This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket.
Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will bear, not available in all states. Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down.
So to help us, we brought in a reverse auctioneer, which is apparently a thing. Mint Mobile Unlimited Premium Wireless! Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of $45 for three months plan equivalent to $15 per month required. New customer offer for first three months only.
Speed slowwacker, 35 gigabytes, up networks busy. Taxes and fees extra. See McMobile.com. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody!
Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on the Roku Sports channel from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show?
We've got a podcast, so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part: our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment.
Now, on with the show. Josh Allen, it's a touchdown! Chad Michael Murray here on The Rich Eisen Show. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Let's talk, Josh Allen.
Let's do it. Every single fan was hoping the quarterback that they drafted turns out to be Josh Allen. And what would be better than to have the AFC Championship as the last game ever played in that stadium? Earlier on the show, bought Nico Collins, touchdown Houston. Texans wide receiver Nico Collins.
Coming up. Senior writer for the MMQB. Albert Breer, plus your phone calls, Overreaction Monday, and more. And now. It's Rich Eisen.
That's right. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Albert Breer zooming in shortly from Cleveland Browns camp. Great chat with Nico Collins, top of hour number two. If you missed any of what we've done so far, including overreaction Monday and the full soup to nuts review.
uh of a man who apparently is not having soup or nuts. Um, in Luka Donchic, unless it's, I guess, in the form of an almond shake. Um or the Dallas Cowboys. Approach With Micah Parsons. If you missed any of it, the show re-airs right here on the Roku Sports Channel.
We also have our podcast, All Three Hours. through the Cumulus Podcast Network. There's also our YouTube channel. Deion Sanders just had a press conference, emotional press conference, with his medical staff. that apparently took care of his bladder cancer.
that he was suffering from earlier. this spring.
So we'll hit on all of that. But joining us right now from Cleveland Browns Camp. We always want to check in with him because we're We're delighted to have him on this program. Also, his information is top-notch. And then when he's on a summer tour, Got to check on how raging the tan is.
Ladies and gentlemen, the George Hamilton of National Football League Media. Albert Breer gets it. Not bad. I'm doing okay. I wouldn't say it's my best, but I think it's coming off.
Okay. Are we SPFing? Like, walk me through that information. Are we SPFing? No, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm good in the sun.
I, I did get a couple rainy days over the course of camp, some cloudy days. That slowed things down a little bit, but I'm doing okay.
Okay. I appreciate you zooming in from the middle of the, what, what number camp are you on on your training camp tour for sports?
So this is number seven.
So I, yeah, yeah. And if I'm talking in hushed tones, it's because I'm in the lobby because I had to jerry rig this a little bit. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. Yeah, so I actually really enjoy this part of the trip every year where I'm driving from place to place.
So I'm at the tail end of that. I went to Detroit first and flew to Minneapolis and then drove Vikings, Packers, Bears, Colts, Bengals, Browns today, Bills tomorrow, and then I'll go out west.
Okay, man. All right. I'm writing them all down so I can know what to hit. Let's talk about where you are first, the Browns. What's the scoop with the quarterback room?
Right now, Albert. I mean, it sounds like it's still relatively wide open. And part of that is they haven't really gotten a great look at Joe Flacco yet. And that's because essentially, and I think I've used this term with you before, he essentially got a first-round buy through the beginning of the competition. They felt like they knew what he could do and they had a good idea of what he would look like within the offense.
And so rather than wasting the reps in the spring, they used. The reps they would give him to get a look at Kenny Pickett and Shador Sanders and Dylan Gabriel. And so now they're going to another phase of the competition. They've been doing two spot drills until now, which means they've got two practice fields going at once to try to get the best look they can at the quarterbacks.
Now they're going into this phase where it's going to normalize a little bit because they're in pads. They can't do that quite as much because it'd be too much on the other players. I'd say as of right now, you know, Kenny Pickett's going to be out for about a week with the hamstring injury. Flacco's doing well. I think those two are ahead.
I think Dylan Gabriel is probably closer. To those two, and Shador still has a ways to go. But I think, based on his starting point, Shador has actually made a lot of progress. He was just pretty far behind when he first showed up here. How so?
What's your What what's What's the details on being far behind? It's still the, it's still, um, it's the stuff you heard before the draft, Rich. You know, like, and and and look, like, I know people didn't like hearing it in March and April, but it's, it was true, you know, like that there were a lot of teams that were surprised how far behind he was just from a football know-how standpoint, and um, that he had a long way to go in that department. And um, that held true when the Browns got him here. Um, not all his fault, you know, like different college offenses are run different ways, and you know, what they were doing at Colorado evidently didn't translate to what Cleveland's doing.
So, um, he had the steepest learning curve by far of the four quarterbacks. Obviously, Pickett and Flacco were rookies, and then Gabriel was a six-year college guy that started games at three different schools. You know, so I think it would be to be expected that he would be behind the other three anyway, but you know, as I think me and a lot of other people had heard before the draft. He did have a ways to go in assimilating to the pros as a quarterback in general. But as we're sitting here on the final Monday of July, it sounds like it's still an open.
competition that anybody can win. Literally anybody can win. I, you know, it's funny.
