Olivia loves a challenge. It's why she lifts heavy weights. and likes complicated recipes. But for booking her trip to Paris, Olivia chose the easy way with Expedia. She bundled her flight with a hotel to save more.
Of course, she still climbed all 674 steps to the top of the Ivy Tower. You were made to take the easy route. We were made to easily package your trip. Expedia made to travel. Flight inclusive packages are at all protected.
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. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hello. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I think Caleb's got a ways to go.
We want to throw it out of this shit. That ball's going to be picked off. They're just trying to overload him with everything to try to speed up his process. And the plan is from here then to start to narrow that down. Today's guests hosted Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio, four-time NBA champion John Sally.
Plus, your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now. It's Rich Eisen. That's right. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show.
We are live here in Los Angeles, California. And we've got a couple of guests. On the docket, Mike Florio Pro Football Talk is going to be first up. And then in hour number three, Spider Sally. John Sally is going to be here in studio.
Yesterday, we talked at length about a. Los Angeles story. Um that's as old as time. And that's somebody who has suffers a bad breakup and then gets in shape. And look at Doncich.
There's another Los Angeles story. Daniel Jeremiah might be on the show today. Uh-oh. Might be on the show today. He has to work across the street.
We're just down the road from the Chargers facility. Yeah, Chargers are holding their training camp. I mean, if we're quiet, we can hear it. We can hear Jim Harbaugh pushing a sled somewhere. If you're real quiet, you can hear it.
And he might be on the show. It just depends on how the 405 is treating him. The 405 freeway is treating him.
So he could be here in studio hour two. Or maybe not. All right.
So stay tuned for that.
So it's probable. I don't know. I'm asking a lot. All I know is that it's a sunny 70-degree day outside, and that's the weather. The traffic on the twos right now is I don't know if Daniel Jeremiah is going to be here or not.
That's how we're rolling today. We will hear from Jets training camp, Justin Fields, and his toe spoke today. Just his mouth spoke. His toe did not. But his toe is front and center for so many.
Uh jet fans.
So that's still to be determined on this program. 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. Whether you're watching us on the Roku Sports Channel or you're listening to us on the Infinity Sports Network or SiriusXM or the Odyssey app, we always say hello to our Listeners of our podcast. And again, 844-204-Rich is the number that I'll already see phone lines lit. You're over there, Chris Brockman.
How are you? Rich, I'm great. What's up, man? DJ Mikey D is indeed nuts. Good to see you.
Morning, Rich. Good to see you over there. And good to see you, TJ Jefferson. The candle is lit, is it not? Candle is lit.
It's great. It's a case.
Okay, very good. And we'll talk about your Dallas Cowboys in short order, as always. They're of interest. But We start our show with my My colleagues under attack. In New York City yesterday.
And 345 Park Avenue is the home of the National Football League. And all of us at NFL Network always refer to the NFL. To the New York offices the National Football League is 345 Park. That's how Uh we refer to it. In shorthand, the address.
three forty five Park Avenue.
So When Word came out yesterday. That Um A gunman. had walked into the offices Of 345 Park Avenue, my stomach dropped. I stopped.
Okay. Like what what's this all about? And that there was a massive police presence outside of 345 Park Avenue. What's this all about? It's not the only Office that's in.
The building. It's not the only spot that's home. To A corporation or a business. Many others? Floors four to eight, the National Football League occupies in that building.
Been there many times. And I thought to myself. This can't be happening. Certainly, as a New Yorker, and I look down at my phone and I see video. Oh, yeah.
a guy walking in broad daylight in the massive Large plaza in front of the building. carrying a long rifle. Mm-hmm. Turned out to be apparently an M4. And I'm thinking to myself, what the hell is going on?
Then we learned people are dead. Including the Got him. Self-inflicted gunshot wound on the 33rd floor from what I was reading. And I honestly thought to myself, that means he wasn't going for the NFL. Then we find out today from the mayor of New York City, he absolutely is going for the NFL offices.
just took the wrong elevator. Yeah. And um I don't know if that's what it was. I've been there. In order to take the elevator to the NFL offices, you need to check in, and they send you upstairs.
Or all holy heck broke loose the minute the guy walked in because apparently. the minute he got the walk the minute the guy walked in. He encountered I hope I pronounced the man's name right. May he rest in peace, Officer Didarul Islam. of the New York City Police Department.
Whose wife at home is eight months pregnant with two small children. And the gunman shot the police officer. And shot others. Again, we're still learning. most likely in the lobby of this building.
which is vast. It's a massive lobby. It's huge. Huge. And It appears.
That one of the people, perhaps in this lobby. or elsewhere in the building who the sh gunman shot dead. Is the mother Is the mother of a camper who goes to camp with my son? Summer camp. And those boys in that camp are.
