WEBVTT 00:00:03.150 --> 00:00:05.549 Double bag alert, double bag alert, double bag 00:00:05.549 --> 00:00:08.550 alert, folks. That's right. Bud Dupree and Rashad 00:00:08.550 --> 00:00:11.189 Bateman get paid. Aaron Rodgers finally heads 00:00:11.189 --> 00:00:14.070 to the Berg. Has Anthony Richardson's time run 00:00:14.070 --> 00:00:16.469 out with the Colts? Joe Flacco gets grilled by 00:00:16.469 --> 00:00:19.730 his former teammate. And Deion Sanders defends 00:00:19.730 --> 00:00:22.390 Shador Sanders' professionalism, okay? All of 00:00:22.390 --> 00:00:24.769 this and more on the 81st episode of the Football 00:00:24.769 --> 00:00:27.469 Junkies Podcast. I am your host with the most. 00:00:27.609 --> 00:00:30.269 I am your chief bagger -o -dominance. I am your 00:00:30.269 --> 00:00:32.729 chief head of the table. Anything and everything. 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:34.990 Everything related to the bag, conspiracy theories, 00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:37.509 trades, you name it, we cover it over here at 00:00:37.509 --> 00:00:40.609 the Football Junkies Podcast. I am your GM who 00:00:40.609 --> 00:00:42.770 currently is not on the team right now, but don't 00:00:42.770 --> 00:00:45.250 you worry about it, all right? Don't you worry 00:00:45.250 --> 00:00:47.909 about it because guess what? I am all these things 00:00:47.909 --> 00:00:50.090 and more. But most importantly, the most important 00:00:50.090 --> 00:00:52.369 thing that you must remember is I am your host, 00:00:52.469 --> 00:00:54.289 Kale. You already know how these things are about 00:00:54.289 --> 00:00:56.689 to go. So guess what? On three, one, two, three, 00:00:56.729 --> 00:01:24.459 let's lock in. Right, folks, let's get into the 00:01:24.459 --> 00:01:26.700 meat and potatoes, everything that is going on 00:01:26.700 --> 00:01:29.359 in the league right now. So before we get into 00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:31.620 Aaron Rodgers' talk, let's talk about the bag 00:01:31.620 --> 00:01:34.799 alerts, all right? So Bud Dupree, outside linebacker 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:37.540 for the LA Chargers, inks a one -year $6 million 00:01:37.540 --> 00:01:40.819 extension. He'll be making $6 million a year. 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:42.799 And when we look at his stats from this past 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:45.379 season, 28 tackles, six sacks, and one pick. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:48.099 A good team -friendly extension that doesn't 00:01:48.099 --> 00:01:51.269 really hurt the Chargers in any way. Bud Dupree 00:01:51.269 --> 00:01:53.890 is still a very productive pass rusher. Now, 00:01:53.909 --> 00:01:56.489 is he in that tier with the Miles Gerrits and 00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:59.129 the TJ Watts and the Michael Parsons of the world? 00:01:59.189 --> 00:02:02.109 No, but he is somebody that can give you six 00:02:02.109 --> 00:02:04.510 to nine sacks a season, which is still fairly 00:02:04.510 --> 00:02:07.010 good because you have Khalil Mack on the other 00:02:07.010 --> 00:02:09.810 side. I think the Chargers approach when it came 00:02:09.810 --> 00:02:13.159 to pass rush. was to have one expensive pass 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:15.819 rusher and one cheaper pass rusher instead of 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:18.479 having two very expensive pass rushers where 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:21.099 one of them couldn't stay healthy and really 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:23.240 wasn't living up to the contract and the other 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:25.960 one was exceeding his contract. I can't really 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:28.060 hate the Chargers for it. I think it's a great 00:02:28.060 --> 00:02:29.919 deal. It does create a little bit more catch 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:32.280 space for them. Maybe they're trying to create 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:34.939 some more catch space so they can try to go after 00:02:34.939 --> 00:02:38.240 maybe someone like a Jalen Ramsey or a big player 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:40.919 that they really need. I don't know. but only 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.159 time will tell. But we have to talk about Rashad 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:45.639 Bateman. That's right. Receiver for the Ravens 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:49.520 inks a three -year $36 .7 million deal, $20 million 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:51.900 guaranteed, and he'll be making $12 .2 million 00:02:51.900 --> 00:02:54.960 a year. When we look at his stats, 72 targets 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.639 for 45 receptions, 756 receiving yards, nine 00:02:58.639 --> 00:03:01.960 touchdowns, and 16 .8 yards per reception. According 00:03:01.960 --> 00:03:07.639 to the 3013, 77 .8 of Bateman's 2024 receptions 00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:10.180 resulted in either a first down or touchdown. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.879 That is the highest rate in the league among 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:16.039 players with 40 plus catches. Now, he was one 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:20.360 of two other players that had a 75 % touchdown 00:03:20.360 --> 00:03:23.099 and first down rate. And the other two were A 00:03:23.099 --> 00:03:25.409 .J. Brown and Darnell Mooney. All in all, this 00:03:25.409 --> 00:03:28.550 is a really good team -friendly deal. This doesn't 00:03:28.550 --> 00:03:30.750 really break the bank for the Ravens, and I think 00:03:30.750 --> 00:03:33.030 this definitely creates enough cash space for 00:03:33.030 --> 00:03:35.530 them to go after either Jair Alexander or Jalen 00:03:35.530 --> 00:03:38.569 Ramsey. According to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler, 00:03:38.770 --> 00:03:40.909 Rashad Bateman approached the Ravens this offseason 00:03:40.909 --> 00:03:43.569 for an extension and was denied initially and 00:03:43.569 --> 00:03:45.800 was given permission to seek a trade. Multiple 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:48.139 teams were interested in Rashad Bateman, including 00:03:48.139 --> 00:03:51.020 the Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots, but the Ravens 00:03:51.020 --> 00:03:53.280 decided to give him an extension. The Ravens 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:55.360 made a really good decision in not trading away 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:58.020 Rashad Bateman just because of how pivotal of 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:00.439 a role he plays on this offense. You were talking 00:04:00.439 --> 00:04:02.800 about somebody that when he gets the ball in 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.479 his hands, it's either a first down or it's a 00:04:05.479 --> 00:04:08.099 touchdown. You're talking about a chain mover. 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:10.139 You're talking about someone that makes big plays. 