In the NFL, as we all know, there is no margin for error.
One single mistake can change the outcome of a game or even, yeah, a career. Science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time, and overall athletic performance. Putting it all together, the official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL is Sleep Number, whose mission is to provide players with data and insights to optimize their sleep for the ultimate competitive edge. And you can have it, too.
I know all about it. I've been around Sleep Number since 2015. My Sleep Number setting is 60.
My wife's is 70. Just 10 numbers apart, but it is the world of difference. We can set the mattress firmness on each side of the bed to the way that we want and get a great night's sleep. So why choose a Sleep Number Smart Bed? So you can choose, again, your ideal comfort on either side. And now it's the lowest price of the season on the top-selling i8 Smart Bed.
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See store or sleepnumber.com for details. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions. So you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum Card offers world-class business and travel benefits. So you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum Card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases. And you can get complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge. So you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum Card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love. Terms and points can't apply.
Learn more at americanexpress.com slash Amex Business. And you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. Earlier on the show, Pro Football Hall of Famer Kelvin Johnson, Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Nooy. Coming up, 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist Luke Kuechly. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Our number three of the Rich Eisen show is on the air. Luke Kuechly going to join us in 20 minutes time.
He's a, in my mind, future Hall of Famer. He's the radio analyst of the Carolina Panthers. There's breaking news.
Do you have the, you got the drop for me, Jason Feller? That's our kicking off hour number three. Hit it, please. Here it comes. I see breaking news.
Well, the Raiders have a new general manager coming because they just fired Tom Talusko. After just saying that he was safe? Apparently not. A day and a half ago?
That is correct. I've just been so informed. This is happening right here? Yeah, Tommy P. is reporting it. Wow. Tom Brady getting to work. We're assuming, we're assuming, we're assuming that they are cleaning a house. I mean, that is a stunner.
And I'll tell you, I'll tell you what, man, to use the phrase. Yeah, they've relieved Tom Talusko. We appreciate his efforts in helping build a foundation for the future.
We wish Tom and his family all the best. And it is such a crazy football world we live in. The Antonio Pierce era, as I mentioned to everybody, won too many games and not enough games. Too many games for them to get in position to get one of the rookie quarterbacks last year, which led to this year not winning enough games until the very end.
Now, how many times are we saying it? Sixth overall might not be good enough to get somebody. But that's for the future. That's for the next general manager to deal with.
You're shaking your head over there. It's just like, how are these coaches supposed to win games when you, the number one position on your team is unsolidified? It's just like one and done.
Or in Pierce's case, what, one and a half and done. It's like, how are you supposed to be successful with that quarterback room? And then you essentially did what I guess you were supposed to do, not win a bunch of games.
But like you said, he won one or two too many. On brand. But it's like, what are you supposed to do? This is why the Giants didn't do what they did to Joe Shane and Brian Dable. And Giant fans may be pissed about it. And in the end, maybe rightfully so. But when you keep churning through it, you got nothing.
Although, again, they're churning through it. And now they have a new minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. His name is Thomas Edward Brady. And it does appear that he is, I can't lay this at the feet of him, because they don't talk about how significant a role that Brady has, which definitely is a dicey subject for Fox Sports. Because there is a minority owner of one of the 32 that's sitting with a microphone attached to a headset on his very famous head talking about, at some point, the Kansas City Chiefs, who are a prime competitor of a team that he has part ownership of. And if he's calling a Kansas City Chiefs game, I understand he's Tom Brady. You know, how open are the Chiefs going to be? Hey, come on and watch practice. No, he can't.
I plead the fifth. Right. Which I think is, you know, understandable.
But, you know, obviously, I don't think Tom is in any way, shape or form, you know, a mole. But he is definitely going to have a large say, one would think, in hiring the next coach and general manager to try and take the Chiefs out. How should the Chiefs handle such a thing? The Chargers. The Broncos. The three teams that are in the division making the playoffs that Tom Brady might. He's got, what, a 50 percent chance of calling one of their one of those teams in the Super Bowl? Less than. Three out of seven. So. Yeah, it's tough.
