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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.
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Now. On with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show. FCD League. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studios in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Touchdown, the fun taste of 46 gasps. Podcast host and journalist Pablo Torre. Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. And your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
Live from Brazil. It's the Rich Eisen Show, everybody. Uh, words I've never said before, um, and I'm thrilled to be saying I'm in San Paulo, Brazil. I am live right here on Disney Plus, live here on the ESPN app everywhere. And by everywhere, I now mean Brazil.
That's everywhere. And I say hello to everybody out there that is listening on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. Thrilled to be here with you in advance of the Thursday night kickoff in Philadelphia between the Cowboys and the Eagles on NBC tonight. And obviously, I'm in Brazil because I'm calling game two of the National Football League season between the Chiefs and the Chargers on YouTube. I'll be calling that game with Kurt Warner, who is stopping by my Brazil, my San Paulo, Brazil studio in hour number three, a full-on conversation with Kurt Warner here.
So I'm sitting where I am, wherever you are taking this show, either you're streaming and watching it live on all of our Disney partners, or you're listening to it, maybe in. On SiriusXM Channel 80 or on this ESPN radio affiliate, coast to coast in the United States of America. You can still call 844-204-RICH. Don't worry, we'll pick up the long-distance charges for me to have a conversation with you from here in San Paulo, Brazil.
So I'm sitting where I am, and my guys are sitting in Los Angeles. Good to see you, Christopher Brockman. How are you? Rich, I'm fantastic. Great to see you, my friend.
I see that you made it down there in one piece. Let's play some football now, right? It's good to see you, TJ Jefferson. Is that candle lit, sir? Candles lit.
Come on, Rich. You know how we do. The candle is lit. I just got a quick question. I know you've just been there a second.
Have any of the locals asked about me, though? Wow. Not a single. Have you been here? Wow.
No, no, no, but I'm just wondering if maybe some of them dropped my name. I know you're world-renowned, but nobody's asking about you, TJ. I actually went from the airplane to a car and sat in an hour and a half worth of traffic for quite some time all the way through to my hotel and then made it here.
So not everybody's been asking about you. Mike tells me. Two for you there, Mikey. Mike D.
Some here, Rich. Mikey D. There he is. Awesome.
So I'm appreciative of everybody doing all their hard work to make everything go down smoothly here on the Rich Eisen Show as I'm sitting. This is the first, I believe, multi-hemisphere edition of this program. Chris, you've been with me the longest. Is this the first multi-hemisphere, correct? Of this type of situation, yeah, yeah, yeah.
This is correct. Can you confirm that? Regardless of where I am, whether it's international or it is national, wherever you may be taking in this program, if you're somehow new to us, because again, we're new to Disney Plus and ESPN for just a couple of days. What I'm about to do is what I've done every single year on The Rich Eisen Show. For now, this is our 11th National Football League season.
I kick off every single NFL season as it will be kicked off tonight with storylines because that's. How we roll here on this program. Storylines, nothing but storylines for this. Campaign in the National Football League. As you know, I'm not an all-22 guy.
I don't study film. That's for Kurt Warner. He's coming in later on in hour number three. All I deal with is narratives. I deal with narratives and storylines.
And every single team in this soap opera of a league, the greatest. Reality programming ever created. It's the National Football League.
So here I am on another eve. Of a National Football League season. It kicks off tonight, and I have all 32 team storylines. Thank you for my theme music, Michael Del Tufo. And I kick it off with the NFC, and you got to kick it off with the defending Super Bowl champions in the Philadelphia Eagles.
Can they be the first back-to-back champions since? the Kansas City Chiefs. Or, wait a minute, first And only team in Philadelphia sports to go back to back since the 73-74, 74-75 Philadelphia Flyers. That's the only other team that's done what the Eagles are attempting to do in the history of that great sport. How will Jalen Hurts follow up his first Super Bowl MVP campaign?
Can Saquon have the best follow-up season? in the history of the 2K Rushing Club. That standard was set in 1988 by a 30-year-old Barry Sanders with 1,498 with a terrific offensive line and a terrific offense.
However, the biggest threat to the Philadelphia Eagles. Title defense could be their own schedule. They are the first team in NFL history to face 10 playoff teams from the year before, and they're their first defending Super Bowl champions to have a schedule to feature a grand total of zero. back-to-back games. In their own home stadium.