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.879 You're somebody that gets the job done. Sure, 00:04:13.960 --> 00:04:15.919 he's not going to wow you with the stats and 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.920 whatnot, but he is somebody that is a big playmaker 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:21.420 for this Ravens offense. Now, when we shift things 00:04:21.420 --> 00:04:24.439 over to the speculative talk about, you know, 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:26.699 could they be possibly going after Jalen Ramsey 00:04:26.699 --> 00:04:31.290 or Jair Alexander, I will say this. Jalen Ramsey 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:34.170 would be great for the Ravens simply because 00:04:34.170 --> 00:04:37.610 he is an AFC North -style corner. He has the 00:04:37.610 --> 00:04:41.069 size, he still has speed, he's a willing tackler, 00:04:41.170 --> 00:04:43.389 and he can still hold his own against number 00:04:43.389 --> 00:04:46.290 one wide receivers, which you really do need 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:49.870 at this point. I think a secondary that has Marlon 00:04:49.870 --> 00:04:53.350 Humphrey, Nate Wiggins, Jalen Ramsey, Kyle Hamilton, 00:04:53.569 --> 00:04:58.009 and Malachi Starks would be very dangerous compared 00:04:58.009 --> 00:05:00.500 to what they have right now. My recommendation 00:05:00.500 --> 00:05:03.279 for resolving this entire Jalen Ramsey situation 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:07.319 is just doing a buyout. Because right now, there 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:09.680 is no team that is going to be willing to meet 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:12.199 the demands of the Dolphins. And I think Jalen 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:15.040 Ramsey and his side understand that. So I think 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.720 the best thing to do is to sacrifice a couple 00:05:17.720 --> 00:05:20.180 dollars, sacrifice some of your signing bonus, 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:23.120 just so you get to dictate where you want to 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:25.839 go. Because right now, the Chiefs can't make 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:28.360 a move for you. The Eagles could possibly make 00:05:28.360 --> 00:05:31.579 a move for you, but that's risking itself. So 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.019 you don't have a lot of options if you want to 00:05:34.019 --> 00:05:36.199 try to compete for another title. Now, if you're 00:05:36.199 --> 00:05:38.220 just trying to play in a better situation, well, 00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:41.259 then by all means, whoever gives you the best 00:05:41.259 --> 00:05:44.620 offer, you go there. But if I'm Jalen Ramsey, 00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:47.779 if I want to end my career with another ring, 00:05:48.430 --> 00:05:51.370 i would fork over 10 to 15 million in part of 00:05:51.370 --> 00:05:54.009 my signing bone dolphins just so i can experience 00:05:54.009 --> 00:05:56.430 winning another super bowl because you're already 00:05:56.430 --> 00:05:59.389 a hall of famer but wouldn't it be better to 00:05:59.389 --> 00:06:02.250 end your career as a two -time super bowl champion 00:06:02.250 --> 00:06:05.290 now when we shift things over with jire alexander 00:06:05.290 --> 00:06:08.230 however his situation is a little bit more complicated 00:06:08.230 --> 00:06:11.720 just because In the beginning part of the offseason, 00:06:11.980 --> 00:06:14.699 there was a lot of rumors that, you know, the 00:06:14.699 --> 00:06:17.560 Seahawks and the Packers were talking about trading 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:20.819 for Jire Alexander. Then that fell through. And 00:06:20.819 --> 00:06:22.680 then there was talks of Jire doesn't want to 00:06:22.680 --> 00:06:25.079 be with the Packers. Then now it's just quiet. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:28.279 But if I'm the Ravens, I'm calling Green Bay 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:30.420 just to test the waters, just to see exactly 00:06:30.420 --> 00:06:33.720 what's their asking price. And if it's non -negotiable. 00:06:33.779 --> 00:06:35.779 If it's non -negotiable, then I'll just leave 00:06:35.779 --> 00:06:37.980 it alone. But if it's something that we can work 00:06:37.980 --> 00:06:41.040 on, then by all means, do it. Because at this 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:43.160 point, Jair doesn't want to be with the Packers. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.639 He's let that be known. So it's just best that 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:48.959 you move off of him. Now with his contract, sure, 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:51.519 you could restructure it. You can do a plethora 00:06:51.519 --> 00:06:53.959 of different things. But the question is, would 00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:56.860 Jair be willing to be a team player? Because 00:06:56.860 --> 00:06:59.079 either way you look at it, both of these players 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:00.800 are going to have to make some type of sacrifice 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:03.540 to be in a better situation. The question is, 00:07:03.579 --> 00:07:06.500 what are you willing to sacrifice? But if I am 00:07:06.500 --> 00:07:08.720 the Ravens, I am picking up the phone for both 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:12.339 of these players. I'm trying to find a good sweet 00:07:12.339 --> 00:07:14.620 spot for a good deal between these two teams. 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:16.839 And whoever is willing to give me the better 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:19.040 deal, then by all means, I'll do that. Because 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:20.459 you don't need a whole bunch of draft picks. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:23.839 What you need is ballers. You need playmakers. 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:28.240 You need people that are closers. To me personally, 00:07:28.339 --> 00:07:30.620 I would venture to say Jalen Ramsey will be a 00:07:30.620 --> 00:07:33.899 better option just because if Patrick Mahomes 00:07:33.899 --> 00:07:36.339 sees Jalen Ramsey on the field, he's going to 00:07:36.339 --> 00:07:38.879 have to change everything. He can't just play 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:40.500 the same type of ball that he's been playing. 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:44.079 And that's the same thing for any of the other 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:46.740 AFC quarterbacks that Lamar and the Ravens are 00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:50.769 going to have to face. I just think the Ravens 00:07:50.769 --> 00:07:53.730 should just go and be aggressive and try to get 00:07:53.730 --> 00:07:56.170 one of these guys. Because if you do that, that 00:07:56.170 --> 00:07:58.490 will strike fear into all of your opponents. 00:07:58.670 --> 00:08:01.730 That will separate you from the Chiefs, the Bills, 00:08:01.810 --> 00:08:04.629 the Bengals, anybody else that everybody considers 00:08:04.629 --> 00:08:09.870 to be AFC playoff contenders. Otherwise, you 00:08:09.870 --> 00:08:12.689 run the risk of possibly having a major hole 00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:15.790 at corner that you may not be able to address 00:08:15.790 --> 00:08:18.569 until the trade deadline. I don't think you wanna 00:08:18.569 --> 00:08:20.910 wait that long. So I would get this deal done 00:08:20.910 --> 00:08:24.829 as soon as possible. Now onto the part that everybody 00:08:24.829 --> 00:08:27.269 has been waiting for, everybody has been talking 00:08:27.269 --> 00:08:30.329 about for the past 48 hours, and that is Aaron 00:08:30.329 --> 00:08:32.889 Rodgers is officially signing with the Pittsburgh 00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:35.529 Steelers. He visited the Steelers this morning, 00:08:35.610 --> 00:08:38.470 did all the things that he needed to do, and 00:08:38.470 --> 00:08:40.909 now the contract is signed and he will be wearing 00:08:40.909 --> 00:08:44.950 number eight. So the deal is a one -year $13 00:08:44.950 --> 00:08:47.649 .6 million deal, $10 million guaranteed with 00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:50.649 a maximum value of $19 .5 million. It includes 00:08:50.649 --> 00:08:53.509 $5 .8 million in playtime and team performance 00:08:53.509 --> 00:08:56.610 incentives, according to Adam Schefter. Now, 00:08:56.629 --> 00:08:59.110 when we look at his stats from this past season, 00:08:59.899 --> 00:09:05.379 584 attempts for 368 completions, 3 ,897 passing 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:09.080 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 kicks, 6 .7 yards per 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:12.580 attempt, and a 63 completion percentage. Here's 00:09:12.580 --> 00:09:14.919 the thing with Aaron