Tom Pelissero on why the Falcons passed on Bill Belichick

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Limitations apply. This is the Rich Eisen Show live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Let me just give Charger fans a little idea of what's coming. This team is also going to have a guy that is finally, I think, going to solve the Chargers going to charge your situation. Makes complete sense that he wants to leave.

And I have no problem with it. Earlier on the show, Lions wide receiver Ahmin Ross St. Brown Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk coming up NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. And now it's Rich Eisen. Hour number three of the Rich Eisen Show is on the air. Marshall Faulk just spent the entire second hour in studio that went by like it was two seconds instead of one full hour. He broke down the AFC Championship game and the AFC Championship game is only he can and also gave us his two cents on what's going on in the coaching carousel. That's just his opinion on the coaching carousel. The actual facts about it are about to be delivered to all of us here in hour number three of the show. Tom Pelissero in his usual Friday spot in about 20 minutes time.

844-204 Rich number to dial. I got to be honest, the first question I'm going to ask Pelissero is, hey, is is Bill Belichick going to get frozen out of the sideline the first time in 50 years? It's been forty nine straight years. He's either been an assistant or he's been a head coach on an NFL sideline. This would be the first in a half century in which he's not on a sideline unless he takes an assistant job somewhere, which I cannot imagine something he would do. No, you know, I imagine he'd do some media if that happens.

But there's two more spots left and you never say never, even though he hasn't interviewed for either, it appears right now. So Tom is going to be joining us in this hour for that. And our number one, Aman Ross, St. Brown zoomed in. It was awesome. If you missed it, stay tuned. The end of this hour, if you're just joining us here on the Roku channel, we rear every single day. As soon as we're done on Channel 210, eight, four, four, two or four rich number to dial. Nate in Denver, Colorado, has been hanging on for the entire show. What's up, Nate?

Hey, Rich, how's it going? Thanks for hanging on. What's in your mind, sir?

No worries. So I'm a huge Packers fan, which, by the way, the best thing about being a Packers fan right now is not only do we have our third elite quarterback, but this one, when there's a postgame press conference, you don't have to worry. A Q and on special is going to break out. Oh, wow. Listen to that one. That's number one. But my question is, is there a division in the NFL with a better five year outlook than the NFC North? Like you got the Bears, Caleb Williams, you got the Lions, you got the Packers, the Vikings, who knows?

But something will happen, right? What are your thoughts on that? That's interesting. The AFC West has Mahomes residing in it. Jim Harbaugh just landed in Los Angeles. Sean Payton, you're two in questions at quarterback Denver, I guess. Let's let's sound this thing out. Let's sound this thing out. First of all, Nate, you know, when you said three elite quarterbacks for the Packers, you mean in a row?

How dare you slag Don Mikowski that way? So there is good news for you in this race, which is in 10 years. Jordan Love will be the voice of the New York Jets. I'd sign for 10 years. I'd sign for 10 years. It's probably going to be more like 12 to 15. So and before he he leaves to probably go somewhere better or perform better somewhere else. Thanks for the call, Nate.

I appreciate it. You brought some pop there. The AFC North has Burrow returning to it. The Browns just had 11 wins with all those quarterbacks.

You've got the Ravens might win the damn Super Bowl and the Steelers are going to get you at least 10 wins no matter who's the quarterback. Oh, right. As long as the coach is there. Right. If I'm continuing to upset people, the NFC West, the Rams just went high register on you. Look at the Rams this year. Right.

I mean, and I was back the great, by the way, great. They might add Marvin Harrison Jr. greatest tank job ever where they were in every single game, but still wound up potentially with the most talented player in the draft. That's not a quarterback team's winning records.

Right. Well, the Cowboys gave you that was the first bright flashing red light of the season. Seahawks are kind of in a weird spot. So so so the NFC North, I'd say both North. Well, I mean, don't you think the Lions need to make the Super Bowl for us to consider that? They're in the final four.

I know they're in the final four, but impressive, right? I mean, if they don't make the Super Bowl and the Ravens are the Chiefs, don't you think the West and the North and the AFC would leapfrog? I don't know.

I'm just looking at the quarterback situations in those divisions. It's an interesting chat. They're in the chat.

They've entered the chat. The NFC North has entered the chat. Vikings have a QB question mark. I think they might even just keep cousins.

Why wouldn't you stay? If there's anybody who had signed another guaranteed one year contract, it's him for like 40. Can they franchise tag him? Can they can they can they totally Washington him? Good question.

I have to look that up. Oh, maybe they can't. I bet you. He says you can't. You just got to sign me. He gets one dollar more than Otani. That's in his contract. All guaranteed like Otani, by the way. By the way, I mean, Otani's deferred year. So is it like two million?

No, no. One dollar. No, it's his deferred year. He's got to make one dollar more than his deferred year. Sixty eight million and one dollar.

Correct. The third year in Los Angeles, back on the program. What's up, Uber, ZJ, riding up front. Hey, what's going on, guys?

