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Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen show, ladies and gentlemen. Here's the top ten, and who's not in it? From the Rich Eisen show's studio in Los Angeles, I'm taping for Notre Dame. They are telling you put a competitive schedule together.
Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher coming up. ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes, the Ringer NFL draft analyst Todd McShay, and now. It's Rich Eisen. Hour number two of the Rich Eisen Show on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN Radio, Sirius XM channel eighty on the air. We had a great chat in hour one with Brian Urlacher.
Talked with him about how it was twenty three years ago yesterday that NFL Network launched, and he was the first ever player I interviewed in the history of NFL Network. That happened. And now, you know, this day and age, crazy. You fast forward to twenty three years later. We're now part of Disney and ESPN, and that merger that took place months ago became official on Sunday.
It did.
Okay, paperwork may have been filed. Yeah, why? Operations may have been merged, but it became official. When Mina Kimes came on NFL Total Access, NFL Game Day Morning, pardon me, and howled, put on the Lone Wolf hat and howled, making this merger official. And Mina Kimes joins us here on the Rich Eisen Show.
All right, did you know that that you made everything? Yeah, I know. Mina, thank you, Rich. Thank you for not. Saying what I held for, or referencing the last segment, unfortunately, okay, all right, all right.
You know, I did you the disrespect of saying it before you came on. You know, trust me to be the lone wolf in a game where the team I pick lost to a team that didn't complete a single pass. Right, like I, I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse. What do you think? I can't decide.
Oh gosh, history, you know, it's always yeah. Be a part. You couldn't see that coming, right? Yeah, you couldn't see that coming. That the team that you chose, the team that did actually have more completions to the Falcon to the the Buccaneers, right?
Point. Then that then the then the team you picked against. Mina, the Falcons are. I was just thinking about this, like, because we're about the halfway point of the season, right? Like, who are the teams?
Because we think we think we have a good idea of kind of who's bad, who are the contenders, who is the team that confounds you the most? It might be the Atlanta Falcons week to week. Oh, this is a good one. Let me let's let's walk through this here. The team that confounds you, the the Cowboys, aren't that.
The Dallas Cowboys aren't that. We know what they are. I didn't get this. What? What are they?
Okay, let's jump in there. What are the Cowboys? Mina. I mean that defense right now is the worst in the NFL, and I think what's so alarming is that they've not gotten better. I mean, this last week watching Gardner Minshew tear them up and Tyler Algier, it was, I think, so.
I want to use the word right adjective here. Just appalling to see them fail against the exact same offensive concepts they were failing against at the beginning of the season. That, to me, is what is so upsetting about watching the Dallas Cowboys right now.
Well, you look at their roster though, and that shouldn't be happening, right? I know it's crazy. It shouldn't be happening. I mean, when you acquire Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams for a defense that can't stop the run. That usually equals you're going to stop the run.
You add Rashawn Gary, you add Caleb Downs in the draft. You add Joey Porter Jr. in the middle of the campaign. It should improve. That's why I think they're so confounding because the offense sometimes does not perform up to snuff either.
The offense is confounding. I think the defense. I know. I know what you are right. Even though you're right, they should be playing better than they are.
The offense, week to week, like you just go back. Obviously, the Eagles' defense isn't what we thought they were, and that's one of the more disappointing units in football. But against them, the Cowboys' offensive line looked dominant. They're running the ball well. Dak Prescott is throwing like these gorgeously placed touchdown passes.
And then week to week, sometimes they look average at best.
So I think. That's probably it's hard to say they're more disappointing given how bad the defense is, but the offense is confounding for Dallas week to week. That's fair. Let me give you another candidate for confounding team, and this one hits closest to home, Mina. How about the Seattle Seahawks in terms of confounding?
I think I have a good feel for them, though. Right, like so. I still think the defense is extremely good. I just think Chicago probably the best team in the NFL right now. The offense, so I mean, it's kind of Sam Darnold's kind of been the same all year.
