JR SportBrief Hour 1

It is the JR Sport Brief Show on CBS Sports Radio. I hope you had a tremendous Tuesday. If you didn't, that sucks. I can only tell you this. I can't promise you anything. But I'm going to be hanging out here with you for the next four hours. This is when I get started.

10pm Eastern Time, 7pm Pacific. And I'm going to be here talking about sports. And so if your day did suck, don't worry about it. Hang out with me.

I'm going to try my best to make you feel better. No guarantees. Coming to you live from Atlanta, Georgia. I'm being joined by my main man, Jack Stern, holding it down in New York City. And it's been a busy day in the world of sports.

Nothing unusual. First of all, in a few minutes we're going to talk about LaShawn McCoy and Eric Bienemy. I have no idea what Eric Bienemy did to LaShawn McCoy. But LaShawn McCoy absolutely needs a hug. He needs a hug. I'm going to explain to you why in a few minutes. Now that we have spring training underway in Major League Baseball, Steve Cohen, owner of the New York Mets is pretty much being looked upon as destroying the economic system of Major League Baseball.

He has a comment and a retort. Shohei Ohtani is basically buying time until he is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Angels. The Atlanta Hawks decided to fire their head coach Nate McMillan. They dumped him today. We won't see him with the Hawks anymore. Lonzo Ball. He's done with the Chicago Bulls. We won't see him this year. Patrick Beverly is going to step up in his place.

That should make a major difference now, should it? Today was the open period for NFL teams to franchise tag their players. What does that mean for Lamar Jackson? What does that mean for someone like Derek Carr who's already a free agent? And I assume that any minute or any day now, Aaron Rodgers will be out of his darkness cleanse. A.J.

Brown says he wants Jalen Hurts to be paid. So we got a lot to do. Here's the short of it. If you follow me on social media at J.R. Sport Brief, you would know all of this already. I shared it.

Go ahead and check it out. Twitter, J.R. Sport Brief, Instagram, Facebook, J.R. Sport Brief. And we got a phone number here. You should know that, too. The phone number is 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4CBS. Jack Stern, how are you this evening? I'm doing absolutely fantastic, J.R., even though it's the middle of February or I guess late February now because February is a short month here in New York. The weather was beautiful today.

I was out walking in the park. It was nice and sunny outside. It feels like springtime is in the air. And given that the dark doldrums of winter are always horrible here back on the East Coast, I'm really happy and excited about baseball and the sunny weather and all that great stuff. Well, that's good for you in New York.

Unfortunately, there's a good portion of the country that's dealing with a winter storm. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pour salt in the wound there.

No, it's okay. I'm glad you're brilliant. That's all that matters. Shoutouts to everybody dealing with cold weather and storms out West and in the mountain states. We hope you're all smooth and cool. Be like Jack. Be smooth and be cool.

I just mentioned to you this this topic and let's let's get this out the way. There's nothing worse. Then working with someone. Having a relationship with someone. And then it's over, it's done. And then now you're just disparaged all over the damn place.

There's nothing worse than closing a door, closing a chapter. And someone doesn't know when or how to shut up, especially in sports. It doesn't matter if you are a high school athlete. You could be a college athlete.

You could be in any relationship that that comes and goes. It starts, it finishes. You could be a professional athlete. Where year to year you're going to have different teammates, you're going to have different coaches, you will have different people.

That you have to interact with just in a general sense to ultimately find success. Players come. Players go. Coaches come. Coaches go. Salary issues.

It is a business. Every year is a different team. For most of us, this might be like going to school every year. You you might have a different class. You have different classmates.

You have different experiences. It's supposed to help you grow. Supposed to allow you to socialize and become a better person, to be productive, to learn how to operate in the world. For the most part, you should be able to interact with people who don't come from the same background, think the same things that you do.

It's part of developing as a human. Eric Bienemy, the new offensive coordinator for the Washington commanders. We know the story. For the past few years, he hasn't gotten a job working with the Kansas City Chiefs. He hasn't gotten that head coaching job after it seems like an endless scroll of job interviews. And so now he steps out and away from Andy Reid's shadow. And he's going to run the commander's offense, which we know.

