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Now, on with the show. Yeah. This is the Rich Eisen Show. And I'm living my best life right now. Rich Eisen.
Michigan makes the final floor by curb stomp in Tennessee. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Duke gets latenered in front of the whole country. Earlier on the show. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller.
NFL network reporter Mike Garifolo. Coming up. NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers reporter Matt Mayoko. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Rich Eisen Show is on the air.
Your phone calls coming up in this hour. We got a whole bunch to get through. We'll get there. A news update from Chris Brockman. We haven't done one of those in a while.
Let's go. I mean, we go right down the line of some of the news stories coming out of the NFL annual meeting. We talked about it with Mike Darifolo in hour number two. In hour number one, Matt Miller gave us his latest mock draft. If you missed any of it, there's our YouTube channel, youtube.com/slash Rich Eisen Show, closing in on 1.1 million followers there.
We appreciate all that. There's also our socials. A great new reel is out with our chat with Antoine Fouqua. Director of Training Day back in the day here in support of his new movie, the Michael Jackson film that's coming out later on next month. Check out all of our socials.
We appreciate that our podcast, all three hours available every single day, wherever you get your podcast. Joining us now from the NFL annual meeting to talk about the San Francisco 49ers because a lot of you fans of that team out there. Matt Mayoko of NBC Sports Bay Area. Good to see you, Matt. How are you?
I'm doing great. I'm just enjoying the sun here in Arizona.
Okay. Having a good time. I enjoyed the intro. Very well done. Oh, thank you, Matt.
I feel very good joining that group, that esteemed guest lineup that you have today. We appreciate you saying all that. And I appreciate the backdrop you got behind you there. Look at that. That's very nice.
Yeah, I ran these people off behind the table. Get out of here. Leave your cacti and go. I got to be on the Rich Johnson show. All right.
Let's just jump into the Brandon Ayuk of it all. Because I don't blame Jed York for saying, let's put Humpty Donald. Dumpty back together again. I mean, they're paying for him. And this is also the team that once upon a time had Jimmy Garoppolo 19th on the death chart and wound up signing him by the end of training camp and needing him, right?
Is that the philosophy here at play, Matt? I think his comments probably caught John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan a little bit off guard. I mean, you know, the Brandon IU 49ers union, it came to an end. You know, it was building. And then last year, you know, in the middle of December, they placed him on the reserve left squad list.
So if they couldn't get him to come to the team last year when he was at risk of Basically, voiding a $27 million guarantee for this year. I don't think that there's any chance of that union staying together.
Now, from Jed York's standpoint, you know, the Fortinaires do have him under contract, and they don't want to just cut him free and let him go wherever he wants to go to a team that wants him. They want to be able to get something for him.
So, the best way of doing that. would probably be For the owner of the 49ers to put the word out that, you know what, we're just fine keeping him here.
So if some team wants him, if you want him now, come get him now. The 49ers aren't. In any hurry whatsoever to get rid of him and just allow him to control his own path.
So I think that that was probably the message that Jed York was sending to the 31 other teams: that if you're interested at all, you'd have to really wait a long time for him.
So if you want him, come get him now and give the 49ers something in return. Why is this difference so irreconcilable? I have no idea. And I don't even think the 49ers really have an idea. I think the only one who can really answer that is Brandon Ayuk.
You know, the contract negotiations for that deal that he signed before the 2024 season, it did get contentious. But usually, when something like that happens, you know, through a contentious negotiation, once the deal is signed, it's basically both sides kind of kiss and make up and they move on. And for Brandon Ayuk, it was a rocky offseason that year during the contract negotiations. He finally signed the deal. And then he wasn't productive when he got on the field.
He missed all the training camp and all the offseason program. And right around the time where it started to look like he might be playing the kind of football that the 49ers signed up for, that's when he got injured. And then the rehab kind of went sideways with him not fulfilling the terms of the contract to show up and be under team supervision. It's kind of a tough one to put your finger on. And I think even his close friends on the team weren't at all sure what was going on, what the impetus was for him to have such a fractured relationship with the 49ers.
I think generally speaking, when you have a guy like John Lynch, who knows what it's like to be an NFL player, he knows how players want to be treated. He's a Hall of Famer. They've tried to do all the right things as far as just treating these guys with respect and dignity. But something became amiss with the whole Brandon IU situation. I don't think anybody really knows what happened.
