Brian Gutekunst: The Tush Push Is Dangerous For Our Players

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Click Grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Coming up, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gudecunst, former Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, CBS NFL analyst Charles Davis. And now it's Rich Isaac. That's correct. Can confirm. Hour two of our first day of a three-day residency here in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Live on the air here on the Roku Sports Channel, the Infinity Sports Network, Sirius XM Channel 375 and Odyssey. Brian Gudecunst, the general manager of the home team here at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay is going to be joining us. But joining us right now is my longtime buddy, my Michigan man, my friend for the last 30 damn years. Good to see you, Adam Schefter. Good to see you, Adam Schefter of the worldwide leader. Good to see you, man. Good to see you, sir. What's up, man?

Well, there's only one way to start this conversation is the first time we worked together in Green Bay, Wisconsin. You remember? You know what it is. Thursday night football.

Somebody's. That's right. That was that. Yeah, right in Lambeau Field birthday. So that would've been 18 years ago, 18 years ago. This man goes on NFL Network and says he learns that Art Shell is not back as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, no matter what happens the rest of the season.

And what happened next? Adam Schefter in Lambeau Field. Al Davis released what might be the greatest press release from an owner in NFL history.

Am I wrong about that, Rich? All caps. All caps. Adam Schefter is a false rumor monger, monger, everybody that was the night.

What's going to happen with our shell and cover the Denver Broncos. And we could look up the release and read it because it's an instant classic that should be in Canton. You're correct. That should be in Canton, Ohio as dictate, but it wasn't signed by him. It was a statement from the team, but it was clearly dictated and read by a very angry Al Davis. And who was fired by the end of the season? Adam Schefter who got our shell got fired, right? It was gentlemen. I'm reading this right now.

You have, you really have it. Adam Schefter has always been a false rumor monger with respect to the Raiders and anti Raider bias based upon his relationship with Denver and Mike Shanahan. Okay. That's right. No decisions have been made relative to the 07 Oakland Raiders, nor will they be made for some time. Adam Schefter could not have gotten his information from a reliable source because there's only one reliable source and he doesn't trust Adam.

Ladies and gentlemen, honestly, has there ever been an owner? That's a released a statement that's better than that one. All caps as well.

All caps. It was like he screamed it out from his office. Do you think he made Amy like, no, Amy, I guarantee you. I don't know if I've spoken to Amy about this. I think I have, you know, she told him don't do it. She said that many times.

The great, the great man, Amy Tresco should be in the hall as well. She, she, she absolutely told him, what are you doing? And I'm finally didn't care that earned you a trip to Oakland on your birthday itself, right? Yeah. So what happened was it was here on a Thursday night game.

Saturday night was the Packers and Vikings here on a Thursday night. If it was. Yeah. Oh yeah. And so I was going to turn 40. I had just gotten or I was about to get engaged.

Yes. Our boss said to me, I didn't have to go onto Oakland from here because I was living in New York. I could go back home to New York, not have to go cross the country for a Saturday night game that was meaningless. And as soon as that statement came out, then he said, I hate to tell you, you got to go in Oakland. I'm like, if I had known that I would have sat on that story. Oh my God. That was one of the dumbest stories I ever released. Dude. It was amazing.

And obviously great times back in the day with us and Dion and Mooch and Marshall and you. And you know, I've got nothing. He's on the plane right now. On the plane right now. Where's he going? Uh, must be going back to Dallas, right? He's on a plane right now. To Texas. Where's this kid winding up? Question of the draft.

That is the question of the draft. Do you think, do you trust me rich? I'm like, Al, of course. And you know, the question, you know, the question has the, uh, the, the answer of, of course I do.

Where do you think he winds up? If I had to bet a dollar today? Yes, sir. Oh, hold on a second. Yeah.

What are the odds on it? Right? Like you got an ESPN bed and place the dollar bet right now.

Okay. He's the favorite to go to Pittsburgh. That's where I would bet him.

Yeah. That's where I would bet him. 21st overall.

That's where I would bet him right now. But look, of course. I mean, that's the great part about the draft is you think you might know, and nothing is ever absolute and things change.

So, you know, people have to understand that. And I think they do, but I would say today, in my mind, Mike Tomlin, like Chidor Sanders, I don't think the giants are going to take him at three, but I'm not ruling it out. I don't think there will. I definitely don't think the saints will take him at nine. What gives you that impression? Just a lot of people don't believe that the saints are interested in him.

Okay. So the giants don't take him at three and the saints don't take him at nine. Can't really find a team from nine to 21, although someone could always trade up if they want them that much. Although, again, we've seen how polarizing he is. So it's hard to imagine who's trading up in this draft where there's been no trades up so far to go get a quarterback in a draft class that evaluators have been picking apart.

So my guess is he would sit on the board till 21. And that's where it's going to be interesting because I think they're going to sit there on a Steelers team that has got a lot of needs and still hopes to add Aaron Rodgers in time. And you say, are we better off with, I'll give you some names, Kenneth Grant from Michigan, logging a run defense, Travion Henderson, adding to our running game with Jalen Warren or Shador Sanders, who may not play for us this year.

And it was in this spot where we almost took Kenny Pickett. Is this what we want to do for a team that we think can win now? And I think there's going to be that discussion within the organization. Now, ultimately, I do think that Mike Tomlin is a Shador Sanders fan. And if he's a fan, my guess is that the owner might sign off on that at that point in time and they might be Shador. Doesn't mean they will be, but I can see that happening.