I think he played better against Kansas City, but they can't run the ball. They haven't been able to run the ball all season long. And then the pass game has been inconsistent. He's turned it over. I will say, learning afterwards that he was playing with a cracked rib makes a lot of it makes sense because he was just so off target on.
Passes that he and jittery, and when you learn that, you are like, okay, I understand. I would be jittery in the pocket with a crack grip against Jeffrey Simmons too. But you know, I think the Seahawks now we can safely say this is still an elite defense. It is an offense that is probably going to be average, and whether that's good enough over the course of the season, whether it's good enough to sneak into the playoffs, well, that's going to be depending on the schedule.
Well, then why are they average? Then, what in your opinion is is the reason why they're average when they have such an Extraordinary wide receiver who can make the case of going back to back as the OPOY. I mean, because he's it. Like the entire offense is JSN, and here's why it's not confounding. They were actually basically average last year on offense.
I think it's kind of forgotten because Darnold had a couple of incredible performances at the end of the season. The Rams games loom large in people's minds. Kenneth Walker finished so strong, but. The reality is, this offense last year in Seattle they started off incredibly hot first half of the season, and then the second half they were extremely up and down. The quarterback play was pretty up and down in the second half of the season.
So the truth is, it shouldn't be that surprising. Also, you obviously lost your offensive coordinator, Clint Kubiak, because they seem really unbalanced. I mean, the inability to run the ball I think is is what's really killing them right now because. I think Sam Darnold can play better. Certainly, what we saw.
Certainly, with the injury, but he needs a better run game. He's not one of those quarterbacks where you're like, I mean, like Jordan Love, for example, in Green Bay. They have no run game, but he is performing this high wire act of pushing the ball downfield, regardless, and making these high degree of difficulty throws. It's kind of not who Darnold is.
So you have to be realistic about the quarterback you have and the needs you have, and they got to figure out how to run the football better.
Well, and in that regards, getting Quinton Nelson. Let's let's say that's a good idea. Getting Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price back together—that's a good development. And then there's Jonathan Taylor in the ether right now.
So let me hit this with you, Mina Himes. We could all use Jonathan Taylor. You know, just in general in life, he's such a delightful human. That said, which NFL team would you counsel? In the next ninety hours, to say to heck with it, the torpedoes be damned.
This is the guy we need. Give me the name of the team that you think should do it. I'm going to pick the obvious one, which is the Minnesota Vikings. There's a reason why it's the obvious one. I think we've all seen the offense, and and it's kind of ineptitude certainly compared to the defense.
We also know that what they're capable of with that defense and the kind of run that they can make. It seems like Carson Wentz might actually start this week. There's a Kyler Murray injury. Read into that what you will, but I would say they make sense for Taylor because. The likelihood of them upgrading at the quarterback position enough versus the upgrade at the run game that they could get.
I mean, you know, there aren't the Jonathan Taylor of quarterbacks right available to them, especially if Kirk Cousins isn't. Not that he is comparable, but like that would be the the dream. It doesn't seem like Vegas is going to do that. Jacoby Brissett is a Baltimore Raven. Don't know how much of an upgrade really that is, anyways.
But with Taylor and I think some tweaks, this could be like they could make. The run game a little bit more of their identity, and that might be enough with that defense. Yeah, and of course, as we saw in the West, in the NFC West, Quinton Nelson acquired by the Seahawks, and DeForest Buckner gets acquired by the Niners. This is after. The first shot was fired on June 1st when the Rams get Miles Garrett, who's yet to really play for them.
If the Bears go and get Jeffrey Simmons, a great way to try and counter in division is to go grab Jonathan Taylor. Great idea there. I'm I'm looking at the Giants though, Mina. You know, like carpe diem. You're four, two, and one.
The division's right there for you. Is Scadaboo really a 25 touch guy? Maybe you make him, you know, a 15 touch guy, and you go to work there. And just he's he's from Jersey. Bring him home.
Why not? I don't hate it. I will say what the part of the reason I don't hate it is I think the Giants have found their offensive identity.