Good morning. What up, G? Now, again, just real quick, Uber, ZJ, for those just joining us as I'm resetting, which is something that Brockman is a big problem with. Riding up, riding up front is not what a passenger should do in an Uber, correct? I did it this week. Absolutely not.

Sorry, Delta. You did it this week? Yes, because it was an electric car. Brand new electric car. What does that mean? No, and I wanted to see what it was like up front. He's like, come on up. Now, when the Uber driver says come on up, does the Uber driver really mean it?

Yeah, I mean, there's some of them that are okay with it, but I've actually talked to other drivers that are most OK with it that I know, but some are OK with it. OK. Now that we've established that, what's on your mind? So just kind of calling it because throwing you guys a curve ball, although I'm from Michigan and I bleed gold, maize and blue, I'm a San Francisco 49ers fan and I've been since the 80s. So Joe Montana is like the greatest in my opinion. And just listening to how you guys talk every day about the Niners and everything and how the Niners fans support, uniformly support Brock Purdy, I'm in, I guess, maybe the minority because I'm like a wait and see. And I'm like not totally sold on him.

Never loved Jimmy Garoppolo. But with him, I'm just unsure. I've never been more unsure about a 49ers quarterback.

I'm not sure. Listen, Uber ZJ, the bottom line is, is he is he is a guy that they have invested the final pick in the draft in, right? If he wins the Super Bowl, he's got two more years left on this contract. He'll go through year number three with a ring on his finger and no doubt an ability to make a killing in the free agent market whenever he's allowed to hit it. And the Niners could just sit there and say, you're our guy and we'll sign you to a longer term deal at some point or not.

You know, they can just go through year three. There's no reason for them to give him another contract right now. Certainly when he's on the ultimate rookie contract. But the bottom line is Daniel Jeremiah said this a long time ago and Mike Florio echoes it every single time he's here, that if you come from the Shanahan system, which obviously Kyle does, you must pay fealty to Kirk Cousins one way or another. Like that's the guy you that is the ultimate guy. That is why Washington drafted Cousins in the same draft that they drafted RG3.

He is the perfect prototype for this offense. McVeigh, all of them. And and so apparently every single time there's an opening.

And thank you for the call Uber ZJ, you be well. That's the that's the spot. Anybody who runs the system will take him. And so if Purdy doesn't win this game and doesn't perform well again and Cousins is sitting out there. I'm telling you, that'll be a lot of hot rumors between now and the middle of March. That would be wild. But for the moment, there's a big NFC championship game, huge championship weekend, which leads me to.

Yet another rousing. I mean, this is this is there's a legacy on the line here with every single answer I give, and it's Championship Sunday edition of what's more likely presented by Carnival Cruise Line. Hit it.

What what's more likely? Never say never, but never. All right, Chris, let's have a carnival. Yeah, let's do it.

Let's do it. By the way, it was Calvin Johnson. We were talking to about the almost.

Oh, we should have mentioned that to Marshall. Very good. OK. Hey, everybody good Friday? We're great. Everybody good. Let's do it. Let's do it. Who's more likely to score multiple rushing touchdowns this weekend?

Christian McCaffrey, Lamar Jackson. Um, I'll go I'll go. Oh, I'm going to run CMC, man. I'm running CMC. Great question to start us off right here.

Oh, I, I, I. Damn, I would go both, but I'm going to go Christian McCaffrey. I just think that they're going to have they're going to lean on him and he's going to be the he's going to be the way through. Marshall Faulk just said last hour he's the MVP of the league. So I'll go there, although those that might be one, two in the MVP voting quarterback and running back is the way I think we might find out Thursday before the Super Bowl, in which they may play each other. I'll just go Christian McCaffrey.

That's more likely. All right. We talked to this guy in hour one. Who's more likely to have more receiving yards on Sunday? I'm in Ra or anyone else in the game or on the weekend. You're talking on the weekend. Yeah, on Sunday. Oh, gosh.

I've been Ra or anybody. And I'll just take the field just because you're giving me the field. I'll take the field. Anyone else? I'll go. I'll go. Anyone else?

I'll say the the Niners will make sure 14 somehow doesn't eat them up, make someone else beat them, and I'll take the field everywhere else. Now, you want me to pinpoint somebody? Is that what you want me to do? Just give you something extra? I don't know. Sure. A little something extra. If you think somebody else is going to top, you know, the Sun God. I I'd go with maybe.

How about this? I'll go off the board here. I'll say Kittle might have more in this game. You know who Purdy looks for when when when the game's online, don't you?

And if Debo is not in there, I love Amman Ra. And I guess if we're going to continue to use his face, if we mix the Super Bowl, we've got to update his photograph with the blue hair on our screen. Not to nitpick, but it's not what he looks like right now. It's so blue. I know, right? I'll just go anywhere else. You're giving me the field.

I'll take the field. What else? How about this? More likely the banged up star to have a bigger impact. Debo or Mark Andrews? Wow.

How great a question is that? Mark Andrews is going to play. How about that? How about that for the Ravens getting 89 back? I don't know if 19 is playing, so I'll go eighty nine. I'll go eighty nine.