Somebody said to me earlier today, they're being evaluated on everything, you know, and they're trying to use every little bit of information they can get. And it's not just how they play in the field, it's how their teammates react to them, it's how they are in the meeting rooms. And so absolutely everything's being evaluated now. They've gotten a lot of reps for the quarterbacks in the spring that they have to go on.
So I think ideally what they would like to do is they've got joint practices the next two weeks. I think it's the Panthers next week and then the Eagles after that. And so I think after those two sets of joint practices, they'd like to have a decision. They could certainly narrow it down. It does feel to me like it is.
To some degree, weighted at this point, you know, where Flacco and Pickett were in the thick of it. Gabriel was getting sparingly getting some first team reps, and Shador wasn't working with the first team at all. I don't know if that'll change with Pickett Out. My anticipation is most of the first team work will go today to Flacco and Gabriel. And again, we'll see what happens over the next three weeks.
But my guess would be one of the veterans who winds up starting the opener. All right, Albert Breer. You mentioned Indianapolis as a stop on your tour so far for Sports Illustrated. MMQB's Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen show. go there next because that's another competition at the quarterback spot.
Anthony Richardson coming in healthy is... There's an interesting twist, right? Or he's not still working on it. What would you glean there when you stop by there? I would say, I would say you always have to be careful about that term when you're talking about a quarterback shoulder that hasn't been surgically repaired, or even if it has been.
You know, he had it done before, of course, but having the soreness is a red flag.
So I think from what I understand, he's been good through the first week of camp, but you never know, you know, like that soreness can resurface. I think Daniel Jones is the lead dog in that competition. That's just based on, you know, conversation I've had and putting pieces together. The interesting thing talking to Shane Steichen about this, you know, a couple of days ago was he kind of impressed how important it was going to be that the person who is. The quarterback winds up being very consistent and knows how to run the operation.
And I think it's sort of reflective of what they feel like is a pretty decent roster. Like, they don't need the quarterback to come in and save them. Like, they feel like they can have a pretty good offense if the quarterback can just operate the offense the way they intend for the quarterback to operate the offense. And this was an amazing stat. And I didn't caused me to kind of like look at the Colts a little bit differently.
So, like, last year, they had 29 giveaways, which was, I believe, third to last in the NFL, third worst in the NFL. And they had the 29th ranked total defense.
So, I think a lot of the mindset is there. If we can play more efficiently and cleaner on offense, and then Lou Anarumo can come in and fix the defense. I mean, they won eight games doing that last year, you know, eight games under those conditions last year.
So, um, again, like, I think a lot of it for them offensively is who's gonna get us to get us into a position where we can play much cleaner football than we did a year ago, which again is interesting when you're talking. About two guys that were picked in the top 10 when they were drafted. Right, and sometimes not known for their ball security, right? And patience level is really the term. In Indianapolis, that I'm intrigued by patience level with Anthony Richardson and Chris Ballard.
Showing off his guns like this while he was talking, you know, um, which I would too. Um, and Him saying we got to be more patient with the kid, right? Like, we're not just going to. turn aside from him, although they do have Daniel Jones in-house. But here's where I'm winding up.
It's really the patience level sometimes with teams. from ownership. And I'm just wondering what you were able to glean on the management style of Carly Ursae Gordon, the eldest daughter. of the now late Jim Ursay, who's now in charge there. And the sense of how that might bring to bear decision-making roster-wise and quarterback-wise, Albert?
Well, I mean, like, we can start here like that. She has been in the building.
So, like, she was really groomed by her dad and other people in the building to eventually be in this role. Nobody knew it was going to happen now, of course, but she's been groomed to be in this role. And I, I think anytime there's that sort of ownership transition, there's going to be some unknown. And I can remember when Paul Allen died, because Paul Allen wasn't around a lot, as you know, the Seahawks building a lot. Jodi Allen became the owner.
Jody Allen became the owner of his sister. And even though she didn't really, Do much that would affect the football people early on. There was this level of discomfort because there was the unknown, because you don't know how different it's going to be. Right. Because, like, look, like at the time, she didn't hire John Schneider.
She didn't hire Pete Carroll. She didn't draft Russell Wilson. And I think it's the same sort of thing here. You know, I look, like, there are very few coaches that make it through three years without making the playoffs and see a fourth year. And that's where Shane Steichen is right now.
Chris Balor has been there. This will be his ninth season.
So, you know, I think. Because you have That dynamic added to the fact that there's somebody else making the decision, there is like a certain level of, well, we don't know what's going to happen at the end of the year. At the same time, they do know her, you know.
So, I do think that that gives you at least a little bit of a feeling of, all right, like this probably isn't going to look too different. Um, but I, I, I don't know that I would say that anybody is 100% safe there. Like, I think you have to let the season play out, and and that, and, and at the end of that, we probably figure out a little bit more about where Carly's at as an owner. Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen show. Couple quarterbacks from last year's draft class with new leases.
Uh, you visited the Vikings.
So. JJ McCarthy, this is his gig. And he's hooked up to Kevin O'Connell, reigning coach of the year, who's a quarterback whisperer. What's this going to look like? Because it's essentially like That team won 14 games last year with Sam Darnold.
They are a Super Bowl contender if. J.J. McCarthy can show up. And be the guy in his first full year coming off of injury, in his first full year as starter. What are you gleaning there?
