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Now, on with the show. The Giants, they sent a jet for John Harbaugh. This is The Rich Eisen Show. If you're flying your candidate by a PJ, you want his... The Rich Eisen Show.
Jay Hancock on a piece of paper. Earlier on the show. ESPN college football analyst Josh Pate. Actor Rob Lowe. Coming up.
Senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Out number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. We just said farewell to. Rob Lowe here on The Rich Isaac Show.
He is, in fact, going to deliver us. Um on loan. Like we're a museum. Uh the uh Black NFL shield hat that he wore in Levi Stadium for the NFC Championship game years ago between the Packers and the 49ers. That is coming to the Rich Eisen Show studio.
That's going to be great. We're going to have it. And um Everyone. We're not giving it back. No, of course not.
What's he can't send back around? That's why we're not getting that. What's he thinking?
Okay. What's he thinking?
Hat's never coming here, bro. Oh, really? You don't think so? What's the over-under on that? I'll take the over-under.
Yeah, I'll take over. You just admit it. You're just went higher register. You just admitted he's not getting it back after he told you he wants it back. I shouldn't have said that.
Not in the microphone. It'll be great. Thanks for that out loud. I can't wait to give it back to you. He's in the car.
You don't even have anything. He's still in the back. Joining us here at Top of Hour Number Three, one of our favorites. Appreciate him taking time out. I'm sure his phone's blowing up.
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. Good to see you Albert. How are you, brother? Good to see you. Albert.
Does he have more than one of them, though? No. He said it was given a choice that when he got there from Fox, choose these hats. He said that the. The hats available were some garish mashup of both teams playing, and he didn't want it, so he just grabbed the one that because he said it looked like a ref hat, and he's never seen it in a version of a black hat.
Yeah. He says he still has it. And I'm like, I want it. And he said, no. And then I pressed, and he said, yes, on loan.
How did you convince him? Oh, it just asks nicely over and over again on live television and radio.
So, what about the hat? By the way, and you're going to love this. He's from Ohio.
So, his brother Chad is a die-hard buckeye like you. And he said that when it comes down to the rivalry, obviously, he's on your side of the fence, Albert.
So you got Rob. That's good to hear. That's good to hear. That was my thought. My thought, by the way, was that it's a refs hat.
That's what he said his first thought. He goes, but it's not white.
So he grabbed that one because the other ones look garish. He said he had no idea that he would be the meme for, what do you say, for something perfectly agnostic? You know, like yay teams is what he said. If you were him, though, like you might want to lean into it.
So maybe you would buy a bunch more just in case there are people who want them like yourself.
So maybe you're not getting the real one. He's got some backups. He also said RG1 told him that's the most shared meme in the history of the National Football League, is what he said.
So he said they use it on a PowerPoint. And I'm like, I had no idea the NFL had PowerPoints. I thought their PowerPoint was where the NFL do business at your otherwise we'll move on to somebody else. At any rate, Albert Brewer here on the Rich Eisen Show.
So we're in the finalizing of John Harbor. With the Giants, right? And so this marriage, it seems so obvious. And sometimes it's rare that the obvious actually happens in the NFL, right out there. Yeah.
I mean, I think like the fit was obvious to all of us from the beginning, right? Like I think was what you're referencing there. But look, like the Giants still had to win this, you know, and when he was let go nine days ago, heard from almost all the teams, like all the teams that had openings and then a couple other teams on top of that. You know, and so he launched himself into research mode. And from what I understand, he has been so thorough and so diligent.
And he was talking to the teams over the course of the last week and trying to fact-find. And he did, you know, quarterback study on each of the teams. And, you know, he gotten to the point where he was looking at Dante Moore and Fernando Mendoza when he's considering the Raiders. And, you know, you keep working it, working it, working it, and trying to narrow it down. And so, you know, I think more or less the brand.
Browns and Cardinals were eliminated. The Raiders actually was an interesting one. I heard he didn't want to go there because it's his brother's division, you know? And like, you know, I don't know that that was exactly what he was looking for, you know, nothing against the Raiders. And so then it was, you know, the four teams that were that were sort of left.
