner]

All right, buddy. Appreciate it. I'm not going back to college to be your friend. I'm going so I can get Uber One for students. It saves you on Uber and UberEats. I'm there for zero dollar delivery fee on cheeseburgers, up to 10% off smoothies, and 6% Uber credits back on rides. Just to be clear, I'm there for savings, not whatever you think college is for.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Get Uber one for students, a membership to save on Uber. And Uber eats.

[Fred Warner]

With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Join for just $4.99 a month.

[Fred Warner]

Savings may vary eligibility and member terms apply.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You want details?

[Fred Warner]

Fine.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I drive a Ferrari 355 Cabriolet.

[Ryan Rosillo]

What's up?

[Fred Warner]

I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you can possibly imagine, and best of all, kids, I am liquid. So now you know what's possible.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Let me tell you what's required.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Life advice. The email address lifeadvicermail.com, little later, taping on a Thursday for the Thursday night, Friday morning release, golden hour out here in the South Bay. If you're watching on YouTube, which I would thank you for subscribing and checking out on YouTube, the Sun decided to start hanging out. Taking up Ceruti spot because it's just Kyle Ceruti's off, which is great because he's doing a trip with his boys.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Oh, that's what it was. I was about to say he's probably being like a good dad right now, and it's like, not even close. He's with the boys.

[Ryan Rosillo]

That's cool. No, he's off for a day. Maybe he's only missing one show or whatever his duties are outside of this. But, yeah, I encourage that. I think more people all the weekends. I was like, sorry, guys, can't. You know. Week 8 AP rankings come out. Not gonna get those.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Heard that one before. Heard that one before.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Oh, hey, easy, easy. It was more traffic.

[Kyle Ceruti]

You can tell me, man. It's just us now. You could tell me what was the problem that whole time? It was a traffic.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Me drinking Tuesday at 4 o' clock and traffic. There's two factors. Like me getting to the Frolic. You're not a night guy, all right? The only time I'm ever doing it is at night. And so for you and I to hang out, we had tons of traffic in between us, and we had two entirely different interpretations of what it was to go out.

[Kyle Ceruti]

You're right. Yeah. All right. Yeah, we can move on. Let's read an email. Still hurts just as much as the last time. Okay.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I hate that I never made it up there for you. And then the one night where I was at Frank and Hank's and I was like, it's on tonight. I just got out of a concert. And then I text Kyle. I go, where are you? Is there any way you can be at the Frolic? I'll be there in 10 minutes. And I think I got hit up the next day. It was like, dude, I've been asleep for like two hours. I think it was. Let's see.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Probably went that day. Really makes you tired when you. When you go to the Frolic early. It's.

[Ryan Rosillo]

You're.

[Kyle Ceruti]

It's crazy how tired you can get learning physics.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'm reading something about that. Some science journal how if you drink earlier during the day, somehow you become tired later at night.

[Kyle Ceruti]

It's crazy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'm not sure there's any conclusions yet. We've got about 30 more emails on what this guy should do about trying to Ask his girlfriend to move in with all the different friends. And honestly, a lot of them are really funny. Like sometimes we'll get flooded with something and you're like this. This time it was so kudos to you. Job well done. One last crack of the guy leaving his girlfriend moving the boys first. My stats. 6 foot 1, 185, 27 years old, former D1 baseball player. Not good enough to put a pro baseball player in my bio. I don't know. I don't know how good you have to be. Actually, I don't even know you have to play pro baseball to put pro baseball player in your bio. I've seen it a ton. We've covered. I even had it in my bio for a long time, which makes less sense than this guy. Certainly bench 325 once on the Juice years ago. Honest and strong. Pick up comp. Russell Westbrook of Russell Westbrook thought he was Kyrie Irving. I like that one as well. Solution. The boys, while not living together, should start the same movie all at the exact same time in their remote locations. Just like the guy that was too afraid to ask out the the girl. What? That's more special than moving in together? Remember the guy in the plane?

[Kyle Ceruti]

Yes.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Well, no. Excuse me, I was talking about my time on the plane. This is the guy that went to the sort of rare metal concert. Right, right.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Oh, that was for that guy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Okay, I understand. No, no, no, no, no. He's. He's combining two different emails together.

[Fred Warner]

And.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Yeah, the purpose is. What though? What's the purpose of.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It was kind of a joke. It was kind of like. See, I thought it was funny.