So in your reporting or in the conversations, what do you think would be the acceptable compensation for another team for the Niners to basically say this this ends now. I mean, I would think just something. You know, I don't think that I'm right. I mean, I think it, you know, a seventh-round draft pick. Yeah, I mean, I just don't know that any team, based on how last year went, would be willing to pay more than that.
And for the 49ers, I think they just want something in return. They did sign him to the contract. You know, Jed York said, I guess, kind of tongue-in-cheek a little bit, that they paid him more millions of dollars than actual snaps that he played once he signed that contract.
So, you know, that's an exaggeration, but it kind of points to where the team felt about not getting any bang for their buck.
Now, they are able to get out of that contract, no more guaranteed money left on the deal. That was money voided, and that Brandon Ayuk did not fight. There was no grievance filed or anything of that nature. But I just think at this point, it's just anything that they can get for him would be a plus because I don't see him being on the team. I don't think there's any chance of him being on the team.
And so, you know, at some point, they'll be prepared to cut ties with him and then he can go seek another team.
So, I just honestly think anything they get for him at this point. Would be a bonus. Matt Mayoko joining us from the NFL annual meeting, talking some Niners football with the insider from the Bay Area, NBC Sports Bay Area, Matt Mayoko here. If it wasn't for the Max Crosby trade, no trade. The Mike Evans signing would have been at the top of my list of surprises, plot twists, excitement.
And so walk me through what the receiver room is going to look like for Purdy and the rest of the. Squad at the end of the day here. Back. Yeah, I mean, you know, think about where the 49ers were just a couple years ago. I mean, they had a really good wide receiver room with Debo Samuel being kind of a game-changing type of player and a player that, you know, guys coming out in the draft were like patterning themselves after to be the next Debo Samuel.
You had Brandon Ayuk, who had that 1,300-yard season in the 49 Super Bowl year of 2023. He was, you know, one of the top wide receivers in the game. And then Juwan Jennings, who's a third receiver, third in Juwan, the guy who came up with the money catches and could have easily been the Super Bowl MVP. And now, just a couple years later, none of those guys are around. You know, Debo Samuel was traded, Brandon Ayuk on his way out, and Juwan Jennings remains unsigned as a free agent.
So the 49ers did select Ricky Pearsall a couple of years ago. He's had difficulty staying healthy. And so they needed to do something to that wide receiver room. And not only did they get Mike Evans, which was basically trading places with Juwan. Jennings, as far as Evan stepping into that role, but being more of a dynamic thread, I think, and obviously a guy who's reliable and who's done it a long time and is seen as a really good professional.
But they also added Christian Kirk, and so that kind of fulfills a need that the Fortiners have had for a while, a slot receiver.
So they've totally remade that wide receiver room, and it already looks significantly better than it was a year ago when, even then, the Fortiners had the number five passing game in the NFL. John Lynch certainly raised my eyebrows hearing the two words week one in relation to George Kittle's potential return from an Achilles injury. You hearing the same thing? Yeah, I mean, you know, whenever you put that out there, it kind of drives up the pressure a little bit because now if he's not ready for week one, people will be going, well, what happened? You know, was there a setback?
But I do know that at the time of the injury, it was considered, you know, you can never have a good Achilles injury, quite obviously, but it was on the better side because the tear was higher up on the leg. It didn't have to be drilled into the bone, you know, the heel or anything like that.
So there was optimism that the recovery would be on the shorter end of it. But yeah, week one seems very ambitious. But, you know, George Kittle, you know, there's a couple of complications here, Rich, that I'm a little bit skeptical about in that, you know, his age, he's up there, he's on the other side of 30. And also the way the 49ers open this season, you know, a 16-hour flight to Melbourne to open against the Rams, and then a 16-hour flight back after that game for week one.
So it kind of doesn't seem concerned. Conducive to an older player returning off of a major injury for him returning and playing in that game. But for John Lynch to put it out there, it at least tells you that everything is moving in a very positive direction. I think George is up in Oregon right now playing golf without a boot on.
So it tells you that that rehab is going very much according to plan, if not ahead of schedule. What a first week game, right? Against the Rams, who came so close to making the Super Bowl and then did not because the eventual Super Bowl winner was the winner of the division that the Niners had in their house in week 18 with the right to be the one seat at the end of the day. How are the Niners viewing this upcoming season based through the prism of last year's surprisingly exciting one? Matt.