And, you know, the the the the the the the plan had been to go to the giants Wednesday, yesterday, um, meet with the Titans today, and then, you know, be with the Falcons either Friday or Saturday. And to me, like, the two things that he was looking for, outside of like the roster stuff, the quarterbacks, the two words I'd heard was alignment and commitment. And like, so it was. You know, John Harbaugh has a really strong vision of what he wants in a football team, and he's very adaptable and adjustable. He is a players' coach, but he knows what he's looking for in players, he knows what sort of play style he wants, and so he wanted a place that would share that vision with him, which obviously he had over the years with Ozzie Newsome and Eric DeCosta in Baltimore.
And then commitment from the team. And anybody who's been around the Ravens knows like that's one of the most built-out organizations in all sports. Other teams, like you know, they'll have a couple analytics guys and they'll farm the rest out to you know the different companies, the PFFs and True Medias and all that. The Ravens actually have their own systems, their own analytics systems in-house. It's like it's just an example of how far they'll go to make sure they're on the cutting edge of everything.
And so I think going to a place that has that sort of commitment to football is important to him. And this is just me guessing, right? But knowing John like the way I do, I think it probably appeals to him too. that the owners there, the Mara family, There's no other businesses with them. This isn't like an owner who's got 15 different businesses and helicopters in on a Tuesday.
You know what I mean? It is their family business. You go in there and John Mara is in the office working. And so I think that part of it appealed to him as well. But those are the two words that they're alignment and commitment.
And I think in meeting with John Mara, Chris Mara, Tim McDonnell, Joe Shane, Brandon Brown, all of those people, Steve Tisch, at the Giants facility yesterday, getting a chance to sit down with Jackson Dark, running into Cam Scatabo in the training room. I think he kind of felt that sort of alignment that he figured he would have, which I would guess was part of the reason why they were his first stop. And it's obviously a blue blood franchise in the National Football League that's a feather and a cap. for somebody who'd you know Ordinarily, he wouldn't be able to find it somewhere else because he's already feathered his own cap with his resume, you know, and is a coach that comes to the sideline in a manner that few Giants coaches have come to the sideline, which is Um with uh with all these wins and with uh he's the only Coach in the history of the Giants to show up with a championship already won.
So there's that. What's your reporting on Mike Tomlin? and why he decided it was time And he's been thinking about it for some time. I'm sure you heard what Ronde Barber said that he even said prior to the season to him in confidence, I guess, that he was out, that he thinks it was his last year. What's your You're reporting on all of that.
Albert? I think it's, you know, like one thing that I had kind of heard pretty consistently was like how. The way the roster was built. You know, it was kind of a tell. And, you know, like how many older players they were relying on.
They've been knocking on the door for the last few years and it's sort of like I guess it felt a little bit like that. They're that 45-win NBA team. You know what I mean? Like, can you get over the hump? Do you have the wherewithal to get over the hump?
And you go and get Aaron Rodgers in an effort to get over the hump. But I, you know, that starting lineup, The 22 players, by March, eight of them will be 30 or older. You have cornerstones in there: TJ Watt, Cam Hayward, Jalen Ramsey, of course, Rogers himself. And so it was a natural breaking point where it's. All right, like, you know, once you get through the season, Aaron's probably not coming back.
And so you're probably looking at a pretty extensive retooling. And do you want to be around that for that? Do you want to. gut it out for three or four years and go through that sort of Of rebuild without knowing who your quarterback's going to be, right? Or does it make more sense to take a beat, go into TV, or spend the year traveling and visiting different teams and seeing the way different people do things?
And then maybe finding a more ready-made situation in 2027 or 2028? Like, I think that's sort of the thinking behind the whole thing is that the team was naturally at a place where it was time for them to reset. And that gave Mike Tomlin, you know, kind of an organic point to say, you know what, it's time for me to reset too.
Well, I mean, I'm also reading an athletic story that I'm sure you saw come out today about what happened behind the scenes when Tomlin told the team.
Okay. And that TJ Watt kept saying no, no, no, over and over again with his eyes welling with tears. Rogers saying, I'm sorry. Um I guess he felt that that Yeah. That they felt wound up short and he feels this way about it.
So what why do you think I don't even know what the foul was. He's the most likely love him, man. And I know that many of the fans fell out of love with him. Here's the thing about Mike that I think is really unique. You and I both know how many people are in those buildings, right?
Yeah. So the coaching staff has, what, 20, 25 guys on it. You have 53 guys in the roster.
Some of that turns over the course of the year. You know, you go back and you look at deeper. It's like 20 guys in the practice squad, and then all the scouts and the personnel people, and it's a lot of people. And, you know, one thing that was really cool that I always heard about Mike, and I dove into more in a story that I did this week, is how he had a unique. relationship with everybody.