Sure. And obviously, as you know, and I don't think I'm telling any tales out of school, I think Dion would be particularly pleased about that sort of notion. Obviously, yes, he loves Mike Tomlin and yes, and getting him in that spot and, you know, Shador versus Lamar twice a year versus Joe Burrow twice a year. And, you know, sitting behind one would think Aaron Rodgers for a year. What's the general sense right now in Pittsburgh? Just wait it out and Rodgers will have whatever he's waiting on on his personal life to sort out.

They're willing to be patient. And I think the feeling still is that ultimately he's going to go to Pittsburgh. But again, with him, who knows?

Right. But I think that they feel like eventually he'll come around. Eventually, he'll wind up.

But it still may be a little while before we hear from him. What do you think? This summer? Well, it will be the next season. You really think so?

I mean, I know you're throwing. Really, you think it could be training camp or something? Oh, I don't know that long, but it could go a little bit.

It could go a little bit. Did he sound last week on Pat McAfee like a guy who was close to making this? No, he did not.

He did not whatsoever. Adam Schefter here on the Rich Eisen Show before he heads off back to the family of networks of Disney to get ready for the Thursday night coverage, as well as Friday and Saturday of the NFL draft. Your best guess for the first surprise of the draft, if you could peg it, Crystal Ball. Well, what do you think on Monday? I do this column I've done it the last few years, like draft intel. And I felt like on Monday I said, I don't think Mason Graham is going number five, like everybody's pegged him to go for weeks now.

Like everybody had Mason Graham going to the Jaguars. Right. So that would qualify as a surprise that no longer would be a surprise. So now you're asking for the next surprise.

Okay. The next surprise. I think we need a lot of them in the top 10 because there's no real consensus on these guys and there seems to be mixed opinions on all of them.

And the player from 10 to 32 seems to be similar. I think the Bears would love to get their hands on an offensive weapon. I don't know if one of them will be there. It might be contingent upon whether the Jets take Tyler Warren or a member with a tackle from Missouri. So it basically is going to be a night where everybody's holding their powder on making a trade until what?

The fourth overall pick, the fifth overall pick is named and then it's on? Like I know my colleague, my colleague, Rich Peter Schrager. Yes. He's really our colleague, Adam. He's on TV.

I know our colleague Peter Schrager yesterday. He followed the Schefter plan is what you're saying. Yeah, exactly.

He followed the path from Culver City, formerly Culver City, back east. Sure. He said that the Browns at two and the Giants at three are fielding calls from teams trading up. What I would say is the Browns have fielded more calls from teams in front of them in the first round saying, do you want to come up to come get your quarterback? Meaning in front of them with their second round pick. Correct.

Because obviously you'd be referring to Tennessee if you're the other way around. So because they have the thirty third overall pick, they have the opening pick on Friday night. And they're basically like, hey, we know you're not taking your quarterback second overall that want to move back.

Yeah. A group of them have called the Browns to say, hey, that's the calls they're fielding. Not on two, but more.

No, I think they're fielding calls on two to a certain extent. But of the two scenarios, what's more likely them trading back from two or trading up from thirty three? Probably neither. But if I was to say one, they're more likely to trade up from thirty three than they are to trade out of two. So who's the quarterback most likely to be traded up for at the end of the first round Thursday night? What do you think there? That's another mystery to be talked about. I've had this conversation with various quarterback, needy teams in this draft.

Yes, sir. And they're not going to tell you their boards. You're not going to know that they value Tyler Shuck over Jackson Dart or Chador over Jalen Milro or Jalen Milro over Jackson. Like you don't know. And that's the great part about the draft, because it's the moment of truth. And we get to see these teams put their cards on the table. Oh, so they traded up for this guy.

Right. Now, I could tell you there seems to be a lot of sentiment out there, right or wrong, that the Saints love Jackson Dart. There is a belief amongst teams that the Saints love him. The Giants have an awful lot of ties with all their Ole Miss ties to Jackson Dart. Tyler Shuck in the eyes of some. They think that he could potentially be the best quarterback in this draft class.

Jalen Milro's got this great upside that you need to harness. But I don't know how the Browns and the Giants and the Saints have them ranked. No, I don't think anybody does. By the way, the Giants don't know where the Browns are and the Saints are. Like I said, everybody thinks the Saints are on Dart.

Giants, maybe Chador and Dart with some Milro love. Browns don't know. So do the Saints love Dart ninth overall love? I don't think so.

Okay. I don't think they love him like that. But the Saints typically have been a very aggressive team in going up to get who they want. So if and when they don't pick a quarterback at night, and by the way, that may be the surprise. On Thursday night we're sitting there and with the ninth overall pick, the New Orleans Saints select Ole Miss quarterback Jackson Dart. That would be something.

But you could see it. But it's more likely that we see multiple tight ends and running backs chosen before the second quarterback is taken overall. That's what I think. Right. That's exactly what I think. Multiple corners taken before that.

Absolutely multiple offensive tackles and defensive edge rushers. That's for sure. Yes.

There's some mixed opinions on the corners. Why? Because our guy Will Johnson got hurt last year?

Is that what it is? Because that guy was top five. By the way, when we were winning it all. You and I. Okay.

Because we were factors. No, he was a top five pick a year ago. No doubt.

For team 144. And came back and has been kind of raked over the cold. Like I love the kid. Great kid.

Sure. Great player. I don't think he's going to go in top five in this draft.

I don't think he'll be a top ten pick in this draft. Right. Okay. You guys talk about the Saints. Mickey Loomis is speaking right now.

Yep. Acknowledged Derek Carr has a shoulder injury and they hope to have clarity on the situation soon. There was a bunch of follow-up questions. He said, I'm done answering questions about Derek. There's a lot more questions than there are answers. There's a lot of speculation floating around out there about that.