Yeah, you know, a year ago, you know, we were talking about all the players the 49ers lost, whether it was trading guys, releasing guys for salary cap purposes, or just really not being competitive on the free agent market and letting those guys walk. And now this year, we're talking about the guys that they've added. And, you know, we talked about Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and Osa Digizua coming in from the Cowboys. But not only that, it's the guys who were injured last year and the 49ers were able to find ways to compensate for their losses. You know, Brock Purdy misses what's eight games and Mac Jones steps in.
You know, Kittle missing the games he did early in the season. It was the season-ending injuries to Nick Bosa, to Mike Kell Williams, to Fred Warner.
So I think there's a lot of optimism from the 49ers right now about keeping the roster together and adding all of those game-changing players who really didn't have the kind of impact that they wanted to have last year because they're on. The sidelines.
So, you know, this time with this nucleus, we all know at some point, you know, it'll be coming to an end. I'm not saying all those guys will be leaving at once, but you know, there will be a trickle of all these recognizable names through this 49ers period where they've been so competitive. There'll be a time when those guys start leaving the building. In a lot of ways, it does feel like they're gearing up with all those guys coming back, with the pieces they've added. It does feel like that they're gearing up for maybe a last run with this band being together.
Which means getting Trent Williams done again. Absolutely. And one of the interesting things that John Lynch said was that he expressed a great deal of optimism about getting that deal done, making sure that it's a deal that works for the 49ers, that also works for Trent Williams. And he even went so far as to say that he feels like they're on the precipice of getting something done.
So I know the 49ers fully expect a deal done before this. Draft.
So it certainly sounds like they're running it back with all the guys that they expect to have on the team. And Trent Williams being first and foremost on that as far as what they have to accomplish next leading into the draft. The hotel is not near any power station locally, is it, Matt? Is that where you've been able to?
Well, I haven't stood up from my chair here. If my Achilles snaps, I'll be able to tell you. But no, I think everything's just fine. You know that the 49ers and John Lynch revealed that they brought in. They really did it.
They really did it, huh? They really did look into it. They did. We'll take their word for it. I know that they had a fact sheet from this independent scientist who came in with lab-grade equipment.
And apparently, he looked like something from, you know, like out of Central Casting. Doc Brown? Doc Brown? Is that what it looked like? Apparently, he was a lookalike.
He had the white coat and everything and was. Taking the readings, and the 49ers say they're clear. I don't think that for a large portion of the people who believe in that theory, I don't think that that'll satisfy them. But the 49ers, You know, they're putting it out there that everything's clear. Here's an interesting thing: John Lynch said that not one free agent that they talked to even brought up the electrical substation next door.
So I found that interesting. But the 49ers are saying everything's fine. You know, they've had that facility there since 1988, and the substation has been there. It predates that.
Now, I know the wattage or voltage or whatever was amped up when Levi Stadium was built. But, you know, the 49ers look back on the Super Bowls that they won while they've been in that building and say, well, you know, I don't think there's any correlation.
So we'll see if the general public buys it, but the 49ers are spreading that word. Hey, the thing that might be the most dangerous to the Niners players is the fact they're going back to MetLife again in 2026. They're playing the Giants at the Giants.
So. You know, that one, Nick Bose has got to have his ankles on a swivel. You know what I mean? Yeah, that stadium has not been good to them through the years. No, no, not at all.
But in all seriousness, though, before I let you go. Are the Niners planning on doing anything to their locker room to like rip out the carpeting or anything, like change it around because the Seahawks did, in fact, celebrate? A Super Bowl win in there, Matt. Like fumigate it, do something, like literally change something in that locker room.
Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with this, but they are the locker room, oddly enough, Rich, is a construction zone right now. They've ripped out a portion of the locker room. But this goes back to the health and safety of the team. The NFL PA survey, the 49ers scored pretty good across the board, except for training staff and training room.
Okay, so Jed York is putting up $9 million of his money there for them to bring in new hydro facilities, pool. They're hiring more PT staff.
So even though they're, I'm sure they're ripping up the carpet too, right? They got there's champagne stains on there, Matt. From the Seahawks. That is completely unacceptable. It is.