Isaiah likely has been killing it, too. I know that, but my God. Talk about a too tight end set. I'll just go eighty nine. I'll go eighty nine because I just don't know if Debo. I don't know what we're going to get out of Debo.

I don't know. We're getting out of either of these guys. But the fact that Andrews is coming back is a major plus for the Ravens. I'll go. I'll go eighty nine. But if Debo is healthy, I'll go 19.

Can I do that? No, absolutely not. Absolutely not. No, no, no hedging.

No hedging. All right. I'll go Andrews. All right, let's pick it. What's more likely both one seeds reach the Super Bowl or either the Lions or Chiefs pulling upset?

Well, I mean, I picked the Ravens and the Niners to go. Oh, so how do I not? I don't know.

It's been a week now. It's more. Well, it's more likely it's more likely there's an upset. I the fact that the defending Super Bowl champs are pulling an upset gives you the idea that that what's the number right now?

The lines moved. It's four now. Does that is that up or down from what it was?

I was three, three and a half. Oh, so it's going up. It's up to four now for sure.

It's more likely that the one seeds don't make it. Together. Well, I'm lying seven and a half now. Wow. OK, getting over getting larger, likely on an airplane, getting larger. OK. Yeah, interesting. Yeah, I'll go with the upset.

More likely than the one seeds, especially since I haven't been able to get much very, very much. Just do the opposite. I'm going full. Oh, no, really? You've been. Well, who has who picked the Packers over the Cowboys? Yeah, I don't know. TJ, probably the only one.

OK. Yeah. What's more likely, guys, to be the higher total on Sunday? Chief's point scored or beers consumed by Jason Kelsey. I'm taking.

Aren't they both the same? Like the number of touchdowns the Chiefs score. No, I mean, if it's the bottom line is like, I'll probably drink 20 last.

Oh, they score more than 20. Yeah, I do. I'll go Chief's points. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, you're going to pick the Chiefs, are you? I don't know. Marshall talked to you today. Marshall kind of talked you into it. Well, no, I've been talking. I've been talking to myself and I don't need 28 to talk me in anything that against Mahal at your own risk. How many times am I going to do that? Yeah, I don't know. Everybody did it against Brady for like I was one of them.

I refuse to do it again. So but don't do the number of points that go up. Kelsey's consumption goes up to aren't these correlated? Aren't there's a direct relationship between it?

I don't know. So I can drink a lot of beer. That was my point. So if you said it was 20 in Buffalo, not degrees, it sounded like he drank about 20 something in my God. But he also looked a little cans to how big is the giant?

Is that what I thought to myself? Honestly, I honestly thought there's a little cans in the streets there. They do not make mini beer cans. Those are great.

I love how big are those tall boys? Not in Buffalo. OK, it's drinkable. Bats. I'll go Chief's total points. All right. Two more, two more, two more. More likely to be the post Super Bowl Monday headline.

So looking ahead, a couple of weeks. Why would you do this? We're going to do what's more likely at the Super Bowl. Can you just hold on a second?

Jeez Louise. Yeah. It's the year of Harbaugh or the year of Michigan. So you're saying. Are the Ravens going to win the Super Bowl or not? Or the Lions going to win the Super Bowl.

Oh, I'm I'm weaving here, Rich. What's more likely about. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Is it the year of Harbaugh or the year of Michigan? I don't know.

I. Wow. It's either way. This fifty fifty, I'm going to love the headline. All right. Who's got it better than them? I'll go the year of Harbaugh. Man, we should have parlayed that like for the last one.

Michigan and the Lions or Michigan and Michigan and the Ravens. OK. All right. Last one. Wow. I can't believe you.

But fifty fifty, I'm in good shape. OK. Last one. More likely team that should have fired their coach for Bill Belicheck to win a playoff game next year.

Cowboys or Eagles? This is great. Oh. I'm sorry to do this, but just this is for the content. This is for the content. You know, even that you already know where he's going to go with this. This is for the Eagles.

I'm going the Eagles. Right. I can't believe that. E A G L E S G L E S. But I don't think they should. I don't think they should have fired Sirianni or or you stay the course. Chris, stay the course.

You stay the course of what? You're just a loser. How dare you? How dare you say that they should fire the guy with the greatest winning percentage in the history of regular season football for the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, in Fletcher Cox, we'll tell you what he what he thinks of this entire this entire. You're a clown, bro. You know, this entire question I had one that I wrote earlier in the week that I had to delete because the Falcons made their move yesterday. Oh, Morris, it was going to be who's going to be left out of the carousel for a Boer Belicheck.

Well, it looks like both looks like both guys. Wow. Well, we'll ask Tom Pelissero that that was much more likely presented by Carnival Cruise Line. Plan your next vacation with Carnival to explore beautiful destinations with exciting excursions and blissful relaxation.

No one does fun like Carnival. Let's take a break. No one does information like Tom Pelissero while having fun. I like to think then with us, Tom Pelissero joining us next on The Rich Isaac Show. America starts the day with America in the morning. Hi, I'm John Trout, your host for the latest news, politics, entertainment, business and weather.

