After Hours with Amy Lawrence PODCAST: Hour 1

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Learn more at Goalie.com today. I was, three years ago today, Sunday, March 12th, when the notification popped up on my phone that March Madness had been cancelled. It was exactly three years ago, Sunday.

And, today is Selection Sunday. A full circle moment, but surreal for me to think about three years ago and how much changed in the last three years. And I don't just mean on a grand scale in our nation, in our country, but also beyond the borders and globally. And everything that we went through as a population, a world population over the last three years. Regardless of where you stand, how you view it, I'm not talking about politics. I'm simply talking about what we went through as, again, a country, but also a global population. For better or for worse. However it started, however it ended, doesn't matter. That's not ever going to change what we went through. And so to think about the last three years, what pops into my brain right away is personal and not seeing my grandmother for over a year.

That was really difficult. I know many people were separated from loved ones. Whether by miles and geography and because people weren't traveling as much or because we simply weren't allowed access to those people that maybe were deemed higher risk. Or just in general because so much was shut down and closed off.

After that I think, as a member of the sports media, three and a half months without sports. And every night doing a talk show from my spare bedroom. And yet not one show did I miss. I think I took off my birthday weekend. I was originally supposed to travel, drive, to see my brother, my sister-in-law, my nieces, ended up not doing that.

Not because I was nervous about going anywhere, but because there were all these reports about how cars from out of state, out of state licenses, were being stopped and denied entry into another state. It sounds so ridiculous now, but that's part of what was happening in that initial stages of the shutdown because my birthday was three weeks after everything shut down. And so I took off a couple of shows around my birthday, but otherwise worked straight through for three and a half months until the bosses finally let me get back in studio. And I remember my boss Mark said to me, don't tell anyone you're back in studio.

We don't want to advertise it. Producers were working. At the time it was Chris and Dave and they were working through, but the way they were doing it, one guy in the control room, one guy at home, alternating weeks. Oh gosh, that was a disaster.

I won't even tell you about that. It also gave the company this grand idea that somehow we only needed one producer to be in the control room at all times and so eventually that job was eliminated, the second job. But I hated working from home. Take your pets to work day, not nearly as much fun as it sounds when you're doing it every single day or in my case every single night, but I have photos, videos of the two cats who were sleeping right next to my chair and the dog who was posted up in the corner of my spare bedroom.

Gosh, Penny was three years younger then. When the daily walks or the mornings when I would take her to the park, putting on my jeans felt like dressing up to go to the grocery store. Thankfully had the grocery store a couple of times a week, just to keep me out and about because I don't have any family in the area in my neighborhood and it was hard to be away from people to be isolated. Work kept me busy and moving kept me busy.

Moving in a pandemic is as much fun as it sounds. Let me just tell you, 80% of my belongings in my home I moved myself, 80% of it. But I bought a house, and that was where I was in my soon to be first ever house that I owned. I was going through my home inspection.

My offer had just been accepted on this house. I was going through my home inspection on what was a Thursday March 12. When I got the notification on my phone that March Madness had been canceled. I also think about those goofballs who said, stick to sports during the pandemic when there were no sports. And how we did shows of every shape and size, every color, every flavor. It was pretty incredible the amount of creativity that we were able to exercise and I actually really look back on those shows with fondness.

They were never challenging to the point where I felt like we had nothing to talk about. No, it was the opposite actually. We had great interviews, some incredible guests. And then in addition to that, just feeling so connected. We started every show with good news.

If you remember, if you were listening during the pandemic, every show, regardless of what was going on, I was finding good news somewhere out there on the internet. Three years ago today, and then when NASCAR returned, golf returned, remember the last dance was our great sports entertainment for about 10 weeks or so. Gradually though, we had a couple of individual sports return, then we had NASCAR, and then baseball in late July.

Not long after, the NBA in the bubble, the NHL in multiple bubbles. But we lost March Madness. We lost a lot of sporting events that we didn't get back. I remember speaking with coaches, athletes, heartbroken because of the missed opportunities and knowing that that was it.

That was the one shot. Can't believe it's been three years and yet I can believe it's been three years. A lot of aging, I think. A lot of wisdom if you choose to find it that way in three years. Maybe a new perspective on what matters, what's important. What I wanted to emphasize so badly on my shows during those times, hope. Yes, we have hope. We're not alone, even if we are separated. We're still connected, although man, after a while I was so done talking on the phone, all I wanted was to have conversations in person. And I remember my first hug after three months. My friend and I, I don't think we let go for like a good three minutes. I cried, she cried. Long time to go without hugging someone.