Just to have a seance or something, like this house is clean. You know what I mean? Like, do something here. Yeah. And you know what?
And Seattle, remember now, you mentioned it week 18 when they wrapped up the number one seed. They were in the visiting locker room and they were smoking cigars. They were leaving their ashes all over the place. And then they move into the 49 hours locker room and they're celebrating a Super Bowl title. Yeah.
Ain't nothing sacred anymore? Nothing. Nothing. Bat, thanks for the time. Enjoy the rest of your time at the annual meeting.
We'll chat again soon. All right, Rich. Thanks for wrapping up. Everybody, ladies and gentlemen, always a pleasure chatting with them. I'm being serious, by the way.
Wouldn't you do that? Turners come in. If you're already spending money to redo portions of anything associated with that locker room and space, get me some new carpets. New carpets, new veneer, changes on the locker room wood, or whatever the hell it is. All of it.
Someone's come up and smudge it and all of it. This house is clean. I have extra. Excise the demons. Can we have that?
I think we ought as a drop, Jay. We did. We did. We had Del Tufo do it. It didn't survive it.
No. It did make the cut. Didn't stay like before? No. Yeah.
I would do that. Oh, yeah. Just every fresh coat of paint, remodel everything. Could you imagine Mike Evans? You know, I went back to the Bucs because At the end of the day.
I didn't want to go to a team with an electrical substation next door. I mean, just look at me every year. I've got a soft tissue injury every year. One year, it's that. Then the football gods get me.
On the ground, I'm breaking a collarbone here. Hampton, there, I'm not going to that electrical substation place, or screw it. That's exactly where I'm going. You believe in that, don't you? You believe in that?
Is that what you're saying over there? Come on, man. I don't personally. I think a lot of people do believe. I know they believe it, but what the Niners are the only ones that get rashes of injuries every year?
Look at the Lions, they're not next to a substation. and their defensive secondary is down to like the fifth man up. Every time, every year. The Lions are perfect examples. Do we know what they're next to, though?
We don't know. But it's all of the 49ers, star players are all getting hurt. The Met Life stuff. I believe. Oh, so the star players have their soft tissue is the only ones affected by some electromagnetic field?
Is that what it is? I mean, it's happening. It's just the typical thing. Let's come up with it. There's no explanation, so let's come up with the most bizarre one and say, let's hang our hat on that.
You got to fill in the holes.
Okay. Now, thank you. I knew you had it. Just took me a second. Add a boy, Jay.
That I believe. That I would one million percent use my portion of my billions. If I'm Jed York. Ripping up the carpets, new carpets. Why don't you text him and ask him?
Okay. Hey, Jed. Yeah. Are you ripping up the carpet? Yeah.
Heard there's some construction going on anyway. Yeah. Are we swapping out some stuff? At least the carpeting got good. Because the Seahawks celebrated in there.
Done. They got water damage from the champagne. He's sitting in the owner's meeting right now, locked in on the business of football, billions going on. It's the last day where he's one of my 33 bosses. Jimmy Barnes.
You bet I'm going to use that. What's he going to do? What's he going to do? Kick me out of NFL media? That's happening at midnight tonight, anyway.
Who's your boss now? He mouse, bro. Yes, sir. Are you kidding me? By tonight.
Not yet. Roger Goodell is still 1201. RG1 is still that guy.
So at 1201, hold on a second. Yeah. So at 12.01, can we start like prank calling Roger? Is that what's going to happen? No, I will be asleep.
Oh, I don't know, I'm just saying. Yeah, yeah. Let's just start doing that. Billy Madison, Sally? Leave some flaming poop.
Hey, Roger. Hey, Roger, is your refridge running? Here, go chase it. I'm now suddenly massively uncomfortable with the conversation. Hey, Jerky.
I don't need to talk to you. Hey, Roger, get my glasses and shoes. I got a snake, man.
Okay. How'd you like a kick? Commissioner Sizzle Chest. That's what I mean.
Okay. 12:01. You take a break.
Okay. I can't believe you're my newsman, and you want to be called my newsman next. Bum bum. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. If you're ready for an oil change, trust the professional parts people at O'Reilly Auto Parts to recommend the best products for your vehicle.