No doubt today. Frightened and scared because one of their own is leaving camp, summer camp. Where he is No doubt having the time of his life as young American Kids should. Away from the madness. And yes, it's it's awful, it's a shame.
It's terrible. You will hear all the thoughts and prayers, I'm sure, and all of them come from us too. Officer Islam of the New York City Police Department apparently has elderly parents as well who survive him. According to Mayor Adams of New York City, there was a note. the gunman had, saying that he had CTE.
And he wanted his brain tested after his death. And perhaps that's why he was going for the National Football League. And who knows who he was gunning for? in those offices. One of my colleagues from the National Football League.
I don't know who yet. As you imagine. People that I do know in that building are shaken today. The Commissioner sent out A memo to all of us NFL employees saying that somebody He's in the hospital. Diana Rossini, a colleague of ours.
Reporting at someone from the finance department of the National Football League. All these people went to work yesterday and didn't come home. The commissioner telling folks in the New York offices to take the day off if you need. Makes sense. Their office building is a crime scene this morning in New York City, midtown Manhattan.
And yes. There will be potentially conversations about CTE coming out of this, although the gunman never played professional football. According to the Associated Press article. played high school football about 20 years ago. I think I got that right.
Still taking everything in right now. Never played pro football. But um The question. That some will have. about this subject matter.
About CTE, if there is a conversation about it. A legitimate conversation, obviously, about the health and safety of those who play football. Um But just as legitimate is how the hell did this guy get this gun? And I know I'm treading into waters. At shows like this one, we we don't tread into it very much.
But this involves My colleagues in New York City who went to work and became the hunted. photographs of I don't know which office it was of people who were Jamming couches against the door. of their office building. How did this guy get this gun? If he has.
According to this Article: Police say the gunman had a history of mental illness. How does he get a gun? Like this. Did he get it in New York? Apparently, he lived in Nevada, had a concealed.
Carry Licensed. Did he bring it all the way across the country with him? I want these answers as much as anybody else has questions about this. And why do we as a collective nation just shrug it off? because we will move on, understand.
I get it. And as a matter of fact, this Shooting? kind of wiped off the headlines. three dead in a casino in Reno, Nevada. Same day.
Over and over and over. over and over and over. It happens. And we bring it up again because of um who this government was targeting. A sports business.
An entertainment company. The business of which does roll on, and we will talk about. The rest of the business for the rest of the show, but I just wanted to. Talk about it. because my colleagues were hunted yesterday in New York City.
Merely going to work. A young boy in my son's camp woke up today, or perhaps was to woke up last night, or somehow, some way. God bless the people who run this camp have to go to a child and say, guess. What? And have to explain to the rest of the kids why.
So and so went home. Senseless. Absolutely senseless. And questions need to be asked. And I Look forward to the answers.
He seemed to have blamed the NFL. Mayor Eric Adams told WPI X TV, Channel 11, we grew up watching Mikey. The NFL headquarters was located in the building and he mistakenly went up the wrong elevator bag. Rest in peace to those who were shot dead just because they were working. in the wrong place at the wrong time, including A member of the New York City Police Department.
Once again with it. Two young kids, elderly parents. and a wife at home. apparently two months away from delivering their third child, who will never know. His or her dad.
You all got to do something about it collectively. We really do. Yes, mental health, absolutely. Health and safety of people who play football, absolutely. No question about it.
I totally understand. What I am saying. We just have to make sure. The people We shouldn't have weapons. Don't Get them.
And whoever put it in the hands of somebody like this to do something like this. needs to be held to account. I think hopefully we can all agree on that. Sensible Conversations. to prevent senseless things from happening.
We take a break. The phone number is 844-204-RICH, number to dial. Mike Florio will join us on this. And we will turn the page. Yes, to sports.
But the real world crashed into the sports world. in three hundred forty five Park Avenue. May all those who lost their lives rest in peace. Back here on the Rich Eisen Show. All right, we begin to turn the page to the sports world.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk, is going to join us shortly here on the program. Um I requested the location of Daniel Jeremiah. Oh. He's able to respond because he's instead still trafficking. Drop the pen for a send location.
Be honest. You sound like Habib. What do we got? He needs to. Uh stop for gas as well.
At some point. He's on I-5. Wait a minute. Yep, yep, on the five. Yep.
Yeah, he he's It's an arrival of 10.35. To hear? Yeah. Dicey. He says, let's just rain check.
Mm. What do you think? You know, we could do an end-of-the-hour, top-of-the-hour situation. It's possible. Possible.
I'm going to keep bugging him.
Okay. What else is he going to do? He's just staring at two red lights in front of him. Nothing else to do, literally. Yeah, he's probably got a podcast on or something.
What are we doing on the mind list? He's probably replaying the money. Peter Battery's replaying the Padre's lucky win last night. I didn't actually see what happened.