That was the longest stretch of my entire life. And then the relief, I will say this, when I closed on my house, signed the papers in mid-June. Oh no, I'm sorry, mid-May.

Oh no, I take it back. Yes, mid-June. I signed the papers in May, but I had a month until I could move because I couldn't get internet at the new house. That was also happening for those of you who remember. Work crews and installation crews and utilities, all of that was so hard to get a personal visit. And so in mid-June, when I started to move, my family showed up. My mom, in her 70s, got on a plane like a boss and showed up in New Jersey. My entire family, half of them drove, the other half flew. And I was finally able to see my family for the first time in, I think since Christmas. Oh no, actually I had seen my mom in early March, which was great.

I had just gotten off a plane right like a week before everything shut down. My brother and sister-in-law had gone on a vacation in Mexico and had just gotten back. Even as we get into NFL tampering, legal tampering, and we weigh Aaron Rodgers' decision, you guys may remember, and I don't think his story is unique, he was out of the country and was told, you better catch the last flight back to the United States or you're stuck in Peru. I think that was his ayahuasca trip, believe it or not. Anyway, everyone's got their stories. I remember exactly where I was when I found out that March Madness would be canceled. And there are many other things I remember about that time. Someone posted on Facebook, as I shared that memory three years ago today, someone posted on our Facebook page, nothing good happened over these last three years.

Are you kidding? A lot of good happened over these last three years. As human beings, when we are pushed to the brink, very often we find out what we're made of. And sometimes that can mean brokenness, sometimes that can mean hopelessness, sometimes, and we've seen it, that can mean anxiety and depression and fear. All of those things were real. But again, change perspectives, resiliency, and hope, which does in fact float. It rises to the top. I believe there's a lot of positive that came out of going through what was an unthinkable experience, say even two weeks before that, three weeks before that.

Not just sports, but sports are certainly a microcosm of greater society. And so exactly three years ago today, March Madness was abruptly canceled in the face of a pandemic. And I spent some time today thinking about everything that's happened since then. So grateful for extra time with my grandmother that she got to celebrate her 100th birthday and I got to spend the better part of two more weeks with her after her assisted living facility finally opened up. Actually, over the course of the year plus when I didn't see her, we spoke and became closer than we ever were before. I wouldn't trade that for the world, even now as I miss her eight months after she passed away.

And I believe there are many positives if we choose to look at them that way. And thank goodness. March Madness is here and real and spectacular. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. I'd love to hear from you. You can find me on Twitter, ALawRadio, and also on our Facebook page. After Hours with Amy Lawrence, our phone number 855-212-4CBS.

Jolt free always 855-212-4227. I was taking notes during the selection show, so that felt perfectly normal. And we've got a great show for you coming up. Jerry Palm will be here in studio in about 45 minutes or so.

Always comes visit us. Even though the hours are hard on the East Coast, he says, and this I know to be true of Jerry as my friend, he has been working on brackets for weeks and weeks ad nauseam. His schedule is so upside down that it no longer matters.

He's got a later flight on Monday, so he's going to join us here in studio. It's our annual March Madness kickoff with Jerry Palm of CBS Sports, who is not only the resident bracketologist, but very rarely misses more than, say, one or two schools in the field of 68. So we'll ask him what he thinks of Alabama's number one overall seed in the South region, playing in Birmingham after winning the SEC first time as the number one overall, beating out Houston and Kansas and Purdue. So Houston comes up with the number two overall seed in the Midwest region, despite being the top ranked team in the country for most of this last year. Kansas as the number three seed.

Here's what I noted about Kansas. The Jayhawks, even without Bill Self. Now, I know the Jayhawks did not win the Big 12. They lost to Texas actually a great second half by the Longhorns on Saturday to capture that Big 12 title. But Kansas is the number one seed in the West, and you cannot quibble with their strength of schedule, by far the toughest in college basketball this season. And so Kansas will play in Des Moines against a team that is in for the first time since 1992.

I love the Cinderella, the true Cinderella stories. That's Howard. And then finally, the number four overall seed. Purdue is the top seed in the East bracket. First time since 1996 for the Boilermakers as the number one seed, winning both the Big 10 regular season and the Big 10 tournament. And that's significant because the Big 10, along with the SEC, eight teams each into the field of 68. Between those two conferences, nearly a quarter of the teams accounted for. Seven from the Big 12, so a decidedly tougher season, a decidedly competitive season for the Big 12, despite everything that happened over the last, say, 15 months or so, the teams departing, them trying to figure out what to do and how to fill out their conference with realignment. Seven teams in from the Big 12. Including Baylor, who is a three seed in that same region as Alabama. And right after the selection show, I had a chance to catch up with their super freshman. In fact, he's expected to be an NBA lottery pick, Keontae George.