You know, and he found a way to carve out A different relationship with everybody based on who that person was. And then you start to hear the stories about what he would do when he was in the pro day circuit. And I thought this was really interesting. And I wrote about this a couple of years ago. He would get to a pro day.
And they'd walk into Clemson or Georgia or wherever it was, and he would ask to see the social media manager. And the social media manager is probably, what, 20, 21 years old, still a student, right? And he would go to them and he would say, Show me what your players are reacting to. Show me what you're using for recruiting. And I remember talking to Mike about that.
Mike was like, Yeah, I mind my kids for that sort of information too. I need to find a way to connect with people. And then you'd hear about how he'd get to the combine and the other coaches would be blown away. Like when they'd sit in a formal interview with a third or a guy who's going to be drafted in the third or fourth round, and Mike would already know everything about that person. It's like, how'd you do that?
Like, we just got out of our season. We're trying to get caught up on what the guy's name is. Like, how do you know this guy's background? You know? And so, like, that enabled him to build, I think, really unique relationships with everybody he came across.
And that's why he's able to get the most out of people. And that's why, I mean, I think that's the key when you talk about the people who've been through there, some of the more troubled players, you know, whether back in the day it was a Joey Porter, a James Harrison, it was just a different personality, an Antonio Brown, a Mike Wallace. Ale's on Bell, Ben Roethlisberger when he was younger, you know, like he just had a way of reaching people and connecting with them and getting the most out of them. And that allowed the Steelers to cast a wide net looking for talent because they didn't have to rule people out that some other teams might have to. And so, like, I think that part of it is why it's so emotional for people because everybody had that sort of relationship with them.
I was talking to Todd Haley about this, and he told this story about how when he was there out at a practice one day, Mike came, Mike walked over and goes, You know what you got that's priceless? And he's, and Todd goes, No, what? He's like, Everybody knows you're an A-hole. He's like, So you don't have to worry about anybody. He's like, That's worth a million dollars, and walks away.
And he couldn't have that conversation with everybody, but he knew Todd would think that was great. You know what I mean? Like, so like, it's just like having that sort of unique relationship with everybody, I think, is why you get that story of Aaron Rodgers welling up because he went there to play for Mike or TJ Watt. You know, almost being in denial over the idea that Tomlin be gone. Yeah, man.
I mean, again, I'm just sifting through this while we're talking. An unnamed player. Every single player in that building wants to play for my T. Were guys upset with coordinators? Yes.
Was it the head guy? And that referred to the meeting where he stunned the room by saying he's leaving, called it like a funeral. And that one player, unnamed player, recalling. this for for this report Um said um Basically, you're going to make me cry again. Yeah.
He's just recalling the conversation.
So it's, it's, it's, that's seeing this sort of stuff and You know, Toman relishes this connection. He's an expert at it. He not only relishes it, it makes me think that he he He lives, he wakes up for this sort of connection.
So when I hear Ronde Barber, who would know? Say, I think he's done coaching. Um I'm kind of stunned. Do you think he's done coaching? Yeah.
So, like, I've thought about this because, you know, I think we all would think back to the last time this happened with the Steelers and Bill Cower. Yeah, right. We thought he was coming back. We thought he was just going to CBS for a brief fit. You know what I mean?
I mean, like, that to me is like the ultimate example, right? Like, like Bill Cower, like, I can remember specifically him being linked to the Giants when there were murmur about Tom Coughlin shop and the Dolphins. And oh, yeah, Omar Khan, who was like the cap guy at the time, he's going to come with him and be his general manager. And it never happened, you know? And I think, like, and even like a Gruden, like John Gruden, I don't think anybody expected John Gruden was going to be out of it for nine years, right?
Like, I think what happens with a lot of these guys is. That you put so much into it and you're so invested in it, and it becomes such a big part of your life that you, Mike called his office the hole, right? Like I'm going in the hole, right? Like when he'd have to study and come out with something.
So, but if you spend your whole life, you spend so much of your life in that hole, and then you come out and see the light. I think it can sometimes be harder to go back into the hole, if that makes sense. You know, so like he doesn't have to worry about money for the rest of his life. You know, his kids are grown. He can, I mean, he can do whatever he wants for the next year.
He could see the world. I mean, he could live how the other half lives. I totally get that. And I think that's part of it, like where it's just like. I don't think even he knows, you know, and it could be like he's a football coach, right?