Meaning? Speculation about what? That he's going to play this year or he's not going to play? Whether he is or isn't going to play this year. Whether he does or doesn't want to play this year. Whether he does or doesn't want to be in New Orleans. The extent of his injury.

Which is why I don't want to talk about that as being said by Mickey Loomis right now. Before I let you go, Kirk Cousins, how does he loom over these proceedings in your estimation? If at all. You know, the Falcons continue to say they're going to be holding on to him and they might. They're going to want some teams to pay some of that money. How much we'll see. And look, I know Cleveland's been floated.

I don't. I personally don't think that that's a likely destination. I don't think the Browns could afford to bring on that contract unless the Falcons were paying down the whole thing, which I don't think that they'd be willing to do. Kirk's got the no trade cluster. He's got to be OK going somewhere.

I don't know the Pittsburgh. Minnesota seems to me like it would be logical in the end if they're going to move from now. But Atlanta is prepared to just sit on the guy and wait until something else materializes. So to go back to Minnesota with J.J. McCarthy, you could see that. It seems like it's JJ's gig right now.

No, it is. But they also need another quarterback and they don't have that number two right now. So again, I think Kirk would like to go play. Yes. But if he couldn't play, you think he'd be OK being back in Minnesota? Of course.

I mean, moreover, I guess. But to me, I'd want to get to Pittsburgh. That's where I'd want to get if I was him. If Rogers is still sitting and looking at the Pacific Ocean. I think Kirk wants to see how this draft goes. If they take Chidoor, he's not going to want to go to Pittsburgh.

OK, that's going to be out. But I mean, there's J.J. in Minnesota. Why would he want to go there and back up a guy? Because you're going to be a backup.

Well, Chidoor, I guess maybe you could wind up starting right away. You never know, man. But I think he doesn't want to have a draft come and go with him having made a decision beforehand, like last year.

I think he wants to see how this unfolds and then look at all his hands and his options and say, OK, this is more interesting than that or that's more interesting than this and then make a decision. By the way, Atlanta's still got to be willing to move off them, which they've been very careful about that so far. Adam Schefter, thank you for coming on here, man. Back here in Wisconsin, where the monger was born.

And oh, by the way, one of the last times that we were on the road at the Super Bowl. Monger was my choice of word for owes the mentalist a guest. And there it is there. He guessed it right on the spot. So that there is.

And by the way, like I've never discussed that with him ever. He gets TJ's pincote on his phone and TJ packed up and left the set. I was out. I thought he was a warlock.

I was gone. He's like a demon. How do you know the backstory to his time or no time?

What do you got? Well, he was at my brother in law's holiday party like 15 years ago. My wife saw him. She had him come to my son's birthday party.

She then did he did my like fiftieth birthday, did my son's bar mitzvah back in the day. My daughter, when he was at my daughter's bar mitzvah, the ESPN executives, they're like, we got to get this guy around football team. So I booked him a few years back. You got him on there, huh? You got him on there with these football teams?

Adam Schefter. You manage them? So it's your fault. It's not fault. Thank you. This is so it's so incredible. He's incredible. He is good people. He's incredible. Hey, from from the bat mitzvah room to freaking out Josh. You know, making four hundred dollars at my brother in law's Christmas party 15 years ago to not anymore.

Multiples of that. Great to see you, Adam. Have a great draft. Love you, man.

Thanks for coming on. That's Adam Schefter, the great Adam Schefter. Do you need a scoop on the Packers pick? Because look over your right shoulder. There is the general manager, Brian Gudekunst of the host team of this draft is live here in our studio in Green Bay.

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So the first of two times I welcome in the 10th general manager in the history of the Green Bay Packers, kind enough to join us the day before the first ever draft here, modern day draft here in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Brian Gudekunst. Good to see you, man. How are you? Good to see you. Now, this may be an awkward way to start, but in my 22 years, in my 22 years of doing this, I'm going to bring this up with Lafleur tomorrow when he's here. My 22 years of doing this, I've never seen a team's pick tipped at the airport before. Put this photograph up.

This is right outside my gate. Your first found pick is hydration. Brian, I had no idea that hydration was available in this year's draft.

But can you confirm if you're if you're is your first pick hydration? I have tomorrow night off, I guess. You know what I mean? Is that good? You know, the board set? Yes. No one's cramping.

Hydration. I had my cards already written. That's a red flag. It's gone up here in Green Bay. I saw this.

I literally I come out of my gate. I see Matt Lafleur is smiling. His first round pick is hydration. Were you did he pound the table for hydration? Brian, is that the way it works here? Yeah, I mean, you know, our scouts pound the table for other kinds of hydration.

Something harder? Yeah, but not necessarily water. That's so great. So your board's already set, in all honesty, right? Yeah. Pretty much? Yeah. We were talking a little bit. I think really we all should take a vacation on Friday night because it's kind of when we shut it down.

And I do think a lot of mistakes can be made over these last few days. Last Friday night, you're saying? Not this Friday night? No, no. Yeah.

Last Friday night. Right. You know, there's been a lot of work that's been put into it over time. And you can get to a point where you're over analyzing some things. So, you know, there's constant churning and grinding, correct, for this sort of thing?

Yeah. Everybody does it a little bit different. But the way we've done it for a long time here is a number of phases. And it starts, you know, quite frankly, right before the combine. And by this time, if you don't know by now, you're just, you know, that's usually an issue. But there's always some late information that will come in.

But very rarely does it change the draft board. We're back here on the Rich Eisen Show, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.