So they are loaded. I think JJ, I think JJ has really good perspective on this. And I think a big part of it is going to be like what they're asking him to do, right? You know how good that situation is. We don't need to go through all the players they have, the scheme they have, now the history that Kevin O'Connell has through three years.
Right. And, you know, it was interesting having this conversation with Kevin and some other people there about what JJ lost last year, right? Like last year was really tough on him. He's a super competitive kid, as you know. He lost the weight.
You know, I think he got a little down and had to fight through some stuff. And in losing all of the reps that he lost, like the on-field reps, right? Like they say like one of the big things with him is that he has to learn to layer the ball better. Like at Michigan, a little bit, a little too many, too much on fastballs, like, you know, just over and over and over and over again, which showed his arm strength. But, you know, obviously every throw can't be that way.
And so if he had been running the scout team last year, he would have gotten a lot of good reps throwing into tight windows. Learning how to do that.
So he lost all of that, right?
So there was a lot lost when he got hurt last year and lost that development time, even if he wasn't going to start. And so I think the maybe one of the most interesting things that I was able to glean from there is: you know, they tried to bring back Daniel Jones' insurance policy. They kicked the tires on bringing Sam Darnold back. Those guys felt like they had better opportunities to be the guy somewhere else, so they left. I think that Kevin O'Connell, Quesio DeFamenza, The offensive coaches now think that was a blessing in disguise because all of that time that JJ lost in the spring, or all the times JJ lost last year, he was able to make up for it in the spring.
He took every first team rep in the spring. He's taking every first team rep in training camp.
So it's allowed him to do these things over and over and over again and make up for all that last time and develop his voice and become more of a leader and let the other players hear him. And so that's all good. But they don't need him to be Superman because of the team they have. And so we'll see what happens with Jordan Addison suspension. You got Justin Jefferson there.
Speedy Nailer is a really good young receiver playing for a contract. TJ Hawkinson, the line should be a lot better with Ryan Kelly and Will Fries and Donovan Jackson coming in. Got Aaron Jones behind you. It's a really, really, really good situation.
So I think what Kevin's thing is going to be is take the layoffs. When we give you easy throws, take them. We're going to do stuff in the run game that's going to help you in the pass game. That marriage of running. In past, let that help you.
We're going to give you stuff in the screen game. We're going to give you stuff in the quick game. It's going to be, I think. Putting him in the best position to succeed. And I think anybody who's watched the Vikings the last few years, what they were able to do with Kirk Cousins, then what they were able to do with Sam Darnold knows Kevin's good at putting together a plan to get the most out of somebody.
And I think he will do that with JJ, too. And an awesome matchup the first Monday night of the season, week one. They're at the Bears.
So it'll be Caleb Williams, if you will, 2.0, because I'm assuming you gleaned when you got to Bears Camp that Ben Johnson. Has told him how to watch film, right? And given him an indication on that front, you know, I gave him some instructions. A little bit on that. And, you know, Kevin Bayard talking about how Ben Johnson wants to build a dynasty here, and Ben's saying, listen, we're putting a lot on Caleb's plate to see what he can handle.
What was your takeaway from Ben Johnson going there? Because it's. It does appear to be in Bayers uh fans' eyes Just add Ben. Add an offensive-minded coach who's attached to the hip of Caleb Williams and then watch him.
Sore. Yeah, I'd say two things. Number one, I think the basis for a good team is there. I really like what they did on the offensive line. The skill guys are there.
I think matching Colston Loveland with Cole Komet, I think that's a really good thing to do conceptually. You know, with Roman Dunze and DJ Moore, of course, on the outside. I think the defense with Dennis Allen there is going to be a lot better. I think Caleb's got a ways to go. It did not look good the day I was there.
And, you know, when I talk to people there about why it looked that way, is they're trying to make Caleb drink through a fire hose. Developmentally, he had a long way to go coming out of USC. Then he had the really sideways rookie year. And you can see when you watch. the difference in the speed of the operation.
When Case Keenum is in there, when Tyson Bajan is in there versus where it is with Caleb Williams. And so they're just trying to overload him with information. They're overloading him with defensive looks. They're overloading him with everything. To try to speed up his process, to try to speed up his learning.
And the plan is from here then to start to narrow that down, right?
So you're starting with this huge kind of menu of things that you're trying to do with him and seeing what he can handle and trying to speed him up. And then as they get closer to the season, they'll narrow it back down.
So I. I like, I think. Like again, it just didn't look great the day I was there. I think there's a method to what Ben Johnson is doing. I would trust him with a quarterback, but you could see developmentally where it was almost like, you know.
I don't know if this is the right analogy, but like, you know, you've got this, this, you know, you got like a, like a, it's like you're, it's like you've got like this thoroughbred horse and you're breaking the force, right? Like you're trying to get him to, trying to get him to do exactly what you need him to do. And, you know, I think that part of it, that part of it is, is, has been a process with a lot of quarterbacks coming out of college offenses the way that they are right now. And it's just something that Caleb's going to kind of have to fight through. And I think, you know, in the end, I think it, I think, I think it'll work, but it's, it didn't look good the day I was there.