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The Rich Eisen Show, 844204, Rich Numbers at all. Jeffrey in Detroit. What's up, Jeff in Detroit? What's up, Jeff in Detroit? What's up?
Hey, what's going on, cousins? Getting ready to pick somebody up here at the airport. But I wanted to tell you, Uncle Rich, I've enjoyed you on the NFL network. Thank you. I've always been there when you transfer over, and I'm going to continue to listen.
Thank you. I want to tell you also that Michigan game, we were all in the same uh we were all pretty much thinking the same thing. Watching Michigan beat Tennessee like that And then watching Duke go out the way they did brought me so much pleasure. It wasn't even funny. Oh, yeah.
Freeze that day, Jeff. Just freeze it in time. It was. And again, the way that Duke went out getting latenered like that, and everyone's wondering what they were thinking, what they were doing, how they made mistakes. Oh, there it goes, Jeff in Detroit.
All right. There he goes. Oh, yeah. Jeffrey in San Francisco. What's up, Jeffrey?
Confusing. Hold on. All Jeff's Jeffrey's. What's up? G'day, Governor.
Oh, okay. Hello. I'll take it. Hello, Brad.
Sorry. What's going on? Rich, two quick points. I have thoughts on the coaching picture.
Okay. Yeah. Okay. The first thing is they need to be dressed up in old western outfit, like you see in those amusement parks.
Okay. Yeah. All right, Jeff. Flake McCarthy is bad bark. There you go.
I like it. I like it. The second thing, you need to group those dudes by coaching tree. That way, Brabo will be out and left field by himself.
Okay. Okay. All right. Very good. Jeffrey.
Jeffrey in San Francisco, everybody. There he goes. Good stuff. Appreciate it, please. If Hoskins just got in my ear, what did you say, Mike?
McCarthy's missing a button. Oh my gosh. Uh Oh wow. Canalis is missing a button, but she just wants to show it off. That's a tough two-shot for McCarthy next to Canalis.
You think so? I mean, Canalis is like a super bottle. Yeah. We need an Eisen-class photo. I still can't get over it.
Halfly, he looks like he is concocting the greatest caper of all time. He looks like a movie villain. He does. He's kind of like, what's he thinking? I don't know.
What's going on there? Yeah. And Frabel's like, you bet.
Okay, Halfley. I'm telling you. I want the division. You're new to the division. You tell me that you don't have any space because I'm spreading my man spreading here.
You tell me. You tell me. That's why he's uncomfortable.
Okay. A man took your heart. Take your heart pills and buckle up. Vrabel's all mammals. I'm sitting where I'm at.
All mammals. Lift the shirt. He makes anyone feel less than. Which is why when he pinky waved at me at last year's American Century Championship, it was fantastic. Phenomenal.
Take it. Phenomenal. We haven't done this in a while. Let's do this. A news update.
Chris Brockman, you've got the floor hitting. Hey. And now With a report of the day's news from the world of sports and entertainment, someone who is not a journalist or newsman by any definition of the word whatsoever. It's Chris Brock. Again, I still can't believe NBC News.
Emeritus, Tom Brokall was the one who uh Yeah. Who actually laid down the tracks for that? I got a stretch. It's Chris Brockman. What do you got?
Chris. It's been a while. Hey, guys. Hey. You know, the Super Bowl 61 is here in Los Angeles?
Yes, sir. We just had 60 up in the bay. 62 is in Atlanta. Even though there's no dates yet. But Super Bowl XXIII has been announced, TJ.
Yes. And we're going back to Las Vegas. Oh, man. 2029. Let's go.
I love it. I love it. That means it's officially in a rotation. Yeah, buddy. As it should be.
Can't wait six years. We need to get a little quicker. I agree. Real quick. That's a long time for you.
A little quicker. One of the best cities to ever have a Super Bowl. Every other year. The best cities to have a Super Bowl are the ones that you can walk around in, although it is spread out a little bit. Vegas is spread out.
But you could technically get some hotels, stay in some hotels where you can walk to the game. Yeah, okay, although it's not like it's not, let's put it this way: it's not recommended. But if you're at Mandalay or MGM, you're not. But the reason why, but convenience. It absorbs the event.
It doesn't, the event doesn't consume the city. It is expensive. Listen, but there are some hotel. There are some. Um Intersections of the strip where there are more hotels on that intersection.