Call clickgrainger.com or just stop by. The 10th General Manager in the history of the Green Bay Packers, here on our show set in downtown Green Bay. Thrilled to have you, Brian Goudekunst, here on the program. You know, I'll just say this to start as well.

So my freshman year at the University of Michigan, 1986, okay? You know where I'm going with this? I do.

Okay. You guys don't know where I'm going with this. So I'm sitting in. It's freezing cold. It's raining. The Ohio State game is the next week.

It's my first ever season. And the stadium is empty because it's raining. And who the hell's going to think that Michigan's losing to Minnesota? Ricky Foggy, the quarterback, comes in and, yeah, you can look him up, man. He dominated that day and shocked Michigan the week before Ohio State. It was a trap game.

We fell in the trap. Brian Goudekunst, who was the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers that day? A guy that used to ground me in high school quite a bit, my father, John.

Oh, wow. Yeah, it was Chip Lomeler, a longtime NFL kicker, who was the one who kicked the field goal to win it. Michigan was undefeated at the time, I think, and it was 9-0-1. Right, and we were – it's we because, again, I was a freshman in the stands.

Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback, and it was a shocker. Yeah. Jim brings it up to me every time I go through Michigan to scout when he was – Does he really? Oh, yeah.

As soon as he hears my name, it's right back there. No kidding, because it was a day, man. I mean, and it was a trap game. Michigan fell straight in the trap. If you remember, you know, Bo Schembelek was the head coach at the time.

Of course. I think they had – it was maybe fourth and two, and they could have gone for the touchdown to win the game very late in the game. They kicked the field goal because if they – I think if they would have tied or won that game, they were – they were Big Ten champs. Big Ten champs, right. Right, and they kicked the field goal, and then Ricky scrambled. They couldn't put him down on the ground. Yeah. Darryl Thompson was running back then. He was the first round picked by the Green Bay Packers back in the day. So, yeah, I was a teenager at the time, and I wasn't allowed to go to that game.

Why? Because it was in the big house or something like that? Yeah, it was just an away game, and I probably had stuff going on on my own. But I remember coming back, I believe from – it might have been a basketball practice, and I expected like it would go normally for Minnesota-Michigan, and to find out they won was fantastic. But I was not watching it at the time.

I'll begin. I'm a kid from New York City. It was, you know, my first ever version of this game.

And I'm like, what is that big jug that Minnesota is just grabbing and holding up and just like flipping out over? And your dad was a coach that day. Yeah, and that was his first season as a head coach. Yeah, November 15th, 1986. I remember it, and so does Jim Harbaugh, clearly.

Brian Gudekunst here on the Rich Eisen Show. So your first draft with the Packers was in the late 90s, pretty much? Yeah, so I had interned in 97 right after they won the Super Bowl, and then worked in Kansas City with John Schneider. And those guys for a year in 1998, Marty Schottenheimer was last year there.

Right. And then came back with Ron Wolf. So my first real draft was 1999 that we went in. So Ron Wolf was the guy running the draft room. He was, yeah. And Ted Thompson was in there, too, obviously. He was in there as well.

John Dorsey, Reggie McKenzie, Scott McLuhan. Jeez. So there was a lot of guys.

And it was great. As a young scout, it couldn't have been a better situation to kind of learn and grow. Okay, so just, listen, I know you're not going to give me any specifics. You're 23rd overall in this clock, and your draft board is set. Do you already have people having called you in advance saying, hey, what would it take to move up if the board falls right now?

Do you have those options already in your back pocket right now? Yeah, there's definitely some of those calls, but it's usually like, you know, we're willing to come up. We might go back. You know, it's more of those conversations.

So what does that do you? I think you're just kind of aware of maybe some of the teams that are really interested in coming up or the ones that are really interested in coming back. And then as I think over the next day, day and a half, you know, before the thing gets going tomorrow, you'll have a better idea of what it might cost to go up or down. So we'll see.

Every year is a little bit different, but the process is kind of the same. Well, I mean, you're in a spot, right, in between Pittsburgh and you're right in front of Minnesota. Right. And clearly, you know, you're not drafting a quarterback in the first round. Okay. And you've been you've been there. You've done it, man.

So and the Vikings aren't going to one either. And if if certain players drop, you would be the spot to call. Certainly, if people think Minnesota is going to trade out to go get it, they'd want to jump that line to you. And is that something you utilize right now to basically call others at all? Yes.

Set things up? I think if you're if you're willing to go up or down or you have a strong, you know, thought that you want to do it, you certainly won't let everybody know that that's what you're thinking. Right.

You know, I do think, you know, the quarterback thing is always changes things because it's going to be more expensive to come up to get a quarterback than it would be. It is. At times.

Yeah. So that's where the points chart. You throw that out the window because of the quarterback? I think it just I think it just changes things slightly at times, depending on each quarterback class. And again, you don't really know when a lot of teams are coming up, what they're coming up for, but you may have an idea.

And I certainly think that if it's a quarterback, again, it's usually in the top 10, but it usually costs a little bit more coming up for a quarterback. So let's just say you're on the clock and you look down at your phone. Is it your phone that gets your is it your cell phone that rings?

It's either mine or maybe a couple other guys in the room. Yeah. OK. Have you ever been on the phone and you're talking trade with somebody and the call waiting goes off? And some it's it's it's that ever happened to you?

I had a good college, but I kind of my you know, one of the guys in my circle of guys that I went to college with may have been had a few pops and kept calling me while we were on the clock. Come on. Like, like, yeah. So every time we get together now, every time we get together now, all the other guys like you kidding me? Like, you know, it always comes up.

So but yeah, it's it's pretty easy just to dismiss it. I said you're on the clock and a drunk college is calling you off. I'm not going to use his name. Probably be actually you should out him.