Well, they won in the bottom. Oh, they beat them. Must have beaten the Mets. Yeah. Oh, okay.
Lucky, lucky win. It was lucky. I didn't even know. He was lucky. I don't follow baseball anymore.
Oh, really? Baseball's over. Interesting. Interesting. Baseball's over.
Yeah, Luca was at the Yankee Race game last night. And I'm like, as long as he's taking Judge's body, can Judge take his elbow for fun? Judge is taller than Luca. If you want any idea how big Aaron Judge is, I saw that. Back on the Rich Eisen Show Radio Network, 844-204-Rich is the number to dial.
Multitasking. Listen, I appreciate everybody sticking with me here on the show. I just was obviously very emotional about what was going down at 345 Park Avenue. Yesterday. Who wouldn't stick with you through that?
Well, I don't know. Who knows? When you. work with people. Everybody in that 345 Park Avenue office, but when your colleagues become haunted, you get a little bit emotional.
You know what I mean? Hell yeah.
So, joining us once again is our friend from Pro Football Talk, and we'll talk about his book that's available, e-book, that we talked about the last time. We'll talk about that with him as well. Our friend Mike Florio is back here on the program. How are you doing, Mike? Good to see you, brother.
Rich, Rich, I am doing well today. How about you? I'm doing as well as can be, brother. I mean, all of us, obviously, you know, we didn't expect to hear this about what was going on at NFL headquarters yesterday, Mike. You know, obviously we're still learning.
the details of it, but it's it seems like a guy Thought he had C T E from his high school football days and um wanted to take it out on the National Football League. That's what it looks like. It's just an example, Rich. And it's important we never get desensitized to these tragedies that happen from time to time, but all too often. The idea that when you leave the house, you're accepting the risk that you're going to get shot.
Out in the public place, at work, at school, at church, at the store. wherever you may be. No matter how strong the security presence is, Is it really going to match?
Somebody who's got an assault rifle? And I know there's a cocktail of issues that need to be addressed. I just wish. It would ever feel like we're addressing them. I feel like we never address any of them and we just accept it.
And we wait for the next one. And we look at the odds. And we say, it's a big country, and yes, it happens, but the chances of it happening to me or someone I care about are minuscule. And then it shows up on your doorstep, and you realize it's unacceptable that we don't solve these issues. The combination of mental health, Access to weapons of war.
And I know people will say, it's not a weapon of war. Stick to sports. Look, these are moments where we shouldn't stick to sports because these are moments that define our humanity. And we either care about others or we don't. We either want to solve this problem or we don't.
And unfortunately, over the past 25 years, don't. Has been the prevailing word. But the whole thing about stick to sports is we do stick to sports, Mike. You know, it's not like I open up pro football talk. you know, in any of the formats in which I receive it.
Um you know And see you talking about this 24-7. You do stick to sports. I mean, this crashed into the sports world. Absolutely. Absolutely.
So that's when we are actually in our lane to talk about these sorts of things.
Well, absolutely. But I know from experience that there will be people who will get upset if there's any comment made about any effort to prevent people who have no business, and I think reasonable people. People would say, no one needs to have an assault rifle. You can defend yourself without one. You can defend your family without one.
And when someone shows up and casually strolls in, the images were chilling of the individual who just strolled into a building where you've been, where I've been. As soon as I saw the pictures, because I saw it. Describes as the Blackstone Building, it's like, that's not the Blackstone Building, that's the NFL headquarters. And it's both. But it is.
Unsettling whenever it happens, but when it happens in a place where you've been. And it happens to An organization that we're all who cover the sport intimately involved with. It just brings us back to. the idea that it happens too often and we just move on to the next time and we just hope that as much time as possible elapses between this time and the inevitable next time. Mike Florio here on The Rich Eisen Show.
Um Turning the page. best I can here. There's no artful way to do it.
Now that we are a week into National Football League Trading Camp. Mike Florio. What is the item that's at the top of your list that you think will have the most impactful win-loss. Um in the playing season that does start a little over a month from now. I mean, to answer your question, literally, the one thing that we're all monitoring.
With the players on our favorite teams, the players on our fantasy teams, and you never know when that notification is going to come across your phone that someone suffered a serious injury. We're in that zone where you're kind of holding your breath for news that your favorite player is going to be out for the year. And who's been carted off here and who's been carted off there? And how bad is the injury? The Cowboys had a scare yesterday with Tyler Guyton.
At first, they thought he had a torn ACL. It turns out it's a fracture that'll keep him out four to six weeks, but that will impact the standings. And that's the thing. We spend Seven months talking about what could happen, what will happen, what may happen, who's closed the gap on whom, who are the Super Bowl candidates. But the one thing that we don't talk about, because we don't know who it's going to happen to, when it's going to happen to them, and how long they're going to be out, but we know it's going to happen.