So if they do go back to back, they will have earned it. And then there's the Washington Commanders right there in their division. That's the team that they played in last year's NFC Championship game. Can the guy on the screen, radio audience, it's Jaden Daniels. Can that guy Follow up his Unicorn rookie season with an encore that nobody's also seen before.
Will Terry McLaurin's holdout affect? Anything in the win-loss column negatively coming up? 0.0 better than Debot 1.0, or is he just bigger. That's a question we're gonna have to have answered. Who's running the football there?
Can the oldest roster in the league hold up? Over 18 weeks, and is this Von Miller's last ride? And can it end in the same spot and in the same game where he won MVP of Super Bowl 50? Yes, Super Bowl 60, as we all know, is in Santa Clara, California. TJ, your Dallas Cowboys, Dak is healthy, CeeDee Lamb is great, but who is running the football?
And how good is the new coach running the show? Poor Matt Eberflues, the new DC there. In Dallas, once upon a time, he had Khalil Mack traded away from the Bears on the eve of his mica. They believe that this team has absolutely Absolutely zero shot to erase the most often repeated stat. In the NFL and its media, that the Dallas Cowboys have not made an NFC championship game now in three decades, perhaps counting.
The New York Giants, can they be better? Sure, it looks like they can be. They added the best player in the Big Ten last year, and Abdul Carter. That's the first rookie they drafted. To a defensive line that has Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeau and one of the best middlemen, period, in Dexter Lawrence.
The guy on the screen, though, that's Russell Wilson. The Giants are on Jackson Dart Watch. At least they are all season long in the New York, New Jersey era, unless Russ. Can somehow have a renaissance in the same stadium where he won his only Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in Met Live. Speaking of the Seahawks, it's now the Sam Darnold era there, and that's not the only change.
They have a new OC, DK is out, JSN is in, and so is of all people. Rams great Cooper Cup. Without a doubt, this is Mike McDonald's team now. And how much will Jalen Milro? be a part of it.
They're trying to get their first playoff win since wild card weekend in Philadelphia in 2019. Can they make the playoffs? Can they win the division? They do seem to have the horses. We will see it all play out.
In week one, they're taking on the 49ers. Put a pin in that. Let's talk about the Rams. It all appears now. to be on the shoulders.
of Matthew Stafford's chiropractor. because everything else seems set up. If you're gonna let Cooper Cup go, I kind of think Bringing in Devontae items isn't a bad way to go. And then no team gave Philly all it could handle more in last year's playoffs than this Los Angeles Rams team. Jared Vurse is a total beast.
The rest of the D appears to be just as young and hungry. It's as simple as: can that offensive line protect their quarterback? Can he hold up long enough to hold up? Another Lombardi. The last time the Arizona Cardinals won a playoff game, Was 2015.
They've only made it back to the playoffs once, and the Rams boat raced them out of it in 2021. It's year seven for Kyler. Gotta figure it's time to take a step up, right? Year three for Jonathan Gannon, year two for Marvin Jr., and year one for him wasn't all that great. Calais Campbell's back in Arizona, year 18 for him.
Can he add it to this mix? help Arizona surprise a lot of people and what to make. Of the 49ers. A one-year injury-caused break from their Super Bowl window closing, or is their Super Bowl window really closing? Brock Purdy has now been paid.
Could that possibly affect him, or maybe even springboard him? Who is healthy enough to catch passes from him? When is Brandon Ayuk coming back? It's good to see Juwan Jennings paid and healthy in week one. Can Christian McCaffrey hold up?
Is Robert Sala the missing ingredient? on defense. Niners fans have been Pining for his return, He is in fact back on a very young defense that surrounds Bosa and Fred Warner. It's been 31 years. I know you want me to say this, DJ, because you always point this out.
Everybody talks about how the Cowboys haven't done it. It's been 31 years. Since the San Francisco 49ers won it all, By the way, moving to the NFC South, Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Light all hail him because in this day and age of constant flux and moving around, he somehow seems, he somehow keeps this team together. Baker's there and back. Mike Evans there and back.
Worfs is there. Vita Vea is back. And Levante David and Godwin when he comes back, is Bucky Irving ready to take his breakout season and become a breakthrough running back? Can the Bucks win their division for a fifth straight year, or maybe Todd Bowles winds up somehow, someway in yet another hot seat conversation by the end of the year? And if the Bucs don't win at all, it appears to be.
the Falcons division to take and it's all about Michael Pennix Jr. the kid who finally got start. Got a starting gig last year, but surprisingly, in the final throws of last season. And speaking of throws, He didn't make one in the preseason. The offense does appear to be loaded, unless it isn't.