Rodgers. Like him, hate 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:17.220 him, whatever. He was the best option for the 00:09:17.220 --> 00:09:20.019 Steelers right now. Because going after Kirk 00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:23.059 Cousins is just a waste. You're going to be giving 00:09:23.059 --> 00:09:25.940 up too much compensation to get somebody who 00:09:25.940 --> 00:09:29.070 didn't play his best ball with the Falcons. And 00:09:29.070 --> 00:09:31.110 that's why he's in the situation that he's in 00:09:31.110 --> 00:09:33.809 right now. I also have to mention that according 00:09:33.809 --> 00:09:36.509 to Adam Schefter, Rodgers was considered the 00:09:36.509 --> 00:09:39.429 third option. Pittsburgh tried trading for Matthew 00:09:39.429 --> 00:09:41.590 Stafford and was unsuccessful. And they also 00:09:41.590 --> 00:09:43.970 tried resigning Justin Fields and were also unsuccessful 00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:48.230 as well. Here's the thing with all of this. Did 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:49.610 I think the Steelers were going to be able to 00:09:49.610 --> 00:09:52.549 get Matthew Stafford? No. I think that was more 00:09:52.549 --> 00:09:54.789 of a tactic to try to get more money from the 00:09:54.789 --> 00:09:57.649 Rams. And of course it worked. Do I think Justin 00:09:57.649 --> 00:10:00.870 Fields was a legitimate option? Yes. But I think 00:10:00.870 --> 00:10:03.350 the reason why Justin Fields didn't re -sign 00:10:03.350 --> 00:10:05.929 with the Steelers was because one, they didn't 00:10:05.929 --> 00:10:07.710 give him a guarantee that he would be the guy 00:10:07.710 --> 00:10:11.889 moving forward and how they mishandled the entire 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:15.450 quarterback transition process. I think if they 00:10:15.450 --> 00:10:17.669 would have gave Justin Fields a longer leash, 00:10:17.909 --> 00:10:20.090 he probably would have stayed with the Steelers 00:10:20.090 --> 00:10:22.669 because the Steelers love Justin Fields. They 00:10:22.669 --> 00:10:25.149 wanted Justin Fields. Arthur Smith wanted Justin 00:10:25.149 --> 00:10:29.269 Fields back. But I think because they left a 00:10:29.269 --> 00:10:32.169 bad taste in his mouth, I think that's why he 00:10:32.169 --> 00:10:34.529 went to the Jets. It wasn't because of the money. 00:10:34.570 --> 00:10:37.389 It's because of the opportunity. Because we all 00:10:37.389 --> 00:10:39.169 know next year they're going to be going after 00:10:39.169 --> 00:10:42.289 the quarterback. So that puts someone like a 00:10:42.289 --> 00:10:44.649 Justin Fields in jeopardy. Because if you're 00:10:44.649 --> 00:10:46.289 not playing your best ball, guess what's going 00:10:46.289 --> 00:10:48.090 to happen? They're going to move off of you as 00:10:48.090 --> 00:10:50.029 quickly as possible, or you're going to be a 00:10:50.029 --> 00:10:52.990 backup. And I don't think Justin Fields wants 00:10:52.990 --> 00:10:56.860 to do that. And so... This was probably their 00:10:56.860 --> 00:10:59.639 best option at this point. Granted, Mason Rudolph 00:10:59.639 --> 00:11:02.919 could definitely win them some games, but I think 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:05.639 Aaron Rodgers is still a dangerous quarterback. 00:11:06.419 --> 00:11:09.740 I understand all the intangibles, all the antics 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:12.019 that come with him. I understand that. But when 00:11:12.019 --> 00:11:14.179 you put him on the field, he can still throw 00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:17.379 it. He still has that zip. He still has some 00:11:17.379 --> 00:11:20.480 juice left in his arm. So I don't hate the Steelers 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:23.980 for it. Now, here's the thing with all this. 00:11:24.519 --> 00:11:27.639 There's not a lot of quarterbacks past 40 who 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:30.179 have been super successful within the NFL. So 00:11:30.179 --> 00:11:32.179 I was able to do a little bit of research and 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:34.600 let's just go a little bit of a deep dive, all 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:38.820 right? So Drew Brees' 2019 season, he threw for 00:11:38.820 --> 00:11:43.759 378 attempts for 281 completions, 2 ,979 passing 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:48.179 yards, 27 touchdowns, four picks, 74 .3 completion 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:50.980 percentage, and an eight and three record. Joe 00:11:50.980 --> 00:11:55.169 Flacco's 2023 season. He had 204 attempts for 00:11:55.169 --> 00:12:00.529 123 completions, 1 ,616 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, 00:12:00.529 --> 00:12:04.070 8 picks, 7 .9 yards per attempt, and a 60 .3 00:12:04.070 --> 00:12:07.250 completion percentage in a 4 -1 record. Tom Brady's 00:12:07.250 --> 00:12:12.259 2017 season He had 581 attempts for 385 completions, 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:17.100 4 ,577 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, 8 picks, 00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:20.259 and a 66 .3 completion percentage, as well as 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:24.159 a 13 -3 record. Brett Favre's 2009 season, he 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:29.120 had 531 attempts for 363 completions, 33 touchdowns, 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:32.399 7 picks, and a 68 .4 completion percentage and 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:37.700 a 12 -4 record. So here's the thing. Aaron Rodgers... 00:12:38.169 --> 00:12:39.750 it's definitely going to be a difference maker 00:12:39.750 --> 00:12:43.590 for the Steelers. The question is how much? Because 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:45.990 my ceiling for Aaron Rodgers at this point is 00:12:45.990 --> 00:12:49.269 Joe Flacco's 2023 season. If he has a season 00:12:49.269 --> 00:12:52.350 similar to Joe Flacco's or maybe even better 00:12:52.350 --> 00:12:55.750 than what Joe Flacco did in 2023, I think it's 00:12:55.750 --> 00:12:58.149 a success. Another angle that we need to talk 00:12:58.149 --> 00:13:00.750 about is Arthur Smith now has a quarterback that 00:13:00.750 --> 00:13:02.840 attacks the middle of the field. which I think 00:13:02.840 --> 00:13:05.700 is great because I think it'll be able to really 00:13:05.700 --> 00:13:08.639 open up the offense a lot more because I feel 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.120 like last season the offense was very constrained 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:13.700 because of Russell Wilson's limitations. Russell 00:13:13.700 --> 00:13:15.879 Wilson is not able to attack the middle of the 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:18.500 field because of his height, and it clearly showed 00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:22.200 in a lot of games. So I think with Aaron Rodgers 00:13:22.200 --> 00:13:25.179 being familiar with Arthur Smith's system because 00:13:25.179 --> 00:13:27.899 he played under Matt LaFleur, I think there's 00:13:27.899 --> 00:13:30.879 not going to be a major disconnect with the play 00:13:30.879 --> 00:13:33.179 calling because I feel like Aaron Rodgers is 00:13:33.179 --> 00:13:35.720 already familiar with a lot of the cadences and 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:39.419 calls since he was with Matt LaFleur. And we 00:13:39.419 --> 00:13:41.700 all know that Arthur Smith was originally under 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:43.860 Matt LaFleur when they were still in Tennessee. 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:46.559 And then once Matt LaFleur left and wanted to 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:48.860 be a head coach, Matt LaFleur wanted Arthur Smith 00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:50.940 to come with him and be his new offensive coordinator. 00:13:51.179 --> 00:13:52.899 But Arthur Smith declined and he stayed with 00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:54.620 Tennessee and then he went to the Falcons and 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.299 the rest is history. Now, do I think the Steelers 00:13:57.299 --> 00:13:59.419 are going to go on the Super Bowl run? No. Do 00:13:59.419 --> 00:14:00.899 I think they're going to go to the AFC Championship? 