[Kyle Ceruti]

You jokes don't need to be explained that much. That's all I'll say.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, no, that's fair. Maybe it was an audience of one. So let's check in with our fluke encounter guy because I feel like we got a response. Let's see. Yeah. So our guy that did actually start the movies at the exact same time, the girl that he bought the concert ticket with and then, you know, followed it up, just non stop connection. Then we were sort of on his case a little bit for slow playing it and almost putting himself in the friend zone. As hilarious as the life advice was, this is our guy. The night after I sent that email, things took an unexpected turn that I can't really explain. Feels like I got dumped without ever being in a real relationship.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Damn.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Sometimes you never really know. Not a great week.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Damn. So he never even got to fire off the let. Should we make A plan. Because he just. It was all kind of laid out for him. Nice and neat, huh?

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'll tell you, more is lost waiting around than not waiting around.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Shit, man. Wow, that one hurts.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'm sorry. You're really affected by it, it seems.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Well, yeah. I mean, we spent the whole time being like, dude, this is how it all gets screwed up. If you don't do anything, like, she's probably waiting. You basically promised him that she was wa. He was fucking it up. And I don't know what sort of format this information came in, but it sounds like it was pretty unquestionable for him, so that sucks. Don't let it stop you in the future. Keep putting up shots.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, maybe that's the whole point, is that he learned a lesson from that one. But just kind of waiting around, soul playing and the whole thing. And then you're just giving her, like.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Or the lesson is, sometimes, dude, she's actually not waiting for you to do this. And. And now it's all screwed up.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, but she called this off when it wasn't really even a thing. Then clearly she was thinking of it as a thing at some point. And that's a way to look, you know, they're fickle beasts sometimes. You never quite know. Yeah. You know, but, like, hey, this seemed like a good sign, and then this was a bad sign. Although you could argue men give out no signs whatsoever. So that. Is that better? Is that worse? Is it less confusing? Is it's. Is it more limited understanding? Who knows? But I would say it's a massive ego move, though, because it's happened to me once where I got dumped before anything had even happened. And I was. I almost was, like, more offended. I wasn't even bummed out that the person didn't want to spend any time with me. It was more like. That's pretty arrogant. Like, you think you need to go to this level to explain to me why this isn't going to work out when there's nothing that's.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Actually, we don't have anything on paper here, dude.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I don't even like you. How dare you dump me the you think you are. I don't even like you. Yeah, all right.

[Kyle Ceruti]

That one hurts for my guy.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Sorry. Yeah. Another thing on dragons that we should have done with Ceruti, but the reason why so many people believed in dragons is because they were uncovering dinosaur bones, which makes a lot of sense. Pterodactyls. You've seen any of that coverage? It's Dragon 101. So thanks for that. For the anthropologists out there or just people with tons of common sense, we should have been able to figure that one out. But yeah. So we took us down the dragon road. He's a big mythical creature guy to begin with. Norseman. Fuck's going on there? Yeah, the Cryptids, the whole thing. All right. Is this a trap? Should I care? First time, long time. Six, six two four zero. 30 years old. Pause on that. Three sets of 10 for 225 bench and squat. It's good. Three sets of 10 at 225. Be even better if it were 275. If you're 240. But you know what? 666, it's a lot of size.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It's a lot of size. 660 is like skinny 240. So who knows? I started a separation with my wife in April of this year and split access to a co owned house. She has a very successful business with potential for seven figure income each year. So she traveled for business for six months while I stayed at the house. And she kicked me out to my parents or basement pullout bed whenever she was home for a few days between trips. I chose to get a separate place for six months so I could have my own space that's not controlled by an estranged wife.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I think that was the move I get.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Everyone's living situation. A lot of challenging times. Who knows what's going on with rent control, the laws out here, whatever. I'll just keep moving on. Main cause you had something there, there.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Was something there for you.

[Ryan Rosillo]

No, but like when I try to rank the living situations that I never wanted was post college with my parents. Boom. Yeah. But I never got married. So nobody even wants to hear from me on this thing. But like say I were engaged or say that I was married and then going through divorce. But there's so many people that do this. So I'm not necessarily even knocking it. I just be like, where's the cardboard? I'm going to Florida. You know, because I remember there was.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Because you would be the one who gets kicked out, right? That's just a rule for some reason. And you know, it's like we did it all together. I used to. I poured a bunch of shit into this house and now I just don't have a house because you said I shouldn't be here anymore unless you did something really wrong. But it just, it just like the guy, the person. I'm saying the guy, the person who loses the House that just gotta feel kind of unfair.