Kirk Cousins has an earbud and a large price tag. Can they sack the quarterback on defense? The longest drought in the league. with it without a double-digit sapphir. Belongs to the Atlanta Falcons.
The last one to have 10 or more sacks for this team was Vic Beasley in 2016. Can Raheem Morris put it all together and get the Falcons back to the playoffs for the first time since? 2017. It's been maybe eight years if they don't make it this year. The Carolina Panthers, that's the second longest active drought 2017 for the Atlanta Falcons to not make the playoffs.
It's tied with the Carolina Panthers. They finished last year. In third place, they put a scare in everybody in the process, including both eventual Super Bowl teams. The Chiefs and the Eagles. They beat them, but they gave them a scare in the process.
They won two of their final three. Bryce Young appears redeemed, but his last name is also quite. Appropriate to describe his pass catchers in his wide receiver room. Very young. Can Tet McMillan be an offensive rookie of the year talent?
Can the defense improve? Can Carolina shock? And then there's the Saints. I know this has Arch Watch written all over it for the moment. We put a pause, even in an arches.
Heisman run. but that's just one game. Spencer Rattler has an opportunity. Does he make the most of it? Can he surprise people there?
Does Tyler Shuck get in, the kid that they drafted in the second round of this year's draft? Kellen Moore is the new HC there. We'll see what happens, the NFC North. Oh baby. The bandwagon became oversold this past week in Green Bay, or at least nationally, about the Green Bay Packers.
Young studs everywhere: quarterback, running back, the wide receiver room. They added their first rounder. To that room, a wide receiver in the first round for the first time in two decades. Matthew Golden is there. How will he fare in that offense?
Now has Micah with Rashawn Gary in that defense. When Bart Starr won his second Super Bowl, he was 27 years old. When Favre won his only Super Bowl, he was 27 years old. When Rogers won his only Super Bowl, Rogers was 27 years old. Jordan Love.
is 27 years old. Can this be the Green Bay Packers season? to bring another title. back to Titletown unless The Detroit Lions return with a roar again their best season. regular season ever.
Last year, despite having 21 players on injured reserve, they're healthy now. It's all about their coordinators. Johnny Morton is the OC, Kelvin Shepard is the DC, DCHC there. is there, Dan Campbell, head coach or HCDC. There is also Aiden Hutchinson, and there's Goff, and there's Sonic, and there's Knuckles, and Amon Ra and the O-Line.
Their biggest challenge, other than having a new system maybe for offensive and defensive coordinators that are there. Guys, it's their road schedule. I looked it up. Here's their road schedule. outside of their division.
At Baltimore, at KC, at Cincinnati, at Washington, at Philly, at the Rams. Yikes.
Okay. Then there's the Vikings 14 wins last year, right? The coaching staff is unrated. The defense is back. Jordan Mason's a good backup to Aaron Jones, unless it's the other way around eventually.
Adam Thielen is back. To get through Jordan Addison's suspension and any other injuries that could hurt this wide receiver room over the first month, it's all about my guy. The national champion quarterback from Team 144 at the University of Michigan, J.J. McCarthy. Let's see what he looks like.
Kevin O'Connell is a great quarterback, whisperer, as we all know, A type of coach in that regard. And overall, he's the rating coach of the year. A lot of people overlooking a 14-win team from last season. How will the Vikings fare? Lots of questions there.
And then the Bears. to wrap up the NFC. preview right here. It's all about the new coach there, Ben Johnson. Can he get Caleb Williams moving the football?
Can he get Caleb Williams to get rid of the football? Nobody was sacked more. last year than that kid. He took his Licking, but kept on ticking and did not get ticked off in front of the media. I thought that was highly impressive.
What can he do? How can Ben Johnson load this kid with knowledge but not overburden him? Can the offensive line that has been revamped protect him? The defense looks pretty damn good again. Can the Bears Get back to the playoffs.
and win their first playoff game. in 15 years. 2010 was the last time. They won in the playoffs. That's the NFC.
Let's move to the AFC, shall we? Let's start with the Buffalo Bills. Can they do it again? The it. being Josh Allen being the lone superstar on a team that says successful.
as the sum of its remarkable parts. Is this finally of the year? that they break through to the Super Bowl and win it.