On every quadrant in the intersection, than there are in some other cities in the United States of America. Yeah. Okay, and then you can get. You can get some the reservations at some of the best. Anything you want to do.
And then the entertainment. And then the game. In the stadium. Awesome. Love it.
And now we got to get Nashville into the draft rotation again. We're going to go back to Nashville for the draft. I know they want to spread it around a little bit more before they start revisiting places for draft. Nashville is going to get a Super Bowl at some point.
Well, they've got to build the stadium, finish the stadium first. But that's the idea. If you build it, it will come. I'm just so I can't believe it that Vegas is. We talked about how Vegas is going to get an NBA team coming up next, and it's a city that deserves to have every North American major sport have a spot, have a team there.
The progress on the baseball stadium looks good. Kudos. Couldn't be happier. Yeah, yeah. Can't wait to go back.
And now, you know, I won't be an NFL employee at the time. I'll be able to hit a table. We can partake. Oh, my God. Oh, my baby.
We missed you. A whole new world. Getting a drink at the table. We went on a run last time, listen. Hey, the NFL was like Fredo blocking it for 23 years.
Unless Walt says you can't. Do it. I don't know about that. Walt has loose. I need to look at about it for you.
Yeah, I should. I think Walt is a fan of it. At any rate, I'm excited to go back to Vegas, is what I'm saying for the Super Bowl. Normally, this type of year, we're just speculating on what the hard knocks is going to be heading into the new season. Yes.
But it's already been announced. And next year, too, guys. And there's no more rules. Seattle Seahawks, the Champs, are going to be on hard knocks this year. Dude.
And the Patriots the year after. Thoughts Thoughts. I mean I'm excited. It's great. I love the fact that the NFL is coaching on it.
I think it's great. Awesome. I think it's awesome. NFL films, you know how I feel about them. They're the best.
They are the best. And they are also not intrusive. They're not. And that's the thing about hard knocks. It's like you're going to just mess up my world, my system.
Yeah. It's great. Fans love it. But the Patriots are going to be... Giving you the access.
I mean, that hard knocks is going to be more redacted than the Epstein files. That's. I literally just said that. Not the same people in charge as before. Come on, man.
Wow. I push back on it. All right. Push back on her. I hope so.
I would love to see everything Mike Vrabel. I want a full bacon. I want to be in the kitchen with the May. I want to bake May upon it. Right.
You know what I mean? I want all of it. I want all of it. Yeah. But.
Really?
Okay. That would be great. Cool. Patriots assets, and I'm all in. Let's do the Jets again because that went through the business.
No, I don't want to do that again. All the other times. Oh, nobody cares about them. I understand that. Yeah, so we're getting teams explaining.
So when Arch Manning shows up for the Jets? We won't be we won't be going inside train we won't be going inside with them. Yeah. I don't wish that. But the Patriots, as you know, have not been known for a long time as being all access.
Well, they've been doing their own forge in Foxborough the last couple of years on the future. By the way, one of the best broadcasting divisions ever created by any team. They were way ahead of their time on that front.
So they've been doing their own for a couple of years now. When I see this, I do hope to see the access that fans have come to. Appreciate it. What else have we got over there? We showed Mike McCarthy Missing a Button in the team photo.
Boy, well, on my last day of being an NFL employee, I'm just letting my freak flag fly. McCarthy has said, though, Rich, we're wondering who the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be. He has talked to Aaron Rodgers on and off throughout the entire offseason. Every few days, he said, and as recently as Monday, yesterday. Their conversations have been, quote, very positive regarding the future.
And McCarthy did add he's competent. That Rogers is going to play one more game. Yeah. I I I I'm So what is the holdup? I don't just 'cause Aaron doesn't want to let you know about it yet, or he's got something going on in his life, or I don't know.
Where is AA ron right now? You know how it is, and it's working on a short game or something. You know he doesn't want to walk away like that. You know that. But I think he really did like the city.
I think he likes the franchise. I think he knows. That's the biggest surprise is that. I guess you should everyone should never assume when it comes to Aaron, but there was that Remember that bleacher report article when we were on BR Live and we were all over that, so was the rest of the media. That he and he was calling his own plays because McCarthy was checked out.