Like, that's, I mean, he is. I like, that's the other thing about him is like the people who've been around him say, I don't know how there are enough hours in the day to get done what he would get done. Like, he would come into the special teams meeting, the offensive meeting, the defensive meeting with cut-ups, ready to go. Like, here's what we're looking for this week. Not telling you what to do, but here's like another resource, another set of eyes to help you with what we're trying to accomplish this week.
And his thing was, how do we engineer a win this week? Um, You know He's that passionate about it.
So it's definitely possible that he gets to October, November, and he's itching to get back and he can't wait. It's also possible, like, because this is a very human thing, that you come out of it and you're like, you know, I kind of like this. Like, this is kind of nice. And maybe I want to take a few more years and just live my life this way. And I think that's what Bill Cower was, and then he never wound up going back.
So I wouldn't rule anything out because I don't think that these coaches know what it's going to be like when they come out of that life because most of them have been living it since they were 22 years old. Yeah, if that what what are What did we hear yesterday? He's been on a team. Oh, he said this last week, right? He's been on a team every year since 1980.
Yeah. Something like that. That's what he said to us. Isn't that funny? We're like, where do we hear that from?
Well, actually, to us. He said that last week. Yeah. Since 1980, he says he's been on a team.
So maybe, you know, 2026, he doesn't mind finding a new team. That's not coaching. I guess. Albert Breer here on the Rich Eisen show. I'll just throw it open to you.
Your thoughts on divisional playoff weekend. What leaps out at you? What should we be looking for? What do you think the storylines are? I know I just gave you a million different things, but you always come at us with a reporter's notebook and an opinion at the same time.
What do you think, Albert? What do you got for that? Let's just show how wide open it is, which is exactly what I think I said to you guys last week, right? And it is. It is.
I think that part of it is fantastic. And, you know, like I'm excited to see what's going to happen. I legitimately can look at all four games and see both teams and all four of those games winning. I'm interested to see what the top seeds look like. Uh, that Buffalo team, I used the term the last week, hard to kill.
I think they're very hard to kill, and I think you can see the way Sean McDermott managed that Jacksonville game and that he was conservative in fourth-down situations as a get me to the end. And I've got the Trump card, he's wearing number 17. Um, so what does Denver look like? Can Denver be the team that knocks out Josh Allen? Um, and then Seattle, who I think.
I'm not sure people realize how good they've been, you know? And so now they have this Saturday night showcase against a really beat-up Niners team.
So I think, you know, seeing the top seeds and what they look like, because I don't think we view them the way we would look at like Kansas City with Mahomes. As a number one seed, I don't think the public views them that way.
So, what sort of show are those two teams going to give us on Saturday? And then Sunday, Bears, Rams, the scene at Soldier Field, I can't wait to see that. And, you know, for me, like a big piece of this is like Matthew Stafford versus Caleb Williams. Stafford's got the finger issue. Is that going to be an issue in the game?
How does Caleb Williams look on this stage? He handled the last big stage on Saturday night so well, you know.
So, can he do it again? And Houston, man, Houston, New England.
So you've got the Drake May, Mike Vrabel thing. Ah. Are you starting to get the feeling the Texans are like the 13 Seahawks or the 15 Broncos the way they're playing defense? Hell yeah, man. I mean, that's no joke, Albert.
I mean, it's. It's for real. Again, I saw it calling in the game in week 17. They're fast, they're everywhere at every level. It looks like there are 13 of them out there.
Suffocating. Suffocating. Yes. And I mentioned that they're up there with the 2,000 Ravens, which is heresy. I get it, but.
Yeah. Brother? That's no joke, man.
Okay, so I'll give you like this anecdote. Like, I'm doing my all-pro vote. I think you have one too, right? And so I'm making all my calls to scouts and coaches and trying to be as thorough as I can. And, you know, guys, bonuses are riding on it.
So I try to check every box I can with that. And so, and you know, because you vote, like, how. Exclusive these groups are in these positions, right? It's team, first team, second team. That's it.
Like seven of the 11 starting defenders for Houston got mentioned from coaches and scouts.
Now, they didn't all make my list, but seven of the 11, which is an insane number when you're talking about that rarefied air of what a player is. And that the coaches and scouts that are evaluating these guys would mention seven players from the same defense. Being of that level, and um, you know, it was Hunter, it was Anderson, it was Al Shair, it was Petrie, it was both Lasseter and Stingley, and it was Bullock. Um, so it just you didn't even mention Toeoto, who's all over the place, too, man, right? Or Sheldon Rankins, who scored a touchdown, unreal, yes, for real.