[Fred Warner]

Unless you're like, well, this may be.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Totally fair though, based on the finances. Like it may have been, hey, this is a great situation.

[Kyle Ceruti]

It's hard for me to wrap my head around finances like that. Sorry.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Hey, look, I think about it sometimes too. Wwi, wwii, nam, you know, heart disease. But then, you know, you look at the percentage of male CEOs, so, you know, a lot of this stuff can balance out a little bit. Okay. WNBA salaries, you know, so, you know, we win some, we lose some. Yeah. She initially. Wait a minute. Main cause of the middle issues is she didn't feel loved and didn't feel respected. And we'll both argue who started and not agree on it. No kids involved. She initiated the separation and said I should see different people to see if she really is who I think I want. I was devastated. Wow. How about that? Hey, go date other people for a little while. Hook up six months, come back, see somebody like, can I do that? Right before we. But this guy didn't go that route. He was like, I'm devastated. I was devastated. Heartbroken. But months later came to realize I was a little too go with the flow and didn't see some red flags. I started to realize that the sadness dissipated once you get out of that sadness zone. That's true. Clarity 2020. Yeah. In the flow. Fighters call it flow state. Since separation, I've been working fitness, going to therapy to see what my issues are. You know what, I'm sorry I said that about 275. You don't fucking need that right now. And concentrated on work. 275. Three sets of ten, by the way, is massive. Massive. It's just. He sent a picture of. He and his wife is a good looking guy. He's had a great frame. I don't know what to tell you. You know, I'm an evaluator of talent even when I'm not. I'm not loaded like her with a business. But I do find, well, he gave us a salary. I don't think we need to do that. But you know he's going to pay the bills now it's December. I moved to a city and debating starting the apps to meet people again to see what I really want. She said I should meet new people at the start of the separation. Go date. But technically there's no formal divorce. And when I tried to schedule couples counseling at the beginning of the month, she was sketchy about telling me her schedule. Is this a trap to start dating again or Is it fair game? I'm not talking dating just to hook up, but I feel ready to try and figure out what might actually work for me since this clearly isn't. Thanks and congrats on the new pot. Oh, thank you.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Look, you guys are a really cute couple. What can I tell you? So the question is, is this a trap?

[Kyle Ceruti]

It sounds like it's about to be a divorce. I don't.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I don't know. Right. But is the concern here? I feel like I'm just gonna warn the emailer and the audience right now. I think I'm gonna do a bad job with this one. But is he suggesting that this is a trap? Because technically they are still married and then she's going to have, like, a.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Better position to, like, what, sue for abandonment or something?

[Ryan Rosillo]

Or keep her money.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Is that a clause? I don't even know if that's a.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Clause in one of those projects. I don't know.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I didn't quite get one.

[Fred Warner]

One.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Either of us should be giving advice on this one. It sounds like the stakes are pretty high.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Have we ever passed on one before?

[Kyle Ceruti]

Maybe. Maybe we. Maybe we could. Maybe we could. I don't know. I don't understand what the trap would be especially. Well, I'll. My one expertise would be to bring up a little Judge Judy notice here. If you have texts about saying you should go start dating because you guys have been separated for a while, it sounds like you guys are either talking on the phone or texting. And if you guys aren't communicating so great, it's probably over text. Which means you do have. Probably some sort of her. Some sort of version of her saying, well, why don't you go out and see what's out there for you? I don't think it's a trap. I think, but I don't know if your wife's that kind of lady, then maybe it is, but I don't know. I think it'd be okay.

[Fred Warner]

I don't know.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I mean, where's his head at? Like, if it's her business and she's made all this money. Look, the guy hasn't mentioned money the entire time. I'm just trying to think, like, what is the actual trap? Is it because you want to get back together? And she's saying, hey, why don't you go do this thing that most people would not want you to do? And then if you do it, then you're totally screwed because she's like, I can't believe you actually did the thing that I told you to do. But it proves that you didn't love me because you wanted to meet other people, date and then ultimately hook up, which he's saying first and foremost in the two options that he had had. So maybe it's not about divorce. Maybe it's not about one lawyer yelling at the other other lawyer and saying he did this and she did this and all that stuff. So let's. Maybe I took us down that road. And that's totally unfair and not even accurate about what this is. If it's just about getting back together and he. That I think that's what this is. And that he's saying, is this a trap?