Yeah, I mean, Ben Johnson did admit that, you know, hey, he's playing slower than he can because we're throwing the kitchen sink at him. He basically said it. You know, yeah, so you saw it is what you're saying, and that's what they're trying to do. I mean, like, and again, like, that can be hard, you know what I mean? That can be really hard, right?
Um, and it's like, and that's why, like, I hate it, Rich, for for for these players. I can't stand it for these players when, um, you know, like they put up a single clip on Twitter and say a guy's awful or a guy's going to be a superstar. You know, I mean, in most cases, you have no idea if you're just looking at that clip, what the coaches are trying to accomplish, you know? And so, um, I think that part of it, like, I'm really interested to see where that goes, you know what I mean? Cause it's, I think.
There is this. gathering of information they're doing and dispensing of information they're doing right now. And the confidence-building part of it, I think, will come later, you know. But their hope is that he'll build confidence through the amount of stuff he's able to handle. All right.
In the few minutes I have left with you, so you don't get arrested for loitering there in the Browns facility. And I appreciate the time. The mortgage company's getting some good advice. They sure are. They sure are.
They're pretty happy about that. Let's talk about the holdouts and what you can tell me. First things first, can you interpret this Stephen Jones comment? Uh when he was asked about the Pay Micah. Chance that the Jones family was hearing from the stands, from the fans in Oxnard.
Can you interpret this for me, please? Did you hear the fans yelling pay Micah yesterday? And what do you think when you hear that? It doesn't change anything. I mean, we want to pay Micah too.
He's got to want to be paid. What does that mean he's got to want to be paid in your mind, in your reporting, Albert? I mean, I like I think so to me, this is a This goes back to last year. And one of the things the Cowboys have gotten a lot of criticism for is not going in early on these deals, right? Like, so they had to pay a price for doing CD Lamb after three after four years instead of three.
They had to pay a price for waiting on Dak Prescott. And now they're going to have to pay a price for doing Micah Parsons now rather than having done his contract after three years. That's reality, right? Like it costs more now, could cost $45 million per year now. Or maybe you'd be talking about 36 or 37 last year.
I think what Stephen Jones is alluding to here is. Whether or not Micah Parsons was willing to do a deal last year.
So I think that that's sort of where it's at. And I think by. And I don't think they were unwilling to do a deal last year, but I think they were unwilling maybe to do a deal on the Cowboys' terms last year.
So that's part of the history now.
So when he asks for more money now, it's a part of. Like being an NFL player, is I took an extra season of injury risk on.
So, like, any discount you are going to get is out the window now. You know, so I think this is kind of. This is Stephen alluding, I think, to the big picture of the last two offseasons and not where they are right now.
Okay. The OG of your alma mater's wide receiver class. And Terry McLaurin showed up. He's in. Does that mean something's close?
What can you tell me there with Washington and McLaurin?
Well, I think he doesn't want to pay the fines anymore.
Okay. So that's part of it. That's it simple.
Okay. $50,000 a day is not great. And I don't know. I honestly don't know if you're having much more of an effect by holding out than you would be by holding in. I think some players would argue a hold-in is more painful for the team because, like, it's right in front of everybody's face every day that he's not out there.
You know, so yeah, I think they still have a ways to go on this. Yeah. I just have a hard time imagining the conclusion won't be Terry McLaurin is a Washington commander now and is a Washington commander for the foreseeable future. Maybe I mean, like, like, maybe there are some more bumps along the way. But I think really what this is, is a result.
And it's sort of similar to Trey Hendricks in this way. It's a result of the market exploding at the position. And the top end getting so far above where it was. And then, how do you fill in the guys that maybe are a notch below?
So, for instance, like, You know what Miles Garrett and TJ Watt get make it more difficult to slot in Trey Hendrickson because Hendrickson's not what those guys are, but how close is he, right? And now you have this gap between one and the other. And then I think, you know, what ends up happening is guys like Max Crosby and Daniel Hunter do deals, and that helps color what you're going to pay Trey Hendrickson. And the same thing with Terry is like when Justin Jefferson and C.D. Lamb did that deal, they created this gap.
And so, where does he fit in? You know, in that way, I think, you know, one, I know he's looked at as DK Metcalf. Like, I think he feels like he deserves to be paid what DK Metcalf was in Pittsburgh. And now, like, the Garrett Wilson deal sort of confirms that. The DK Metcalf deal, that's just where the market is for the guys who might be slightly below the very top level.
So I think this gets done. I think the question is probably going to be on the guarantee and how far out you guarantee him, but he's just too important to them, you know, and he's too much of a part of. what DQ and AP are building there. And to me, like I even put it this way, you've been around him, Rich. Like he's too symbolic of what they're trying to be.
You know what I mean? He's as good as they come. He's as good as they come in terms of a person, in terms of locker room, in terms of, you know, hey, you ball out here, you get paid. And he's crucial in Jaden Daniels' second year.
So, and again, I know I'm over time with you right now. You wanna quickly, you were leading yourself to Trey Hendrickson. What do you think? Yeah, yeah, no, I think the Trey one, like, so this one. It sounded like like last weekend.
They were closing in on maybe getting something done. And then on Monday, so that'd be a week ago today, the whole thing kind of blew up on them.
So I don't think they're back to zero, but I think it does.