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:04.419 No. But I do think an Aaron Rodgers -led Steelers 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:06.600 team could possibly win at least one playoff 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:09.500 game. I think if they make one more addition 00:14:09.500 --> 00:14:12.379 to tight end and receiver, depending on who it 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:15.120 is, I think this would take this team to another 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:18.220 level. Now, me personally, I feel like Kyle Pitts 00:14:18.220 --> 00:14:19.899 would be a better option than Johnnie Smith, 00:14:20.139 --> 00:14:23.120 and let me explain why. With Johnnie Smith, he's 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:25.480 looking for a new deal. And so most likely you're 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:27.659 going to have to pay him between eight to maybe 00:14:27.659 --> 00:14:30.600 12 million a year. Kyle Pitts, on the other hand, 00:14:30.620 --> 00:14:34.000 if you wanted to, you could give him a short 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:36.659 term extension because next year he's going to 00:14:36.659 --> 00:14:40.320 be unrestricted free agent. Or you can let things 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:43.039 play out. And then depending on how his season 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.879 goes, then you can have those type of contract 00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:47.679 talks. But I feel like Kyle Pitts has a lot of 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:50.419 upside to his game compared to Jonu Smith. But 00:14:50.419 --> 00:14:52.820 I do believe that the Steelers are going to make 00:14:52.820 --> 00:14:55.700 a move and add both another receiver and another 00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:58.299 tight end. Because initially, when Adam Schefter 00:14:58.299 --> 00:15:00.480 put out that the Steelers and the Dolphins were 00:15:00.480 --> 00:15:02.360 talking about a potential trade for Jonu Smith, 00:15:02.600 --> 00:15:05.679 I discarded. I didn't believe it. But then shortly 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.620 after, Donner Palm tore his Achilles. And then 00:15:08.620 --> 00:15:10.980 Adam Schefter puts out another tweet that says 00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:12.960 now they're engaging in talks. And so I'm like, 00:15:13.019 --> 00:15:18.210 OK. Either this is going to work or this is just 00:15:18.210 --> 00:15:21.309 another tactic for Drew Rosenhaus and his side 00:15:21.309 --> 00:15:23.649 to try to make the Dolphins give them a better 00:15:23.649 --> 00:15:27.049 deal. Either way, someone's going to be going 00:15:27.049 --> 00:15:29.789 to the Steelers. Now, I will say this. With Aaron 00:15:29.789 --> 00:15:32.330 Rodgers coming to the Steelers, I think this 00:15:32.330 --> 00:15:35.509 also creates some interest from other players 00:15:35.509 --> 00:15:37.629 who are still free agents to possibly come to 00:15:37.629 --> 00:15:40.600 the Steelers. I think people like Gabe Davis, 00:15:40.740 --> 00:15:42.720 once he's healthy, I think he may come back to 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:45.320 the Steelers. I think Chris Alave may be interested 00:15:45.320 --> 00:15:48.200 in coming to the Steelers. I think maybe Keenan 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:51.779 Allen or Amari Cooper or DJ Chark, someone is 00:15:51.779 --> 00:15:53.799 going to be interested of coming to the Steelers 00:15:53.799 --> 00:15:57.240 now. Because now you have Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, 00:15:57.419 --> 00:15:59.419 Pat Fryer move, Caleb Johnson, Jalen Warren, 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:02.600 Kenneth Gainwell, Darnell Washington, another 00:16:02.600 --> 00:16:03.960 tight end that they're probably going to add. 00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:07.129 You have a lot of weapons. for this team. And 00:16:07.129 --> 00:16:08.830 that's not even counting the defense as well. 00:16:09.649 --> 00:16:13.309 I think at best, this team could possibly win 00:16:13.309 --> 00:16:17.149 maybe 10 to 11 games. Now, if Aaron Rodgers gets 00:16:17.149 --> 00:16:19.529 hurt, knocks on wood, hopefully that doesn't 00:16:19.529 --> 00:16:21.909 happen, I think at best they could probably win 00:16:21.909 --> 00:16:25.169 eight to nine seasons. But again, the Steelers 00:16:25.169 --> 00:16:26.950 are playing with house money because why? This 00:16:26.950 --> 00:16:30.029 is only a one -year deal. This isn't something 00:16:30.029 --> 00:16:32.610 where, okay, we'll just do this one -year deal 00:16:32.610 --> 00:16:35.360 and we'll see what happens next year. No. Aaron 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:37.679 Rodgers is under the impression that this may 00:16:37.679 --> 00:16:41.519 be his last season, so he wants to end his career 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:44.000 on the right foot, and I don't blame him for 00:16:44.000 --> 00:16:47.379 that. Now, I will say this. There is added pressure 00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:49.600 on the offensive line to make sure that they 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:51.840 dot their I's and cross their T's for Aaron Rodgers, 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.860 especially for someone like Broderick Jones. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:59.039 He now has a role where he has to play phenomenally 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:02.629 well in order to protect Aaron Rodgers. It's 00:17:02.629 --> 00:17:04.210 different if you were still at right tackle. 00:17:04.329 --> 00:17:06.210 No one really wouldn't be saying anything. But 00:17:06.210 --> 00:17:08.970 because you're at left tackle, the pressure is 00:17:08.970 --> 00:17:11.869 on Broderick. Because if he doesn't have a really 00:17:11.869 --> 00:17:13.470 good season, the Steelers are going to move off 00:17:13.470 --> 00:17:15.430 of him. The Steelers are going to go in a different 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:17.130 direction, and they're going to bring in another 00:17:17.130 --> 00:17:19.109 left tackle. Now, if we go on the analytical 00:17:19.109 --> 00:17:22.329 side, the Jets' offense last year was ranked 00:17:22.329 --> 00:17:25.490 24th in the league, and they averaged 19 .9 points 00:17:25.490 --> 00:17:29.730 per game. 310 .3 yards per game, 5 .2 yards per 00:17:29.730 --> 00:17:32.930 play, and 39 touchdowns. They were 16th in passing 00:17:32.930 --> 00:17:35.970 offense and they averaged 218 .5 passing yards 00:17:35.970 --> 00:17:39.029 per game, 5 .7 passing yards per play. They had 00:17:39.029 --> 00:17:42.269 a 23 .6 play action percentage and 31 passing 00:17:42.269 --> 00:17:44.829 touchdowns. They were 17th in rushing offense 00:17:44.829 --> 00:17:48.190 and they averaged 110 .7 rushing yards per game, 00:17:48.329 --> 00:17:51.869 4 .1 rushing yards per play, 17 rushing touchdowns, 00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:56.670 and had 46 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. With 00:17:56.670 --> 00:17:59.130 Aaron Rodgers coming to the Steelers, I think 00:17:59.130 --> 00:18:01.210 all these numbers are going to increase. Now, 00:18:01.250 --> 00:18:03.509 am I saying that this is going to be a top five 00:18:03.509 --> 00:18:07.009 unit? No. But I do believe they can be within 00:18:07.009 --> 00:18:11.150 that top 12, maybe top 13 range. Maybe even a 00:18:11.150 --> 00:18:15.049 little bit lower. Maybe about 15 at best. But 00:18:15.049 --> 00:18:17.230 I do believe that this is an upgrade for the 00:18:17.230 --> 00:18:19.869 Steelers. Yes, I understand I was very critical 00:18:19.869 --> 00:18:24.349 with Aaron Rodgers in past episodes. I understand 00:18:24.349 --> 00:18:26.549 that. I'm still not taking that away from him. 00:18:26.630 --> 00:18:28.970 He should have been here for OTAs so that he 00:18:28.970 --> 00:18:31.640 could be able. to develop chemistry with his 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:33.900 receivers, tight ends, and everybody else. But 00:18:33.900 --> 00:18:36.220 he will be here for mandatory minicamp, which 00:18:36.220 --> 00:18:38.839 starts on Tuesday, which he will be speaking 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:41.980 to the media. So maybe we'll have a deeper understanding 00:18:41.980 --> 00:18:44.980 of why he waited this long and whatnot. But all 00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:47.420 in all, the Steelers are doing good business. 