So JJ McCarthy, what you've seen, and this is obviously you know this is a Michigan fan, reminiscent of his college days when he has a really good run game. He's playing well in part because of the coverages in response to that run game. He was amazing in his last start against single high coverage because he's so good at throwing those one on ones outside those outbreakers. It's where the middle of the field is where we get things get a little bit hairy. But again, if your run game is good and it was obviously excellent last week against Houston, two weeks against Houston, the safety has to come down.
You're getting more of those favorable single high looks. The only reason I I hesitate a little bit is I. I think Camp Scadaboo is good. Back, I do too. I do too.
I'm just wondering is is he is he the guy that you put the bell cow around? He could be. I I don't know. They'd have a better sense of that. Yeah.
Or you you just have a one two punch here. Scadaboo can be used with Taylor together. You could do something like that. You know, both on the field with Patrick Ricard. Let's go.
Right. Oh, really old school? Yeah, I mean, like, well, the other thing you said that was really important, like, they could absolutely win the division, right? And obviously, they're in pole position now. But like, look around.
We just talked about the Cowboys. Commanders have the Rams this week. That's a tough matchup. The Eagles are obviously imploding.
So, I, you know, I, I think they what they have to balance is like winning the division versus being realistic about what happens after that, because I think we all agree they're not ahead of those NFC West and NFC North teams.
So. It is kind of it is like. Are you willing to give up a ton just to? Get probably lose your first game in the playoffs. That's what they have to decide.
Mina Kimes here on the Rich Eisen show. You've got your pod, Mina Kimes show with where's Lenny right now? Yeah, Mina. It's a great question. I think he's downstairs taking a nap.
Okay, usually let's not disturb Lenny. With our pod that we do here, Overreaction Monday every Monday. Chris Brockman throughout this. Idea, and I don't think is an overreaction. You put up the AFC playoff picture through eight weeks, and the um the question that was posed is, um, or the supposition is that all seven teams that are in playoff positions are going to be the seven teams that make it.
Browns, Raiders, Ravens, are out at the end of the day, and nobody else is going to be even making a run. That's that. Maybe the seeding may be different, but Bills, Broncos, Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Bengals, Patriots are going to be the seven by the end of the day. Do you think that's an overreaction? I think it's right.
I think the Bengals and the Steelers might swap places.
Okay, but. It's hard to feel good about the teams on the outside looking in right now. The Ravens, you know, with everything with Lamar, obviously the Browns don't really believe in that offense, so I think it's accurate. What about the Texans making a run from two and five? I know that you you say like no way, and then you look at the schedule, and you are like, it's still probably a possibility.
Yeah, I was so let down by that defensive performance against New York. I mean, we talk about the Eagles being a defense a different disappointing defense. Is there any unit in the NFL? Outside of like everything happening in the Chargers, that is more disappointing right now than the Texans' defense. This must be the best defense in football, and I just was like, I, I, aghast, honestly, watching some of the not just the passes they were giving up to the Giants, but also the ground at the end.
Those explosive runs, it was just awful. But I still think they're in it. I still think C.J. Stroud is playing really good ball, so they would be the one that I'd keep an eye on. But I think.
I mean, I think that seven might be it, which is kind of crazy at this point in the season to say. Yeah, Chargers at Cleveland, home for Indy, home for Baltimore is the next four. You know what I'm saying? Like it is, it is possible that they go on a run and that they are above 500. Going into that Sunday night or weeks after Thanksgiving at Pittsburgh, I mean it's feasible, really is.
But we're just assuming a lot based on previous, even twenty twenty five previous results, right? Yeah, I mean I think we have now. This is a great why the halfway point of the season is a good like emotional check in time because we. I kept going into games saying like, well JJ McCarthy against the Texans defense, really, and then and then watching it. I was saying to myself.
We gotta stop doing that. This isn't the Texans' defense of last year, right? There's certain years where you just gotta stop assuming it's a really difficult matchup based on, like you said, what we think based on prior seasons. Because right now, that defense is not even average. Like that's like it's crazy how much they've declined.