There's nothing there right now. And when I say nothing, I mean from the quarterback position. We don't know who the hell is going to be on the receiving end of of passes or at least term McLaurin. We don't know who's throwing him the ball. Sam Howell.

Is that something that we need to be excited about? You go from Patrick Mahomes to Sam Howell. Maybe Eric Bienemy can pick up another another QB, you know, out of the Carolinas somewhere and have better success.

And sure, he will look good at the end of the year, but we haven't seen enough. We have no idea. Eric Bienemy is going to have to prove his worth. But someone who has not been a fan of this guy, a former co-worker, a former player, someone who was underneath Eric Bienemy as a pupil, a player. Will not shut up and his name is LaShawn McCoy. I don't know if Eric Bienemy took his money. I don't know if Eric Bienemy, you know, took personal belonging or a personal person.

I don't know. He can't stand this guy. He disparaged him on the I Am Athlete podcast last year. Talked about how bad of a coach he was, how he eviscerated the players. He was verbally abusive. And now he's doubling down that he has a new job with the commanders. This was before he even left the Chiefs. And so today LaShawn McCoy was on Fox Sports and he sat on the big fancy set and he was asked the question about Eric Bienemy and him having a job and what he will accomplish with this job. And he basically called the man a sham. Listen to this interaction earlier today on Fox Sports. What's his value? What makes him a good officer coordinator?

See, the problem is a lot of these people that go on social media, oh, he should be the guy for the job. They haven't played there. They're not in the locker room. I've been in the rooms where he's coaching and he has nothing to do with the pass game at all.

Right? When the plays are designed, that's Andy Reid. When you talk about officer coordinators, I could tell you what makes Brian Daibaugh with the Giants a very, very good coordinator. I could tell you with Andy Reid or Doug Peterson.

But when I ask about Eric Bienemy, what makes him good? When we watch the film or practices and we correct the wide receivers, the running backs, the quarterbacks, he doesn't talk in there. Andy Reid talks in there. He may say things to the running back because he's an extra running back coach.

I get that. But he has no real responsibility. Now you go from the Chiefs where you can hide behind Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid. Then you go to the Washington where you've got to call plays. You've got to run the meetings.

You've got to run the installs. Wow, OK. Tell me how you really feel, LaShawn McCoy, about Eric Bienemy. Tell me how you really feel. He has nothing to do with the offense, nothing? LaShawn McCoy had more yards in the 2010s rushing the ball than anybody else. He was a six time Pro Bowler. He was a two time All-Pro.

He retired in 2021. And how about this? You may not know this.

You may not remember this. LaShawn McCoy is a two time Super Bowl champ. Do you want to know who he won the Super Bowl with?

Here's a reminder. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You want to know what's similar about both of his postseason experiences, both of his Super Bowl experiences? He didn't contribute. And with the Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Bienemy wasn't necessarily happy that this man was fumbling the football away.

He had an issue with holding the ball high and tight and just holding on to the damn rock. After LaShawn McCoy said last year that Eric Bienemy didn't contribute to a damn thing. Andy Reid basically said, man, LaShawn McCoy was a little long in the tooth. He wasn't the youngest pup in the kennel.

A little old. Sometimes it's difficult for older players to, you know, come to life and be coached. That was Andy Reid who said that about LaShawn McCoy. Former players from the Kansas City Chiefs wasted no time in defending Eric Bienemy today on social media. Jamal Charles, who actually had plenty of success with the Kansas City Chiefs as a running back.

He said, I have to disagree with you. He coached me for four years. I learned so many things from Eric Bienemy and I still keep in contact.

A great husband, a great father. He deserves to be a head coach. Tyreek Hill, star wide receiver, no longer with the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, maybe catching passes from Tua Tonga Veloa if Tua Tonga Veloa and his head can stay healthy.