Yeah, I don't remember that. You know, and that gave you the idea that he and McCarthy would never work together again. And this just goes to show you a lot of people don't know what the hell they're talking about when it comes to Aaron Rodgers. Let me ask you this: Because he'll let you know what he thinks when it's just when he wants to. Do you think that Aaron wishes, and maybe his legacy would be looked upon a little bit better, if he had just went.
Right to Pittsburgh after Green Bay. Yeah, that wasn't the option, though. Skip the Jets part? Dude, the Jets part? Don't get me started on this.
The Jets part was set up for massive success. Was it? Yeah, it was. We'll just never know. That team was set up to win, man.
I don't know. I mean,. He probably never knows some are washed. Or they weren't going to be washed that year. They were washed with Zach Wilson.
There's a reason why they brought Aaron in. They won seven games that year. There's a reason why they brought Aaron in. Because they won seven games with Zach Wilson, who clearly still wasn't ready for the market. He would have just gone right to Pittsburgh.
We'd all look a little bit more off the top of my head. It just wasn't. Yeah. in those cards. But that Had he done that?
Had that been more available to him. Yeah, it'll be different. Yeah. It would definitely be different. What else you got over there?
Okay, so remember the flag football game that got us all talking about Tom Brady and the Olympics and all that fun stuff?
Well, Sean Payton was coaching in that, obviously. And the NFL players got kind of worked by Hoosh and company, and Sean Payton was asked and answered what he learned from that experience. That was humbling. I think this. It's like You remember the Home Alone series and Macaulay Calkin was inside?
Well, Macaulay Calkin was the international team, and I felt like Coach Harbaugh and I were the two guys outside getting hit in the head with the iron and tripping over the garden hose. It's an entirely different game. And but I listen, it was It was kind of cool to be around those guys. Like, that was a big deal. And I I think when this first was announced, there was this feeling there would be 10 NFL players.
on that roster and I'll be surprised if there's one. Wow. It's a pretty good thing.
Well, good for him for saying that. Wow. He'll be surprised if there's one because it's a different game. Is he saying that the rules of flag football are so different from the NFL? It's like a tricked-up Chicago household?
Right. Yeah, pretty much. The team USA were was Kevin and he was Pesci. And David Stern? I mean, Daniel Stern.
Daniel Stern, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Feels that way. But I mean, hey, listen, I got the sense too. It's just, it's a different game.
Yeah, you can see it watching the moves, the physicality. I mean, Hoosha's 5'7. You know, Tom Brady's 6'4. It's different. You're referring to the quarterback of Team USA.
Yeah, Daniel Dusa. And we had him on the show. Everyone should seek that interview out on our YouTube channel. We had him on the day after. He was great.
He was great. It was a great chat. A couple more things. Sean's bomb here. The Basketball Hall of Fame TJ announced its newest class.
Mari Stademeyer. Doc had made it Olana Dela Dunn and Doc Rivers. Amanda Parker. Among the 2026 class.
Okay. Very cool. I have two things in common. I have a couple things in common.
Well, Doc, I just love him, man. Two things in common. One with Amari, one with Candace Parker. I know exactly what they are. I don't know what should I go with first.
Please go with the funny one first.
Well, they're both kind of funny.
Well, the first one a little more. Maybe people wouldn't expect the one. Amari and I have both been bar mitzvahs. There you go. Okay.
And Candice Parker? Got worked on Villa Fortune by you. That is correct. You said it, not me. You're the newsman.
You're just stating facts. Right. You're just stating facts. I once went to a Halloween party at Candace Parker's house. There we go.
Who's never been in my kitchen, all four of them? I once had a picture. Actually, that's not true. Doc's been in my kitchen. Dave has been here.
Yeah. Both my two houses in the law that I've lived in here for the last 23 years. Who'd you challenge for it? Amari. To what?
To a game of three on three at Playboy Mansion. How'd that work out for you? What? He just laughed us off. But AJ was like, you and me, your two security guards, I'm on boys.
Okay. And he just walked away. Definitely not on the Sabbath. You got anything else over there? Yeah, lastly, let's talk about the little series for a second.
Friday afternoon, after we left, there was news that Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover car accident in Florida. And then you see the images, and then later that day, it's revealed that he was booked for For DUI and later release that night.