[Kyle Ceruti]

I think it would be a long game. That would be a pretty long game to play.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I mean, I have one friend, again, I love the polling of one. So I have this one scenario that I can argue. So that means everybody should listen to it. But he was an older guy, he had been divorced. The woman he was dating had been divorced and she had kids. And I'm not choked up about this. I don't know him that well. But, you know, she kind of like went at him and was like, look, if you want to try to date younger girls and have these three and six month flings that go nowhere, you know, maybe you'll meet somebody, but if that's what you really want to do, then go ahead and fucking do it. Go ahead and do it and like, I'll give you some time and then you get it out of your system or you realize that that's what you want. And it worked like a charm. Married, kids, whole thing, been together a really long time, a nice little love story worked out. He was smart enough to not take her advice. Yeah. I think that maybe where we land on this whole thing is that if you. Most people. Okay, most people. I would think in this case, if there's any way to salvage this marriage, she actually wouldn't want you to do these things. But he's living in a new city. He's not even living in the house anymore. So I don't.

[Kyle Ceruti]

That's what I'm saying. This would be such a long game. And then for her to still be sketchy about him doing the earnest thing, I'm like, hey, try to get some couples counseling out of the books. The fact that she's not committing to any of that, I just, I can't say. I mean, he's smart enough to know if this has been going on long enough where it would be a trap. This would be, you know, is she actually a crazy person where she would play a long game for like eight months and lay in the weeds for you to do this one thing, get on a dating app and then be like ah, now I know you didn't love me, so I don't think it was that. But again, I said I wanted to pass like four minutes ago, so I.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Still think I wanted to pass. I don't know. I was reading pieces of it again here and I can't. I did a bad job. I don't know if it's because I wanted to.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Can we just absolve ourselves from anything that happens happens now. Everything with the grain of salt as we don't know what we're talking about.

[Ryan Rosillo]

What I'm really looking forward to is the super nasty emails tell us up out of a job. Yeah, we did. When it's like all right.

[Fred Warner]

Hey, Ryan.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Reynolds here wishing you a very happy half off holiday because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50% off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service service it meant to still premium unlimited wireless for a great price. So that means a half day. Yeah. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Fred Warner]

Of 45 for three month plan equivalent.

[Ryan Rosillo]

To 15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow 135 gigabytes of networks fizzy.

[Fred Warner]

Taxes and fees extra c mintmobile.com all right.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Hello, long time listener, first time caller, 58165 player comp. Steve Novak. A lot of Steve Novaks out there. Basically just standpoint line understandable, try to get occasional rebounds, execute good outlet passes. I'm just telling you right now, Steve could catch and reset off the dribble and then get his shot off. It was one of the differentiators with Steve Novak. My wife and I are the first. Our first time dog owners are dealing with a question that we've never had to answer before. Our lab mix is almost 13 years old and sadly it appears his age has caught up to him. He no longer has control of his bowels and we were routinely finding pee and poop in the morning and when we return home after work, errands, etc. Etc. When we were home he has no interest in playing, being around our two younger children at ages one and four even going on walks. All these things just six months ago he loved were daily activities. He's also either deaf or just doesn't give a shit anymore. Hard to tell which since I can't ask him is sometimes Skittish or sudden noises. But the other times it looks like he can't hear. He still eats, drinks water, but otherwise is unrecognizable from the dog. Has given us such joy over the past 13 years. Blood work has all come back with no major issues. Our vet has told us there's really nothing we could do to help his declining condition. And this is what happens when dogs get old. Our question is this. Are we horrible dog owners for thinking that euthanization is the best route to take in this situation? While he does not appear to be in physical pain, it's clear he's not enjoying his life and is not the same dog he was even six months ago. That's crazy that it would fall off. But again, I'm not sure. There's plenty of lab owners. Do you know anything about labs?

[Kyle Ceruti]

Not that kind of lab, no.

[Ryan Rosillo]

What kind of dog did you have growing up?