People are gonna get injured. And one injury changes everything. One week one injury just completely, potentially, reverses a team's fortunes for that season. Look at the 2008 Patriots. That lightning strike, Bernard Pollard, low hit on Tom Brady.
He's out for the year. And even though they went 11-5, they didn't make it to the playoffs. And that was the first game after the loss to the Giants in Super Bowl 42 that would have been the perfect 19-0 season.
So. Anytime, any place, there can be an injury that changes everything. And I think that, if you're covering the NFL, if you're paying attention to the NFL, that is the thing you're kind of holding your breath for as training camp becomes joint practices, becomes preseason games, and we work up until week one when we know. There's going to be that list after every weekend of games of guys are going to be out one week, one month, or the rest of the year. And then, in terms of holdouts, right?
One. Ended in Cincinnati, and it was the rookie Shamar Stewart. We've been talking for weeks about what can be done to bridge the gap. What was done? to bridge the gap.
Oh, and it was something, Rich, that could have been done a long time ago. And this is basic negotiation. When you come to Shamar Stewart and say, we want to use language that will void your guarantees, that is different. From the language we used on Last year's first-round pick, Amarius Mims, different from the language we used just a few months ago with Jamar Chase and T. Higgins.
We've got new language we're going to use, and you're the guinea pig. You're the one that's going to have this. Oh, and we're not offering you any other concession in order to get you to do this. Ultimately, what do they do? They offered a concession.
They paid more of his signing bonus up front than they otherwise have paid to first round draft picks. That was it. That's all it took. A simple little face-saving quid pro quo. But there's a stubbornness to the Bengals.
And it's rooted to a certain extent in money, but I think the deeper issue, Rich, is power. The team wants the players to understand who's in charge. We own the machine. You are just a piece in the machine who inevitably will be removed and replaced with someone else. The machine will survive for decades, if not centuries, beyond your existence.
That is the message.
So we are not bending to you. You will bend to us. And That's why I think. The pressure, the urgency. To get a deal done that comes from a normal holdout.
Isn't going to affect the Bengals. They don't care. Hey, Trey Hendrickson, you want to pay us 50 grand a day to? Hold out a training camp? Fine, we'll take your money.
Hey, you want to give up? Your game checks of nearly a million dollars a week, fine. We'll keep your money. We don't care. We're not going to panic.
We're not going to blink. You stay home. Until you decide to show up. And that's why I said back in June, Rich, before mandatory minicamp. If he goes down this path of staying away, he's potentially gonna be this year's Sassan Reddick.
Who missed Everything missed regular season games, and then there was some awkward face-saving deal when he showed up that really didn't give him anything close to what he'd lost. And by the end of the day, you lose millions. And what do you prove? What do you ultimately prove if you're Trey Hendrickson?
So. Who knows where that stands? But My guess is they are not nervous because they ultimately don't care. They'd rather have the message sent to the player than have the player in training camp getting ready for the season. Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk, the host of PFT Live on Peacock, which is something you can get right here.
On Roku, right here on the Rich Eisen Show. I'd like you to interpret.
Okay. Stephen Jones' comments for me, Mike Florio. This was Stephen Jones over the weekend. when he was asked about the pay mica chance that were Coming from the stands of the Cowboys Faithful Towards Jerry Jones. In Oxnard, he was Stephen Jones in that regard.
Did you hear the fans yelling, pay Micah yesterday? And what do you think when you hear that? Change anything. I mean, we want to pay Micah too. He's got to want to be paid.
What does that mean, do you think? Why will you not take our offer, our lowball offer, that doesn't properly value your overall contributions to the team? Look, that's the problem. They're not offering him enough. Yeah, he has to want to be paid, i.e., he has to want to take our substandard offer.
And this is why, Rich, I'm a firm believer he should have held out. He should have stayed away. And I think at some point, he just needs to walk out. Even though there is significant risk, once you're away for five days, they can shut you down for the rest of the year. You play for no one and you don't get paid.
They'd be beyond stupid to do that to one of their best players, perhaps their most talented player ever, as Jerry Jones said that same day. But I think this is just a manifestation of the Cowboys' habit of dragging their feet. And lowballing the player and waiting until the last possible minute. And because he didn't hold out, as I told you last week, my prediction is he's going to end up playing for $24 million this year and they're going to do it again next year when they apply the exclusive franchise tag to him. That they'll happily pay him $24 million this year, just like they happily paid him $3 million last year.
That's the other side of this. If you're going to, Focus on counting the beans. You got Michael Parsons for two years at a combined salary of $27 million. That is a good deal if you're the Cowboys. Yeah, we're eventually going to have to pay him more, but we got him for two years at $27 million total, and we'll take it.