I hope it is. Tyreek Hill said LaShawn McCoy is just mad because Eric Bienemy told him to tuck that ball. Tyron Matthew decided to put in his two cents as well, kind of like, what are you talking about?

And this is wild. It was only a few weeks ago as the Chiefs went towards another Super Bowl where Andy Reid said, yeah, man, he's going to have to spread his wings and fly. Travis Kelce said he needed a gig. Patrick Mahomes himself. Patrick Mahomes said, look, it's a damn shame that he's not a head coach in this league. And I just mentioned to you, Travis Kelce, if I go back an entire year ago, Travis Kelce sat on an ESPN set and he said the complete opposite of what you heard from LaShawn McCoy.

Take a listen to this. More than deserving. Week in, week out, he has our team prepared and ready to go. Everyone says it's an Andy Reid offense.

He has 51%. I'm not going to say it's not, but it is a collective group putting this offense together. And I ask everybody, come on in, see who's standing up in front of our offense, getting us ready for situational football, who's in front of us week in, week out at halftime trying to make adjustments. Who is the guy that's rallying this group and has the emotion as a player and as a coach to keep us firing as an offensive unit? And that's Eric Bienemy. And I've been a big fan of him my entire career. He's done unbelievable things for my skill set personally and my mentality in terms of helping me grow as a player. And more than deserving, I'm sick of hearing all these names I've never heard of come across the ticker, getting hired across the across the league and my guy, Eric Bienemy isn't getting an opportunity. My guy, Eric Bienemy is not getting an opportunity. He has as much to do with the offenses as Andy Reid.

So what are we supposed to do? Who's telling the truth? Is it LaShawn McCoy? Is it Kelce? Is it Jamal Charles? Is it LaShawn?

What are we doing here? I gotta be honest here. LaShawn McCoy has been retired since 2021. It feels like he's been retired longer because he ain't play damn near in 2019 at the end of his tenure with the Chiefs. He was able to rush for about 500 yards and then they pretty much pretty much put him in cobwebs. He was with the Buccaneers. He ain't do nothing out there either.

He might as well have been out of the league for about four or five years by now. What do you hear LaShawn McCoy talk about? Anything?

Anybody have anything? Have you heard him talk about, I don't know, the rushing attack for the New York Giants? Has LaShawn McCoy just provided analysis for the Buffalo Bills having experience and played there? Has LaShawn McCoy talked about, you know, Jalen Hurts? Has he talked about some of the biggest running backs in the league? We got a lot of NFL players, tons of them, who have now made a living post-career discussing NFL football. Brandon Marshall, Ryan Clark, I mean, Teddy Bruschke.

We can go on and on. If we want to think about broadcasting games, there's obviously a Tony Romo, Tom Brady expected to join the Fox booth. Next season. Not this upcoming season, but next year. I couldn't tell you a damn thing I've heard LaShawn McCoy say outside of crapping on Eric Bienemy.

We get it. You don't like him. You think he's a crap coach.

If that is going to be your only contributions that are picked up and widely distributed or even cared about. Then don't say anything. And, you know, I don't I don't like the term hater. I think it's overused. I think it's a garbage word.

I think it's a lazy word. That guy is a hater. You're a hater, hater, hater.

LaShawn McCoy just needs to find a hobby. He needs to find something worth discussing. If the only words that you say are going to be destructive, if the only words that you have said that people care about are destructive, then maybe you should just stop. If nobody else is taking anything else you are saying seriously or giving it attention, stop. Because you just look angry. You look bitter. I'll harken back to the words of Andy Reid.

You just sound like an old veteran that couldn't stand or take the heat. Because Eric Bienemy probably told you, man, you don't got it no more. And we see this all the time in life. Management lets go of someone. And all they do after they are let go is trash the boss.

Sometimes it's not a big enough mirror to look at. Especially for professional athletes who don't know when it's done is done. Not everybody is Tom Brady.