Sort of indicate how volatile this thing has been and how up and down this thing has been. And to me, I think like one of the real issues is. the Bengals passed precedents, and they broke those precedents to sign. Joe Burrow. Two years ago.
They broke those precedents to sign Jamar Chase earlier this year. And then they signed T. Higgins to a more conventional Bengals deal.
So if you're the Bengals, which bucket do you put Trey Hendrickson in? Because he's older, you probably put him in the Higgins bucket, right? But do you think Trey Hendrickson wants to hear that after fighting for a contract for three offseasons?
So I think as much of this as anything is figuring out how to bridge that gap, that divide, and what the contract looks like from a guarantees and structure standpoint. And then I think for the Bengals, honestly, I think it's like Just finding a way to make it look like he won, you know, because I do think part of this, there's a pride element to this, too, for all players who go through these sorts of things. And he's gone through it again three offseasons in a row.
So I think finding a way to make sure that Trey Hendrickson looks like he got something out of this and that he won. I think it could be a key to getting a deal done too, because I don't think they're that far off. You're the man, Albert. Safe travels. Let me know when you're out here in LA, please.
Okay. Awesome. I will. Probably. Early next week.
So we'll see you then. Oh, great.
Okay. Very good. This is good. Hopefully, we need to see the tan in person. Plus, I notice you always make it your social media avatar because we shoot you nicely here when you're in the studio.
You guys have a good photographer for sure. Thank you very much, Albert. Take care of yourself, brother. Ladies and gentlemen, everybody, follow Albert Breer. His information on the MMQB is second to none.
We're up against it. We'll take a break. Deion Sanders, press conference and. what he has been through and what he's going through and what he's gotten through coming up. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance, fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians.
These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it.
So your dollar goes a long way. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations.
Make your next move with American Express Business Platinum. Earn five times membership rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on amevel.com. And with a welcome offer of 150,000 points, after you spend $20,000 on purchases on the card within your first three months of membership, your business can soar to new heights. Terms apply. Learn more at AmericanExpress.com slash business dash platinum.
Amex Business Platinum. Built for business by American Express. Deborah had to have surgery. I had hip surgery in November of 2024. Her United Healthcare nurse, Crystal, checked on her.
We do a routine call after surgery, and I could tell that she was struggling. Deborah needed help. My infection markers were through the roof. And Crystal knew what to do. I called the hospital and said she's coming in and got Deborah the help she needed.
Crystal and United Healthcare saved my life. Hear more stories like Deborah's at UHC.com. Benefits, features, and/or devices vary by plant area. Limitation and exclusions apply. Can you tell me the story, the famous story of you noticing John Candy in the crowd before that two-minute drill, the Bengals?
Harris Barton was a. A people person.
So we were free for dinner during the week, but you know, practice in meetings and then come back after dinner and more meetings.
So when he would come back from dinner, he was like a little kid. He could not wait to tell you about all the celebrities he saw while he was at dinner. And so I had, we were just standing there and between the tight end and his shoulder was. Friend John Candy. In the crowd.
He was on the sideline. Oh, he's on the sideline. And so I was, and I sat there and I. I looked and I go, dang it, I don't remember Harris saying he saw John Candy. This is what you're thinking in the Super Bowl with minutes to go and needing to drive down the field.
Yeah, so I walked over and said, AH, man, there's John Candy. And Harris stood like this for eight minutes, perfectly still. He was a little bit angled that way. He would not move. He was like a little.
I didn't do it to unwind him. I just thought he would appreciate seeing John Candy. Did you ever meet Candy, or that was the only time? Yeah, no, I had met John a few years before that. My contract was up.
Okay. And he was, you know, one of the owners of the Toronto Argonauts.
Okay. He was trying to get me to go to Canada. Come on. Yeah, yeah. They just didn't have enough money.
But if the price was right, I might have been wearing an Argonaut. Yeah, you'd have a 55-yard line. He'd be like, I'll do that.
So he legitimately said, you know, hey, you know. Yeah, we had a couple meetings about. You did.
So this is real. Like, it wasn't just like an oh, by the way. No, no, no, no. Wow. I love that.
That's Joe Montana. Many of his appearances here on this program, and not because. He knew he was getting free stuff from Roku, which he adores. Honestly, find someone in your life who loves you as much as Joe Montana loves Roku. Seen it firsthand.
You all have. Yes.
So something's been out with Deion, as we all know, for. weeks and months. He's been at the crib, as he said. And he's been out of the mix. And I was hearing a lot of stuff about his health and whatever, and just like everyone else.
So I I um I'm sure he won't mind me saying this, but middle of June, I checked in on him, I sent him a text. Checking in and sending my love. He wrote back. On June 11th. I'm good, my humble host.
God has me covered like a young prime in Atlanta.
Okay. Okay. Mm.
So that's lockdown, right? That's lockdown. Right. And he's got a sense of humor about him.
So I'm like, oh, all's got to be good. Then he announced he's having a press conference with his medical team today in Colorado. Um and prefaced it with a video on his Instagram page dated in early May of him saying that he was It was a rough two-day period because he Yeah. He was filling out a will. I'm like It got me scared, I'm not gonna lie.
Yeah. Um And we found out today. Pretty darn serious. He had bladder cancer. He had his bladder removed and apparently a new bladder created for him.