So millions upon millions of Bill's mafia can die happy. off five straight division titles. an MVP season for the agents for their quarterback. And his honeymoon and his marriage, and he's happy in life, and the final year at the Old Rich Stadium in Highmark. They were in a patch, apparently.
in week one Sunday night. To commemorate that against the Ravens. This sounds like a perfect mix for the Bills to finally do it in the AFC. I've been talking about droughts. Do you know the team with the longest playoff win drought in the NFL?
And it's also one of two teams with a longer championship game drought than your Dallas Cowboys, TJ. It's the Miami Dolphins. Their last playoff win was 2000. Their last title game appearance was 1992. Can Tua stay healthy?
Just how badly did Tyreek piss off his teammates? They say it's buried. We shall see who can stay healthy enough on defense to rush the passer and who is experienced enough to play in the defensive secondary around Minka. It's year four of Mike McDaniel. It's a big year in Miami to say the least.
Christopher in New England, Mike Vrabel's back. Let's go, baby! And Josh McDaniels is back as the OC. Drake May has coaching around him. And he's got Stephon Diggs.
Do you know that the Patriots have not had a thousand-yard receiver? Since Julian Edelman, since Jules did it in 2019. I did know that. That's the longest such streak in the National Football League on that front. They got a new left tackle for Drake May and Will Campbell.
And they got running back Trayvion Henderson. Can the Pats shock? and get back in the playoffs. Because if they're if not. The last time they didn't make the playoffs in four straight years, was 1990 through 93.
The coaches were Rod Rust for the first year, your guy Dick McPherson for two years before Parcells came in. Missed the playoffs and then turned everything around. We'll see how New England does. A lot of people think. It is their year to turn things around.
The Jets have a new Aaron in town. It's Glenn. It's the head coach. That's the Aaron that they are following. not their quarterback.
In Rodgers, their new quarterback is Justin Fields. Aaron Glenn's been waiting for this shot. Can Justin Fields take this shot? that's been given to him. awarded to him That he has earned, maybe, with his 4-2 record with the Steelers last year.
Can he turn this around and make this his pivot point of his career? Garrett Wilson's been paid. The last time the Jets have. Had a top 10 offense was 2008. That's the longest such drought.
In that regard, in the NFL. Same goes for not having a thousand-yard rusher. Last time that happened was 2015 when Chris Ivory did it. Same thing. For not making the playoffs.
The longest such streak in the NFL belongs to the Jets in 2010 in terms of protecting Justin Fields and getting that thousand-yard rusher some holes to blow open. The Jets announced today that Elijah Veritucker, perhaps their top offensive lineman, is out for the season.
So they're not only battling some headwinds, but the football gods who continue to kick them. In the Nards. The Houston Texans have never made it to the AFC championship game. They were. Born in 2002.
They haven't made it. Last two years with CJ Stroud, they came within one game of it. Could this be the year? that with D'Amico Rhines, they break through and get to the AFC Championship game. In terms of protecting your quarterback, One would think the best strategy is to not trade away your left tackle to the Washington Commanders.
They did that with Laramie Tunsell, but they may have this plan here to start winging it around. Get the ball out of CJ Stroud's hands. They added a kid from Jaden Higgins, the kid from Iowa State, and Christian Kirk. Can Tank Dell come back? We know Joe Mixon is hurt.
What about Nick Chubb and a resurgence? They have a top five defense. The Houston Texans are definitely the AFC South. Um favorites to say the least and then there's the Jacksonville John Wesley. Not since Maurice Jones drew Have they had the most dynamic player in the draft, perhaps on their team?
And I'm only saying that because Maurice Jones Drew could be listening, and I like him. Travis Hunter. I can't wait to see this kid play. I want 100 snaps. I want 50 on.
All right. 60 on offense, 40 on defense. That's what I want. I want that by mid-season. Let's ramp them up.
Let's take this kid and put him on the field and let him be transformative. And then Liam Cohen, the new HC there. taking over for Doug Peterson. Who did take this team to the playoffs in 2022 and won a playoff game? Trevor Lawrence won that playoff game after throwing a million interceptions in the first half.
They made the final four that year and then have taken steps back. Can Trevor Lawrence start to improve? and get to that first overall drafted quarterback level of play that they've been looking for. Out of him? Can he stay healthy?
What about this run game, the defense? Can that be coached up? The Jaguars do have some light around them, around that end of the tunnel there, the Indianapolis Colts. It's Daniel Jones getting a start. I told you so.
Anthony Richardson is benched. Daniel Jones is the guy. Can Shane Steichen unlock this guy's talent? Let's not forget: in a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings, he turned into Colin Kaepernick for the Giants, and he was throwing it, he was running, he was killing it. And then yada, yada, yada, he's now on the Indianapolis Colts.