I feel like at some level, that is motivating them to kick this can as long as they can into the future. We had Clarence Hill, who's been covering the Cowboys longer than anybody else for a beat rider, currently on the Cowboys beat, Mike, about. The uh The dance, if you will, that's been going on between the Cowboys, the Joneses, and Micah Parsons. He said that there was a handshake agreement between Jerry and Micah back in the spring, and Micah said. uh call my agent and the Cowboys, the Joneses.
have yet to do that. And I heard that comment and I thought to myself that Micah's gotta want to be paid. had to do with maybe You know, He he he he shook a hand over it. back in March. We're not calling his agent.
He's got to want to be paid. That's the way I kind of took it. I guess there's many different ways one can take it.
Well and the way that you took it, the only problem is it's a violation of the CBA. No deal is enforceable until it is reduced to writing and negotiated by the representative certified By the NFL Players Association. And if a player is represented by an agent, the commissioner is prohibited from approving any contract that has not been negotiated and signed by the agent.
So, Whatever the Cowboys are trying to do, and yeah, they'd love to deal directly with the player and they'd love to appeal. And they've tried this in the past. Don't demand top dollar from us. You'll make all sorts of extra money as a player on the Cowboys in endorsement deals. And you'll have a future in broadcasting as a former Cowboy.
They tried that with Ezekiel Elliott, they tried it with Dak Prescott, and both of those guys said, no, we're not going to do that. We want. What we are entitled to as football players.
So, Handshake deals are worthless. They're not worth the paper they're not printed on. At some point, you've got to deal with the agent, and it's asinine. for the Cowboys, for the Joneses, to think that that well we had a handshake deal with micah And he just needs to come sign it. They have to deal with his agent.
Or there's nothing to sign. Mike Florio, creator, editor-in-chief of Pro Football Talk here on the Rich Eisen Show. You got to think Pickett being out for a week with a hamstring injury kind of hamstrings his ability to win this Cleveland job. Is that a? Is that.
Is that a safe assumption to make? Do you think?
Well, I think so. Rich, you know, to quote Juju's Miss Schuster, the Browns is the Browns. And they just, it's almost like they're trying to do the dumbest things they can do. They never should have drafted Shadura Sanders after they drafted Dillian Gabriel. You don't bring four quarterbacks to training camp and expect all of them to compete.
on an even playing field.
So you're going to do something with one of them at some point. And I feel like they're just waiting to trade one of them. I thought they'd maybe try to trade Kenny Pickett before camp even opened.
Now he's injured and it gives the younger guys more reps and more opportunities so the Browns can begin to figure out what they are going to be and what they could be as players in the NFL. And I Hovering over all of this is the fact that they have the Jaguars first-round pick next year. And if the Browns are bad this year, it'll be a high first-round pick of their own. And they're going to be in a position. To try to draft somebody next year.
If Arch Mannon comes out, Colin Coward was already. Beating that drum of a possibility of Arch Manning and Nick Sabin in Cleveland.
So, you know, when with the Browns, I put nothing past owner Jimmy Haslam. He gets what he wants, and the people who work for him do what he wants.
So I think it will help the other guys, and it will hurt Kenny Pickett, and it may increase the likelihood that he'll be the first man out at some point. Not. In November. I'd like to think by the time the roster is set at 53, they'll have three quarterbacks, not four. Because if you have four, that's one less spot you have for all the other positions where you have needs when it's time to put a team together and function on game days.
And it's kind of crazy, Mike. The first two picks in the draft. this past year in Green Bay. Quarterback, first overall. And then second overall.
is uh a player who can give you 100 snaps potentially. in a game in the National Football League in 2025. and is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. And we don't hear anything. About Cam Ward or Travis Hunter nationally, is that because they're in the Alf?
In the sleepy football hamlets of Nashville and Jacksonville, right? Is that Is that what it is? Because otherwise, I mean, this is. Cam Ward and if Travis Hunter plays both sides of the football week one. Right.
And Cam Ward is starting week one. Normally, that's the sort of stuff that would be all over the place. If you think about it, you're absolutely right. And look, Cam Ward has the potential to be special. You watch some of his film, you watch him throw him the football, that ball comes out fast and it zips.
And when he did rookie minicamp, all of his new receivers, And they drafted more than a few of them. Their comments were like, man, this ball comes out different. When you see things like that, that's an indication that this quarterback is an eye-opener. This guy is different. This guy is unlike anything these players have ever seen in their lives, and they have to adjust their.
Their habit of catching the ball to the fact that this ball is coming in hotter than it usually is.
So the Titans could be in very good hands with Cam Ward. He's got an intensity to him, he's got a leadership quality to him. He's got a commitment to the game that mirrors some of the all-time greats already.