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America in the morning. The podcast available wherever you listen on the Bigger Pockets real estate podcast co-host David Green and Rob Abasolo interview real estate investors and entrepreneurs about successes, failures and hard earned lessons. Joined by author Dave Meyer, who wrote a book. I did write a book. It seems like you're coming out with a book every four minutes. You are one to talk. You've released two books this year. I've done half as many as you.

It is more about strategy than it is about just finding whatever the new buzzword happens to be. Bigger Pockets real estate podcast on YouTube or wherever you listen. And I'm just watching back the video I posted at the top of the show of me dunking back on Will Compton. I did Edelman's pot. I had no idea that would be an aggressive act towards bussing with the boys. I had no idea.

So when did you tape that with September with Jules? Yeah. I honestly thought it was out and they just didn't tell me when it was out. And all of a sudden I turn to go to my phone. I'm like, oh, it's out.

That's great. And then it's like, well, Compton's like, good to see you've got the flexibility to travel and do podcasts. And I'm like, he tapes that in Brentwood. Where does he think like, I mean, where does he think Edelman is at?

I don't know. Do you think he's in Boston? Yeah, I guess he thinks he lives in Boston. No, well, he lives out here. Come out to the coast. I mean, that was just a spin and curve in the zone.

I just like the only thing is how far can I hit this ball? Mm hmm. That's funny. So posted that it's out there.

I'm happy to do the pod. I've already told I told them both when they were sitting here. Yeah, poor Jack is still posting. Yeah, by the way, it's going to be when he gets that sweet, sweet, sweet Silverado, it's going to be great. He hasn't gotten it yet. No, I've got to I've got a show just to show up.

I thought it was like if he did it for a year. No, he's got to do it every day until I show. Oh, man, that guy's got a bag. Oh, I told him, I said, I'm going to show up.

You're going to get that thing and then you're going to drive me to the airport in it. You think he must be so peeved right now? Well, didn't you say that one time somebody texted him at like eleven fifty seven, you haven't done it yet? He was at a concert. He was at a concert. He got it in. He snuck it in. Well, the post the post yesterday was the photograph of me with Edelman.

And it's just like, I don't understand why that's provocative. The one today is literally a screenshot of your video today. Back on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, I'm sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk furnished by Granger. That's funny. With supplies and solutions for every industry, Granger has the right product for you.

Call click granger dot com or just stop by. Tom Pelissaro, everybody. Hey, Tommy. Hey, what's up, Rich?

What's up to the fellows in studio? What's up, brother? Tommy P. What's up, Tom? The Dynaphone Network insider. All right, Tom, I'm just going to give it to you straight.

Like there's no sugarcoating. It is is one of the winningest coaches of all time and the greatest coach of our generation and maybe the generation before it and maybe the generation after this one going to be left without a job. Is Bill Belichick not going to be a head coach this fall?

Barring a surprise right now, there is not a spot for Bill Belichick in the NFL in twenty twenty four. He was a serious candidate with the Falcons. He had the initial meeting with Arthur Blank. Then he went into the facility, went through the same carwash they were doing with all the other candidates, meeting with everybody throughout the football operation. My understanding is Belichick and Blank were continuing to talk.

Bill was taking this very seriously that he was going to be prepared and he was going to be prepared and have the plan if he went to Atlanta. Somewhere along the way in recent days here is they did the additional second interviews and continued to discuss internally. They decided to go with somebody in Raheem Morris, who for a variety of different reasons is very different from Bill Belichick. Chief among them with Raheem, he has been in the building. He's been a member of the Falcons coaching staff. He was the interim coach several years ago before they decided to go out and hire Arthur Smith instead. With Belichick, there was going to be significant changes to the entirety of how that building operated. And that's not to say that he was going to go in there with a hedge trimmer and saw off all these different people and they're all got to be out of the building. It was more so Bill Belichick knows what in his mind a championship culture looks like.

He knows how to put a program in place. What the Falcons and other teams were evaluating with Bill Belichick is, are we going to make all these types of changes, redo how everything in our building has operated from a football standpoint for a long, long time for a 72-year-old coach who, yes, Rich, he is quite possibly the greatest we've ever seen, certainly the guy who's got more rings than anybody else. The Falcons ultimately came to the conclusion they were going to go with somebody who was younger, who had a different outlook and who was going to keep a lot of the existing infrastructure in place. Time will tell on whether or not the Falcons made the right decision, but if you look around the rest of the NFL, everyone at this point, Rich, barring a surprise, has rendered the same decision, which is no matter how many games Bill Belichick has won, he's not going to be our head coach in 2024. Wow.

Wow, wow. So was it the power structure within the building? Everyone's been talking about Rich McKay, the CEO of the Falcons, and how the setup there was something that might prove unworkable.

What's your reporting there and where it currently stands with Morris now in the building? I would say the Rich McKay angle of this has been vastly overblown. Rich McKay was never, you know, somebody who was a hard line. It's either Rich or it's Bill.