So can't take anything for granted. But I do think I'll probably pick them in most of the games you said, and they will be relevant. Yeah, I hear you. Last one for you. Just reverting back to parts of the conversations that we did have on NFL Game Day morning on Sunday before Chiefs and Broncos.
Did the Chiefs erase the narrative that they were exposed? Even though on that loss to the to the Seahawks, even though they did obviously lose to Denver, they were on the one yard line. Yeah, did they? And Mahomes had another three touchdown game.
So, are we tossing that loss in Seattle in a dustbin, or what? Do we where do we stand on it now with you?
Well, they move the ball pretty well on Denver. I think that should be, you know what I mean. I think like they found some good stuff with Emma Johnson in particular, both running and catching the football.
So I think what we discussed on game day in terms of like the Seahawks defense being a little bit of a unique bar still applies. But I also would say what we saw in the Seahawks game is something we also once again saw in this game, which is they desperately need a receiver right now. I mean, it's it's cool that you can pop screens to your backs and. And maybe you get Kelsey for you know a few third downs here and there, but it was very obvious to me in that game that they're just not challenging teams down the field right now in a way that is making things really tight on offense. Even though they were able to put up points, so I really hope you talked about things might happen over the ninety next ninety hours.
Really hope this Kansas City team adds another wide receiver. I think as far as names go, Brian Thomas Junior. is probably Unlikely to happen because AFC, and I wouldn't do that if I'm Jacksonville. I know Josh Downs has been thrown out. Another one I really like for them is Dontavian Wicks, although he's been injured.
So there's options out there, but they could really use anything. All right, Mina, we'll see you Sunday, right for that 4 a.m. Pacific pregame show. Not this Sunday. The next one.
No. No. No, I won't see a four A Pacific for Falcon your Falcons against the Bengals in Spain. Not my Falcons. I don't want them.
I just own them. No. Okay. Enjoy that one. You're just a one lone wolf and done there.
Okay. When do I see you next on a Sunday then?
Next Sunday, I'll be back for the next for the regular scheduled, yeah, more humanely timed broadcast on NFL Network. I look forward to it, Mina. Thanks again. Appreciate you doing today. Let everybody check out Mina Kimes on the million shows she does for ESPN, and of course her pod, Mina Kimes Show with Lenny, who is napping.
Oof, lucky Lenny.
Next time we get Mina, we got to get Lenny in the mix, man. Why not? We're a very dog friendly show, of course. Friendly program. A SoFi personal loan—it's right there to help you achieve something once thought impossible: overcoming high-interest credit card debt.
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Oh boy, do we have a lot to talk about on this program? Because something just broke. News just broke. Listen, listen. There's always something going on in the NFL that people have trouble believing.
Okay, people have trouble believing it, and this is going to be the latest one. This is going to be the latest one. The Vikings this year, six and one, championship defense. And an offense that features Justin Jefferson does it all right. It well, great one.
It includes Justin Jefferson. Is that a better way to say better word? Because we just had Mina Kimes, who is Miss Seattle Seahawks, right, on this program, saying the offense in Seattle is JSN, and that's it. They're having trouble running it, and that last year it was. Equally is average.
They just won a Super Bowl with it. They had a better running game. It's JSN, and that's it. And so, Darnold has a cracked rib and the game, and then a quad, and some are like, "Okay, Drew Locks coming in because Darnold hasn't done it yet. Those injuries aren't real.
You hear that stuff and." I push back on that one.
Okay, cracked rib is no joke. Yeah, and you also saw the way that they're knocking Donald around like a rag doll right from jump. It's no surprise that the Bears cracked his rib too. But the Vikings' offense has been so pedestrian. I didn't even include the Vikings in my power rankings this week.
You did not. At six and one, crazy. They went from five last week to off. That's how I look at them when they go into a game, even against the Bills.
So Kyler Murray, I did. Did he look like he had a hamstring problem going around? I don't know. I have no idea. And he on Monday, I guess, was reporting something.