Now, how he plays when it's time to go out and play, let's see. But I think there's potential there for Cam War to be great. And with Travis Hunter, we've never seen anything like it. And yes, it's the Jaguars, and the Jaguars are easily ignored. And it's all going to come down to: are they successful?
New coach, new GM, a lot of new. with the Jaguars, and we'll see. But that Titans-Jaguars rivalry. is more interesting than it's ever been. It's impossible for it to be less interesting than it's ever been.
But yeah, this this takes a couple of teams that and I know the fans of the two teams get involved 'cause they do have fans. They get upset when we say you know, these are boring teams, but Somebody's got to be the most boring team in the NFL, and the Jaguars and the Titans are in competition for that. I mean, Jaguars open at home for Carolina, and Tennessee's at Denver. And again, Denver is a fascinating team to me, man. You know, Bo Nick's year two, he would have been offensive rookie of the year if not for Jaden Daniels.
And I know that's like, you know, yeah, if my grandma had wheels, she'd be a wagon. But you know um Denver, Sean Payton. Honestly, they dead capped Russell Wilson. to the largest dead cap in history. And there the Would you call the Broncos a Super Bowl contender coming into this year, Mike?
Yeah. Yes, you know, Aaron Rodgers said last week there are usually six to eight serious Super Bowl contenders, maybe 10 to 12, and he sees the Steelers as one of the 12. And I started putting a list together, and I'm sorry, the Steelers are not one of the 12 because to be one of the 12, they're going to have to elbow out the Broncos. And the Broncos are legit. The AFC West is scary.
It's the best collection of coaching talent, top to bottom, that any division has ever had, team by team. You know, the NFC East had some great coaches in the 80s, but they also had the Cardinals.
So, you know, all due respect to the then St. Louis Cardinals, but that's just the reality. Four teams, this division, the four coaches, the talent they have, the Raiders, the poor Raiders, if they were in any other division, they'd maybe be a wildcard contender. But the Broncos, the Chargers, the Chiefs, I think the Broncos are legitimate. The defense is better than it was last year.
They didn't lose Vance Joseph to a head coaching job, which allows. Sean Payton to entrust that side of the ball to him. The offense is going to be better. They signed Cortland Sutton. They've got J.K.
Dobbins, who, when healthy, is as good as any running back in the NFL. They've added R.J. Harvey. I mean, they are feeling good, quietly, confidently good about what they've got going into the season. And they could stir things up with the Kansas City Chiefs when it's time to play the game.
Hey, man, we played that game too. I guess great minds think alike. As soon as Rogers made that statement, we went around the room here and say, How many Super Bowl contenders are there in the NFL? I came up with 15, Brockman, 12, and TJ just said, screw it. This is going to be a very tight group.
You said seven. Seven. Right? And you came up with 12? Mike?
I've got about 11 or 12. And the Steelers are down to that 12th spot. And if they get it, then the Chargers don't, the Broncos don't, the Vikings don't, the Packers don't.
So, and 12 is stretching it. You know, there are coaches who will tell you at any given time in the NFL, there are 10 teams to worry about, 10 teams you don't have to worry about, and 10 to 12 teams in the middle. And look at where we are. Even with the parity of the salary cap, ideally, You win the Super Bowl every 32 years in this system. And look at the past 32 years and look at how many teams have won it, how many times they've won it, how many teams haven't been to it, how many teams haven't won it, how many teams haven't even gotten to the conference championship game.
i.e., the Cowboys.
So it's amazing when you look at how teams have cracked the code on the current system of salary cap, free agency, draft and develop, And get yourself a franchise quarterback, and that's the indispensable ingredient. But we have teams that have figured it out. And we have plenty of teams that can't. And this is not what Pete Rozelle envisioned back in the 70s when he got sick and tired of the Steelers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Raiders running the NFL.
Well, what do we have now, Rich? We've got the Eagles, Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Lions. 49ers like There's an upper crust of the NFL and everybody else.
Well, again, we're just a few short weeks away from seeing that play out. And Big Shield is coming out in just a few weeks' time, three weeks' time now. And you can pre-order this e-book. By you, Mike Florio, on Amazon right now, correct? Yes, correct.
99 cents for the e-book, which is one of the dumbest things I've ever done. 99 cents is essentially giving it away, but I want to promote reading as a. As a means of enjoyment, we all have our stresses. We all have the crap we have to deal with day in and day out. We love football because it gives us a distraction from the things that otherwise bring us down.
And there's nothing like a good book.
Now, it remains to be determined whether I've written a good book. There's nothing like a good book. Yes. That sweeps you away. You know, you look forward to reading a few chapters at the end of the day, whatever the case may be.