So that conversation is coming up a little bit later on the show. So the Baylor Bears out of the Big 12, one of the top teams there. ACC and Big East both with five teams each, Pac-12 and Mountain West, four teams each. And then we'll talk about the last four in with Jerry, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Nevada, Arizona State, and the first four teams left out.

Oklahoma State, Rutgers, UNC, who actually declined an invitation to the NIT, and Clemson. It's also become a rite of passage that we speak to a Gonzaga player every year. Well, coming up next, Malachi Smith went from being a star player on a Cinderella, who nearly produced the upset of the first round a year ago, to a role player, first guy off the bench bringing great experience and defense to a Gonzaga team that is still pursuing that elusive NCAA title. Twenty-three tournaments in a row for the Bulldogs under Mark Few, but the first time for Malachi Smith.

A conversation with him is straight ahead. We're just getting started, a crazy busy weekend, everything from college hoops to the NBA to the NFL. Already some moving and shaking with the legal tampering period underway. The WBC with Team USA winning one, losing one. And as we launch forward into a new week, I'm just so grateful, grateful that we have March Madness, grateful that I get to talk about sports for a living, grateful that you're hanging out with us and part of what we do here on a nightly. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio.

You are listening to the After Hours Podcast. The Zags inbound, the Zags win. Four straight West Coast Conference tournament championships, 21 overall. The Zags do it in dominating fashions. This team has taken some flack this year and it took some time for them to put their own stamp on this, but here they are, they're 28-5, they're regular season champions and WCC Conference tournament champions.

This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. That is the voice of Mark Few, a steeple this time of year. He is synonymous with March Madness and Gonzaga has become a blue blood, though still chasing that first ever men's basketball national championship. You hear his voice on the court after the Bulldogs were able to win the WCC again and finished with a record of 28-5. That made the Dogs a three seed in the West region, same region that Kansas is the one seed and UCLA is the two seed. So you want to talk about blue bloods, they're in that West bracket. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Malachi Smith is the sixth man for the Bulldogs coming off the bench after transferring from Chattanooga a year ago.

So a completely different perspective from Cinderella to blue blood. He's got a role as an experienced veteran, a key piece of the Gonzaga success this year. Had a chance to catch up with him in the wake of the selection show.

Since it's his first time with the Bulldogs, I started out by asking him, Malachi, what was it like for you to be part of the Gonzaga watch party and see Gonzaga's name pop up as a three seed? It was exciting. All the work we put in from the summer and just throughout the year, all the adversity we've been through. It just kind of felt like a reward for all the hard work we put in and we had to earn that three seed. It wasn't given to us, we had to earn it.

And seeing that, we were just super excited. And in the West region where Kansas is the overall number one seed, I know Gonzaga has a great tradition of basketball. But your first year with Mark Few, 23 consecutive tournaments under him, he's one of the staples in college basketball. What's it been like to learn from him this season?

It's been great. My game has grown so much. He's worked with a lot of players who have been successful and being able to be coached hard by him and being able to grow as a player on and off the court has been really a good thing for my game. Where would you say is the biggest growth in your game this season with the Zags?

IQ wise, decision making. At Chattanooga, I had to make a lot of decisions for the team. I'd turn the ball over or I wouldn't make the right reads at times. This year, I've learned the game a lot better. Seeing the game from a different perspective, I think it's helped my game a lot. Sometimes I hear from athletes who change roles like you did going from being the number one guy conference player of the year to being a guy who comes off the bench and their perspective changes as you point out because you watch the game in a different way before you get in there than you did when you're right on the court immediately and you're the number one option. What was it like for you to change roles and to come off the bench in a way that you're expected to provide instant spark and certainly defense right away as soon as you get in the game? It just makes you be ready at the next level.

That's how it is at the next level. You have to be ready whenever your number is called. My role started as a throw-in that came off the bench.

It's something I'm not used to. At the end of the day, the main goal is to win. I feel like with my game, even though I come off the bench, people that know basketball and know how to watch basketball and know what they're seeing, they see the impact I have.