00:18:47.720 --> 00:18:51.000 And that's all that matters. And so now it's 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:53.920 just a wait and see of what exactly this offense 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:56.579 is going to look like. According to ESPN journalist, 00:18:56.839 --> 00:18:59.740 Stefan Holder. Anthony Richardson will be out 00:18:59.740 --> 00:19:02.400 for the foreseeable future after re -aggravating 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.400 a shoulder injury that he suffered in 2023, and 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:08.799 he will be held out of mandatory minicamp next 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.059 week. So when we look at this in its entirety, 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.539 this may be controversial, but I really don't 00:19:15.539 --> 00:19:17.819 care at this point. I think it may be time for 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:20.259 the Colts and Anthony Richardson to just go their 00:19:20.259 --> 00:19:23.019 separate ways. I just think at this point, they 00:19:23.019 --> 00:19:25.420 bit more than what they can chew, and they're 00:19:25.420 --> 00:19:28.019 starting to realize that. Since being drafted 00:19:28.019 --> 00:19:30.839 by the Colts, Anthony Richardson has only played 00:19:30.839 --> 00:19:34.000 15 games. I'm just going to read to you his stat 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:37.400 line from this past season. 264 attempts for 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:42.599 126 completions, 1 ,814 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, 00:19:42.599 --> 00:19:46.259 12 picks, 6 .9 yards per attempt, and a 47 .7 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:48.660 completion percentage. I think at this point, 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:51.519 Shane Stuyton, Chris Ballard, and everybody else 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:54.240 has realized that it just may be time to move 00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:56.809 off of Anthony Richardson. And it really sucks 00:19:56.809 --> 00:19:59.430 because the Colts have a really good roster. 00:19:59.950 --> 00:20:03.329 If you just look up their roster, you will think, 00:20:03.369 --> 00:20:05.569 man, this team should be able to compete with 00:20:05.569 --> 00:20:07.349 the Texans. This team should be winning their 00:20:07.349 --> 00:20:09.910 division almost every single year. But that's 00:20:09.910 --> 00:20:12.630 not the case because why? They haven't had stability. 00:20:13.049 --> 00:20:16.410 You can have chaos in your tight end room, receiver 00:20:16.410 --> 00:20:18.970 room, running back room, offensive line room, 00:20:19.089 --> 00:20:22.490 whatever. As long as you have stability within 00:20:22.490 --> 00:20:25.259 your quarterback room. You will always have a 00:20:25.259 --> 00:20:27.819 chance to win. And the Colts have not had that 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:30.119 since Andrew Luck's retirement. I'm just going 00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:31.980 to read to you the quarterbacks that they have 00:20:31.980 --> 00:20:35.200 had since Andrew Luck. Jacoby Brissett, Brian 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:37.559 Hoarder, Phillip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.980 Sam Ellinger, Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew, Joe 00:20:40.980 --> 00:20:43.660 Flacco, and then Anthony Richardson. That is 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:46.980 a long list. And some of those quarterbacks, 00:20:47.059 --> 00:20:49.380 they had to make trades for and they had to give 00:20:49.380 --> 00:20:52.059 up a lot to get them. Here was the number one 00:20:52.059 --> 00:20:54.259 red flag for the Colts when it came to Anthony 00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:56.579 Richardson. He didn't have a lot of playing time 00:20:56.579 --> 00:20:59.859 in college. Out of all the positions in football, 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:03.259 left tackle, wide receiver, pass rusher, and 00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:06.180 sideline backer, corner, safety, whatever, the 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:08.480 one position that requires a lot of experience 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.819 is quarterback. And we've all seen different 00:21:11.819 --> 00:21:14.519 quarterbacks who didn't have a lot of experience, 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:18.079 how hard their transition was from college to 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:21.569 the pros. And we see the difference when quarterbacks 00:21:21.569 --> 00:21:24.190 who do have a lot of experience, how they transition 00:21:24.190 --> 00:21:27.630 a lot more gracefully in the pros. If Anthony 00:21:27.630 --> 00:21:29.690 Richardson would have panned out by now, you're 00:21:29.690 --> 00:21:32.029 talking about somebody whose ceiling could have 00:21:32.029 --> 00:21:36.230 been Cam Newton. But at this point, I think it's 00:21:36.230 --> 00:21:38.049 just better that you guys go your separate ways. 00:21:38.250 --> 00:21:41.319 Now, if I'm Anthony Richardson. I'm either going 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:44.460 to the Broncos, I'm going to the Vikings, I'm 00:21:44.460 --> 00:21:46.460 going to the 49ers, or I'm going to the Rams. 00:21:46.619 --> 00:21:49.700 I am going somewhere that has a head coach in 00:21:49.700 --> 00:21:52.819 place that has experience developing quarterbacks. 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:56.079 Because right now, it's just not working with 00:21:56.079 --> 00:21:59.519 the Colts. And sometimes it happens. But right 00:21:59.519 --> 00:22:01.940 now, for one, we haven't been able to stay healthy. 00:22:02.400 --> 00:22:04.759 And another thing that's not really being talked 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:06.359 about as much, but I feel like it definitely 00:22:06.359 --> 00:22:08.720 needs to be talked about is... You quit on your 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:11.519 team. I think if you were able to do a quick 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:14.140 interview with all the players on the team from 00:22:14.140 --> 00:22:16.819 that past season where Anthony Richardson tapped 00:22:16.819 --> 00:22:19.500 out, and you asked them that one question, how 00:22:19.500 --> 00:22:22.079 they really felt about that, I guarantee you 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:24.200 there would have been at least 20 to 30, maybe 00:22:24.200 --> 00:22:27.000 even 40 % of the team that felt some type of 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:29.259 way about it. Because offensive linemen aren't 00:22:29.259 --> 00:22:31.809 able to tap out. defensive linemen really aren't 00:22:31.809 --> 00:22:34.130 able to tap out. There are some positions on 00:22:34.130 --> 00:22:36.569 the field that aren't able to tap out. And for 00:22:36.569 --> 00:22:39.150 you to tap out and then give the response that 00:22:39.150 --> 00:22:41.509 you did probably rubbed some people the wrong 00:22:41.509 --> 00:22:43.549 way within the organization and within the locker 00:22:43.549 --> 00:22:47.549 room. So I think at this point, it's just best 00:22:47.549 --> 00:22:49.450 for the Colts and Anthony Richardson to go in 00:22:49.450 --> 00:22:52.490 a different direction. However, if they still 00:22:52.490 --> 00:22:55.809 want to make this