Jonathan Taylor and the rest of that offense. with a good Daniel Jones can make some hay. defensively. Can they also improve in year three for Shane Steichen there? One note.
as they take on the Dolphins in week one. The longest week one winless streak in the league belongs to the Colts. And the reason why I'm saying it like it's a hockey stat because they're 0-10-1 in all. Week one season openers. Let's see what happens.
The Titans have Cam Ward. That's What we're looking forward to seeing how good is this kid? How dynamic can his connection? with Calvin Ridley B, this run game with Tony Pollard. They've got home run hitters.
They've got some good players on offense and a Brian Callahan coached offense with his dad still coaching there defensively with Jeffrey Simmons.
Now he and Cam Ward won't be barking at each other. They'll actually be barking at other opponents. Tough one in Denver to start the season, but can the Titans improve and surprise there in the NAFC North? Is this the toughest division in the league? The Ravens, it's all about January for this team.
We all know it would take a massive issue for them to not. make the playoffs, let alone maybe not even win this division. They are one of the most talented teams in the AFC. How healthy can they be? Will they be when rubber meets the road in January?
And when January hits, can they avoid those mistakes, take care of business, get the Ravens back in the Super Bowl and back in the winner's circle since the first time that John beat his brother Jim? Can Lamar be another MVP-worthy candidate? We think so. Derrick Henry. How will he look now that he is a full-on 30-year-old running back?
If he looks like this on the screen, that's nightmare fuel. The Ravens are one of the best teams in the league. It really is all about January. The Cincinnati Bengals, once upon a time, were one of those teams where we were wondering the same thing. About January.
The only question was: how badly would Joe Burrow put the scare in your team when he walks into the stadium and then the defense has started to fall apart? And then Burrow couldn't stay healthy a couple years ago, came back healthy and was an MVP candidate last year. And this team missed the playoffs because of two things: one, they started slow. Again, they're one in nine in their last few Septembers. And then you add on the fact that their defense couldn't stop.
A cold.
So. What happens now that Trey Hendrickson is back and paid? Can this defense with Al Golden, their new defensive coordinator, tighten up? And can this team get back in the playoffs and become that scary Joe Burr tighten up? Type guy coming into your stadium and ruining your season.
Can the Bengals return to that form? The Steelers. Oh boy, what's Aaron Rodgers going to look like? And can he possibly? Possibly channel any of those MVP years that he was unable to channel with the Jets due to health.
and everything else that was going on. Was the Jets' demise over the last year part and parcel because he wasn't healthy, or he was so diminished that the Jets looked that way? Can the Steelers' defense, longer in the tooth, still be as great as they possibly can be? I think so. Who's catching the ball?
There's DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers. Who's running the ball? Najee's in Los Angeles. It's now Jalen Warren's show with a young. Um running back room around him.
Mike Tomlin. With six straight playoff losses, Steelers fans are getting sick and tired of hearing that stat. By the way, that's the longest such losing streak by any Super Bowl-winning head coach in the history of the National Football League. The longest active championship game drought. belongs to the Cleveland Browns.
1989 was their last. Don't think that's going to be ended this year. Joe Flacco is at quarterback right now. The word out at Cleveland is the Kevin Stefanski offense that caused him to come from the couch to come back player of the year has been reinstalled. That offense that apparently can't be installed with Deshaun Watson there and then all the other quarterbacks.
that were spinning around that carousel last year. Can Joe Flacco add some stability? Mason Graham is a stud on a defensive line that has a Miles Garrett that's been paid and apparently happy. How good can the Browns be? Will this be all about finding out who their quarterback of the future is?
Will they go to Dylan Gabriel? Will Shador get some run? We shall see. It depends on how Joe Flacco does and when Kevin Stefansky decides it's time to look at next year at that position, and we finish up. with the AFC West.
The bandwagon is full for the Denver Broncos. They made the playoffs last year with Bo Nicks. That was a surprise. Last year was supposed to be just getting the training wheels off of Bo Nix, and instead he just started purring like a Ferrari. And then there's Sean Payton coaching him up with some tough love and at a defense that got Defensive Player of the Year award winner in Patrick Suttan on the back end.
and they got defensive player of the year candidates in the front seven. Can the Denver Broncos take a step forward and not just make the playoffs and be happy about it? Can they start beating some people? Can they win this division? How good can the Denver Broncos be, which is a remarkable conversation to have after they made Russell Wilson the largest dead cap.