I could have reported it afterwards. They keep it quiet because they never want anybody to know somebody's hobbling around. I don't know because he looked pretty spry to me against the Lions, and I'm stirring it up by even letting it seem like there's a doubt. But the hamstring injury that he has suffered. Is causing the Vikings to announce it's Carson Wentz on Monday Night Football against the Bills.
Rapsheet saying that Murray's hamstring injury would limit his mobility and could also make it worse by playing.
So now it's Wentz's gig for Monday Night against Buffalo. I'd be front of the whole freaking country. I'd be shocked if it's only for Monday night. If he performs well, I I I understand where you're coming from. Don't have to win, but let's see some downfield movement.
Let's put some points on the board. We talked about this with Kurt yesterday, did we not, gents? And I'm like, what would you do? And he. Initially, just gave both sides of the options here.
One is let's just stick with it. We got him. We had him compete. The guy he beat out is now the starting quarterback of the Giants, and Wentz is backing him up. And we put all that time in in the spring and the summer, and we're just going to give it time.
Well, they've given him pretty much half a season, pretty much, not the whole, and they could basically keep it going. But Wentz would give them a better option in deep throws with more possibilities of turning it over, which Murray has not done, and it would be. Stressful on the defense, and as Kurt was saying, that I'm like, well, I'd rather stress out the defense and get extra points, and let this defense. If you give the opposition a short field because whence is fumbled it or giving it away, hold them to three and score seven. Right, it's the way I would look at it.
Kevin O'Connell's calling it a week-to-week injury.
Okay, it's not one of those like we're we're he it's he's our guy. We're going to get him back. It's it's it's Brosmer season again to back up. And by the way, I'll just say this. If JJ McCarthy balls out in Philadelphia and the Giants are five two and one sitting at home on a Monday night, and Wentz gets knocked out of the game, and they're turning to Max Brosmer again on Monday night, and they lose to the Bills while McCarthy's sitting at home at five two and one, it is going to get red hot, red hot.
In Vikings country, for the fans, I think if that happens, you're you're getting a Kirk Cousins trade to Minnesota, and in a day, in a day, on Tuesday morning, I don't know. The week to week might suddenly be, oh, he's he's a lot more spry. Although I just would say this too, because weird stuff happens all the time with Kyler. It just does from from his his. Birth into the NFL, where he goes on Dan Show and ours at a Super Bowl, and he won't say what he's going to do.
I might be the centerfielder of the Athletics, but I'm also the first overall pick. I'm not enough. It's always weird. It's all been his contract dispute in Arizona was weird, where he erases his Instagram account on the Monday of the last Super Bowl that was here in Los Angeles, and then his agent puts out a statement, you know, and it was weird. And then he gets his contract with a clause in there that basically makes it seem like his iPad time was ruining everything.
And then they remove all that, and then he goes into the playoffs that one time, and that and he gets wiped out by the Rams, you know. And and and then he takes one off the face mask, and then disappears. That was his last snap as a Cardinal because he hurt his foot trying to get the fumbled ball that went off his face mask. It's always weird. It has been.
I mean, straight up, not not stuttering here, unconventional.
So he could disappear, and it could be whence his gig. Yeah, or they're not financially attached to him.
So, or it's not Wentz's gig and it's Kyler's gig, and he is week to week, and he comes back, and he's maybe been dealing with this for a while, and that's been a problem. They just haven't announced it, and they're not going to use it as an excuse. And off they go offensively with Kyler, where it's just been the plan all along. But if it's Wentz and he gets hurt, and the backup's not JJ McCarthy because he's sitting at home in first place for the five-two and one Giants. Oh boy!
I mean, the back door of a massive to do is wide ass open in Skull Country. Or Wentz balls out, beats the Bills. They're seven and one, and we're talking about let's see what Wentz can do the next week. Justin Jefferson had his best game of the season with Wentz at quarterback.
Okay. Boy, it's just ripe for all this conversation. They're in Green Bay next, and then we'll have to see if how whence the Spanish is against San Francisco. They're going to be in Mexico. They're going to win this game against Buffalo on a Monday night.