thing work, I would say Anthony 00:22:55.809 --> 00:22:57.930 Richardson should probably transition into a 00:22:57.930 --> 00:23:00.640 Taysom Hill type of role. where you're just this 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:03.180 do -it -all type of player. You're effective 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:06.059 at tight end, you're effective at maybe receiver, 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:08.880 running back, wherever they need you at, you're 00:23:08.880 --> 00:23:12.079 effective there. Because right now, your chances 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:16.440 are very thin. And granted, I understand you 00:23:16.440 --> 00:23:19.039 have the intangibles, you got the athleticism, 00:23:19.099 --> 00:23:22.299 you got the arm, you got it all. But brother, 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:25.819 your chances are very, very, very slim at this 00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:28.170 point. Because the signing with Daniel Jones 00:23:28.170 --> 00:23:30.390 was already the writing on the wall that they 00:23:30.390 --> 00:23:33.410 were already ready to move off of you. Because 00:23:33.410 --> 00:23:35.750 Daniel Jones, despite all the things we want 00:23:35.750 --> 00:23:38.769 to say about him, he may have a better chance 00:23:38.769 --> 00:23:41.230 of winning this starting job than Anthony Richardson 00:23:41.230 --> 00:23:44.109 at this point. I think from a Shane Stikton's 00:23:44.109 --> 00:23:48.509 type of view, I think he probably says, OK, I 00:23:48.509 --> 00:23:51.029 could probably work with a Daniel Jones better 00:23:51.029 --> 00:23:54.609 than what an Anthony Richardson. Sometimes it 00:23:54.609 --> 00:23:58.009 happens. But if I'm Anthony Richardson, I'm doing 00:23:58.009 --> 00:24:00.829 whatever I need to do so that I can be prepared 00:24:00.829 --> 00:24:03.210 for training camp and preseason. Because right 00:24:03.210 --> 00:24:06.049 now, you're at a disadvantage. So now you're 00:24:06.049 --> 00:24:08.829 playing a game of catch up. Now, I understand 00:24:08.829 --> 00:24:10.869 you really can't do anything with injuries. I 00:24:10.869 --> 00:24:13.829 get that. But right now, if you really want to 00:24:13.829 --> 00:24:16.089 prove to this organization and to the coaching 00:24:16.089 --> 00:24:18.569 staff and to the players that you are the guy. 00:24:19.160 --> 00:24:21.119 then you are going to have to make sure that 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:25.819 you put your 1000 % effort into everything that 00:24:25.819 --> 00:24:28.279 you do, that you carry yourself like a franchise 00:24:28.279 --> 00:24:31.079 quarterback and you take accountability and you 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:35.000 do whatever you need to do for this team. Because 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:37.539 at the end of the day, it's not about you, it's 00:24:37.539 --> 00:24:41.339 about the team, T -E -A -M. Now let's talk about 00:24:41.339 --> 00:24:43.859 this whole Joe Flacco mentoring comments because 00:24:43.859 --> 00:24:46.680 it's definitely caused a firestorm on social 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:49.220 media. And it definitely caused a firestorm of 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:51.339 one of his former teammates. So this is what 00:24:51.339 --> 00:24:54.460 Joe Flacco said. And I quote, I tend to try to 00:24:54.460 --> 00:24:56.799 be honest and I've said, I'm not a mentor. I 00:24:56.799 --> 00:24:59.240 play football and in a quarterback room, there's 00:24:59.240 --> 00:25:01.700 a lot of times already. There's been already 00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:04.160 a lot of times where there's learning experiences 00:25:04.160 --> 00:25:06.220 and I have a lot of experience and I can talk 00:25:06.220 --> 00:25:08.660 on things and hopefully they can listen, but 00:25:08.660 --> 00:25:11.140 it's not necessarily my job to make sure they 00:25:11.140 --> 00:25:14.000 listen to me. Hey, hopefully you have a really 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:15.759 good relationship with the guys that are in the 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:18.740 room and you naturally want to do that. End quote. 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:21.619 Now, I just want to add, this is what exactly 00:25:21.619 --> 00:25:24.019 Joe Flacco said. This is not what I said, okay? 00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:26.599 Just saying. Now, this is what Chris Canty had 00:25:26.599 --> 00:25:29.119 to say on his podcast called Unsportsmanlike. 00:25:29.299 --> 00:25:32.420 End I quote. Mentoring a young player is only 00:25:32.420 --> 00:25:34.700 going to make that player better, which makes 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:37.240 the team better. You're only as strong as your 00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:40.240 weakest link. The whole point of this exercise 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.920 is that everybody makes everyone better. That's 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:45.119 why you practice. You're making each other better. 00:25:45.220 --> 00:25:47.079 It's what you're supposed to do. You do that 00:25:47.079 --> 00:25:49.140 with the reps on the practice field, but you 00:25:49.140 --> 00:25:51.619 also do that by sharing points and notes in the 00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:53.859 film room. It's a ridiculous answer from Joe 00:25:53.859 --> 00:25:56.240 Flacco. There's no guarantee Joe Flacco is going 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:58.740 to be healthy for 17 games, especially at 40 00:25:58.740 --> 00:26:01.200 years old. It's stupid to not consider trying 00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.339 to do everything that you can to coach these 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:06.920 other guys up. Nobody is saying you have to do 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:09.200 your job at a lesser level in terms of performing 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:11.660 on the field, but if you can happen to impart 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:13.920 some wisdom onto these guys who you're spending 00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.960 16 hours a day with in training camp, why wouldn't 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:19.640 you do that? Just because you're mentoring doesn't 00:26:19.640 --> 00:26:22.200 mean you can't be the starting quarterback. His 00:26:22.200 --> 00:26:25.140 answer is nonsensical. I hate going so hard at 00:26:25.140 --> 00:26:27.059 one of my former teammates, but it's one of the 00:26:27.059 --> 00:26:29.420 dumbest things I've heard Joe Flacco ever say." 00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:32.519 My takeaway from both of these quotes is Chris 00:26:32.519 --> 00:26:35.559 Canty is right. Joe Flacco at this point in his 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:38.700 career needs to serve a mentor -type role to 00:26:38.700 --> 00:26:41.619 the other quarterbacks. Because what do you have 00:26:41.619 --> 00:26:44.420 to lose at this point? They're not going to cut 00:26:44.420 --> 00:26:46.500 you. They're not going to get rid of you at any 00:26:46.500 --> 00:26:49.420 point. Because why? You have been the most successful 00:26:49.420 --> 00:26:52.180 quarterback since the acquisition of Deshaun 00:26:52.180 --> 00:26:57.019 Watson. May I remind you, that 2023 season, Joe 00:26:57.019 --> 00:27:00.140 Flacco and the Browns was on a tear. If they 00:27:00.140 --> 00:27:02.640 continued with that momentum into the playoffs, 00:27:03.160 --> 00:27:05.359 They possibly could have made it to the AFC Championship. 00:27:05.619 --> 00:27:08.160 And I know a lot of people would say, well, you're 00:27:08.160 --> 00:27:10.000 capping, you're just trying to do clickbait. 