Cut in the history of the NFL a couple of years ago, and that's taking up.
Some of their salary cap to say the least. Then you've got the Las Vegas Raiders. Pete Carroll's back, baby. Pete Carroll is back. What did Jim Brockmeyer call him once upon a time?
Christopher Brockman? What do you call him once upon a time? He's the world's oldest teenager.
Now that Dick Clark is gone, he's no longer with us. And look, who's back on the sideline chewing gum and stomping around for the Las Vegas Raiders and bringing that culture for Max Crosby to eat up and sell to the rest of that locker room? He brings in his old quarterback, Geno Smith, to stabilize that position. Brock Bowers and one of the best. Years of any rookie tight end ever.
How is he going to follow that up? Ashton Genty comes off the blue turf. He's going from boise to men in the National Football League. Can he be that stud? Can he be an offensive rookie of the year?
You know, Pete's going to run him into the ground. And as for a defense, Pete's bringing that mentality, the longest streak without a top 10 defense in the NFL belongs to? The Raiders. 2006 was the last time they fielded one of those. Their last playoff win.
Keep in mind if the Raiders shock. was the AFC Championship game to get to Super Bowl XXXVII. It's been a while. And we finish up with the two teams we're seeing here in Brazil on Friday night: the Los Angeles Chargers. Is a guy who can plus up teams.
The only coach in the history of the National Football League to plus up not one, but two teams in his first year with them by six or more wins, Jim Harbaugh. He did it with the Niners. He plused them up seven. Last year, he plussed up the Chargers six. And that guy he's punching in the chest right there, Justin Herbert, is not throwing the ball as much anymore.
When he takes the field tomorrow night, In Brazil, here in Sao Paulo. He will take the field in year six with the most throwing yards in the history of the NFL through first five seasons. And yet, he hasn't had over 4,000 yards in the last two seasons. Two years ago was not by design. Last year, I think was by design.
And now they got O'Marian Hampton and Najee Harris in the running back room. Rashawn Slater going down, their left tackle, their all-world left tackle is concerning, but you move Joe Alt right there, and Jim has got this defense humming with Derwin James coming off of his best year, Khalil Mack still running like a deer. Can the Los Angeles Chargers win this division? Winning tomorrow night would go a long way. The Chargers are 100% in the conversation for the AFC.
West, and for the AFC. Unless it's the Chiefs you're after all. The only team in the history of the National Football League. to make five Super Bowls in six years. And I have Patrick Mahomes, who has every record before turning 30, and he's got...
Uh Two more games, including Friday night before he turns 30, to set more and more records. And that shot of him to Kelsey against the Chargers, we're going to see that a lot. I imagine on Friday night, two first ballot Hall of Famers, one who's much closer to the Hall of Fame in terms of time than the other, because Kelsey's in his final year of his contract in year 13, and he is motivated. He was pissed about the way the season ended last year, and so is Mahomes, who's coming in. In great shape.
Hollywood Brown is healthy. Rashid Rice is gonna be coming back. Xavier Worthy in year two. This team is faster than before. The question about the Chiefs is their big passing game, their field flipping, take the top of the defense off passing game.
Might that return? They led the league last year in drives of 10 plays or more. I think that grinding out way started grinding some gears on the Chiefs. They want to air it out. We might see that starting on Friday night.
And defensively, for some reason, somebody's not hiring Steve Spagnolt away from the Chiefs. This guy is one of the best defensive coordinators ever. and they have players all over the lot. The Chiefs can win the Super Bowl again. Do you think there could be a Super Bowl hangover?
We shall see starting. on Friday night right here from San Paulo and that is the way I kick off this edition of the Rich Island Show first ever multi-hemisphere. by previewing the 2025 season storyline. the storyline. I need a sip of water.
Yeah, maybe. Take a break. Take a break. Maybe something stronger. Yeah, take a break.
Yeah, maybe. I mean, it is the afternoon there. How do you know it's not strong already? No, my goodness.
Now we're talking. All right, that's the way we start the show from Brazil.
Well done, brand. When we come back, I'll let you guys talk. I got a lot to say. We'll be back on the Jet Lag Show from San Paulo in a moment here on a very busy Thursday. This episode is brought to you by Amazon.
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They offer auto, home, and commercial auto insurance plus a variety of business insurance options. Visit progressive.com. Today, I am here in San Paulo, Brazil. Kurt Warner is as well. He's making a way to our studio.