And they come at you, they come at you in waves, and it's just when I. When I watched them play, like what stuck out the other night, and I think like this, this was in your game, too, right? Where you had them against the Chargers. When a quarterback checks the ball down and throws it underneath in the middle of the field, how fast they are there, you know? Because it's like, okay, like they've got you covered over the top.
And then all of a sudden, like, okay, we're throwing it underneath. It looks like there's some space there, and that space closes like that, you know?
So D'Amico's done a fantastic job there. And like, to me, so much of this is going to come down to what version of CJ Stroud shows up. It looks like Probably won't have Nico Collins. You know, I mean, I think the Monday night thing hurts them there, just from a timing standpoint, whether or not they're going to be able to get him back.
So, how do their first-year players play? You know, the two rookie receivers, Jaden Higgins and Jalen Noel, the rookie running back, Woody Marks, the rookie left tackle, Ariante Ursury.
So, to me, like, those are the that's kind of the swing factor in that game, but that defense is dynamite and uh. You know, when I picked it before the playoffs, I had Houston and Buffalo in the AFC title game. And wouldn't that be something else to see Josh Allen against that defense again? More time, yeah, for sure. Before I let you go, I know we're already up against it, but to heck with it, I'm curious your thoughts on the Rams doing it for the LaFleur family.
uh against Ben Jonson. You know, seriously. Again, I understand there's players involved. There's the execution of game plans. There's the complication of a frozen.
Tundra actually hitting the stadium that could be an equalizer. I get all of that. But. Yeah. Sean McVay has called McLeFur like a brother, and his offensive coordinator is the actual brother.
That relationship goes back a long way. In fact, I think if you ask those guys, they may still have some videotape of Sean and Matt LaFleur being the stars of an adult flag football team in Northern Virginia about 15 years ago.
So the bonds are very tight there. I I I I think You don't need extra motivation here. You don't. But, like, That that that is there and and and I I You and I talk about rivalries a lot. Like the idea that Bears Packers is going to have this sort of jet fuel strapped to it, you know what I mean?
For the next five years, presuming that LaFleur and the Packers get the contract done, is pretty cool. And so I think. I'm interested to see what the Rams look like because I do think we saw some cracks. I picked them to win the Super Bowl, but we saw some cracks in some areas they haven't invested as heavily in the secondary and the offensive line against Carolina. And so, can Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense exploit some things in the secondary?
Can the Bears' defense exploit that offensive line? It's going to be interesting to watch. And maybe you have a little extra if you're the Rams. If you're Jared Vurse or Byron Young or Kobe Turner, maybe it gives you a little extra to help Sean McVay cover up any weaknesses they might have on the back end. Albert, you're the best.
Thanks for the time, man. We'll chat over the weekend, obviously. Just us staying in touch and then we'll chat again in short order. Appreciate your time. Awesome.
Thanks, Rich. Appreciate it. Everybody, follow Albert on all the socials. It is worth all your time. And of course, the MMQB must-read material from Sports Illustrated.
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Valid only when tinted to colors from the Bear Marquee Interior One Coat Hide Collection. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. 844-204, Rich is the number to dial here on the show. What a great Albert, just we just talked about Harbaugh, Tomlin, and this weekend, right? I mean, And there's so many other coaching gigs that are open.
And he even said at the end, you know. How the Packers-Bears rivalry is supercharged. you know, if they could figure out their deal with LaFleur. You know, that's still out there. And again, LaFleur has got one year to go.
So There's that. And then again, this article in the athletic, everyone should seek it out. If you're wondering if Tomlin lost the locker room. Yeah. If you're wondering if the players wanted to play for Mike Tomlin and what it means to play with Mike Tomlin as your coach, basically crying.
Oh my God. Screaming. No. Hyper but Joey Porter Jr., who as you know was a babysitter to Tomlin's kids. who are now grown and out of the house.
Um Hyperventilating at the news.
So, yeah. Then you're like, oh, why would the Rooney want to consider Tomlin to stay another year?
Well, There's that. Eight for and the question, yeah. And the question is: why didn't it work out in the playoffs? What happened? What would happen?
to this team. In the playoffs. How many consecutive double-digit playoff losses? Yeah, yeah. I don't know.