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:13.759 No, that Browns team in 2023 with Joe Flacco 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:16.880 was pulling. They were doing their thing on both 00:27:16.880 --> 00:27:20.059 offense and defense. So I don't understand why 00:27:20.059 --> 00:27:22.619 you want to try to embark some wisdom and give 00:27:22.619 --> 00:27:25.200 them some nuggets that they can carry on for 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:27.339 the rest of their careers. Your career is over 00:27:27.339 --> 00:27:29.500 with. You've done everything that there is to 00:27:29.500 --> 00:27:31.859 do. You're a Super Bowl champion. You'll probably 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:33.720 get elected into the Ring of Honor, and that's 00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:35.940 probably it. So why wouldn't you want to show 00:27:35.940 --> 00:27:38.500 them, hey, this is what I do when I see this 00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:40.420 type of coverage. This is what I do to prepare 00:27:40.420 --> 00:27:42.980 myself for division games. This is what I do 00:27:42.980 --> 00:27:46.160 to prepare myself against this defense or that 00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:48.599 player. Doing those small little things will 00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:51.000 have a lasting impact on those quarterbacks. 00:27:51.630 --> 00:27:53.950 Because right now, they're looking for a mentor. 00:27:54.210 --> 00:27:56.910 Kenny Pickett can't be a mentor. Because why? 00:27:56.990 --> 00:27:58.730 Kenny Pickett has been on three teams in three 00:27:58.730 --> 00:28:01.150 years. Joe Flacco, on the other hand, he can. 00:28:01.329 --> 00:28:04.130 Because why? He's experienced it all. He's experienced 00:28:04.130 --> 00:28:07.190 the highs and lows of the National Football League. 00:28:07.569 --> 00:28:10.849 So why wouldn't you want to be the person that 00:28:10.849 --> 00:28:13.400 can show them, hey. This is how you carry yourself 00:28:13.400 --> 00:28:15.559 in public. This is how you carry yourself in 00:28:15.559 --> 00:28:18.420 the media. This is how you're able to curveball 00:28:18.420 --> 00:28:20.660 different questions that you feel like a little 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:23.019 bit sensitive. This is how you're able to curveball 00:28:23.019 --> 00:28:25.599 some questions that make you want to give a negative 00:28:25.599 --> 00:28:28.980 answer. All of those things are important. Yes, 00:28:29.019 --> 00:28:30.740 I understand the quarterback's coach is supposed 00:28:30.740 --> 00:28:33.339 to be doing that, but it hits a little bit deeper 00:28:33.339 --> 00:28:36.500 when you have a veteran quarterback in your quarterback 00:28:36.500 --> 00:28:38.599 room. I've seen some current players who have 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:41.279 said, hey, listen. My first two or three years, 00:28:41.400 --> 00:28:44.660 I had a mentor, Von Miller. Do you know who his 00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:48.200 mentor was? DeMarcus Ware. DeMarcus Ware used 00:28:48.200 --> 00:28:51.140 to get on Von Miller on every small little thing. 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:54.000 And guess what? It worked because Von Miller 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:56.440 is now going to go down in history as one of 00:28:56.440 --> 00:28:58.839 the best pass rushers of this generation. You 00:28:58.839 --> 00:29:00.559 are talking about somebody who could possibly 00:29:00.559 --> 00:29:03.720 be a first ballot Hall of Famer. All because 00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:06.740 he had a mentor, somebody to show him the ropes. 00:29:06.859 --> 00:29:10.119 It is important. That as veteran quarterbacks, 00:29:10.140 --> 00:29:12.500 or any veterans despite what position it is, 00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:15.339 that you embark wisdom on the next generation. 00:29:15.779 --> 00:29:18.720 Because it's always about setting the next generation 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:22.180 for success. Sure, if you're still in your heyday 00:29:22.180 --> 00:29:23.599 and you're still doing your thing, you may not 00:29:23.599 --> 00:29:25.920 want to be a mentor. But if you're at the tail 00:29:25.920 --> 00:29:28.680 end of your career like Joe Flacco, There's no 00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:30.839 need for you to say, oh, I'm just here to play 00:29:30.839 --> 00:29:33.039 football. Okay, that's perfectly fine. Everybody's 00:29:33.039 --> 00:29:35.220 here to play football. But we all know within 00:29:35.220 --> 00:29:37.200 the next two or three years, you're going to 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:38.980 be putting out one of those videos and saying, 00:29:39.019 --> 00:29:40.680 I'm retiring from the National Football League. 00:29:40.819 --> 00:29:43.960 Let's just be real here. It's not going to hurt 00:29:43.960 --> 00:29:46.500 you. If you embark your wisdom on someone like 00:29:46.500 --> 00:29:48.660 a Kenny Pickett, that will go a long way for 00:29:48.660 --> 00:29:50.579 him. Because you know why? Kenny Pickett didn't 00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:53.200 have a mentor. Jador Sanders didn't have a mentor. 00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:56.000 Dylan Gabriel doesn't have a mentor, but you 00:29:56.000 --> 00:29:58.900 can be that mentor. And that's one of the problems 00:29:58.900 --> 00:30:01.839 with a lot of these younger quarterbacks is that 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:03.720 they don't have a mentor within the quarterback 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:06.299 room. That's why you have people like Gardner 00:30:06.299 --> 00:30:09.759 Minshew and Jacoby Brissett who continue to get 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:12.200 jobs because you know why? It's not because of 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:14.880 their play, but it's what they do in the locker 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:17.859 room that matters. And so having someone like 00:30:17.859 --> 00:30:20.680 a Jacoby Brissett as your vet. It's great because 00:30:20.680 --> 00:30:23.319 you know why? He's been a journeyman. He's been 00:30:23.319 --> 00:30:25.519 a Super Bowl champion. He's been through it all. 00:30:25.619 --> 00:30:27.779 And you can go to him as a well of knowledge 00:30:27.779 --> 00:30:32.380 for anything, for life advice, for football advice, 00:30:32.619 --> 00:30:35.299 possibly financial advice. All of that stuff 00:30:35.299 --> 00:30:38.140 matters. Everybody says, oh, we're brotherhood. 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:40.319 We're brotherhood. We're for each other. You're 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:41.599 supposed to be for your teammates and whatnot. 00:30:41.859 --> 00:30:44.000 Well, guess what? This is part of that process. 00:30:44.599 --> 00:30:47.559 It's your job to make sure that the next generation 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:50.660 is straight. And you wonder why so many players 00:30:50.660 --> 00:30:53.660 don't have no direction and do the things they 00:30:53.660 --> 00:30:55.380 do. Because you know why? They don't have somebody 00:30:55.380 --> 00:30:57.599 to say, hey, man, you bugger right now. You need 00:30:57.599 --> 00:30:59.279 to relax. Hey, man, you don't need to be out 00:30:59.279 --> 00:31:01.220 here at 2 or 3 o 'clock in the morning. Hey, 00:31:01.240 --> 00:31:04.420 man, you need to have this giant entourage with 00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:07.579 you. That's when you have a mentor to tell you 00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:09.380 the honest truth about things. Because you know 00:31:09.380 --> 00:31:11.759 why? Coaches are only going to tell you so much. 00:31:12.380 --> 00:31:15.200 But having a mentor. They're going to tell you 00:31:15.200 --> 00:31:17.799 the good, the bad, the ugly, the uncomfortable. 00:31:17.940 --> 00:31:19.480 They're going to tell you everything that you 00:31:19.480 --> 00:31:21.619 need to know because you know why? They value 00:31:21.619 --> 00:31:24.579 that much. And a lot of times they see themselves 00:31:24.579 --> 00:31:28.559 within you. So it's only right that you pay it 00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:31.740 forward. Not be an asshole and just say, I'm 00:31:31.740 --> 00:31:34.049 just here to play football. Now let's finally 00:31:34.049 --> 00:31:36.369 talk about this whole Deion Sanders situation. 