You should out him on a wide receiver, bro. What you doing, man? What's he doing? He's operating the draft for the Green Bay Friggin trade up for Gente.

Brian, could I ask a question? Have you ever gotten a call like Rich said, where a deal has been done and then you get another call and it's better than the one you just had? That's an interesting question. I don't think I've ever had that. You know, I think there's been times where we've been dealing with multiple teams, maybe trying to come up to our pick. And, you know, again, I usually like to have those kinds of things done before you're actually on the clock. You know, kind of a thought process of, hey, this is what it's going to be. But there's been times where maybe we had something and kind of agreed to. And then right as you get on the clock, somebody calls. And if that changes, then you just call the other team back and see if they're willing to do that or something better.

All in ten minutes. Yeah. And again, there's a timing element, too. You better have somebody to pick, right? Because if it doesn't go through, you know, you've got to pick somebody. And there's other people in the room who are hammering that down or you've already hammered it down. Usually. You know, you right now, Brian Gudekunst, you're sitting here day before the draft.

You've got a short list of guys that you're definitely taking if they're on the draft board. Yeah. Unless somebody blows you away. Right. Yeah. It's kind of like that.

I think you always have to have somebody to pick. And if the board kind of tells you it's maybe best to move back, then you try to do that if you can. But, you know, that's uncontrollable. You can't control that.

You have to have somebody willing to come up. So, yeah, I think, you know, you've done enough work now. You kind of, you know, you know that unless somebody falls that you're not expecting to fall, that there's a group of guys that may be in that wheelhouse and you're ready to go. Is the points chart, again, this chart where each draft choice has an associated amount of points allotted to it? And that gives you a general sense of whether a trade you've been offered or you're making is fair.

Is that gospel amongst you and the 31 other colleagues you have in the NFL? No, I think everybody's got multiple charts that they use. We do. We have, you know, kind of the Jimmy Johnson and one that was, you know, we call it the Jimmy Johnson revised one. And we have one that we use internally that's kind of an analytics chart that our guys have come up with. And they're really just guides.

They're kind of guides to give you an idea of whether this is kind of a fair trade or not. But at the end of the day, and I always go back to the story of Clay Matthews, you know, we drafted B.J. Raji. Ted Thompson drafted B.J. Raji in the top ten. And he wanted to get back into the top of the first round or the back of the first round to get Clay.

Yes. And I think we had, I think it was John Schneider and Ridge McKenzie and John. Those guys were working the phones at the time trying to get a deal done. And there were a lot of opportunities to go up and get him, but our guys felt it was just too much. And Ted kept saying, well, it's about the player. That's what matters to me.

I want this player. So I think every situation is different. And those charts are a guide to give you an idea of maybe what it should cost. But at the end of the day, I think you've got to make the decision based on the player. Brian Gudekunst here, the general manager of the Packers day before the draft here in Green Bay. I was asking about plans that you have already mapped out. Do you already have a trade with the Jets for Jordan Love ten years from now? Does that trade, do you already have what you're going to track from the Jets?

Me or somebody else maybe, yeah. Just wondering, you know, because I mean, it is kind of crazy when you think about it. I mean, certainly if Rogers wound up in Minnesota too, like it's like, really, is this the way it has to go? It's remarkably eerie. How do you take in what's going on with Rogers right now? Obviously, I assume you guys haven't spoken since he's left. But I'm wondering how your perspective of what is happening with Rogers since he's left Green Bay.

Yeah, I really like the chair I'm sitting in now and viewing it from that chair than the one I was before. But he was a great, great player here. And there's so much appreciation for him, from our organization, from myself, for what he did here. You know, I just think, you know, again, you're kind of rooting from afar to keep playing because he's such a great talent. But, you know, he's had a long, really, really good career.

And if he decides to hang it out, then, you know, I think that's a pretty good 20-some years. Because you do see the Steelers this year. I mean, it's entirely possible, you know, that game actually happens.

And, you know, little birdies, multiple have told me it's not in the United States, that game. Oh, really? Yes. Interesting.

I don't know. I'm just generally managing things. Although I did get a date for the schedule release that I've gotten. Have you gotten it?

No, I haven't. Okay. Mark hasn't shared that with me. I can help you with that.

Brian's been busy. No, I can give this man information here. So what are you willing to tell Packers fans who are curious about what's going to happen with this team on the 23rd overall pick? What do you got?

What are you willing to share that you can? Really nothing. I think it's one of those things, I think, and it's so unpredictable. But I do think it's a good draft class. And I think certainly where we're picking, I think there's going to be a really good player that's going to help our football team. And I think we're really focused on making sure we've got a good young team. We're really excited about it.

And we're really excited to add, you know, not only a really good player, but a culture guy as well. And what's your takeaway from last season? Obviously, the year before, there was a kind of a shock and awe that your team had arrived, perhaps sooner than people expected. Made the playoffs again.

Nobody beat the Eagles in last year's playoffs, as we know. So what's your general sense of a takeaway from that going into this season, Brian? Yeah, I think we're growing. You know, we lost our last three games, right? I think that's a tough pill to swallow. I don't think we can get very far away from that and understand that we've got a lot of work to do. But I do like our group. And I think they're eager. And I think they're all kind of entering a phase where they're going to be playing their best football. So I think we're really excited about that.

Okay. And what's, before I let you go, again, I don't know whose idea it was, but it came and was forwarded to the membership of the National Football League that mixed amongst a whole bunch of other rules changes. The tush push should be removed from the game, and that was forwarded by the Green Bay Packers.