844-204-Rich, number to dial here. Let's go to who's been hanging on the longest. Trey in Richmond, Virginia has been. What's up, Trey? Line three, Jason.
What's up, Trey? Hey, how are you doing, guys? What's going on in your mind, sir? Thanks for taking my phone call. Second time in a long time.
Hey, Brockman. They tell me Hey TJ. Hey, this is great.
Now it looks like, you know, players you know, choosing to stay in college, you know. to with the NIL and everything. Oh I know the last annial is in twenty well was in well, the next annial would be in twenty thirty. And uh Do you think they'll have better leverage going into the I mean, not an adult. I'm sorry, it's C V A.
I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous. Take your time, Trey. All good. The next CBA is coming up in twenty thirty. Maybe before that, we'll see.
But you think the NFLTA will have better leverage going into that C D A with all these players now with their NIL deals, like because I remember last time You know, I remember even like J.W. Watt was trying to tell people to hold. Are you saying, Trey, like that that there may be more leverage because the rank and file will be more. uh wealthy because they're coming in from a college career that pays them And some significant money. Is that what you're saying?
Exactly. Interesting. I don't know. I haven't really thought of that. I try not to think of labor disputes.
That's how I became a bald man twenty eleven, hosting NFL network in a lockout. That is what we would call Sucks. Um I don't know, Trey. Obviously, I hope it doesn't get to a 2030 that something gets hammered out between now and then. Uh and thank you for the call.
I think if I can channel my inner florio here. The Players Association needs to get its own house in order first, right? Before we start even talking about what. the landscape is and what it's looking like. And the the league is going to want an eighteenth game apparently, and what will that look like in terms of scheduling and what will the players require from the NFL for that sort of thing?
And You know what well The needs and desires are going to look like even next year, two years from now, let alone four years from now. But Yeah, may may there be no labor disputes. Anywhere. 844-204-Rich number to dial. Let's go to Doug in Virginia, hanging on for some time as well.
What's up, Doug? Hello. Hello, guys. Good afternoon. Happy, happy days to everyone.
Ah, yes, happy, happy days. Correct, yes. You you were talking about um a coach. And not hardball, but But our Pittsburgh coach is no longer coaching. And You know, he is among the most Qualified as far as leaders go.
Yes. In the sports world, I think we can all agree on that. and so well respected. I would love to see him As the new NCAA Grand Pubah Commissioner or whatever, and fix the mess that they're in. Tomlin fixes college football.
Here's what we need to fix this and get everybody together. But save the NCAA from itself.
So I'll leave that there.
Okay. But the real reason for my call is about the upcoming game Monday night between Miami and Indiana. And Having been a Virginia resident for basically my whole life and watched Him coach at JMU while my grandson was at school there. We got to see a lot of games by the coach. And we were sad to see him leave.
But I'm glad to see his success, and I would hate to see him go to the NFL. I think he could be. The master of his domain. Duggan, Virginia. Duggan, Virginia, making a lot of food for thought right there, Doug.
Thank you very much. That's Doug in Virginia. Wow. Master of his domain. Good one, right there.
A good Seinfeld reference. Tomlin is the new NCAA commissioner. Yeah. Never say never. Hey, never say never.
But never. Never. I don't think so either. I mean, that's just not his. Because it's high on my damn agenda.
Definitely not. My bet it is not. You know. Whatever Mike T decides to do, he's going to be just fine. I think so too.
One thing we never mentioned, I mean this isn't football related, but Something I wanted to ask you earlier, because he is under contract. Do you think something may be going through his head where he doesn't want to take a job now because it would handcuff the next team because they have to give up? money or draft picks? Or is it too early even? I have no idea.
But for somebody who clearly has a bond with the players in his locker room and it clearly has the love of that relationship and the bonds and things of that nature and the challenge of the game plan and things of that, for him to just step aside, walk away and never do it again would be stunning, shocking to me. Um That said, he may have been on occasion. As he's in what he refers to as the hole for his drafts and this and that, and going on a. going on a um You know, a pro-day visit to this SEC spot, that Big 12 spot. Might be like, you know what?
Wh why am I not on Safari right now? Why why am I not seeing the world? Why am I not going to Europe? Life is short. You know what I mean?
Like, I've always wanted to go to Australia. You know, I have no idea if he ever sits there as he's game planning. I I don't I don't know. Richie's never, even though his kids are grown, he hasn't had time for like a proper Christmas in 20 years. You know, like little things like that will kind of add up to that.