I'll tell you what, man. I'll tell you what, man. Um, a another big one. It would have been either way a big one on Monday night football after last week's. Dynamite Bears Seattle, full of stakes.
Conversation. Here we go, man. Two teams with one loss, two six and one teams going against each other on Monday Night Football, and it's Carson Wentz getting the gig. If the Bills are a true Super Bowl contender, Chris, they do not lose this game. Fact.
I mean, come on. If, but. You know what? Let me consult something. Oh God!
The script, this script bit. We're going back to the script bit again. All right.
Well, I'll tell you guys. It's a good bit. That script's getting thicker. That's the latest, man. There's so much rewrites.
That's the latest. Let's go to Zach and Rancho Cucamonga. Hey, this our friend Zach. Chris said, "What oh yes, on the Weather Tech Fan Line." What's up, Zach? Not too long ago.
Zach, hey Rich, hey guys, how's it going? What's up, Zach? What's going on? How's the fam? Hey, I was oh, the fam was good.
The fam was good. Although they do keep telling me they don't need to go to school because it's something you told them. Yeah, I may have given them some advice. Hold on a second.
So, Zach, you and your your lovely family were the ones who won a the V Foundation charity. Come to the Rich Eisen show. Yep. I guess what would you say? Auction, you won that.
It was great to meet them. They were, I think, your lovely wife and your kids brought some outstanding cookies. Right, I'm not mistaken. Cookies, yes, yeah. And what did you tell?
What did what? Zach, what did Brockman say to your children? What happened? Basically, school is worthless. I mean, what?
I mean, he did a Zhang paraphrase. That was pretty much on what you you told them. I mean, you don't have to try that hard. It's all the other stuff. Wow!
Not the like, how much algebra you using right now? Just because you fudged your way through it and then wound up in this chair, Chris, doesn't mean you should tell children impressionable youngsters. That that that their educational experience is useless. I was just Zach. I apologize.
I've never used the reciprocal fractions. Just saying, if I went back and did it again, I wouldn't have tried to. You hopped in the DeLorean? Yeah. Okay.
On November fifth. All right, Zach. What's on your? What is this? Are we calling?
Into hold Chris to account, or or is there something else about that? No, no, not at all. Sure, I wanted to talk about Brandon Ayuk, and is he going to pull like a full Costanza and just go right back into the Niners? Dude, you read my mind. I got this whole, I got this whole thing written out as that as the introduction.
Zach, you would that see? This is why we met one another. This is why you were kind enough to give. Money to the V Foundation to hang out together. You get us, and we get you.
Essentially, so, but yes, well done, Zach. And I apologize. Say hi to your kids for us. And by the way, if you do that again, Chris, you will now be responsible for homeschooling children. I can talk today.
Also, Rich, Zach, and I have a little bet. What happened on the Cow Cowboys Niners game coming up in a couple weeks? Oh, we have some. You know, Zach, you got to feel more confident now, right? Human monies.
Oh, I feel great. I mean, if Arizona's walking into that building, you should be able to, right? Yeah. Okay. And Mina just said they're the worst defense in the league, so no sweat.
Zach and Rancho Cucamonga says no sweat. That's no sweat. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
That won't be a spot. Thanks again. There goes Zach. Zach. Did you really say that to his children?
Uh, you know, maybe not those.
So, what did you say? I don't remember. It was so long ago. I remember it. I remember because I was standing right there long ago.
What did he say? Essentially, what Zach said. He was telling them that school wasn't that important. That's a true. Because he pulled him out of school to go come here.
That's what I said, and I said that was great parenting. Because you know, but we followed it up with like this was a better education, right? Watching this than you would have got at schools. Oh my word! I mean, it kind of was.
They got to see how things work here. I don't approve that message. You know who also doesn't? WeatherTech for American-made floor liners and a cargo liner that laugh in the face of fall weather. Visit WeatherTech.
dot com today, and they present our fan line every single day. Tech maybe. There with me, yeah. All right, please don't talk to me. Let's take a break and let's get let's get to that Ayuk stuff because Brandon Ayuk saying I am I am coming back.