And but they are saying he is through. That looking glass right now. And cancer-free, thank God.
Okay. Janet Kukrazia is the Director of Urological Oncology. At UC Health, they're in Colorado. Sitting to Dion's Right? had this to say.
We performed a full robot-assisted laparoscopic bladder removal and creation of a new bladder. And I am pleased to report that the results from the surgery are that he is cured from the cancer. You can clap, it's okay that you don't. You have to For such a blessing, guiding me to Taking me through Verbalizing every darn detail so that I could make an educated. decision which Some didn't want me to go that way.
They wanted me to go the other way. But I trusted and believed in you 100%. And the process wasn't easy. Um Just like there were some scenes that you saw, all the bull jump that transpired. Um on draft day It wasn't just that.
It was just I knew as well I had a surgery coming up. My sons to this day don't know. what transpired. I just told him something with my foot. Again, because I wanted them to focus on making the team And not focused on dad, so they really know my daughter's.
do and this Joker right here. Much love to my son Junior. Everybody. Get checked out. Because if it wasn't for me getting tested for something else, they wouldn't have stumbled up on this.
And make sure you go to the Get the right care because. Would that Wonderful people like this, I probably wouldn't be sitting. here today because it grew so expeditiously I could say. But please get yourself Check out. Hmm.
Oof. Wow. He also mentioned that the procedure to remove his bladder and create a new one. Can you imagine? Mean it's a was his 14th surgery since 2021.
And how he's had more surgeries after his playing career than he did during his playing career. You know, with everything going on with his foot and his toes, which is apparently the cover that he was telling his own children about. Jeez. Yeah, so he told his daughters they were up to speed on everything that was happening, but his sons were going through the pre-draft process and the draft process. Yeah, he just told them something else with my footage.
It's fine. God, that's what was going on, too, while he was. Going through the draft process. And by that, we all know what was going on with Shadur. The pranking and all that crazy ass stuff.
Wow. Um What's the road to recovery looking like? He was, by the way, each soundbite, apparently, from what Mike Hoskins, our coordinating producer, is telling me, gets more and more blunt. Um road to recovery, prognosis for Dion. Slowly but surely I built myself back up to where I'm able, I'm strong.
I'm ready. I'm still probably about 12 pounds down. I'm going to get that right. I'm going to fill these overalls up like no other. But it has been a tremendous journey, and I'm.
I'm truly thankful that God God is so good. God is so. Good, you have no idea. You have no idea. How good God has been.
For me to be here. You have no idea. Thank you. Thank you both.
So everybody's tough. primary care and I imagine uh the uh physician and the um The surgeon, the director of urological oncology, who took out his bladder and created a new one. Um And in typical prime fashion, sharing Potentially oversharing. about what he's currently going through. Like, it's a whole life change.
Like, I can't, and I'm gonna be transparent. I can't pee like I used to pee. It's totally different. I I depend on depend. You know, you know what I mean.
I truly depend on the pen. I cannot control. My plan.
So I get up and go to the bathroom. already four or five times a night. But then I'm sitting up there. waking up, you know. Like my grandson, we're in the same thing.
We got the same problem right now. We're going through the same trials and tribulations. We're trying to see who has the heaviest bag at the end of the night. Like this, it's ridiculous. But I'm making a joke out of it, but it's real.
Like it is real, it is real, it is real.
So if you see Porta Potty on the sideline, it's real.
Okay, I'm just telling you right now, you're gonna see it. You're gonna see the practice, you're gonna see one because. It is unbelievable. Dozen off. And waking up, my first thing I'm grabbing my crouch to see i if if uh If I peed on myself.
And uh it's just totally different. And I know there's a lot of people out there going through What I'm going through and dealing with what I'm dealing with. And let's stop being ashamed of it. And let's deal with it. And let's deal with the head off.
And that starts with getting checked out. If I can bring it all full circle from what I'm picking up about what Dion's putting down right here, is getting checked out. Do not be prideful.
So many of Folks, certainly men. of this age. Get prideful. I'm not going to see a doctor. I'm not going to do this.
I'm not going to do that. And I'm not going to talk about what's going on with me and Such stark terms in front of a microphone. God bless the odd man. He is one of one. One of one.
Truly one of my favorites. I had no earthly clue, idea. But apparently, he is through it and he's dealing with it and he's being honest about it and he's trying to be a leader about it.
Now he's going to have to be a coach about it. Can you imagine this is what you're... Three for him out there is just in terms of the football aspect of things and how he's going to be. coaching and During games, you'll be seeing him. Maybe he's got to go.
Wow. Handle his business. Another new business decision for Prime, you know, and it's true. It's true what's going on with him. I had no earthly idea.
I send my love to you, Prime, as you know. And I'm glad that uh the Lord is in fact covering you like uh Young prime in Atlanta. That's when I knew things were all somewhat okay. That he's. Joking?
What you're saying? Yeah. But also, you did the right thing. You know, you always hear this saying go around, especially with men, like. Check in on your friends.
Oh, yeah. You know, and you did that and you reached out. A lot of times we don't, you know, we're like, oh, they'll be all right. Right. You know, well, just like most.
Guys like me are lucky. A lot of that is also say instusi's like You check in on him or what? Check in on it. Because you know, guys don't want to check in on other guys if they're six sometimes, and they're and it's stupid and it's pig-headed. Yeah.