Why did the team forward that to the membership? Yeah, I think, you know, I think organizationally, I know Mark feels this way, and I think we all do, is the fact that, you know, and the medical experts within the league feel that this is a very dangerous play that could have catastrophic injury. You know, that that's a very logical conclusion and it's probably something that needs to be taken out. And so I think they're looking at the way to word the rule so that it makes sense for everybody, and I think they'll get that done soon.

Okay. So you think that the tush push, based on how we see it, in 2025 will not be a play anymore? Yeah, I would think so, because I just think it's really dangerous for our players.

They've done so much for health and safety, and I think this is important. So what would you say to somebody who says, well, you're taking one for the teams that can't stop this play? Well, yeah, it's a very effective play. We've used it to a certain degree, Tucker Craft, you know, so it's a very effective play.

Again, just because it's effective and we haven't stopped it and nobody else has either, doesn't mean it's not dangerous. And I think that's, I think from my end of it, that's how I see it, and I think organizationally we do too. Okay. Listen, man, thanks for coming in. I really appreciate it. So what's the rest of your day?

Like walk me through to the, what does the general manager and the draft do? Not a lot today. Just take some phone calls the rest of the day and then try to get home, see my family a little bit. Okay.

Hopefully a little bit of 15-year-old baseball and then be ready tomorrow. What do you mean? By the way, the weather's supposed to clear. Yeah. Yeah.

We'll see if the field's clear. Are you coaching? Oh, no, no, no, no.

Just watching my son. Okay, you are. Yeah. Okay.

You're not a helicopter dad, are you? No, no, no, no. Okay.

Just trying to figure all that stuff out. Thanks for coming in, man. Yes, thank you. Thank you for being here and giving us some insight on what it's like to be a GM for a draft. And folks here are pumped, man. Yeah, welcome. It's really cool to see everybody out here. They are pumped to see this draft here. They're really jacked up. Yeah.

And it's pretty cool. Thanks for coming in. Thank you, man. Brian Gudekunz here on the Rich Eisen Show. That's Matthew Golden of Texas football right there on the green room or purple couch right here.

Coming up next, is he going to be the first wide receiver taken in the draft? Matthew Golden next on the Rich Eisen Show. The Sean Ryan Show peak points get timeless inspiration from the very best of the Sean Ryan Show. What do you think of working with the Seals? We went out every night going after bad guys. I was humbled. There was no going back home. I would be in another room crying because I was afraid to go to sleep because of what was coming for me in the middle of the night.

How long did it take you to be able to talk about a long time? But I realized my experiences may help other people too. The men by yourself are considered legends in the community.

You're right. The Sean Ryan Show peak points. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Our radio audience will rejoin in just a couple minutes time. But just a quick introduction here of one of the top wide receivers in the draft. If not the guy that a lot of people think is going to be the first wide receiver to hear his name called tomorrow night here in Green Bay.

Matthew Golden of Texas football. Good to see you, sir. Yes, you should applaud for yourself.

Absolutely. You should applaud. Good to see you.

Thank you, man. Who's here with you? My grandma, mom, uncle, girlfriend, my two cousins.

So six family members, you're plus six in the green room tomorrow night. What's going through your mind right now? Definitely, definitely a lot of emotions.

Walk me through them. What's the first one that leaps to mind, Matthew Golden? Just knowing everything I've been through to get here. You know, it wasn't easy. You know, just thinking back on everything I went through, you know, the adversity that I faced.

I mean, it's just remarkable. You know, it's a great feeling. I feel like, you know, I went through everything I did for a reason. And, you know, now it got me here.

So just being excited, you know, I'm happy to be here. For those who might not be familiar with your story, what are you referring to? Things that were adverse for you to succeed? You know, definitely growing up, me and my mom, you know, struggled a lot. We stayed in hotels when I was younger. And, you know, that was kind of hard for me, you know. At times we couldn't pay for rooms.

We had to stay in front of Walmart in Brenham, Texas. And at that time, you know, a friend reached out to me, you know, gave me his hand. And I ended up moving in with him three years of high school. And then I ended up meeting – I called him my uncle, you know, his name Kevin Johnson. And I ended up meeting him.

And he played a big role, you know, in my success through high school and college. And from there, you know, it just kind of went on. And, you know, I got granted the opportunity to play at the next level. And I just took it from there. So, I mean, let's go here if you don't mind. That kid that was standing in front of you, you said Walmart?

Yes, sir. What would that kid think if we told him, hey, you're going to be drafted in the National Football League. You're going to be out of draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

You're going to hear your name called from the commissioner of the NFL. Definitely an unbelievable feeling. You know, something I can't explain. Like, the feeling is just – it's just crazy, you know, because a lot of people would have gave up. A lot of people couldn't make it through what I went through. And I just think back to that all the time, you know, when – whenever I do play football, you know, I try to just think back to those times that, you know, I struggled in and I wanted to give up. People doubted me, you know, didn't think I was going to make it here. You know, I always had my people around me.

And just to be here, you know, it means a lot to me. So are you thinking that? Like, say fourth down game on the line at a bowl game, seasons on the line, you're thinking that? Yeah, definitely. Really? Yeah.

I want to go home. But I know, you know, my team, our team, we weren't ready to go home. And, you know, granted we got the 12th playoff bracket. You know, it gave a lot of us, you know, more opportunities to showcase what we could do. And, you know, I feel like a lot of us, you know, benefited a lot from that. Pretty cool, man.

It is an amazing story and I'm glad that you're, you know, willing to share that, you know, because it is a journey for so many people and it's awesome that – so you mentioned your uncle Kevin Johnson. Is that – that's who's going to be in the green room with you? Yes, sir. And your mom? Yes, sir.