Numbers don't always have to speak for it. But my game speaks for itself. Anyone that watches Gonzaga knows that when I come off the bench, I'm providing something for this team. One of the things that I think of when I watch you play or when I hear your name and know your role is about the experience that you bring because of the different places you played, the different situations that you've been in. How much does that experience matter when you're talking about a team that really wants to win a championship for the first time in school history?

It helps a lot. Being able to have experiences, people having different experiences that can come together, it makes us ready for any moment. Even though I haven't been here, I was in March Madness last year and being able to get that experience, I was able to see the atmosphere and know what it's like leading up to the game and being an underdog and knowing how these teams play. So going into it, I know not to take a team like Grand Canyon for granted because we was once that team last year. I was in that role, so I know what they're thinking over there. This is the chance for us to make our mark. So it's not going to be easy, and it's going to prepare us, and we're going to prepare mentally and physically to go out there and keep this thing going.

That's a great point, Malachi. We're talking to Malachi Smith with Gonzaga, the Bulldogs, the three seed in the West, and we'll take on Grand Canyon out of the whack in their first tournament game. As you point out, you were on the other side of this where you were with a Cinderella, and your team nearly upset Illinois last year.

It was one of the exciting games of that opening round. So can you share that with your team about being on the other side of that? Yeah, you know, I've talked about it on numerous occasions already, but these teams come in like they had to earn their way, and this is their Super Bowl. This is the way for them to get known and get their school on the map as well. So like last year when we were coming in and playing against Illinois, we didn't care about who they had or how good they were. We just cared about, we said, you know, we've got to roll the ball out there and compete.

And that's what this team is going to do. So we have enough guys that don't take the moment for granted, and we're grateful. But of course having that experience to be able to share that with them, that helps put it in perspective like this is a big game, and we don't want to take it for granted. What do you remember about the emotions of that day? Like leading up to it, it was just crazy. Like obviously the media coverage was different, and everyone, like it was a lot of pressure. And you know, getting tagged and everything, and Malachi is going to lead the team, that's Sweet 16.

You know, the player of the year, this, and you know, just a lot of talking before the game. And I had to like block all that out, and I had to learn how to block out, you know, all the media and all the expectations and just go out there and play and try to have fun. And it was a great experience. Obviously it didn't end the way we wanted to, but I was able to go through that experience. And believe it or not, the way the game ended, it helped my game grow because I realized, you know, I'm going to be back in that moment again, you know, not necessarily that shot, but just that game, and I need to prepare myself. And all offseason, that's all I've been working towards, just getting back to this moment. Great motivation.

Malachi Smith with us from Gonzaga here after hours on CBS Sports Radio. Do you remember if you were nervous? Yeah, I was a little nervous, but I'm not nervous because I wasn't prepared. You know, I'm never nervous to go out there and play when I put the work in, just not knowing what to expect. Like, man, are they going to be loud?

Is it going to be a close game? Like, you know, do they, you know, they watch film on me? Like, are they going to double team, you know, just not knowing what was going to happen and just watching it on TV my entire life and knowing that, oh my God, like, I'm a part of this. And like, I'm the main guy. You know, that was that was a cool experience. Awesome.

So then you enter the transfer portal. Why Gonzaga, Malachi? I think today speaks for itself, just being able to have a chance to play for something big and, you know, obviously get your name out there more and have a platform, being around a group, a great group of guys and have a chance to play for the national championship. I remember last year I asked one of your teammates how he would describe Drew Timmy, who, of course, is the headliner similar to the way that you were at Chattanooga. How would you describe this guy that you've played alongside and with this season? I call him a character. You know, he's a great teammate, but he just he could be multiple different people. He could be funny. He could be serious.

He could be a jokester. Like, he's he's he's everything. You know, he's a great guy. So as you head into a game against a kind of an unknown opponent, there's a lot of work that will be done. But for success as a team, what's critical for you all to play well in the tournament? We need to come in with the mentality that we're underdogs, you know, forget what we are. At the end of the day, when we play, it's going to be Grand Canyon vs. Gonzaga. So, you know, it doesn't matter when you go out there with a chip on our shoulder with an underdog and we've got something to prove, you know, and that's how we're going to go out there and play. Like with the team, that's the underdog.

And again, having been in that position before, you certainly understand it. I've heard stories about the fans that follow your team, about the Gonzaga fans. What's your experience been like with the fan base around Gonzaga?

Oh, it's crazy. Everywhere I go, I go to church and they're there in church. So, you know, I'm excited that they're going to go to, you know, we're somewhat close where they can come to Denver and come support us. And, you know, my family's going to be able to come. So it's going to be a great it's going to be a great time.