They will indeed. It sure will. And again, um I believe he's an empty nester, so he can just Take off. Right. He's never he's never had that off.
He's never done that. He's never done that. And also, outside of football, guys, like you think about the amount of money that he could command going to corporates, like money. Oh, sure. He could do all that stuff too?
For sure. But the first order of business is, I'm sure. There will be a line out the door of saying, Do you want to be part of this draft coverage? The draft is in Pittsburgh. Yeah, it's super mandatory there.
And so, who better to talk about. Player development, player relationships, going through a draft process, figuring out this person, that person, that person, this person. How does it fit into your scheme? What do you think of this kid? What do you think of that kid?
What did you think of that kid when somebody else drafted him? And by the way, here we are in Pittsburgh, PA. Uh I'm thinking. I mean, does he want to do that? Because he'll have his choices.
Yeah, stay by your phone. I don't know, man. It's like that C you didn't love him anymore, man.
So I don't know. 844-204 Rich number to Dial. Two orders of business still to come. Are Thursday. Going into divisional playoffs higher register, we've all got one.
And Howie Roseman has been asked a question. in his exit press conference of the season. that is of interest to many. Involving A.J. Brown.
Oh, that's still to come as we go out the door Thursday. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Back here on the Rich Eyes and show, LinkedIn Jobs is stepping things up with their new AI assistant so you can feel confident. That you're writing and finding top talent and hiring right the first time. Get this.
Employees hired through LinkedIn are 30% more likely to stick around for at least a year compared to those hired through the leading competitor. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com/slash Eisen. That's linkedin.com slash Eisen to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Adam Chudwin, our call screener, is sitting out here.
Just spent the TV-only segment talking about what this Bears' win over the Packers meant to him, saying it's one of the greatest moments in Chicago Bears sports history. We're going to clip that. We're going to send it to our friends at NBC, and they're going to put it on an iPad to hand to Michael Jordan. That would be great. Hashtag weird.
Listen, you know, hey, Mike, you know that wild card win they just had over the Packers? Don't try to downplay this, Rick. You know, John Paxson, whatever. You're trying to ruin this week for me, Rick. The Utah flu, whatever.
I think what Adam's saying is that the Bulls were supposed to win all those titles. The Bears are not supposed to be this good this year. This suit. And because we have PCSD from so many bad losses, we're down 21 to 3 against our hated rival. And then we're like, here we go again.
This is happening again. This is a nightmare. And for us to break through, I mean. It's the most Troy okay, it's not the most important NFC game, playoff game for the Bears in my lifetime. Obviously, the NFC Championship in 06.
Where you had your heart broken, I understand. And Rex broke your heart. No, but we still won the NFC Championship that year. But I'm saying this game was the most satisfying Bears win for me. In my entire life.
Wow. I hope this weekend. Top set for you, bud.
So do I. And so do all the Bears fans. All right, so Adam Chudwin sitting here. Do you have a high register for your Bears? Ooh, yeah, make one up.
You're a comedian. Here we go. It's time for a divisional playoff round. Higher register. Hit it.
There's a chance the rich eisen shows. But there could be. Higher register, take of the week. All right, everybody, Chris Brockman. What do you got for me over there for Higher Register?
We can agree. This has been the craziest NFL season that we can remember, right?
Well, it's wide open. It's totally wide open. Anybody could do it. There's really no favorite. There really is no favorite.
The young quarterbacks who have risen. The young quarterbacks are rising. It's unbelievable. It's truly unbelievable. I can't believe it.
And when it's all said and done, guys. It's just going to be the one in two seeds winning this weekend. Oh, really? It's just going to be the four best teams? Really?
Yeah. Sorry. Going high register because you don't believe that, or are you making poo over there? What was that noise you just did? What was that?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Okay, very good. What do you got over there, TJ Jefferson? I just said the words making poo. Adorable. And I don't mean Winnie.
What's up, TJ? What do you have over there? You know, when I was a kid growing up. You were a kid? Yeah, man.
You know, living in Pittsburgh, my winter gear, guys, used to be a starter jacket, Tim boots, and jean shorts.
Okay. Right. I didn't care about the cold. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm talking eight inches of snow. It didn't matter 20 degrees. I just didn't like pants. And then I moved to Los Angeles. And all of a sudden, that kid stayed back in the east because blood's thinned out.
Blood has thinned out.
So I'm thinking about this. It's going to be cold in Chicago this week. That's correct.