That's what it's all about, man. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network with our Roku Channel stream, we've got Matthew Golden of Texas Football here on the Rich Eisen Show. Who have you met with in person? By the way, when Brian Gudekunz left the set and you saw him, I saw a dapping up that makes me think it's not the first time you've met Brian. No, it's definitely not my first time. Yeah, it's definitely not my first time meeting with him.

I had a meeting with him two weeks ago. And, you know, got around the coaching staff, you know, the organization. You know, they did a tremendous job up there. You know, you could tell the culture there is different. You know, I met a lot of the guys and, you know, it felt like home to me. Did you visit here? So this is not your first trip to Green Bay as a matter of fact. Not my first trip. Okay. So they brought you in.

Who else have you personally visited throughout this process? I met with Houston, Pittsburgh, Broncos, Detroit. There's a couple of other teams, too. Okay.

Any teams in the top ten? I think so, yeah. Okay. You don't have to be coy about it anymore, man.

I think the haze in the barn, Matthew Golden, like this is it now, right? So screw it, I'll just ask directly. There's a 12th overall pick belonging to the Dallas Cowboys. You know, I think a lot of Texas Longhorn fans would be, you know, if we just crossed their desires, they would be pretty pumped if you and Texas Longhorn went there. Have you personally visited with the Dallas Cowboys? I have, yes, sir. Hey. Hey. All right.

Yes, sir. Oh. What was that about? It was cool, man. He actually FaceTimed my mom off of my phone, you know, just told her she did a great job raising me. You know, just congratulated her for, you know, the hard work she put in to raise me the right way.

You know, it was a cool experience for me. So you're meeting with him, and he's like, grab your phone, let's FaceTime mom. Yeah. He suggested it.

Just like that, yeah, just like that. Oh. So did you know your mom was going to answer? Yeah, I knew she was going to answer.

Okay. It was my mom pretty busy throughout the day, so I knew she was going to be busy. She answered, and she was surprised, like, you know. Oh, it wasn't you and say, oh, somebody wants to meet you. It was him. That's what I said. I said, Mom, I got a surprise for you. Get a phone. I called him Coach Jerry.

That's what I called him. I said, get a phone to Coach Jerry. And, you know, he was talking to her for a good five minutes, five to ten minutes. And we have a photo. Was it at this meeting?

Is that where the FaceTiming happened? With that man, as you referred to? Yeah, that's what we're having.

That's what we're having. What would it mean to you if you're – listen, I know you're going to be happy wherever you go. The Dallas Cowboys take you. What would that mean?

Like, you're a star on the side of your helmet. C.E. Lamb would be across the field from you. Dak's throwing you the football, right? Yeah.

A hundred thousand fans in the Jones Mahal, as I like to call it. Mm-hmm. That sound good to you?

Yeah, it sound real good to me. Grew up with – you know, I'm from Texas. Yes, sir. Grew up with Houston, Texas fan, Dallas Cowboys fan.

You know, I watched a lot of them growing up. So, you know, for that to happen, you know, it would mean a lot to me. It would be cool.

It would be a blessing for sure. Okay. I've got Matthew Golden here on the Rich Eisen Show. Have you hung out with McConaughey before? Matthew McConaughey?

Mm-mm. No. I haven't. I seen him though.

I seen him sideline. You know, I talked to him. He didn't high five you or anything like that? No, he did. Okay.

And he wants to make this man very happy. Yes, sir. So you've just high fived him. You've never really sat and talked to him. Talked to him a couple of times. Okay.

Cool. That's who he is. He cool, man. I could – you know, his energy that he bring on the sidelines for us is crazy. You would think he on the team, you know. Wait.

Well, I mean, in the world of NIL, he might. You know, I don't know. But he's the minister of – what is he? The minister of – Culture? Culture.

Minister of Culture. The minister of Culture of Texas football. What have you – what did you learn through SARC and being with Texas football? How have you become a different receiver through this entire process? Definitely, you know, the type of offense that we played in, pro style offense, you know, it's a lot of attention to details. And going to the offense, you know, transitioning from Houston to Texas was – it was different for me. And once I got there, you know, I started meeting with Coach SARC and the coaching staff they had up there. And the offense started clicking. For me, you know, in that offense, you know, your route can – it can change depending on what the coverage is. And you got to do that, like, quick.

So, you know, just adjusting to that and being around them is just a lot of details in the offense that definitely helped me elevate my game all around. Mm-hmm. And let's pound the table for a couple of quarterbacks here. Because, you know, again, not that what we say or what we talk about in the media is gospel, but you don't hear Quinn Ewers' name very much.

Mm-hmm. You do hear, you know, Tyler Shuck could be the third quarterback or fourth quarterback taking Jackson Dart, Jalen Milro. Obviously, very talented quarterbacks.

I'm just naming a few. And Quinn Ewers in this mix, what would you want people to know about Quinn prior to this draft? Definitely a dog. A leader on and off the field. You know, someone you could trust and someone you know what you're going to get out of them each day. You know, me and Quinn built the relationship when I first got to Austin.

He took me out and went to a barbecue spot. You know, I just got to know him on and off the field. But for me, you know, I was connecting with Quinn on and off the field. You know, I feel like any team that gets him, you know, you're getting a very talented quarterback.

You know, for me, I would say that's me being biased. I'm going to say he's the best quarterback because I watched him and I played with him, practiced with him every day. You know, the way he throws the ball is just different.

But, you know, you're getting somebody you can depend on each day. Walk me through that fourth down against Arizona State. So, Quinn checked the protection for the old lineman. Well, we knew they were sending the blitz. And the play that we had, Coach Sarg called it, and I can't get a play up because, you know, we still going to run this play later down the line. Well, you're not running it for Texas. No, I'm not.