So, I'm trying, I remember being in school and hating the idea of having to read. They made us read, and it pissed me off. And as an adult, when I discovered that reading can be very enjoyable, if you like the subject matter, so I'm trying to promote a shift for everyone who hated reading in school. 99 cents, you get to read something you enjoy. It's a tale of gambling, the mob, professional football, and some of the other professional sports are involved too.
There's a baseball player who's caught up in this scam, and we're seeing what's happening with the Cleveland Guardians. There's a basketball player in a very Jante Porter kind of situation, and the heart of it is a mobster who handles different professional athletes and gets inside information from them for money. And of course, once you're in, Rich, kind of hard to get out. That's right. And Big Shield, last time you were on, it was four weeks away from being released.
Now it's three weeks away from being released, which is my passive-aggressive way of pointing out. You're burying the leaves. He came back on the show a week after saying he doesn't come on the show because I don't ask. Loku's back on. It seems intentional, Mike.
Feel free to space it out a little more though.
Somewhere between one week and five weeks. You might tell me the right in that gray area? That's where the cadence lives. Very good. Mike, thanks for the time, man.
We'll see you again soon. Thanks, Rich. Good talking to you. The one and only Mike Florio, everybody. Pro Football Talk.
and Big Shield out in three weeks. In the last 32 years, only 15 teams have won the Super Bowl. There you go. Boo! You left the Packers off on that list of the Teams running the league at the time of Roselle, right?
They won Super Bowls one and two. I always say that about Bart Starr. He gets forgotten.
Well, no, I mean, just like to say on your resume, oh, I was the MVP of the first Super Bowl and then the second. You know, it's kind of like, you know, Neil Armstrong. Oh, yeah, you know, I walked on the moon. First. First.
First. I took the first two steps. Right. I took the first two steps. So did Bart Starr.
It's like the same thing. I believe you are a fantasy football player. Is that a true story, Jodi Foster? I am. I did not play last year because of the president administration.
I had to be on the top of that. And you can't get all those alerts all at once. It's just too much for me. Too many badges on your phone, too many alerts on your phone. I had to choose.
I don't know. I think next year, I think this year I'm going to choose fantasy for sure.
Well, I mean, it's an escape, though, right? I mean, when you. I would not call it an escape. I would call it a, you know, a hyper-focused. Art form.
Interesting. Yeah. Fantasy football is a hyper-vocation. If you get into it, you want to win.
Okay. Have you been so fortunate to win a fantasy league? Who are you in a fantasy league with? A bunch of 16-year-olds. Yeah.
You know, who else? Like a random lady? Yeah, and I and I have to say I do enjoy. None of them will trash talk with me because you know you can do that thing where you sort of type in like, You're coming down, or and nobody will do that. They're just very polite.
16 year olds being polite in a fantasy that now that so what's your team name what was your fantasy team name your colleague i can't tell you i'd have to kill you if i told you and plus i don't even remember Okay, because I would love to know. I mean, because that's most of the fun that we thought that. Is it? That's most of the fun? It kind of is.
Okay. Yeah. So, but you finished in second? I did come in second. Do you recall who was on your Well, I got seriously burned by Todd Gurley.
It was his first season with the rounds. He just. Disappointed me pretty severely. That was a bad year to be holding Todd Gurley the entire time. Did you have a real football team that you love?
Yes. I love the Riemann Bay Packers. How'd that come about, Jody?
Somebody gave me a cheese head, and it was all over. That's it? Yeah, that's all it took. Who was it? Was it De Niro?
De Niro gave you a cheese head? Who gave you the cheese? No, I have a friend of mine who has like an in with them.
So it was not just a cheese head, but it was a cheese head everything.
So there was like a cheese mug and there was a cheese ring and there was a cheese cake.
Okay, so you got into that. She's like dog outfits. Have you ever been to Lambeau Field? Have you ever been here? I never have.
It's unbelievable. That's what I've heard. Because you're just in there, it's a Midwest town, and you're driving down a road, and there's a gas station, there's a Kmart, there is the cathedral of football where Lombardi used to play. I can dream. I can dream.
If I do well, you know, if I do pretty well in fantasy, maybe I'll have to do it. Maybe you can. You can dream. I had, you know, I decided I discovered Devontae Adams.
So, because I had him the whole year.
So my guy. I call him my man, Devontae. Does he know that? He doesn't know that. Maybe he'll know it now.
Okay. Oh, it's fun having Jodie Foster on back in the day. Yeah, it was. Certainly, since she broadsided Jeff Van Gundy when he accused me of cheap shotting him. Remember that?
His whole soul was hurt. His soul was hurt.
Well Wouldn't your soul be hurt if you went to College with Jody Foster, and she says, No, don't remember him at all. Don't remember you. That'd leave a mark.
So, you know, 844-204-Rich is the number to dial. Yeah, I don't think Daniel Jeremiah is going to make it. Where in the world is Daniel Jeremiah? Do we do we call him up? We got him on the phone.