But Susie's like, you should check in on him. Like, okay. She'll like, do it now. And I'm like, come on now. I'll do it.
I don't know if you have these conversations with Sarah. You may not, you may or may not, but these are the conversations I have. And this is a little more direct. I know that, right? She's definitely more direct.
There's This is a guy that once upon a time keeps on asking how she is, and if I've cut the mattress off her back, and he had so many children.
So disrespectful. But that's Deion. That's Deion. That is Dion. That's my relationship with Deion Prime Time Sanders.
That's how you know you're tight. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Glad to see you back, Prime.
Love you. Take a break, come back, 844-204-RICH. Number to dial. Aaron Rodgers has chimed in on. Terry Bradshaw.
This episode is brought to you by Liquid IV. In heart-pumping moments, you need hydration that can keep up. That's where Liquid IV comes in, scientifically formulated to quickly replenish electrolytes and fluids lost from your well-earned sweat session. Hydrate your favorite mode of movement with Liquid IV, made with triple the electrolytes of the leading sports drink, plus eight vitamins and nutrients, also available and sugar-free. Tear poor, live more.
Visit liquidiv.com to learn more. I'm Ashley Graham and as a parent, I know the back-to-school transition can be a lot. When it comes to wellness, Ollie supports me and my family through it all. Kids Multi is big in my house. It supports their immune system and they love to take it.
A win-win for everyone. Shop these products at Ollie.com or retailers nationwide. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
So, again, one of the stories we've been talking about all day today is: again, the man on the cover of Men's Health magazine. Luca Donchich going through a workout regimen. They missed a couple things. As I mentioned, he's not on O'Zempic. He's on Spite Zempic.
And two, Luca is following the O. Shea Jackson Jr. Den of Thieves 2 pre-workout regimen. Am I not mistaken? Right?
I don't know. They just be like, hey, Shay, come sit in and they throw stuff at me like that. You see? Weren't you doing a low-sugar, gluten-free workout regimen for Den of Thieves? The Savage Diet.
Sadness diet. What do you mean by sadness? It's because, like, while everybody else is having things that they love, you have a plate of sadness or a cup of sadness. And you just. That's the way you would view it, huh?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, people are eating pizza and pasta and all that sort of stuff around. It's a country over in Spain, you know, where everything comes with a side of french fries and beer. Yes, and so it's just like, you know, I'll just have my misery, please. Can I have some of my disappointment? Sadness.
Yeah, sadness, misery, disappointment. You get those three in your diet. You get to where you want to be.
Well, what about spite against a team that let you go because apparently you were overweight and they weren't going to give you all this money because you weren't serious enough? What about that? Yeah, I mean, that's got to be interesting. It's crazy. It's just so crazy.
As we were saying, it is a story as old as time here in Los Angeles. Bad breakup, get in better shape. Yeah, especially coming to LA. It's the LA. That's right.
It's the most southern LA wave. It's a good story.
So, what do we think? What did you say for overreaction? 35-point triple-double MVP unanimous. What do you think? Yeah.
Even the Laker fans say he needs to hold off on it. Oh, it just felt so good. Oh, I see what you're saying. Look at him. Yeah, right.
Who is that dude? That's avocado toast dauntrich right there. ATD, avocado toast dauntrich. Easy, bro. Look at him.
Dead Lifton. I knew it. Look at him. Strong. Strong, full of Lake Show vibes.
I'm loving this for me. I'm sure Lakers. Excuse me. Shoot with the resistance bands? Yeah.
Boy. Rich, if if we go on a run You think I'm annoying now? No, I do not. I promise you're delighted to be around LeBron. Matter of fact, L-A-L, LeBron, Austin, and Luca.
Okay. If. They give me the fuel that I need, I will be one of the greatest sports villains the world has ever seen. I promise you this. That's what you cut the promo, right?
I promise. Man, please. I just need the fuel. I just need the battery in my back. Yeah, ma'am.
Mm.
Oh. Yes.
Hold on. Speaking of villain work. I didn't really see the extravaganza that I needed for T. J. Jefferson's birthday.
What do you mean? It was. Supernormal around here. I don't know about that. We got him a Carvell ice cream cake.
Susie got him a cake cake. That's true. Susie. That's trapped in the chat.
Well, you also got him to have Brockman spend an hour being overly positive. Did you see that? That was fantastic. But I wish he would have told me so I could have called in and just we were baiting him the whole time. Talking about the lush history of the Yankees, LeBron James' total even-headedness with the referees.
That is Kyle Chanhan's coaching style. What else did we do? We were baiting him for the full hour. It was great. You got him on ripped that steering wheel off on the freeway.
That was TJ's birthday wish. We granted it. I don't know, man. It was also my birthday, too. That's right.
Chris, not everything's about you, bro. Can we talk about you, David? Please. Mine also. O'Shea Jackson Jr.
is here. O'Shea Jackson Jr. finishing off the show here. I'm Deal Tufo. He's a boy.
What do you want to do here? You want to take some phone calls? There is some breaking news. What do we got? There is breaking news.
Mike, you want to hit it? Oh, we have my IC, the whole thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Here it comes. And my IC.