[Kyle Ceruti]

Mutts. Just like a mix. A lot of mixes. Towards the end, my parents got schnoodles and I was like, I did not think we would be a schnoodle family. And I gotta say, I don't really respect this family as much anymore. I just, I thought of us as like, you know, larger dog people. And this is different. I wasn't prepared to. To say the word schnoodle on a regular basis either. So, you know, I don't really like that you guys put me in that position. But again, I'm not paying the bills here.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I was younger. I think you're established enough as a guy. But yeah, that schnoodle fact may change it for some.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I got a magnet, I'm put in the car with a bone that said, I love my schnoodles. It's like, damn, damn. You guys really leaning into this.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Our question again, we said he doesn't appear to be in any physical pain. We love him and we want him around for as long as possible. We also do not want him to suffer longer than he has to. As I said, my wife and I are first time dog owners and neither of us have had dogs growing up. We were looking for any advice or counsel y' all can provide. Yeesh. Well, do you have a priest? I don't know.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Go to a priest and see what he says. On the one hand, if you said 13 years old, he's raised this dog, he can tell when something's wrong. He probably knew when he swallowed something or had a sock stuck in his intestines or whatever. He's like, yep, something's wrong. He can tell. And this guy, he's noticed the difference and you're probably right. And there might not be something in his blood that the vet can legally tell you, like, yeah, you know, he's clearly in a lot of pain because of what these numbers say or whatever. Like, maybe they're just not going to tell you that. It's tough. It's sort of like a gut feeling that you as a dog owner for 13 years will know. I think the answer is in your heart, buddy. I don't know. That's tough. Like I'm saying, maybe if you have a priest or something that could tell you if you did a good job with your decision making. But I think on paper, when it says there's nothing really immediately wrong with him, but you just know the zest is gone and you wonder when enough's enough. I think you probably know the answer and I don't think any of us would be able to tell you. But yeah, it's a little bit of a gray area, so I think just approaching it, knowing that will be better for your conscience.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I'm on the Labrador site right now. Shout out to them and this is pretty detailed and it's not asking me if I need a home equity line. So senior years are targeted nine years old onwards. And it says the average retirement of Labradors working as gun dogs is 10 years old. So this dog thought he was retired three years ago, although I don't think he mentioned anything about working as a gun dog. If the blood work came back, fine. You know, I don't know, it's like, hey, bring him back in. Check and see if he has diabetes. Tougher time with UTIs. So it sounds like 13 years is.

[Kyle Ceruti]

That's a long time to watch.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Yeah, it sounds like you're also. I mean, if I'm being totally honest, you didn't paint a great picture of owning it. Right now it sounds like you want someone else to nudge you in the direction of like, hey, it's okay. And I don't know, you know, I don't want to get.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I'll be that guy. If you want, send me a dm, but I don't feel good about it. I know it's tough.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I just don't know that I want to be on record as a podcast that told you guy.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Yeah, so, I mean, I dated a girl in. And I guess it was that kind of like post collegy area.

[Ryan Rosillo]

It was like a shortcut.

[Kyle Ceruti]

What happened?

[Ryan Rosillo]

She slowed down a little bit?

[Kyle Ceruti]

No, you know, I think I Just outgrew the whole thing, you know, Just outgrew it. But she had.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Still alive.

[Fred Warner]

Yeah, she.

[Kyle Ceruti]

Yeah, yes. Doing great. But she had a. Yeah, I was pausing there for. At the wrong time, but she had a cat that was going through the incontinence thing.

[Ryan Rosillo]

No missing.

[Kyle Ceruti]

And it just didn't want to. I just didn't want to be over there ever. Because you never knew where it was. It was everywhere. Anywhere. And cats are different than dogs. They climb on more places, but, like, you might be having an eye level shit that you weren't expecting instead of just, like, stepping in it. So the animal incontinence is really, really tough. And I don't envy what you got going on there.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Nope. No one does not listen to that. So. Yeah, I feel like we missed a Rudy today. I didn't expect that to happen.

[Kyle Ceruti]

You didn't expect it to happen? I kind of did.

[Fred Warner]

Well, no.

[Ryan Rosillo]

I mean, I love having them around, but I thought we could get through one.

[Kyle Ceruti]

I mean, these were two heavy ones. Do you read through these and make sure you know what vibe of you're putting together? Do you know what? Or are we just like, hey, I'm thinking about. I think a divorce is coming down the pike. Do you think I should talk to other women? And this could be a huge financial change for me. And what should I do about my dying dog? These are.

[Ryan Rosillo]

Well, he already moved to another town, so I think he's basically, it's happening. But I couldn't tell if he was motivated to salvage it and then not have anything on his record while they're technically married or not. And I don't know if we, like, think about this poor lab. It doesn't even have any choice. This guy just moved to Salt Lake. Like, hey, man, good luck. All right, that'll do it for the show today. Damn. Thanks to Kyle. Thanks to Fred Warner, who will be joining us, as we said, regularly throughout the show through the football season. And make sure you check out our YouTube page. And thank you for subscribing to Ryan Rosilla show, part of the Barstool Network. Sat.