Oh, awesome. I'm glad your family's going to be able to be there. It's great to catch up with you. Thank you so much for a couple of minutes. Congratulations on making the tournament again in this role where you're a veteran and can really add something different to the preparation. We appreciate it, Malachi. Congratulations. Thank you so much.

You're welcome. Really cool journey for Malachi from the top dog in a conference for a Cinderella where he is the focus of the game plan and where Chattanooga nearly upset Illinois last season. It was one of those games that had so much attention because it could have been another double figure seed, but a real true Cinderella. And now he's part of Gonzaga having gone through the transfer portal.

So his experience, his perspective so valuable and I hadn't thought about it until I heard him mention he was wearing the glass slipper last year and can offer such a different opinion about how Grand Canyon is now coming into the game with Gonzaga that takes place in. I think it's Friday. Maybe it's Thursday.

That part I don't have memorized. We will have the after hours bracket challenge available to you. In fact, I've even seen some people send us tweets or Facebook posts because it's coming up. I don't even know how many we how many years we have done. But we generally get a ton of traffic as we get closer to the games tipping off or the full bracket tipping off on Thursday.

I know more people like me who procrastinate will jump in the pool. So we're going to set it up for you will have it available by the end of Monday. The after hours bracket challenge got to get through this selection show and everything that we've done to try to start this week. It's pretty incredible. Not just college hoops or the NBA. Oh, how about the NFL this time last year? Tom Brady was emerging from retirement. Remember, he stole the thunder of college hoops, literally announcing he was coming back to play for the Bucks again on the night of the selection show.

Sorry. Well, that didn't happen. And we don't have a definitive word yet from Aaron Rodgers, but he did do another podcast. I know you want to hear from him. Plus, Mark Murphy, president of the Packers, with some pointed comments about Aaron's future in Green Bay. That is coming up next, even as we launch forward into legal tampering in the NFL, which means it's going to get hot and heavy over the next 48 hours on Twitter. A law radio. Good to hear from you.

Also on our Facebook page. It's After Hours on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours podcast. Just taking some time, taking some time, pausing, letting kind of all the emotions kind of run through you. And then and then and then starting to see how it feels day after day. And what's coming to mind? You're missing it, not missing it. You're excited about the next season.

New challenge, whatever it might be. And then and then going kind of lean into that that feeling and whatever feels right in your body is probably what it's going to be. I think it's got to be a full yes. It's got to be like, yes, 100 percent.

And if it's not that, then you're out. This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Believe it or not, that was Aaron Rodgers on the Pat McAfee show just under a month ago on Valentine's Day.

Happened to be a Tuesday. You know, Aaron is all about love. Love for himself. Love for his fellow man, his teammates. Love for the universe.

Love for the darkness. But that was a month ago. And we do not yet have the full story. We don't yet have his decision, though it seems more and more that the Jets and the Packers are closing in on. A deal that would not only allow Aaron Rodgers to be traded and follow in Brett Favre's footsteps to New York, but would likely work out the compensation. So it's not just draft capital or players that will go back to Green Bay in exchange for the four time MVP quarterback.

It's also money that they have to decide on. How much of Aaron's, I think it's roughly 60 million dollars that he's owed in 23. How much of that will be picked up by the Packers?

Why is it important? Well, because the Jets don't have that cap space. They've been clearing cap space. They've in fact freed up, gosh, close to 15 million dollars.

Maybe even more than that now because they continue to do these moves to try to clear cap space. They're working on it, but they do not have the room to be able to take on all of Aaron's contract. So we don't yet have a decision by Aaron Rodgers, though we heard from both Aaron and Mark Murphy, president of the Packers in separate conversations this weekend. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. Rodgers sounds like wasn't doing a sit down interview with Brandon Marshall, but instead Marshall caught up with him. Now, Marshall, a former NFL wide receiver himself, was with the Broncos, the Bears, the Dolphins.

If I miss some teams, that's OK. But he has the I Am Athlete podcast, and Brandon caught up with him and asked him about his meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson. It's always interesting meeting important figures in the sport. Yeah, it's always interesting. It's all I'm given.

I'm just there now. I think this was impromptu. It was a charity flag football event in California, which is where the Jets contingency flew to meet with Aaron Rodgers. And so Brandon Marshall actually follow that up. If you've seen or seen or heard the audio, he follows it up with, can I have the breaking news or can you break the news here on the I Am Athlete podcast? But Rodgers plays coy and says it's always interesting meeting significant figures in sports, which is Woody Johnson.