Not everybody is a Lebron. Not every running back is going to last forever. LaShawn McCoy is 34 years old. He is ancient in NFL years. If you're not going to play and if every time you talk you got to crap on Eric Bienemy, find something else to do. Why don't you just go out there and become a running backs coach.

That'll be more constructive than you crapping on a dude who's not even responding back to you. Quit while you're ahead. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here with you on CBS Sports Radio 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4CBS. We are just getting started. We are just getting warmed up. A matter of fact, speaking of someone who cannot catch a break who's getting crapped on, the new offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens was announced today. He was introduced to the media.

His name is Todd Monken. And one of his topics of conversation revolved a quarterback who right now for many people cannot catch a break. Thus, Lamar Jackson. You're going to hear from the new offensive coordinator for the Ravens.

We'll talk about Lamar on the other side. It's the JR Sport Brief Show. Happy Tuesday here on CBS Sports Radio. It's the JR Sport Brief Show here on CBS Sports Radio right before we went to break.

And by the way, if you missed it, you can always hit rewind on the free Odyssey app, A-U-D-A-C-Y. We talked about LaShawn McCoy. For whatever reason, he cannot keep Eric B. Enemy's name out of his mouth. For the past year, every time I've heard the name LaShawn McCoy, he's just crapping on Eric B. Enemy.

I've seen two interviews in the past year. I am athlete and then today the man was on Fox Sports specifically to crap on Eric B. Enemy.

It's like, come on, just get a hobby now, please. Do something. Good luck to Eric B. Enemy in Washington.

It's not going to be easy, obviously. This is not Patrick Mahomes. He's not getting on a plane. He's not being traded. Washington is a crap franchise with a crap owner.

Hopefully that owner gets the hell up on out of there sooner than later. Sorry. No, I'm not sorry. I don't care. But good luck to this man. And I hope we've heard the last of LaShawn McCoy. And if he says anything, my fingers are crossed that next time, just next time, maybe, he'll have something constructive to say. Instead of bashing another dude who he obviously has a personal vendetta against. Good luck, B. Enemy. Anyway, moving on.

I told you about this. There are a lot of people who aren't necessarily fans of Lamar Jackson right now. Lamar Jackson is a free agent.

He's eligible to be tagged. He may also hold out. He may he may force a trade if he's not thrilled with the offer, if he doesn't get the guaranteed cash that he wants from the Ravens, they built their entire offense around him. Are they going to be willing to just start from scratch and bring in a young QB?

So many questions, so many things that have to be figured out over the next several months. But one thing that took place today, regardless of the status surrounding Lamar Jackson, was the official press conference for the Baltimore Ravens new offensive coordinator. His name is Todd Monken. He just won a championship as the offensive coordinator for the team right down the road from me. The Georgia Bulldogs and Todd Monken has experience in the NFL. This man has basically been everywhere for the past 30 years. He was the Bucks offensive coordinator in in twenty eighteen.

Poor guy. He had to watch Jamis Winston throw the football to everybody but his teammates. He was the Browns offensive coordinator in twenty nineteen. He had to work with Baker Mayfield and Landry and Odell. And then he's just going to Georgia, come down here to Georgia, and he's become a champion.

Good for him. And now he's going back to the NFL. And after the I don't want to say the demise, it sounds so bad.

Demises demise makes it sound like it just crumbled and fell. After the Ravens fired Greg Roman. They brought in Monken. The Ravens offense was crap last year.

Garbage. We see the same old song and dance. Fans actually showed up to the Ravens practice facility. They left flyers outside of the gates imploring the Ravens to fire Greg Roman.

Well, they got what they wanted. They might not have Lamar Jackson. Todd Monken said, I'm prepared and I am fine being here without Lamar. But during his introductory press conference today, Todd Monken also took plenty of time to dispel some of the negativity surrounding Lamar as a player, namely that he can't throw. He can't do this and this.

Listen to this glowing. And what else is he going to do? He's not going to bash the guy like LaShawn McCoy.