So with the possibility of single-digit weather Sunday in Chicago, the cold. It's going to keep Los Angeles out of the conference championship. Oh, so you're saying that it's going to, that's going to be the difference. When you get used to this Southern California weather and then all of a sudden you got to go into some cold, no matter how you used to adapt to the cold back in the day, there's a little bit of a shift now. Are you going full urban tweet on me right now?
That's what you're doing right now? We were cold. Why not? Man, in that cold weather, we played in that cold weather. It was cold.
It's cold out there. And these cats ain't used to that. Two degrees, 20 mile-an-hour winds, maybe snow. Oh, my God. I don't know, man.
We got Blake Corum on tomorrow's program. You know, he didn't play in Southern California. That's true. I'm just saying. But he also lives out here.
I understand.
Now he lives out here now. And our blood, like you said, blood thins quickly. Did you come up with one on the spot? I did. What do you got?
Jalen Johnson is going to be able to lock down Puka Nakua. Oh, okay. I like it.
Okay, at the end of the day, you never know. You never know. I'm going to go opposite of you, Chris. Opposite.
Well, you remember last week, every single pundit, every single expert we had on, I said, Hey, I'm setting the over-under at three and a half road wins for the wild card weekend. You taking the over-the-under. And everyone's like, I could see all of them winning, but. Not most of them winning. And at the end of the day, Four of them won, if you took the over in my silly gambit.
You won. I don't know what you'd win, other than just a laurel and a hearty handshake, to use the Blazing Saddles phrase. Uh and it would have been five if Adams Bears didn't pull one out of their Ben Johnson Orifus again. By the way, great fantasy team named Ben Johnson Orifus.
Okay. So, I'm going to go higher register and say, you said the one and two seeds are going to win anyway.
So, you know, no road teams win. You say, I'm going to say. Once again. I think more than half the road teams are going to win Divisional Weekend too, which means three. It means three of the four.
Oh, like last week, call your shot. Three of the four. Call your shot. I'm going to go everybody but the 49ers. I'm sorry.
Yeah. I'm sorry. That's what I'll say. What? What are you smiling?
What are you smirking about over there? I think maybe TJ should bring back the jean shorts. Maybe you should bring back the jeans shorts. Maybe you shouldn't. I'm sorry, wait a minute.
John Cena received the shortcuts. Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you should not. I don't know. But the weather is a big factor.
I think the Texans could absolutely beat the Patriots. I think you could be absolutely in trouble. I think the receivers might have trouble getting open. And I think that Drake may, you know, may be running for his life, and that could be a main engine of your offense. But if it's a snow game, Then, guess what?
If Will Anderson can't get off on Will Campbell and use his advantage. SEC on SEC, then Old Man Winter takes that away from the Texans. And if the defensive backs who can plaster don't have the ability to get their footing, That takes that away. And the Rams love winging it around. If it's two degrees out.
That takes that away. You know? So I have no idea, but I'm thinking maybe um Three of the four road teams win this weekend. We'll find out. Maybe it's somewhere in between.
Good one. Where are you going to watch the game? You and you you wanna give any more shout outs to your buddies? Yeah, I'm uh I'm f You can probably the naughty pig. It's on sunset.
Cool spot. Oh, like there, I like Gino's E. What was that noise for? The naughty pig. Yeah, and you went, hey, hey, hey.
I like my ass. That's not creepy at all. Just an interesting bar name. But the truth is, I'm nowhere near as nervous for this game. Than I was for the past.
It's house money now. It's house money. I still think we're going to win, though. I really genuinely believe it. But now you've got a shot.
Now this is for real.
Now this is for real.
And you could get the Niners in your house or you can go visit Seattle. for another NFC championship game, why not at this point in time? And you can feel the confidence building with the team, with Caleb. Colson Loveland, by the way, is a star. You were right about that, Rich.
I was so upset that the Bears didn't pick Tyler Warren. Tyler Warren. And what did I tell you on the spot? You told me he's going to be a great player. Yes, sir.
And I'd already rather have him than Warren right now. I think he's going to be a, I think right now he's a top three tight end. He's that good. More hot takes from Adam Chudd when I told him it wasn't so hot when he was first thinking it on our next edition of The Rich Isen Show. All right.
You can call the phone lines again, everybody. That'll wrap it up for this program. Bear down. Lake Quorum. Christian Kirk.
on tomorrow's program with Tommy P. Tom Pellisero. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eyes and 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.