He's going to hang out with us in hour number three. Let's go.
So, I'm going to have company here on this beautiful set. I mean, we've got, we put together something nice. Thanks to Liz threw this mug in my backpack before I left.
So, I got a mug. We got branding all over the place. It looks great. That shot right there looks phenomenal. Susie was texting us that the logos were cut off in your single.
Well, I mean, in the s I mean, listen. I mean, I guess nobody puts Disney in a corner to your line. She was gripping the first segment, that's all. That's your puzzle. That's an industry term.
I love it. Key Great.
Okay, very good. Key Gray.
So we're here in Brazil. And I guess that was the royalty. I'm here, you're there. I'm below the equator. You're above the equator.
And so. I'm below the equator and you're not. Coming out of geography bars. But at any rate, it is the opener for the American Football Conference tomorrow night. Tonight, as we all know, it's for the whole league.
NFC East rivals going out at Cowboys and Eagles tomorrow. It is technically Chiefs at Chargers. It's a home game for the Chargers here in Sao Paulo, Brazil. And by the way, straight up with you, I ran into some Charger fans on my flight. Ran into them.
You know, and they're wearing their lightning bolts.
Some of them were from San Diego, diehards.
So, you know, we always we always joke that the uh The man who helped deliver our children, Bobby Katz, OBGYN extraordinaire, who delivered Cage and my three children, is the only Charger fan we know in Los Angeles. I ran a whole bunch of them.
So it might be a partisan crowd here tomorrow. Who knows? We'll see how Chief Kingdom travels all the way down here. But we all know when a team loses the Super Bowl. That leaves that dreaded hangover, right?
Um, and uh, I chatted with the Chiefs on Monday with the rest of the broadcast crew and You know, the whole concept of losing the Super Bowl drags you down. Um, I don't think it applies to this Chiefs team. It just doesn't. They seem to be a different breed of. of football players.
And I think what this is doing is kind of feeding them. Or in the case of Mahomes not feeding him, literally, because I asked Mahomes, 'cause you you know, you see how he's He's more fit. I'm giving the international symbol of no longer having much of a gut. Although I do feel like I'm reporting as eligible right now, you know, I'm eligible from Brazil. Make sure Sean Hawkeye hears you.
That's right, exactly. Actually, I think that was Brad Allen. Oh, sorry, Sean.
Sorry. Let's not throw Sean Hockley on the page. But anyway, I asked Mahomes if he did anything different. If he did a different workout regimen, and he said he was just cutting out the snacks. And also, not going to a lot of other things that you're invited to after you've won a Super Bowl.
And so that was cut out, if you will, from his travel diet or his social diet. and is downtime diet. That and cutting out the snacks, he said.
So I, because I said to him, I'm like, so. You weren't working out with Luca, there's not any men's health type of regimen that you did. He said, No, I don't know if he was just shining it off or not, or just making light of something that he doesn't want to talk about. But you could just see, you know, that They are pissed. I think they're pissed about people talking about a window closing or the narrative that.
It's essentially over. And that the division's getting tougher, and that there are other Super Bowl-winning head coaches now in the division. And so the division's gonna get tougher. I even asked Mahomes about the whole, you know. uh lucky stuff.
I did ask him if he saw The Cold Play meme. Uh what uh him Of a ref hugging him, or was he hugging the ref for that meme? I guess I'd be afraid of that. I think, I think. The ref was hugging him, I think.
Okay, and he said he saw it. He said he saw that people made him aware of it. And I I I thought to myself, It was this year's version of it'll get handled when it gets handled, which is what he said in response to that. Raiders rookie who, you know, was making fun of his voice with a Muppet that somebody brought to training camp. I hope.
I I I guess I and then there's the issue of Kelsey's retirement. that everyone thinks is imminent now that he's engaged and now that you know he was thinking apparently at the end of last year of perhaps it being over. And he's come back. And now that conversation that hangs over the Chiefs, or at least him in any conversation, may not hang over him when he's working and going about his life, but it gets brought up to him. And we did talk about it in the pre.
Broadcast meeting with him. And I'm wondering if. He gave us the same answer he gave today. I have not heard this sound bite because I guess it was today. The team is traveling, is here in Brazil, it traveled yesterday.
So Kelsey was asked about. this potentially being his final year in the NFL. This the last dance? For a For who? For me?