Listen to this glowing review of Lamar Jackson by his new OC, maybe Todd Monken. You know, he's got an elite skill set. I mean, it's obvious when you watch him on on film. I mean, the things he can do with the football and the plays that he makes. And I think he's underrated as a passer. Maybe. I think so.

In terms of his ability to make plays and throw it down the field. So you've all seen it. I mean, I'm like you. I haven't. I'm no different than you.

I watch what you guys watch, you know, and it's pretty amazing. Yeah. Underrated as a passer and the new offensive coordinator is not going to bash. The quarterback, the potential quarterback, the incumbent quarterback, the only way I believe Lamar Jackson leaves the Ravens is if he wants to leave the Ravens. I don't believe that's going to happen.

Unless unless they can't come to an agreement. And I it. I'm not going to say I'm dumbfounded because I'm not. There are so many people bashing this dude. About how he quit on the team. How Lamar Jackson quit on the Ravens, how even with a sprained knee that that wasn't stable, he should have at minimum continued to travel with the team all the way into the postseason and this and that.

I'm like, what do you want from the guy? We saw him get hurt. We saw him get injured. Is it reasonable for people to go? Well, how hurt is he? Yeah, it is. It's too easy.

It's lazy. He should have traveled with the team to do what? He was going to inspire people just by standing around and hooping and hollering on a bum leg. You got Michael Vick. I played a whole season on Michael Vick hasn't necessarily in the past shown to have the greatest of what's the word discernment about anything.

God bless him for turning things around. Sean Payton. Oh, man, it's not about you. It's about the team. Well, shut up. It's about the team.

Weren't you in charge of Bounty Gate? Didn't you like turned a blind eye with Sean Payton getting his ass with that quarterback in the NFL? These NFL teams chew the players up and spit them out, but people got the nerve to run around and say he quit on the team.

How about RG three Robert Griffin, the third? We saw this man get just basically fed to the wolves by Shanahan. And we see where he's at now.

God bless him. He has a great career on television. But we saw this man's career basically end over the stretch of several months because he went out there with a weak damn knee and a brace and his career was done. So let's get off of the Lamar Jackson. Quit on the team idea. Let this man go get his money wherever it is. Because if his knee did give out, you know what the Ravens would do? They would show him the damn door quick. He quit on the team, man.

These teams don't give a damn about the players. Let's stop that garbage. 855-212-4CBS.

That's 855-212-4CBS. Damon is calling from Houston. You're on CBS Sports Radio. Hey, how's everything going? Things are going great. What's on your mind, Damon?

What's on my mind is a whole thing about the Michelle McCoy, Eric the Enemy situation. One of the things that Prime said, Deion Sanders, is that a lot of people are raising their kids to be weak. And you have to be able to take constructive criticism in order for you to do what is necessary for you to get to that next level.

I have four serves, so I know exactly how that goes. You can't be that. We're not raising them to be cats. We're raising them to be dogs. And it's just that for him to troll Eric the Enemy, and I wish that he comes back because you know I'm a New Orleans fan, brother.

I wish he would come back to New Orleans even though he was raised in the West Coast. It's just that you have to be able to take constructive criticism in order for you to progress. Chiseling off of a diamond, it doesn't come off of a cotton.

It comes off of a chisel. I yield back. Well, thank you so much, Damon, for calling from Houston. Yeah, some people can't take it. LaShawn McCoy has been very clear in his criticism. He doesn't know how to speak to people. That's what he said about Eric the Enemy. And so without a shadow of a doubt, he is holding a personal grudge.

He won't let it go. LaShawn McCoy is also thirty four years old. He is not and he's a successful player. He has been a successful player. Multiple time Pro Bowler, all pro. One of the top running backs over the past decade prior to him, you know, falling off. He ain't no spring chicken.

This is not some dude who just got cut in his sour grapes and is now crying. He's a vet. He's done. He's in and he went in the league. He's out of the league from something better to do. It's easy to crap on Eric the Enemy now, isn't it? Just like it's easy to crap on Lamar Jackson.