Breaking news. Rich, wide receiver just got a big, big new deal. Cortland Sutton, four-year $92 million. Deal from the Denver Brothers.
Okay, all right.
Okay. Four-year $92.
So that's way less than. $28.
Okay. I don't know. You do the math better.
Well, it's less than that. I mean, four-year $30 million would be a buck $20. A lot less than that. A lot less. 24 or 24?
Yeah. It's a little bit less than 20. Four years, 90 something million. Right? Well, that's 25.
23. This is why I'm more verbal. You can chime in on the math anytime you want. Listen, bro, I get it. I'm a wordsayer.
They give me the words. This is why you signed Terry McLaurin now. Terry McLaurin's going to be like, okay, Cortland Sutton.
So you're gonna get Bo Nix's guy? Bo Nix is God. Guess what? Guess what? I'm Jaden Daniels guy.
Who beat out Bo Nick for Offensive Rookie of the Year? Jaden Daniels. Part of the reason why he did is why. Me. Am I that is if I'm Terry McLaurin?
I'm sitting there going, calling my agent saying this better be north of Sutton. Yeah, you think that's a good idea. And now maybe that could be like you can land between Sutton and DK. Mm.
You know what I mean? Like if they really want to hold toe the line here. It's $15.5 million for the guy who g helped give, you know. Superman His Powers last year. That's the way I would look at it.
If I was Terry McLaurin. Yeah, Adam Schefter said earlier today, I think on Pat, Lauren McLaurin, unlikely to accept less than DK's new deal. That makes sense. Which was 33 per year. I thought it was 30.
33 years ago. I thought it was 30. Actually.
Well, he's going to get 33 now. No, Terry McClure is going to get his. Look at me. Caping for Terry McLaurin. And Nico Collins caping for CJ Stroud.
Michigan men being there for Ohio State, guys. That's what we're here for. Yeah, it's 30 or 60 million guarantees. Oh, yeah. It's not crazy.
It's the truth. Yeah, yeah. Crazy. Rest of the time, I'm talking with my chest. I was crazy once.
And what happened? They locked me in a room.
Okay. A rubber room with rats. And rats make me crazy.
Well, speaking of darkness retreats. Aaron Rodgers spoke with our buddy Kyle Brent on Back Together Weekend. Back together. Back together. It's not back together again, right?
No, back together weekend.
Okay, back together weekend.
Okay, got it. Back together weekend. What's up with Aaron Rodgers? What do you mean? What does that mean?
You see that kid? That kid throwing that football and launched it into orbit? What was that? Happy American Century. Oh, is that there was a video going around of some kid throwing him a ball on 17, and then he kind of looks at it and then just chucks it in the other direction.
He points it in the other direction into a crowd. What if the kid is like on the beach just like throw me my ball back? Oh, really? Yeah. I don't know.
Listen, with Aaron Rodgers. He's always judged by the cover. Like, we have no, what if the kid wrote on it, you know, like, Steelers suck. You suck. He probably thought it was from the man in the black hat.
Could have been, I don't know, this guy out there.
Okay. You know.
Well, you know, Terry Brad show is very critical of him. When everyone was waiting to see if he would sign with the Steelers. Oh, right. And I think Terry got, you know, like, what are you going to make? The Steelers wait?
The Steelers aren't good enough for you? I think essentially was saying, and then the rest of it, he's also been all over Aaron for much of his career, too, right? Not an Aaron.
So Rogers was asked about the chew on Bark. We have that, we have the drop out of it, right? You basically told Aaron Rodgers to sign or go somewhere if not chew on bark. Here was Roger's response. I've known Terry for a long time, being a part of Fox.
Terry's a legend. He's an absolute legend. He won four Super Bowls. He's had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, Doesn't know me.
And so he's got an idea of what he thinks about me based on. What I've done, the documentary, what I've said, Darkness Retreat, whatever the hell you want to talk about. I'd love to get to know Terry on a deeper level. And I feel like if he Gave me a chance to get to know him. That we'd have a good friendship because for me, I have nothing but the utmost amount of respect and deference for what the greats have done because they laid the foundation.
For us to be able to play in this great game, to be paid like kings, and to carry on the tradition of excellence.
So I'd love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he's open to it. And maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he's talking about together. Good answer. It's a good answer, by the way. It's a good answer.
And the family feud answer. It's a good answer. It's a good answer. Chew on bark. Chuong Bark is wild.
That's like, I've never heard disrespect like that in my life. That's right. His response was: he doesn't know me. I'd love to get to know him, he's a legend. It's almost romantic.
Almost. But no one knows Aaron because he doesn't let anyone know him.
So, what is he talking about? The man in the black hat knows Aaron. Maybe he does let people know him. I don't know. Mm.
And to say you've never heard anything like that when your dad wrote No Vaseline is wild. There's not a single line about chewing bark. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because you're not playing me.
With rapid fire takes and a lot to get to, and I'm not sure you're gonna like all of it. Honestly, I don't even care if you like all of it or not. I have a job to do. Scorching debates. On any given week, you have lots to beef about.
Take advantage of it. Get up in here. He's the Spitfire of Sports Smack. Which is not my fault. We will get to all of that.
The Jim Rome Show podcast. Get up in here and we'll beef later on. What's your beef? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.
Yeah.