It's just a wild state of affairs. And I mean, how do you lay anything at Telesco's feet? I don't know what's going on in that building, other than the fact that some of the coaches that they're talking to want to bring in their own person. And you want that person to be attached to the hip in the same way a Harbaugh. Harbaugh came and changed the culture of the Los Angeles Chargers. He brought Joe Ortiz with him. And that's his handpicked guy.
And if he's the CEO of the entire operation, you need that person to be in charge. Certainly, if you might be one of those people calling up a certain coach of the University of North Carolina saying you want to write something down on a cocktail napkin. And it's kind of crazy that we're in this day and age, too, right? Right now, the Brady Belichick post Brady Belichick world. Is now Tom Brady, announcer for Fox. He's going to call Super Bowl fifty nine. Well, pardon me.
At the same time, I shouldn't talk with my hand so much. But at the same time, he's helping lead and now coaching and general manager search for the Las Vegas Raiders. He got that. And then Bill Belichick is on the recruiting trail. I don't know if you guys have seen this. Oh, his Twitter is crazy.
Exactly. Jackson is a defensive back for Bergen Catholic in the Great Hamlet of Oradell, New Jersey. That's Bill being honored. That's Bill Belichick on the college football high school recruiting trail. You ever think you'd see a photograph like this? Definitely not drawn up plays in the back. What is that on the whiteboard? I don't know. It's definitely not North Carolina plays, because if it was, they wouldn't allow a photograph of it. That's for sure.
But there you go. Like you're wondering, how is Bill going to relate to the high school class? Well, well enough that he's having great conversations with a kid who's like, let's take a picture and I'll tweet it out.
Yeah, Bill's Twitter is nothing but photos like this. At Bellacheck underscore B. Make sure you tag the coach.
What the hell is happening? The Patriot way is now a raider way and on the Bergen Catholic high school recruited recruiting trail way. While Vrabel might be the guy that you're firing Tom Telesco for, although he's unbelievable.
He has yet to appear on the list of of candidates that the Raiders have interviewed. Right. Because now you announce these things.
Now you make a list of these things. Now it's out there. It's all fully transparent who you're talking to. Yeah, Vic Taffer an hour ago and said that they do not have a meeting set up with Vrabel. And that because what he's already met with the Jets. Right. Yeah. And he's met with he's meeting with the Patriots today. Right.
Yeah. He's not going to meet with the Titans. We know that because they don't have they don't have an opening.
I don't know if the Jaguars have reached out to him, but that's the latest. The Las Vegas Raiders are now just like the Jets looking for a coach and a general manager. You know. Unbelievable. Whatever works. Thomas Edward Brady crazy in a minority ownership position in charge.
One would think as a large role. I mean, Stephen A. Smith went on what the football and absolutely verbalized what everybody is thinking. How do you not ask him? Now the GM's gone. Wow.
Eight four four two oh four rich number to dial. Lou Kuechly going to join us shortly. Would Brady just be the GM? Probably not. Right. No.
Come on, man. Why would he be the GM? He's an owner.
He's a part owner. Rich. Hi. How's it working out for you? Well, I'm just answering your question.
Like, why? Well, it did work out great. It worked out back in before iPhones and stuff came out. You might think it's not working out for you right now. But guess what? Because the flowers in front of you show that it's not working out for you. This is the third bouquet you've received from Carl Anthony towns in trolling fashion, because the Cowboys lost twice to the Eagles and once the Lions, which, by the way, him chiming in on lost the Lions.
That's a party foul. One would think you orchestrated it. What are you talking about? I had no idea he was going to run the night. No, I had no idea.
By the way, you guys are out there playing 18. No, that was not trash. I wasn't that was not part of my caper.