Sure. See what's going on? I mean, he's somewhere on the five.
Well, you got his number. I got his number. Do you want me to text him and be like, hey, can you call in? No. Why don't you pick up the phone?
Literally call him right now? Yeah, and see if he'll pop on maybe at the end. On my phone or the show phone? The show phone. We may not recognize the number.
Oh, boy. Bro, just call. Derek in Missouri. We haven't chatted with our good buddy in a while. What's up, Derek?
What's going on, man? Hey, we're doing good, sir. What's up with my boys there in the studio? We're good, we're good. What's going on?
Boom! Not a whole lot. I just, well, I got a simple Twitter talk radio for you question today.
So basically. We've talked a more about Caleb Williams and Devon Daniels and Drake Bay, but Rick, what are your expectations for Bo Nicks going to his sophomore season? Yeah, don't forget, J.J. McCarthy's talked about more. because of his ability because of his uh You know, newness to a team that had 14 wins last year and appears to be Super Bowl ready if he can.
rise to that mix, you know what I mean? Um and and and so yeah, I mean I have high expectations of Bonex. I see him taking a step forward, right? I see him being better. We just heard again from Mike Florio, the running game should be better.
J.K. Dobbins is healthy. He's better than what they were getting production-wise last year. Cortland Sutton's been paid. RJ Harvey is a kid that can add even more to that.
Offense. Defensively, they've got the defensive player of the year with Jod A. Barron to get. this kid back on the field more often. I think Denver's got a massive.
opportunity to be better. You know what I mean? So, here Mike Burio say that earlier about them, these mobile contenders, if any, more than anything, after the season they had in 2024. Right, and Sean. You've been entered so many times with the dead cat hit with Russ.
I mean, his opinions for me are through the roof.
So, I couldn't be happier. Derek, thanks for the call. It's year two for Peyton with Mix. Right. And again, when they deadcapped Russell, it's just like, well, good luck.
Trying to win in the first year of your rookie contract with your new quarterback because you're basically paying him. The full freight of a big quarterback with your dead cap hit of Russ. And after this year, they're through that. With three more years left on Nick's rookie deal. Phew.
Denver is lying in wait in fr Uh I I think for sure. 844-204-Rich number to Dowell. Look who's called in. Daniel Jeremiah from somewhere on I-5. What's up, DJ?
You there? Yep, I'm on the 405 up West Westminster, I believe, is the next exit right here.
Okay, we're moving. We're moving. You're moving.
Okay. You know, when you see the little crash icon on the GPS, but then you never see the little crash.
So either somebody false reported on here, or they clean that thing up quick.
Okay, so what's w the GPS arrival time in our area is what? What is it? 35. 35. I asking You got John Sally in studio.
When are you back in Charger camp, Daniel? I do not come back to Charger's camp until tomorrow. Until tomorrow.
Well, are you at least staying over in the area so we can get you in tomorrow? No? I'm coming home, but I'm gonna I can come up a little bit earlier if you want me to pop some of the stuff. Yes, let's do this tomorrow. Let's do this tomorrow.
I'll call you afterwards.
Okay. That works. Can you have Brockman maybe sing the Annie tune as I leave? Oh, this sun will come out.
Well, don't do that because I can't pay the ASCAP fees for that. You know what I mean? That's fair. Just can't do that. Trust me, Brockman won't get suited.
Now that you had Disney behind you, Rich, that maybe that was maybe more than the cards, but I guess not. A couple weeks ago. Wait a minute. Let me look up. No, I don't have that.
I don't have that. But all right, DJ. Thank you.
Well, when you see Jim, tell him I am going to take him up on his offer to work out with him. You are. Oh, absolutely. I've seen what Luca looks like. You know?
You don't have to go through a bad breakup to pay attention. Luca. Yeah. I'm impressed. Men's health will go the month of the draft, April, Coverboy.
That's right. That's right. The run-rich run cover. That'll be great. Look at him with the.
By the way, Aaron Judge is taller than Luca. It's nuts. He's huge. Oh my God. That is crazy.
All right, DJ. Thank you.
Have you tanked up yet? Have you tanked up? No, no, no, I'm pushing. I'm pushing. I I've got I've got it says 39 miles or no, 24 miles with With 64 miles on the tank.
Oh, it's like Kramer. You're like Kramer looking for a new car. All right, Daniel, we'll see you tomorrow. I'll call you afterwards to set it up. Thank you.
All right, see, buddy, the Yankees just made another error. Ah!
So just a Right at the end. That was a hit and run by somebody cruising up the 405. That's odd. Yeah, that's odd. You hung up.
Never seen that before. All right.
Everybody's having their fun at my expense. Go, Dodgers. 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 going to 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. Uh