Rich isn't going anywhere. I mean, he's very closely tied in with Arthur Blank and the broader businesses that Arthur Blank runs. And Rich McKay is one of the respected individuals in the NFL. He's the chair of the competition committee, you know, football side, business side.

Everybody holds Rich McKay in high regard. This was more so about what is the building going to look like moving forward? They are changing the structure. The head coach and general manager now are reporting directly to Arthur Blank, not to Rich McKay. So to the extent that there was this idea, well, Rich McKay is the reason Bill Belichick can't take this job, wasn't really reflected in that from the Falcons end or for Belichick's end. Bill Belichick was very much, again, ready to make things work in Atlanta. There were going to be organizational adjustments. There's no question because Bill Belichick, going all the way back to the early 90s when he was the head coach in Cleveland, has always had contractually that he is the head of personnel, that he is effectively the general manager. Terry Fonno could have stayed. Rich McKay could have stayed. There would have just been a different function to how that building ran.

And when it boiled right down to it and they were having those internal discussions, they came to the conclusion that they were not going to go that direction. And so right now, Bill Belichick is a head coach without a home and quite possibly Rich, as much as people may want to have a funeral right now for Bill Belichick's coaching career, everything that I have understood to this point is taking a year off and coming back in 2025 to continue pursuing those records and try to get this thing going someplace else is very much still potentially in the cards for Belichick. Tom Pelissero right here on the Rich Eisen Show. And so there's two gigs still open, Washington and Seattle. Fair to say that their targets are coaching this weekend. That's why these jobs are still open.

What do you think? Not necessarily. I would say with Washington, they've got a bunch of interviews set up next week with the guys who are still in the playoffs. You're seeing Anthony Weaver on Monday night. The Lions are making their guys available in Detroit Tuesday and Wednesday. So somewhere in there, the commanders are scheduled to meet with Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. And then Dan Quinn also has an interview.

I think that one's going to be on Tuesday. So they had a second interview with Bobby Slow. They still need to do one more interview to comply with the Rooney rule.

So right now they could not make a higher even if they wanted to. So I do anticipate the commanders are going to get into next week with the Seahawks. They've been going through their second interviews this week. They had Patrick Graham. They had Mike Kafka. They had Dan Quinn today.

They were supposed to be having Raheem Morris, who, you know, became unavailable. Adrian Rivera is the last one that's currently scheduled. That second interview is going to happen tomorrow with John Schneider. You know, he's waited 14 years to be able to run this process. And so from what I've been told, it seems like Schneider and the people in Seattle are enjoying getting to know different people and getting to hear different philosophies and understand how different things work in other buildings. I mean, Pete Carroll hired John Schneider back in 2010. I know kind of Pete overbled things a little bit.

They're basically talking about, you know, Johnny, you've been waiting 14 years for this opportunity. I mean, he's had Schneider in a closet somewhere this entire time. He's been very much involved in the personnel operation and done a lot of things in the draft.

And otherwise, but this is, you know, that opportunity to really try to get this thing right. I know there's been a lot of speculation about Dan Quinn, the natural connections to John and to Pete. I've never gotten the sense that this was all means to an end and they're just checking boxes and then they're going to hire Dan Quinn. He could be Seattle's next head coach, but the other guys that they're meeting with here are all real candidates, too.

And that interview process potentially, if they're going to see Ben Johnson again, could go into next week. Where does the 2021 coach of the year fit in here, man? I mean, where does Vrabel fit in? Could he be on the sidelines, too?

Unless the commanders go back kind of on where they've been headed throughout the course of their process. Mike Vrabel also may well be a coach without a team for 2024. I know that there's been a lot of local media speculations. I was asked about it on Seattle radio a couple of days ago about Mike Vrabel. Never say never, Rich, in any of this. If you had strapped me down and said, is Dave Canales going to be a head coach in the NFL a few weeks ago?

I would have said, no, I don't think so. I mean, everybody thinks highly of Dave Canales in terms of the energy. He did a great job this year, especially down the stretch, but Baker may have failed in that offense. But that's a name that when he got the offensive coordinator job in Tampa a year ago, it was a surprise to a lot of people within the league.

Good for David. He's getting that opportunity in Carolina. You never say never, but I don't really anticipate the Seahawks search going the Mike Vrabel direction. And this is something we talked about on the insiders today on NFL Plus and NFL Network, where when you just when you look through the names that have been hired this year and like, what's the running theme? Obviously, it's a more diverse list that we've had in prior years, but it's also a list of guys who bring a lot of positive energy to the room. When you think about what Raheem Morris is, you think about Dave Canales's reputation. Drod Mayo is basically a motivational speaker.

Antonio Pierce, there's certainly more edge. He's a he's a raider, but it's still like an uplifting, bring the locker room together type of a guy. You know, Jim Harbaugh is the outlier in this entire list.

Brian Callahan is the one I didn't mention going to Tennessee, another really positive reinforcement environment. That's what he comes from in Cincinnati. Jim Harbaugh got a text from a coach yesterday saying, you know, the Chargers players have no idea what they're in for.

And I said, what do you mean? And the response was he is literally a robot sent from outer space to coach football. Harbaugh is in a different category.