I had no part of that case. And that was all him. No, but congratulations. You won this. You're going to win the Super Bowl next year. You know how well I know that how it's not that the script is out.
I know because I haven't gotten it yet. Micah Parsons won on his podcast and said as such. I'm so appreciative for the people that kept believing because we're not done yet. We are not done yet. And I hope that you don't think we're done yet because it's going to be an amazing, amazing, amazing thing to see next year when we're holding the trophy.
Yes, it's big goals. But I'm telling you, I right now is holding the trophy. I'm saying my prayers out loud. I'm saying my goals out loud. So you all can hear and we're going to you know, we're going to be holding a trophy up next year.
Point blank period. That's making a lot of rounds today. Oh, I know. He's talking about the trophy that Jerry's going to win when he wins an Emmy for Landman for Landman.
Then everyone gets to hold that trophy. Is that what we're what we're saying? Jerry's, you know, I know he's getting lit up, but this is just part and parcel of a lion in his mid 20s. Just talking his thing on his pod. What else do you want him to say? What do you want to throw the coach under the bus again? You want to just say we have no shot. We're not going to do it. Yeah. Can you imagine that? I'm not going to I'm not going to take him to task for that sort of thing. You've got to speak it into existence, right?
I've been trying that for years. And this this is this is the way I mean, if you're looking to get back at Carl Anthony Towns, could you imagine if that actually happens? He just called his shot right there and it actually happens next year. You got let me tell you what you guys don't want to have happen. You win the Super Bowl after all the crap that I've had to take since you put me in front of this microphone.
And I've tried to be cool about it. And no, you got to take out a loan to get back, Kat. Right.
I'm have to hit up some of my more financially secure friends and ask for a couple ducking. Now, that would be the fairy tale ending that Jerry Jones was talking about after Dak went out. Right.
And that the fairy tale ending could happen. The cowboys just keep on giving, don't they? Well, I mean, you know, and Stephen A has is fun at their expense frequently, you know, don't he was on what the football.
And I just want to play this. It's as is Stephen A. Bringing his A plus game, Susie Schuster and Amy Trask talking about Jerry Jones. And essentially, it sounds like he thinks the car keys should be taken away. What do you think is going to be the end of this story in Dallas?
My buddy, Jerry Jones, he's a man that I respect and I and I have a lot of love for genuinely. But I think that he's lost a step. I've watched him give quotes this year, quotes that made no sense. I watched him say things that were clearly ill-advised. I've watched him explain some of the business decisions that he has made. That make no sense.
It's just not good business sense. And I've watched him on several occasions get in his own way. Derek Henry was not what we needed. He would not have been here. What he is in Baltimore. You have an opportunity to get a guy that is a monster who works out in Dallas and lives in Dallas in the off season, who made it very, very clear he wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy.
And on top of all of that is available for six to eight million dollars. And you don't get him. Working right there in your backyard, you wait to sign Dak Prescott and C.D.
Lamb. And by waiting, it cost additional twenty to twenty five million on your cap because that you signed him at an earlier date, it would have been less would have gave you ample amount of money not just to get Derek Henry, but possibly say, Quan Barkley, you didn't do it. And you're trying to explain a way that it didn't work for you, that you didn't need it when you're running backs was Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott.
See, these are the kind of things that make no sense. And then you come with Mike McCarthy. And here you are saying, let him talk.
We want people that want to be here. Well, he's your he's your head coach. And if you don't want him to go anywhere, you could resign him or give him an extension right now. Instead, you're playing games and you're letting them go out on the open market to see. Why would you treat your head coach like that? I'm not saying keep McCarthy. I'm not saying let him go. I'm saying whatever decision you make, make it.
Just make it. What's the hesitation for? You know, why? Because it's going to keep you and give you extra days and headlines. I mean, it makes no sense. Only as Stephen A could lay it out there.
I mean, that's I'm I couldn't agree with any of that more. Right. How many times have we said what do you what's the point of waiting? What's the point of waiting? And now he's doing it again with Mike McCarthy. Just because it's in his contract and he's signed with us until the 14th.