I am back. I am reporting on Friday. Led reporters on Wednesday to go to his all teammates from San Francisco and say, "What do you think about that?" Let's see who and higher register. It is that sort of day, and you know this whole Delorean thing that I just threw out there with Zach. It makes me think.
About let's do a segment in hour three. Oh, where we're going to hop in the Sports Delorean. Oh, hey, now we do that on because it is the anniversary of that, I believe. All right, let's take a break right here on the Rich Eisen Show eight four four two zero four Rich on the Weather Tech Fan Line. Call in and see if Brockman's given some terrible advice to your children too.
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Okay, so once upon a time, as we know, there was an individual. Who walked into his boss at Rick Bar Properties and quit? Rage quit. His name was George Costanza. He quit and he went home.
He said, "You know what? I have my principles. I'm standing for what I think is right." And then decided no longer best to do that. Kind of dawned on him. Rage quitting is not the way to go about things.
Yeah, you know.
So he came up with the idea of just going back to work like nothing happened. Hey, what's up, guys? And it appears that Brandon Ayuk is the George Casas of the National Football League because this man, man, who. Torched every bridge in San Francisco that he could torch. Obviously, the football versions of them, not the actual bridges of San Francisco.
He rage. He raged after he quit. It seems like, right? He quit and then raged to the point where you're wondering: Is there nobody who can sit Brandon Ayuk down and say, "Stay off of Instagram, man." It's not your friend. What you're doing right now is not helpful.
That's all we're seeing. There had to have been enough behind the scenes that has caused the Forty Niners, who are in need of a wide receiver, it appears, for them to basically say, "Yeah, no, we're good." This ain't happening, right? Because he, again, for everyone who needs to know, he's got to report. He's always had to report to bring about a change in his employment that he's clearly desiring. He's always had to at least shown up to force the Forty Nineers.
It's to his benefit to pull a Costanza. And say I'm showing up. You now need to trade me, play me, or get rid of me. And we all know you don't want to play me.
So send me to where I want to go, or cut me so I can go to where I want to go. It's always been the play, and he's got Drew Rosenhaus, who's probably told him that. I mean, it's not his first rodeo. He knows it. He gets it.
I don't know what's going on, but he said the reports. He's showing up Friday. He's forcing the hand, which means, hey, could you imagine if there were interviews with George Costanza's colleagues at work? Damn right, it's me. Yeah, you know, but.
That's the one way this thing's different from a Seinfeld episode. Is this is the National Football League, and there are media availabilities, and his former teammates or soon to be teammates again. What are we doing here? Get asked. What do you think, Fred Warner?
You're first up. What's your reaction to the news that Brandon Ayuk plans to return to Sicily on Friday? Yeah, you know, I don't know if I really have anything to say about it. Kind of let that work its work itself out. Hmm.
Fred, there's a lot of water under these bridges that Ayuk torched. Hmm. Let's see if Nick Post will give us more information, Nick. Ah man, I—I don't know. Not my, not my place really.
I'll, I'll tap him up. No hard feelings between me and him. Huh? Oh, okay. I mean, I mean the country's bluer now.
I mean, yeah, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe Nick's changed too. I don't know. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, yeah. I don't know.
Yeah, yeah. Across the aisle, I got to hear from Christian McCaffrey. Christian, what do you got? See, I bring up that situation on your guys' radar. On, I, I don't make any of those decisions, so not on my radar.
I just focus on my job.
Okay. Nope. Not why.
Next to that, what happened, man? What? Has happened. They're all like, "Yeah, no, not my pay grade. Go further up the flowchart." All right, then let's do that.
Head coach Kyle Shannon, who has been on record, that's pretty high off the chat. This is a non-starter. Not only just of a conversation, but of a player. He that ain't. This is not happening.
But he's now showing up. Right. He's showing up to work like nothing happened. Hey guys, remember me? He's pulling a Costanza.