He's 60 years old. He has won everywhere, but that's a different, unique style of environment. Everybody else comes from this kind of positive culture building type of a place. And I think that that's the impact of a Dan Campbell in Detroit and the success that he is having. I think that that is the impact of a D'Amico Ryans in Houston as well.

Guys who know how to set a program where guys want to come to work every day. And that's not to say that the way Bill Belichick has done things forever is wrong. The way that Mike Vrabel has done things forever is wrong. That's a Vic Fangio who was essentially pushed out in Miami.

He's had success at various points through the course of his career. And when you dig around on why Vic Fangio is not the defensive coordinator in Miami, it's not that his scheme had become stale. It's that he didn't have relationships with players like a lot of coaches do now. So that's one of the running themes, I think, is that this generation of players, does the Bill Belichick style, the Mike Vrabel style, the Vic Fangio style necessarily work?

Again, Vrabel won a lot of games for a long time, lost 18 of his last 24 in Tennessee. I just think that positive reinforcement versus negative reinforcement culture, when team presidents and owners are looking at this right now, people like Amy Adams Strunk are talking about collaboration and alignment. You kind of end up with these guys who have operated as football gods and have had a great deal of control over their programs.

Maybe that's just not the way that certain organizations want to set up their programs right now. Well, I mean, that was a lot right there, for sure. And the only thing I will say, before we move on to the next subject matter, is whoever texted you that Harbaugh is a robot from a different planet sent to Earth to coach football must have skipped his tenure in Ann Arbor, where he related to 18 to 22-year-olds in a manner that potentially the new defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles did not.

And I would proffer to say that's a pretty tight locker room he might build in Los Angeles. That's just my two cents. Obviously, I'm a bit biased here, Tom. No question. He's a different guy. I know that. And it's work. Right. And he's coming to shake up the NFL too, sir. I mean, he's coming... It's the biggest story. Think about this, Rich.

It's not just... The Chargers moved to LA seven years ago as the tenant to the Rams at SoFi Stadium. And that was because, as I'm sure you remember well, the Chargers and the Raiders had their plan to go build a stadium in Carson, California. They lost out to the Jerry Jones Cabal that wanted to build this mecca, multi-billion dollar stadium site in LA. The Chargers then had the first option, all right, you either go to LA as the tenant or you go back to San Diego with nothing and we let the Raiders move there. Dean Spanos and company chose, all right, we're going to go to LA. They've spent seven years fighting for attention in that market, which is a difficult market, I think, to outdraw, especially when the Rams have Sean McVay and he goes to multiple Super Bowls and wins one. Brandon Staley did a lot over three years to try to build a positive, a championship culture.

They invested in resources and they built out a lot of different departments. But now they go from being the little brother to the Rams, too. They're not just the biggest story in the NFL.

They're the biggest story right now, Rich, in sports, quite possibly. Jim Harbaugh going there. He's won from the University of San Diego to Stanford to the 49ers to Michigan. He does things his own way. You hear a lot of more is more with Jim Harbaugh.

It is a grind. He asks a lot of people and it works and he wins. I am fascinated to see what this looks like in LA with the Chargers. No matter how different of a dude Jim Harbaugh is, and he is one of the most uniquely focused, uniquely wired individuals we've seen in the NFL. He's now going to be doing battle with Sean Payton and the Broncos, with Andy Reid and the Chiefs, and whatever in the world Antonio Pierce and the Raiders are going to build out in Las Vegas.

That's one of the big unknowns in this whole thing. I just think it's going to be such a fun division with such good coaches as we move forward here and the expectations that for the Chargers last year were just OK. They got to take the next step. They got to win a playoff game.

You can fairly say right now the expectations that are going to be placed upon Jim Harbaugh are you went to the NFC Championship game your first three years in San Francisco, went to a Super Bowl. That's where the bar is now in LA and we'll see how exactly that all plays out. All right, I'm going to ask you one last thing before I let you go. What's the scoop with Deebo? I mean, this is it, right? So let's roll.

What do we have? Deebo does not have structural damage in that shoulder. It's not a hairline fracture like last time. He was limited in practice on Thursday. The fact that he's even out there limited is probably a good sign. We also know how violent Deebo's play style is.

They're not going to put him in harm's way. You know, when Deebo wasn't out there rich for however many games that was earlier this season, they were not the same offense and you saw that and they lost games and they didn't function as well. He is their tone setter to go up against the Lions team that is going to want to set the tone like they always want to do from go in this game. If Deebo can physically be out there, if the team clears him, he's going to give it a shot.

There may also be something to be said if he knows that he's not a hundred percent that maybe exercise caution get him closer to being all the way back come Super Bowl time. That is one that I would not be surprised at all if they take this up really close to kickoff here, but they should have a pretty good idea. If not today, I fully would anticipate that they list him as questionable.

They should have a pretty good idea, I would think, after tomorrow's walkthrough. How is he feeling? Because that's the biggest thing is Kyle Shanahan keeps saying he's not injured in the sense of he's got something structurally wrong, but he is in a lot of pain and that pain, even if you're going to take something to help with it, that is potentially going to be a factor in the final decision. Any other injuries we should be looking for or news on injuries? Mark Andrews is off IR, so he's going to make it back.