It's the JR sport re-show here on CBS Sports Radio. LaShawn McCoy is done. Lamar Jackson, we don't know his status.

We do know Todd Munkin loves him. But what else is he going to say? And then we also had a return, by the way. Jim Caldwell, he's with the Carolina Panthers. He's an assistant. We're going to hear from someone who should have never got the damn boot. From the Lions. You'll hear from Caldwell on the other side of the break.

I'm going to get to your calls as well. It's the JR sport re-show on CBS Sports Radio. It's the JR sport re-show on CBS Sports Radio. There's no damn NFL going on, but the NFL is all in the news. Eric the Enemy getting crapped on by LaShawn McCoy. Today was the first day that NFL teams could go ahead and apply either one or two franchise tags to players who they cannot.

Or they don't believe they'll come to an agreement with someone that they want to try to hold on to. I mentioned to you that Jim Caldwell, he got a job. He's no longer going to be a head coach. He's not looking at a job being a head coach. And then we talked about Lamar Jackson.

Todd Munkin is the new offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. And he said, Yeah, folks, I'm here. Doesn't matter if Lamar Jackson is going to be here.

I'm here. And Lamar Jackson, as you can probably tell and see, is an elite talent. He is an underrated passer as far as I can see.

And Todd Munkin is there along for the ride. Now we just have to see if Lamar Jackson is going to be along for such. It doesn't appear that both he and the Ravens are going to come to terms on a long term deal. You think about Lamar Jackson. He wants that Deshaun Watson money. I want every dollar, every penny, every cent guaranteed. It's unlikely for anybody else. I mean, this is the Browns and the Browns are desperate.

They're like digging for quarters in your couch. And they decided to bring on Deshaun Watson, despite his 20 plus allegations of, you know, sexual misconduct with the massage therapists. Maybe Lamar Jackson has to be a complete jerk to get his guaranteed money. But despite that, we got to see what happens with the man. You know, are they going to tag him?

The answer appears to be yes. Will this be a non-exclusive tag allowing him to potentially go and negotiate elsewhere with other teams, allowing the Ravens to match? Or ultimately, will he be traded? Quite a few options here for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

I don't see any reason why they would not want to keep him. They haven't necessarily given him the best amount of talent to perform with offensively. The offensive line has deteriorated over the past few years. There's a reason that Greg Roman is no longer leading the franchise on the offensive side of the ball.

Everybody can can stand to do a little better. 855-2124 CBS. It's 855-2124 CBS. Jeff is calling from Baltimore. You're on the JR Sport Brief Show. Hey, JR. Thanks for having me. I hope you have a nice evening.

A couple things. First of all, I don't, I'm a big, big, big Lamar Jackson fan. Love the guy.

Good citizen. Elite, elite athlete. Probably the most exciting athlete in the NFL, if not ever.

So I am a huge fan. But I don't think the Ravens should be held hostage by a horrible deal that Cleveland makes. You look at Steve Bishotti. He bought the team for, what, less than a billion? And you have a quarterback that in the last two seasons has not played the final, what, five or six games each year as a result of injury. So you're going to escrow 250 million dollars as a result of a bad deal from Cleveland. OK, so look, I respect Lamar.

I think you should get every penny you possibly can. But that doesn't mean that Baltimore should be held hostage by a bad deal that Cleveland makes. OK, number one. Number two, you mentioned the optics. I want to mention the optics of not traveling to Cincinnati for the playoff game.

I don't know. Baltimore is notorious for being very tight-lipped on negotiations and injuries, OK? Whether it's DaCosta, whether it's Harbaugh, even whether it's the players, they don't talk.

But you do see the optics. OK, you see Huntley on the sideline. You see the teams on the sidelines. And no matter what, even if he can't play, he's got to be there, OK? Pure optics, he's got to be there supporting his team, whether he's playing or not. So I totally disagree with you on that call. Whether he's in there or not doesn't make a difference.

He's supporting his brothers. So that's my opinion on him. Oh, sure. We're all entitled to our opinions. I agree with you on the first point.