Well, more of the police report is coming out today. Cause for the accident, Tiger told authorities he was looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station while at his SUV. which caused him not to see the truck that he was attempting to pass, slowing down and clipped him, which caused a rollover. The Sheriff Department wrote in the arrest advocate that Woods was sweating profusely and that his movement was lethargic and slow, and that his pupils were dilated once his sunglasses were removed. Later found that Woods had two pills with him in his pocket, and he admitted to taking prescription medication earlier that day.
This is now the fourth such auto incident for Tiger Woods, and it's facing the golf world kind of with some tough questions regarding this guy that we've held so highly. I mean, the questions aren't so tough, unfortunately. It seems like the surgeries of his entire Life are catching up to him and it seems like um He needs to take a break again. You know. And I obviously only wish the best.
And it's just another shocker, but then not so shocking, and then so thoroughly disappointing. But concerning. How's that for an answer? You know, on all that front. Yeah, it's major.
I appreciate your news update right there, Christopher. Get into the Hyundai Getaway Sales event and get away with the deal.
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Murder at the U. Listen now. Hey there and welcome to the NFL in Los Angeles. All right, actually what we really mean is this 24-7 365 network dedicated entirely to the National Football League. Your dreams have indeed Come true.
This is the NFL Network. I am Rich Eisen, host of NFL Total Access, and this is our playground, the gathering place for the NFL fans and players, past and present. We've got quite a bit in our launch rundown, so let's get right into it. Let's get right into it as right. November 4th, 2003, that guy on the screen right there with all that hair.
I was a nervous. I was nervous. Yeah, I was about to say, what was going through your mind? What was going through my mind was: you know, I'm excited. It's you know NFL network.
I hope I got that copyright that that Language that I use, the copy to start NFL Network was, I mean, that was vetted by everybody. Everybody.
Okay. But I was also like, okay, it's a new venture. It's exciting, but I'm no longer with ESPN anymore. I left and now I'm living in Los Angeles with Suze and freshly married. But I was nervous, like, I had no idea what the future was going to hold.
Um and had hoped that it would last forever. And here we are On this day And I'm sitting here. On my final day as an NFL employee, as of tonight, ESPN of all places. If you had told me on that day you're going to be with NFL Network for 23 years, I'd be like, okay, but. What next?
Like, why would I leave it? And the answer is now: you're going to be done with the NFL, but the NFL is still part of it. because they've gotten 10% of ESPN That's how valuable NFL networks are going to become. and then you're going to be an ESPN employee again. After I just left ESPN to launch.
NFL network on that day, November 4th, 2003. And here we are on March 31st, 2026. And by the end of today. You know Not to get too deep into it. NFL payday is every other Friday?
Uh I got my paycheck for this Friday today. Hey. I'm like, wait a minute. You better take it now or you can get it. Because the NFL paid.
Today, they are out. Wow. As of tonight. and the day-to-day running of NFL network. And I just wanted to say on behalf Wow.
It hit me. It's an emotional day for a lot of us because there's a lot of people at the NFL Network right now that is wondering what is going to happen next. But it's also the end of an era. The end of 23 years of growing this network on behalf of the NFL, and it kind of feels weird that I'm not going to be employed by the S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore because it has been such part of my DNA to be there for the NFL and to feel like I'm the tip of their spear for a very important venture that still is very important.
You're very synonymous. But it's not just me, it's anybody that's ever worked there. to this point. And everyone who is still working there. And the analogy that I keep using, and I'll continue to use it, I feel like we're being dropped off at college.
That we are we are grown. We are mature. We're still growing. There's still lots to do. It's an exciting new world.
And there is a a way for our Body of work. to be expanded. our minds to be expanded, There's ways to explore new worlds. With Um obviously the leader. In sports.
Coverage, television, with all due respect to everyone else. I know the ESPN is no longer known as the worldwide leader in sports, but that's the way I knew it when I was there for seven years and left to go do NFL network. And now here I am going back fully. I believe. I cannot believe it.
But we are all excited at NFL Network to work along with our Our new partners at Disney, And grow the NFL network. And it's my pledge to everyone out there that has been kind enough to patronize NFL Network with your viewership. And you're Attention. That um We're going to keep doing it and the way that we have done it. And it's my job, along with everybody else, all the men and women, hardworking men and women up at.
At the uh NFL. Media Group, as it's formerly been known, to continue the NFL network the way it has been intended, the way it started all those years ago. I sign off that way. 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.