I guess I'm asking multiple questions at once. Let's start with that and then you can tell me about the rest of the injuries about what to expect out of Mark Andrews snaps-wise and play-wise. Well, Mark Andrews has been a full participant since the middle of last week in practice, so everything seems to be tracking for him to play a significant role in this game, which is crazy.

He cracked his tibia and suffered an ankle ligament injury in week 11. And you remember John Harbaugh at the time basically saying like, yeah, it's not, you know, it's not looking good. We'll hold out hope that maybe he can get back.

But as Andrews progressed through his rehab protocol, all of a sudden it was like, okay, if we get to the championship game, we think there's a pretty decent shot. I don't know that he's going to go out there and play 70 snaps, Rich, just because his wind, as much as anything, is going to be an issue. But when they need him in red zone and otherwise, I would anticipate you're going to see a lot of Mark Andrews. Beyond that, on the injury front, Dan Campbell said Frank Ragnell is going to be good to go. It's a Pro Bowl lineman that's a, he is their tone setter on the offensive line. So that's going to be a big deal for the Lions in that game. Isaiah Pacheco missed some time this week. He's dealing with a toe injury and I think it's a knee injury. Andy Reid, though, indicating he should be good to go.

So a lot of tone centers, Rich. So we're talking about these guys. Pacheco is another one pound for pound.

Gimme him as the strongest, toughest dude in the NFL. But sounds like a lot of these are tracking toward them being out there on Sunday. Diva was clearly the number one question. Okay. Thanks for the time, Tom. You're the man. Let's talk next week. We'll chat soon or game day morning. I'm sure you're part of the six hour extravaganza. I am.

Okay. I'll be there a few times. The Pelissero Palooza going to be joining us six hours.

Thank you, sir. That's Tom Pelissero right here on the Rich Eisen Show. You can catch Championship Sunday by streaming it on Westwood One for free. Sponsored by AutoZone all season long. You've been hopefully listening to every Westwood One broadcast of the NFL Live on the NFL app by asking Alexa to open Westwood One Sports on your Westwood One affiliate station's digital platforms. You can stream it for free and get in the zone with AutoZone.

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Phone calls. We'll hear from the Baltimore Ravens. John Harbaugh asked about his brother, Jim, being back in the NFL. That's next.

This is the Rich Eisen Show. Then Mahomes. The memories of you just sitting next to Mahomes. Just sitting right next to him. As soon as he comes off the field, just chit-chatting.

How do you think that helped his development and did lead to the guy who's like, let's use the wasp, you know, in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl trying to turn things around? Yeah, listen, it's a trust thing. And I know he wants to be the best. He's not going to sit there and boast about that and tell people. But he wants to be, he wants to maximize all of his potential. As a coach, you love that. So he wants you to give him one more thing to even be greater than what he already is. And you can appreciate that.

He's going to do nothing but get better, Rich. That's what's really great. I know it's crazy.

It's crazy, right? I mean, what does he have to improve on, Andy? What do you think?

Well, I joke him. I say, listen, quarterbacking's a lot like being a farmer. Like the work's never done. There's something in the game that you can work on. And then it's our responsibility to give them new challenges. And so there's so much you can do offensively in football right now.

And there's no rules as far as, I mean, there's certain rules. We still got to stop at red lights, but there's a lot of ways to get to it. So the expansion, I guess, of offenses with the way the colleges are playing now is greater than it's ever been.

And we're able to utilize more field than we've ever used. And so let's explore that. And let's not say anything's impossible until we prove it's impossible ourselves. Let's try that. And then we'll see where we end up. You know, who knows? It's kind of worked. You know what I'm saying?

And that was after their first of two Super Bowl championships together right here on our program. Game time tickets. Get it on your phone. Get it on your mobile device right away and start buying tickets.

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It is guaranteed. Hey, Jeff and Detroit, are you fired up? You ready to go? Jeffrey, you ready to go?

He's on. You there, Jeff? Jeff, you on mute?

Take us off mute. All right, put him back. I just tried to get him in one last time here. Travis Kelce has spoken.

Hey, I believe this is his one media availability for the week. He was asked about his motivation and whether the subject matter of him thinking of retiring and he doesn't have much gas left in the tank is something that lights him up. It's a challenge to find new ways to have success. And I think that's what this year has brought for me is that obstacle and figuring out how I can get the best out of myself, how I can figure out how I can get the best out of my teammates and all at the same time, being a great leader, bringing that energy, showing for the young guys, you know, the type of determined mindset you got to have week in week out. And you know what, man, I love that challenge. I was talking to my brother the other day on the podcast.