Woody spearheading the charge. That's the report out of New York is that he's the one who really wants Aaron Rodgers. He believes it would be a huge boost to the organization, not just for football reasons, but because of the high profile free agent quarterback. Probably the highest free agent landing for them, the highest addition via free agency.

I shouldn't say highest. I should say most high profile addition and free agency since Brett Favre, which is, again, ironic. It's after hours on CBS Sports Radio. Now, Brandon tried to press him about when, and I think everybody wants to know that when. Now that we're into the legal tampering period in the NFL and teams can agree to terms with players, with those who are available and trades are taking place.

We'll get to the big one between the Rams and the Dolphins coming up. But he was asking Aaron, if not now, then when? Stay tuned. Stay tuned? How long we got to wait? Well, I think it won't be long. There's a time limit for all this. Stay tuned, he says.

Oh, okay. You mean for another month? Stay tuned. I think it won't be long. So this is, again, the I Am Athlete podcast.

The video gets out late on Saturday night, I believe. And he does agree there's a time limit for all of this, but apparently not any time in the last month. So that's Aaron's perspective with Brandon Marshall.

What about Mark Murphy? Obviously, the Packers had to give permission for the Jets to meet with Aaron, for the Jets to talk to Aaron and his camp because he's still a Packer. He's under contract. He's not a free agent, meaning it would have been legal tampering if they didn't get permission from the Packers.

You can't do that. That would have put the kibosh on the deal, any potential deal. So, Mark Murphy, as president of the Packers, why did you allow your quarterback to speak to another team? I mean, I can't get into all the details, but, you know, it's a situation where I think we wanted to help Aaron achieve what he wanted as well as the Packers and hopefully create a situation where it's kind of a win for both sides.

It certainly sounds like, for Mark Murphy, he doesn't believe that the win-win for both sides is to stay together. All signs and all verbiage seem to point to, we're trying to make Aaron's next home a place that he's happy, a place where he wants to go. And, you know, we're trying to make Aaron's next home a place where he's happy, a place where he's happy, a place where he wants to go. I mean, I can't get into all the details, but, you know, it's a situation where I think we wanted to help Aaron achieve what he wanted as well as the Packers and hopefully create a situation where it's kind of a win for both sides.

Now, Mark Murphy was attending the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association girls basketball tournament, so essentially a state tournament, which took place in Green Bay across the street from Lambeau Field, and he had to know that if he was out in public, there would be questions, there would be a microphone in his face. This comes from WIAATV, and Mark Murphy didn't hold back, he didn't hedge really, even though they don't have a final decision yet from Aaron, but they also don't have the details worked out with the Jets either. It's fairly obvious that he and the Packers are comfortable speaking about life after Aaron Rodgers.

That's what I took away in seeing and hearing Murphy's comments. Again, being asked about Rodgers' exit from a place where he has spent the better part of 20 years. Very few players play for only one team, and, you know, obviously Brad had a great career, Aaron had a great career here, and regardless of what happens, Aaron will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he'll be in our Hall of Fame, and we'll bring him back and retire his number.

Okay, already planning for the number retirement ceremony. WIAA, WBAY, these are the two TV stations that were able to catch up with Packers President Mark Murphy. So then, Jordan Love. And the Packers are in an enviable position, there aren't a lot of teams that can kick their quarterback to the curb or trade their quarterback and know that they have one waiting in the wings. I think a lot of times teams are reluctant to try to step out and make a change at QB, even if they're not happy, because they're worried that the cupboard will be bare and that there's more demand than there is supply. But the Packers are in a good spot where they have Jordan Love and they believe that he's ready to go. We have a lot of confidence in him. I think we drafted him and developed him, a lot of credit goes to our coaches and to Jordan, but we do think he's ready. We do think he's ready. We will retire Aaron's number at some point when he returns.

Sounds like the door is just about closed, needing to dot the i's and cross the t's maybe? Here's what I think Mark Murphy will be remembered for. Yes, there have been some extremely successful seasons, some great coaching hires, there's been a Super Bowl. Mark Murphy could actually go down in NFL history as the man who traded away not just Brett Favre, but Aaron Rodgers, two Hall of Fame quarterbacks, because Murphy was there in 2008 when he did this deal with the Jets to send Brett Favre to New York. Could Aaron Rodgers be following in his footsteps? Jerry Paulman, studio next. It's after hours, CBS Sports Radio.