Man, it's the last one on the contract right now, but I'll tell you what, I'm feeling young and I'm feeling ready to rock, baby. I mean, look how loose that shirt is, man. Looks great. God, man, this thing was a little tighter last year. Yeah.
That was not the answer. Uh because I I Not the ready to rock or in the shirt being loose, but those guys are loose and it's fun, and you could see like the massive. crush of media with Travis Kelsey and Patrick Mahomes sitting there right now, perhaps the most famous quarterback, tight end, or wide receiver, pass catcher duel on planet Earth right now.
So because I did ask Kelsey, you know, How would how I put I said there's somebody who talks about it every day How would you want it positioned? Hmm. from your end of things about whether this is your final year. and he said it was year thirteen So that was similar and it's also the last year of his contract. and that he wanted to finish his contract out.
and that that's all he would give. On that subject matter, and literally said those words: it's year thirteen. And he doesn't have any more years left on his contract. And part of the reason why he came back is it was a contract and he wanted to live and work it through. And obviously the implication that they lost the Super Bowl added to that mix.
So I don't know. I kind of felt like that was a slight door open. on that front. Door open to returning next year? Yeah, like we'll see how it goes.
But the idea is: listen, man, it's year 13. I don't have any more contractual runway left. Let's just leave it at that. Chiefs are here, Chargers are here, I'm here, you're there. 844-204, Rich is the number to die.
We'll take a break back here from Brazil in a moment on the Rich Eisen Show. Gatorade is the number one proven electrolyte blend, designed to hydrate better than water.
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The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. On the Rich Eisen Show here on ESPN Radio, presented by Progressive Insurance. We're recounting in our Disney Plus Only segment while I'm eating local cheesebread. Which is amazing. Good lord.
recounting Bill Burr's whirlwind of an appearance on our program. on Wednesday where um He turned Bill Belichick's me at. Was it wrong asking about Bill Belichick? You're the Patriot fan. No, of course not.
I mean, look, all the Pats fans that I know and follow, it was like 50-50 on whether we should be rooting for Bill this year or are we still pissed about how the Patriot reign ended? And it's just like, look, I want Bill to do well. I think it's fun. You don't want to shoot. The other day you were clowning him and now you want him to do well?
Which one is it? Who, I'm not clowning Bill Belichick. I'm talking Mr. Brockman there.
Well, you're still working out. No, listen. No, listen. The way things ended in New England, let's be honest here, man. It was terrible, bro.
The coaching staff surrounding Drake May, you know, I mean, Mac Jones after McDaniels left was not good. It was not good. Does that take away the run, the generational not one, but two runs a general? Nobody's talking about that. It's what's happening now.
It left the world. No, it leaves a taste. Had he left with a championship, it might have been a different story. I mean, the number of people that ask me. Um you know, am I upset that Jim Harbaugh left Michigan to go to the Chargers?
He left after putting a trophy in the case.
So I'm like, there's a man-made lake in front of SoFi. I think he walked across it to sign his contract with the Chargers. That's the way I view it.
So I I understand there could be some, you know.
Some bad blood to get through, but Robert Kraft said, I think it was today. That when Bill retires, when he's done done, they're gonna put a statue of him next to the one of Brady. I mean, they should. They should, but they should. Do you want me to think about 2001 when I think about how he ended in New England with?
Terrible draft after terrible draft, incompetent coaching around a guy you drafted in the first round to be the franchise quarterback. Like, I'm supposed to think about, oh man, that Super Bowl in 03 was sick. Oh, let me just give Bill a pass for how crappy he is in the draft the last few years. Like, this guy was Mount Rushmore, the greatest coach ever. What does that have to do with how bad he was?
But what does that have to do with drafting Cole Strange, a guy that Sean McVay literally laughed at because he had like a sixth-round grade on him? Because he thought he was running. That's insane. All of these things. That is insane.
All of these things. It's insane that they turn their back and like these things never happen, though, either. All of these things can be true. All of these things can be true. What also can be true is me asking Bill Burr about it without trying, not trolling him.
which he thought I was doing, which by the way led to a hilarious five-minute segment. And on top of that, Him Him going after me for trying to get on the good side of Arch Manning by saying it's just one game. You know, which by the way it was. Mirror.
Well, you said why people. Because people prey on other people's downfall, Rich. Like, people want art to fail because other people place him on the pedestal. It's been like that since the dawn of time. It's going to continue.
Anytime someone gets a little shine and people behind them, there's always going to be the other people that want to pull them down. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show Podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