Nobody's holding anybody hostage here. These are decisions that both sides decided to make. The Baltimore Ravens wouldn't necessarily be in this situation or feel like they are being held hostage if they didn't construct their entire roster around this man. He is not an easily replaceable figure or quarterback, and that is something that they took a risk on.

And they're going to have to reckon with the decision that they made the same way that he's going to probably have to pay for some of his decisions and choices. I'd be surprised. Look, I was surprised when the Browns gave this man, Deshaun Watson, a fully guaranteed deal. But as I mentioned, it is the Browns. Are we going to have a village idiot come down and offer another ridiculous deal?

Maybe not, but I wouldn't be surprised. So I'm not going to feel sorry for any one of these sides because they might lose out. Secondly, and it's fine that you disagree with me, it is not commonplace across the NFL. I understand the examples that you just named with the Baltimore Ravens. It's not commonplace or there's a one size fits all when it comes to two injuries and traveling. And I think the opposite when it comes down to Lamar Jackson in this past season, how it ended for him to travel with the team. Unfortunately, you have someone like Sammy Watkins who opened up his mouth, who can barely stay healthy himself over the duration of his career, imploring and encouraging one of his teammates, the star, to go out there and play. That's unusual.

You typically don't hear any players opening up their mouth, let alone someone who can't stay healthy himself, about the quarterback to go play. Can I make a point? May I finish, please? OK. Thank you. I didn't stop you from saying anything. Hold on. There is no precedent to say go out there. There is nothing.

Zero. These are grown men. Lamar Jackson wasn't going to stand there on a bum knee and hoorah the guys without them automatically rolling their eyes. There was no scenario or situation after the game where Lamar Jackson was going to be lauded for quote unquote just being there. In most cases, NFL players who are hurt outside of just being there, they are away from the team, particularly when it comes down to road games.

OK, so one of the things that you may want to keep in mind, too, is that being a Baltimore Ravens diehard fan, we were raised with the Ray Lewis's and the Ed Reed's and the Terrell Sucks. And I can tell you this. Those guys, even when they weren't playing, they were there. They showed. And that's the environment and the culture that we were bred upon when these old-time players go.

Now, again, I'm not privy to information about Lamar's injuries or not, but the fact that we're having the conversation that he wasn't there is bad optically. OK. And, you know, you make valid points. But the bottom line is there's a lot of people in Baltimore that saw that were like, dude, hop a flight, be with your boys, get on the sidelines. And even if you're not playing, you're part of the team. So that's just my opinion.

Yeah, that's fine. And thank you, Jeff, for calling from Baltimore. He was already in a no-win situation. So it's not because we're having the conversation. Lamar Jackson could have showed up on the sidelines and he still would have been criticized. He was criticized before the game even took place.

What difference do it make? If you want to tell me he, him showing up was going to do something to the players, do what? He's going to be a rallying cry? He would have been a distraction. And sure, we could talk about Ray Lewis and Suggs and Ed Reed. Yeah, we could we could we could ring that bell.

Let's have Ray Lewis come out and dance on a bum leg. No, it's not. It don't matter. Them days are over. You got Roquan now, hopefully Roquan's around for a long time. Lamar Jackson was a lightning rod from before he was even drafted. He was a lightning rod when he was drafted last in the first round.

He's become an MVP in the NFL. People are always going to feel strongly about him one way or another. There's no winning for him, no matter what he does.

People will always be critical. I think I don't think he's going to get no guaranteed deal. Maybe he does. But I'm not going to be mad at him for looking out for him. Not at all. Would he do better with an agent?

Probably. I'm not going to be mad at his choices based on where he is. Let's put it to you.

This is this is flat. What it comes down to. Somebody's going to pay him. He's going to get a lot of money. Whether it's the Ravens or somebody else. It's the JR Sport Reshow here on CBS Sports Radio.

855-2124. CBS is the line. Next hour, I'm going to keep talking football. We're going to get into Nate McMillan. He got the boot from the Hawks.