Coach, your thoughts? Kyle is. Grant and I are going to inform the team that he is reporting to to headquarters. I believe they talked to his agent. You expect him here, and what's your response to that?
None. I have no expectation. Kind of moved on with that mentally and everything, and doing kind of how I talked to you guys two months ago. Nothing's really changed for me. Listening to sports talk radio.
Can you just clarify? Is there any conceivable way Brandon IU could play again for the team? I can't clarify that.
So no. I don't know what clarify means. I'm trying to. Or sports talk radio. You want to clarify what you heard?
Is there a chance that Brandon IU can play? Um. Hey, there's no absolutes in life, so we get so close to that soundbite from a few years ago of like, "Hey, the meteor can hit. We're all, you know, yeah, we're all cloud dust anyway. At some point, wow." But it makes sense, right?
These guys have their own things. They're they're battling. They're working on themselves. They're not paying attention to what this guy who's not even in on the team is doing. What happened to the point where it's not even in the realm of the realm?
What happened? But you can't have that's not Nick Bosa's call. That's not you know, Christian McCaffrey. But something happened to the point where they were all like, "Yeah, no, I, I, I have no thoughts. I'll tap them.
I don't. I don't know. I'll tap them up. I'll tap them up. Okay, that's good.
He'll acknowledge his existence. He said no hard feelings. No hard feelings.
So you know, maybe business. Yeah, Chris, do you think that like most players, they know this is yeah, they all know it's a business, and they all know.
Something happened, and they all know exactly what happened, and they are not saying what happened to the point where they're they're like next question. Speaking to Rosenhaus, next question. Look, I just got to worry about myself. The coach is just like, yeah. I mean, yeah.
Clarify. He's like, clarify. Clarify. What? What do you mean by clarify?
Well, are you going to play him or not, man? And the answer is no way.
Okay, so. You know Shanahan was asked at one point, "Are you concerned about releasing him?" And he shows up on a team that's competing with you. And you know what his answer was to that? Nope. He said no.
Is he concerned about that? Nope. Is that? Can you look in the script, TJ? Is that?
No, here I can. I can. You don't have to look in the script. Part of that. By the way, why are you encouraging the bit?
Why do you like the bit? Why would you? This is kind of amusing. Yeah, you know what, Chris? We're gonna do away with the bit.
No, no, no. I like this. Is what he does. This is what he does. Then you just then you shut down.
Then you shut down. No, I'm not gonna shut down. I feel like I'm talking to my kids. The bit'll be back. I'm not getting rid of it.
Now you're shutting down. What are you gonna slam? You're gonna slam the door of your room now. Yeah, my folk, my people didn't do that. The step, storm up the steps, slam there.
We didn't get. Let me translate. There's two ways of him saying that when he's like, "Yeah, he's not concerned." One is my defense is great. Good luck. Good luck.
Good luck. Okay. I'm not. I am not concerned. I got my own thing going on here.
We're six and one. We're the San Francisco frigging Forty Nineers, and that's that. Or he knows what happened there, and the rest of the league will know what happened, and they're not going to touch him. Hmm. They could just not release him either, right?
And then what? Just keyshawn him. I don't think you can do that anymore. Oh, interesting! I don't think you can do that for at least not the rest of the season either.
Just what? Let's hold them up? No, I don't think you can just say, "Yeah, thank you." Yeah, don't release. Yeah, you're you're now you're now inactive. Yeah, I think you could do that for only a certain amount of time.
Okay. Yeah, I don't think that is an ultimate option. See, they could certainly hold on to him for a bit. Yeah, I mean, yeah, he's not ready. He's not active.
Ooh, my arm. What else you want to know? Oh my God! But stay tuned. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast.
You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Hey, before you go, if your Saturday setup involves a packed living room, big reactions, and maybe a celebration that goes too far, your walls need to be ready. Bare Ultra Interior Paint adds an extra durable, stain-blocking finish that holds up for the whole season and beyond. It covers in fewer coats, goes on smooth, and helps walls stay looking new for longer.
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