But they still going to run it. So, I don't want to give it away. Understood. The slot has a, you know, he got a route to where he could bring that safety down or break out. And I had a big post. So, I knew they was playing cover three. And that middle field safety was too far down. So, once I beat the outside safety and I kept the post skinny, I knew it was a touchdown.

Is this the stuff you get asked about on the Grease Board in these meetings? Yeah, definitely. So, that's pretty much, we just mirrored in a way what you've been talking about with teams. Walk us through the play, walk us through the moment, walk us through, because that's, I mean, that's it. I mean, that's the stuff that you dream of to be involved in a touchdown like that, you know. And then, you know, the next guy, Arch. Now, my friend T.J. Jefferson across the way wants me to ask this question because he has an Arch Manning card. That he's hoping allows him to retire, although not soon enough. I mean, we still have lots of rich eyes.

It wants to boat more than retirement. How good is he? Definitely. Definitely.

I say one of them ones. And what that mean is he won a one. You know, I feel like for him, the sky's the limit for him. And, you know, it's his team now. I'm excited to see what he's going to do. You know, he got the talent, athleticism. He got everything that you want in a quarterback.

And so you think everything's going to be in excellent hands. And what is he like? Obviously, he's got a last name that precedes him. What's he like to be around? Yeah, he's definitely, you know, he's very humble, hardworking. You know, what I notice about him is he don't care about his last name. You know, he act like he's just a regular guy. And he come in and compete. You know, it's not a day that I've ever seen Arch come in and not want to work or get better at his craft. And that's just how he handles himself. For me, you know, just watching him grow.

I've been in college for three years. And, you know, watching and seeing a freshman quarterback like that with that much talent, you know, the sky's the limit for him. I wish the best of luck to you, Matthew Golden. Appreciate you. I mean, tomorrow's going to be a wild day.

Yep. You know, I mean, everything going through your head, we just heard about your journey. And the journey has a lot to go after tomorrow. But tomorrow's a culmination of a lot that you've clearly earned and deserve. And I hope you do hear your name first as a wide receiver tomorrow night.

A lot of people think that that is going to happen. Yes, sir. So I wish you congratulations on that front. That's Matthew Golden, Texas. Tom Pelissero, my colleague from NFL Network, is next. We're still here. Got a couple more minutes left on the Roku channel. So I will ask you the question I've asked every prospect that's come on this program.

And I appreciate you doing so. A team drafts Matthew Golden. Who will they get? What will they get in you?

You're definitely getting a complete receiver, you know, somebody that could dominate inside, outside, get up anywhere on the field. But, you know, I always got something to prove. You know, wherever I do go, you know, I'm attacking that with a chip on my shoulder. You know, you're going to get the best version of me. Like I said, you know, I got the confidence in myself. You know, wherever I do go, whatever the team needs me to do, that's what I'm willing to do.

The fit is all set, I imagine, as well. You want a preview? What do we have? There's going to be black and gold. Okay. Black and gold.

All right. You know, that's Steelers colors. Saints. Saints? Yep. That's true, too? Yeah. Okay. That will be ninth overall.

That will be a pretty good night for you. I wish the suit was blue and white, though. He said blue and white. He's a Dallas Cowboy. I mean, could you imagine if he's right and your arch manning card causes you to retire and then you can watch him win championships for your Dallas Cowboys?

Well, I love this job too much to retire. I just want to buy a boat. That's all I want. He said he wanted to buy a boat. He wants to buy a boat with his arch manning cards. Stupid.

I might do the same thing if I was you, too. See, he's giving me hope now. Who are you wearing tomorrow night?

Do you want to at least throw that out there? Who? Like, who's making your fit tomorrow night? Do you want to give a shout-out to somebody? Shout-out to my guy, Ethan. Ethan? Yeah, his name Ethan. So, I met him in Minneapolis when I went to the combine, and he showed me some stuff that I like. So, you met him at the combine. Yes, sir.

And he showed you stuff that you liked, and you picked something out that you'll be wearing tomorrow night. Yeah. Okay.

Good to know, man. Awesome. Thanks for coming on here. Thanks a lot.

I greatly appreciate it. Dallas Cowboys have met with this man. You know, he got real coy when you brought up me. Which tells me that- What do you mean? He FaceTimed his mom. I'm saying, but not coy, but there was a look on his face like he knows more than he's letting on about the Cowboys.

No, he is. By the way, let's not talk about Matthew as if he's not sitting here right now. But I understand. You're this close. Let's not say anything that blows anything, and I totally understand that.

But like I said, you're hearing so many wide receivers' names, and yours is the first one that we hear being called tomorrow night, which would be pretty... I imagine that's something that would be like a badge for you, right? Yeah, definitely. That's something I put up on my mirror since I was a freshman. And I always set a standard for myself that I want to reach each year. And then my last goal, I told myself I wanted to be three and done.

You know, now it's happening. I had a great year at Texas, and now I got the opportunity to be the first receiver off the board. Matthew Golden, everybody.

Our three, Tom Pelissero coming up. NBA veteran Jim Jackson takes you on the court. You get a chance to dig into my 14-year career in the NBA, and also get the input from the people that will be joining. Charles Barkley. I'm excited to be on your podcast, man. It's an honor. Spike Lee, entrepreneur, filmmaker, Academy Award winner. Nixon! So, now you see, I got you. But also how sports brings life, passion, music, all of this together. The Jim Jackson Show, part of the Rich Eisen Podcast Network. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.