It was just there's certain things that give you challenges in life that you just got to be appreciative that you're getting tested, you know, because not everybody gets those opportunities, especially when you get to do it with a group of men and women that they can rally together with and really, you know, prove yourselves what you're made of. Well done, man. He has grown up. Yeah, right. Remember, he was the hot head that was throwing stuff around on the field and getting 15 yard penalties and was got ejected for throwing a towel at the arrest. Remember, and he had an incredible amount of talent. We were all wondering, you know, if he would just be just a Pro Bowl tight end at the time and manifest his talent. And now he's just another 87 that's going to go to the Hall of Fame.

It's the First Battle Hall of Famer. Without question. He is now on par and in some measures, in terms of some numbers, surpassed Gronk. He and Mahomes have now surpassed Brady and Gronk in terms of most touchdowns ever created in a playoff career.

I mean, that's where he is right now. And he's just like Mahomes. They have now connected in a way, not just on the field, but just in that category of we're not going to let you beat us.

And the same thing we ascribed to Mahomes the other day. It's like, you know, motivation my ass here. Come on.

We have turned ourselves into an all time wrecking machine and we're coming to wreck your world. He's just like the same thing. And I feel the same way, too, about, you know, challenges later. And I'll you know what I keep thinking of when I just heard that just to I'm not making about myself.

I just want to say how I relate to it. You know, calling games this deep into my career is a challenge. Sure. It's a totally different endeavor. It's risky, you know, because it's a huge audience that either thinks that I don't know what I'm talking about en masse as opposed to just, you know, maybe seeing me here and there and thinking I don't know what I'm talking about. But you know what I mean? Yeah, it is a totally different way of broadcasting than what I do here, than what I do in the studio. And it is an amazing challenge with a group of men and women that working together as a team like a broadcast. I know exactly how it feels.

Also know exactly in that respect with Kelsey, how it feels to be connected to a superstar female. Know that, too? Thank you. You know what I mean? I know all too well. Thank you. I mean, that's what I think of when I see the look at what he's grown into, what he's made himself into. I totally appreciate that.

He's like, you know what? I'm lucky to be challenged. I'm lucky to be at this stage of my career where it's a totally different way of doing it.

I'm going to do it the same way in a different manner. Like, you know, whatever was going on this year on the field with dropping passes and whatever was going on in the locker room, what was going on with his rehab of an injury. By the way, I bet you were going to find out that that injury that he suffered early on in the season has been nagging him all year. Probably.

They just don't talk about it. He's played a long time. Him and Gronk are the same age, and Gronk has been retired twice. Yeah, right. And he could win another ring. And he could do something Gronk never did, but Brady did. Went back to back.

Raven standing in their way. John Harbaugh asked about his bro. Why wouldn't he? Because they're on the docket for 2025. 2024, pardon me. And I'm sure he's like, I'm not done with 2023 just yet, but Jim's back and he's in the AFC fired up, you know? Yeah. I didn't not thinking about the game.

No, that's that's a game way off in the future, but very excited for Jim. Happy for his family. Like I told you guys before, he called that night back home and the kids that already had their bags packed. They're ready. They thought they're going the next day to LA. They're actually coming here. So that's cool.

But they didn't waste the bag packing, I guess. But he's like I said, the Chargers just got themselves a great, great football coach. Players are going to love him. City's going to love him.

And you know, they're going to they're going to be very formidable. Had the bags packed. All right. Apparently he's meeting with the Wolverine team for team 144 before or an advanced team 145 before he goes, says it's not goodbye. I saw that.

Oh, God. All right, AFC Championship game final poll results, sir. The NFC and AFC Championship games will eventually give us two Super Bowl fifty eight combatants and only one will win it all and affect his legacy forevermore roll through our poll results.

If you don't mind, Christopher. Yeah, legacy most affected by a Super Bowl win. Lamar Jackson, 54 percent. Jared Goff, 21 percent. Brock Purdy, 14 percent. Patrick Mahomes, 10 percent.

I would I can't believe he's in last place. There's only one guy that could basically say I'm a step closer to Brady and I'm doing things Brady didn't do. You know, didn't do well. Six straight AFC Championship game appearances to start a career making the Super Bowl four out of six years. I mean, Brady did win three out of four. I understand that. And then had eight in a row stretch.

No, I get it. I think it's Lamar Jackson because if he wins, I get it. If he wins the Super Bowl. Now we're talking about Hall of Fame for for Lamar Jackson. Well, as I mentioned to you, it's a very small group of people who have won MVP multiple times, and he would be the only one in that entire mix that's not won a championship in his career, which is still very young.

But I just I'm surprised. Listen, I know everyone just thinks, well, Mahomes' legacy, you can just deal with it another time. He can't if he wants to catch Brady.

He can't. He can't waste a year. Catching Brady just seems so it's entirely possible like a Madden number. Like seven Super Bowls is unbelievable. Brady won three quicker than Mahomes and then didn't win for 10 years, right? Do you think Mahomes is going to play another 10 years? I do.

Okay. Mahomes plays another 15 years. He would still not be playing as long as Brady.

That's why I don't think we're ever going to see someone play in their 40s. I don't know. All right, I'll be on six hours on NFL Network Sunday and then back with most of you Monday. Back on the Roku channel in a moment. Rolling Stone music now, wherever you listen.