00:31:36.589 --> 00:31:40.150 So Deion was on Asante Samuel's podcast and they 00:31:40.150 --> 00:31:42.009 talked about the whole Shador Sanders situation. 00:31:42.150 --> 00:31:44.890 So this is what Deion had to say, and I quote, 00:31:45.130 --> 00:31:47.490 they want to create these narratives and create 00:31:47.490 --> 00:31:50.009 these stories and then attach them to a kid that 00:31:50.009 --> 00:31:52.329 ain't never done anything wrong. You want to 00:31:52.329 --> 00:31:55.589 tell me he had headphones on, Shador? Anybody 00:31:55.589 --> 00:31:58.269 know my son understand he's a professional, like 00:31:58.269 --> 00:31:59.950 he's going to go into a meeting with headphones 00:31:59.950 --> 00:32:03.079 on, end quote. Now, they did get into the whole 00:32:03.079 --> 00:32:06.720 Shador sliding in the draft, and Deion simply 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:09.119 just had to say this, and I quote, it did hurt. 00:32:09.400 --> 00:32:13.079 It did hurt, end quote. I can only imagine how 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:16.920 Deion felt during that entire process, just to 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:19.599 know that so many different teams passed over 00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:22.359 his son. And there were a lot of teams that needed 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:25.839 a quarterback, and they passed over him for one 00:32:25.839 --> 00:32:29.220 reason or the other. And just to see Shador just 00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:31.880 slide the way that he did in the draft was just 00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:35.480 mind boggling to me. And I remember there were 00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:37.019 a lot of stories that were coming out and were 00:32:37.019 --> 00:32:39.079 saying that, you know, he was butting heads with 00:32:39.079 --> 00:32:41.319 Brian Dable and he was doing this and he was 00:32:41.319 --> 00:32:44.650 acting cocky and granted. I understand where 00:32:44.650 --> 00:32:46.329 a lot of people are coming from. And I understand 00:32:46.329 --> 00:32:48.690 that, you know, Dion and Shador did not help 00:32:48.690 --> 00:32:52.029 their case when they go on, you know, radios 00:32:52.029 --> 00:32:54.690 and podcasts and whatnot and talk about how we're 00:32:54.690 --> 00:32:56.109 not going to interview with this team. We're 00:32:56.109 --> 00:32:57.650 not going to do this. We're not going to do that. 00:32:57.849 --> 00:33:01.289 And then when the NFL draft comes around and 00:33:01.289 --> 00:33:03.450 everybody reflects how they really feel about 00:33:03.450 --> 00:33:06.710 you and your son, then guess what? This is the 00:33:06.710 --> 00:33:09.569 result. The NFL showed once again that guess 00:33:09.569 --> 00:33:13.430 what? No one is bigger than the shield. No matter 00:33:13.430 --> 00:33:15.809 who your father is, no matter the legacy that 00:33:15.809 --> 00:33:19.670 he created, no matter where you come from, no 00:33:19.670 --> 00:33:21.730 matter what school you went to, no matter your 00:33:21.730 --> 00:33:24.529 accolades in college, no matter anything that 00:33:24.529 --> 00:33:27.829 you have done, you are not bigger than the shield. 00:33:28.509 --> 00:33:30.309 But I'm going to end this episode here. If you 00:33:30.309 --> 00:33:32.029 guys like what you are listening, please, please, 00:33:32.109 --> 00:33:34.630 please, please, please make sure you guys download 00:33:34.630 --> 00:33:37.549 the episodes. Leave a five star, five star, five 00:33:37.549 --> 00:33:41.210 star, five star, five star, five star, five star 00:33:41.210 --> 00:33:42.990 review on anywhere and everywhere that you listen 00:33:42.990 --> 00:33:45.869 to podcasts. We're available on Apple Podcasts. 00:33:45.869 --> 00:33:48.410 We're available on Spotify as well as RSS feed. 00:33:48.490 --> 00:33:51.369 And when you go on our RSS feed, there are multiple 00:33:51.369 --> 00:33:54.029 podcasting streaming platforms that are there 00:33:54.029 --> 00:33:56.650 in which we are available on. So go ahead and. 00:33:57.069 --> 00:34:00.349 Make sure you guys take a listen For my YouTube 00:34:00.349 --> 00:34:03.009 people, Football Junkies Pod, all right? Football 00:34:03.009 --> 00:34:05.029 Junkies Pod. Make sure you guys like, share, 00:34:05.130 --> 00:34:06.930 subscribe, turn the notification bell on, leave 00:34:06.930 --> 00:34:09.289 a comment down below. Let me know your thoughts 00:34:09.289 --> 00:34:11.409 in the comments, okay? Was I a little bit too 00:34:11.409 --> 00:34:13.409 harsh on Joe Flacco? Was I a little bit too harsh 00:34:13.409 --> 00:34:15.909 on the whole Deion Sanders situation? Let me 00:34:15.909 --> 00:34:18.469 know in the comments, please. Now, when you go 00:34:18.469 --> 00:34:20.690 on our YouTube, we have a link tree. When you 00:34:20.690 --> 00:34:22.510 click on that link tree, it'll take you to anywhere 00:34:22.510 --> 00:34:24.650 and everywhere that we have Football Junkies 00:34:24.650 --> 00:34:27.429 content. Now, for my TikTok people, Football 00:34:27.429 --> 00:34:30.110 Junkies Pod, all right? Football Junkies Pod. 00:34:30.889 --> 00:34:33.510 I did put out some clips not too long ago. I'll 00:34:33.510 --> 00:34:35.989 probably put out some more clips fairly soon. 00:34:36.130 --> 00:34:38.909 Just stay tuned for that. My Instagram people, 00:34:39.090 --> 00:34:41.349 football underscore junkies pod, all right? Football 00:34:41.349 --> 00:34:43.670 underscore junkies pod. Junkies pod is now what? 00:34:47.869 --> 00:34:52.809 It is together, not spaced. It is together, not 00:34:52.809 --> 00:34:56.380 spaced. Football underscore junkies pod. Now, 00:34:56.380 --> 00:34:59.099 you could also follow me on X, formerly known 00:34:59.099 --> 00:35:04.280 as Twitter, G -M -K -I -L -E, as well as Blue 00:35:04.280 --> 00:35:08.800 Sky, G -M -K -I -L -E. As always, I hope I gave 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:10.800 you guys the fix that you guys need. I love you 00:35:10.800 --> 00:35:13.179 guys. I appreciate you guys so much. Stay tuned 00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:14.900 for the next episode. I'll probably give out 00:35:14.900 --> 00:35:17.659 the rest of my grades for the rest of the divisions 00:35:17.659 --> 00:35:21.000 that I have covered. I also will be taking somewhat 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:24.579 of a small break. just for maybe about a couple 00:35:24.579 --> 00:35:27.119 of days, maybe a week, just so I can, you know, 00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:30.380 prepare myself for my upcoming exam and just 00:35:30.380 --> 00:35:32.119 to, you know, just take a breather and whatnot. 00:35:32.300 --> 00:35:35.159 So as always, I love you guys. I appreciate you 00:35:35.159 --> 00:35:38.099 guys so much. If there's any crazy news that 00:35:38.099 --> 00:35:41.360 happens between now and then, sure, I'll talk 00:35:41.360 --> 00:35:43.780 about it. But for the time being, not right now, 00:35:43.820 --> 00:35:45.380 I really do need to study, really do need to 00:35:45.380 --> 00:35:48.420 prepare for my exams. But just know once I'm 00:35:48.420 --> 00:35:51.900 done taking my first exam. We're doing gut check 00:35:51.900 --> 00:35:54.039 time. Yes, I understand the league will be on 00:35:54.039 --> 00:35:56.059 break for five weeks, but guess what? I'm still 00:35:56.059 --> 00:35:58.400 going to be feeding you guys content because 00:35:58.400 --> 00:35:59.820 we're going to be doing gut check time. That's 00:35:59.820 --> 00:36:02.460 right. We're going to be talking about who are 00:36:02.460 --> 00:36:05.340 playoff contenders, who's pretenders, who's Super 00:36:05.340 --> 00:36:08.219 Bowl contenders, all of that and more. Every 00:36:08.219 --> 00:36:10.320 single division, you already know we're going 00:36:10.320 --> 00:36:12.659 to be doing it. So guess what? As always, I love 00:36:12.659 --> 00:36:14.940 you guys. I appreciate you guys so much. Peace 00:36:14.940 --> 00:36:17.300 and love. This is your GM, Kale, signing out 00:36:17.300 --> 00:36:17.780 later.