I don't I don't know. I mean, and teams are reaching out. And if you if you do decide to not stick with Mike McCarthy, everybody else has already started the process of talking interviews.
You're now going to be late to that party. OK, so we know Mike McCarthy's coming back next year. Let's not play this. Let's let Geppetto like string us along. We know that's going to happen. Do you think it's going to happen?
I don't know. Who was it that pointed out that all the all the assistant coaches have no deals for next year as well? And he's Tom Pilicero did that. But yeah, but Chris, it's like like you said this point, you're going to lose out on the top guys. So unless you're going to hire Sark or something or could be that.
I'd say Ryan Day, but he's going to Chicago. So was was was Jerry hanging out in Oradell, New Jersey today? Maybe.
What's there tapping Bill Belichick there? Yeah. H.C. of the U.N.C.
H.C. of the U.N.C. By the way, we're here to pass that to could have had that didn't want it. I mean, that's what that's. You just heard him say they should hire Bill Belichick last year.
Yeah, I'm starting to get a migraine because of this guy. I'm going to quote your own mother. Pick a new team. Don't you dare use her against me. Choose the words of a man's own mother to make your point on a sports talk radio show. That's that's that's going up to the line. I got to be honest, I do it, too.
I'm a habitual one, you know, if Miss Mary told you to do it, I'd use it on you. Let's do whatever she says. It's just a remarkable setup that's unlike anything else. And now here we are with Tom Brady taking over a minority position in ownership and a general manager gets fired. A day after a head coach gets fired.
To make it. A third different general manager now and a fourth different head coach in the last. Since twenty twenty one, ever since John Gruden resigned for the Raiders, it just makes you wonder. What you know, what what Jerry Jones, what where again, ownership and general managership together.
How does that work? I don't know. The Raiders going in that direction. Did he kind of do the GM role, you know? Yes.
So kind of just open the door like here we are. But the Dallas Cowboys, it's just like always just like what you what you. You measure twice and cut once, right? You know what Bob Kraft says from his from his.
You're supposed to measure twice and cut once, right? Like from his world of the textile industry. He knows that.
Well. Jerry Jones seems like he's measuring ten times and then cutting never. It's wild.
Look, Jerry Jones is going to win an Emmy before the Cowboys win a Super Bowl or GTA six comes out. What's going on? Let's take a break. Luke Kuechly is going to join us next.
This is the Rich Eisen show here on a wild, now busy Thursday before we take a break. Whether you're ordering wings for the game, whipping up a seven layer dip or ordering pizza, there's something about football that makes you want to eat. And this football season, Uber Eats has the best deals on game day food, no matter what you're craving.
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See app for details. Luke Kuechly when we come back right here on the Rich Eisen show. So much to talk about with him when we come back. And the NFL, as we all know, there is no margin for error. One single mistake can change the outcome of a game or even, yeah, a career. Science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time, recovery time and overall athletic performance.
Putting it all together. The official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL is Sleep Number, whose mission is to provide players with data and insights to optimize their sleep for the ultimate competitive edge. And you can have it too.
I know all about it. I've been around sleep numbers since 2015. My sleep number setting is 60.
My wife's is 70. Just 10 numbers apart. But it is the world of difference. We can set the mattress firmness on each side of the bed to the way that we want and get a great night's sleep. So why choose a Sleep Number smart bed? So you can choose again your ideal comfort on either side. And now it's the lowest price of the season on the top selling i8 smart bed.
Your best savings, plus special financing, limited time. Shop a Sleep Number store near you. Sleep Number, official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL.
See store or sleep number dot com for details. As a business owner, you're always going that extra mile to pursue your passions, so you deserve partners who can help you go further with premium benefits and rewards. The American Express Business Platinum card offers world class business and travel benefits so you can get more for your business wherever it takes you. With the Amex Business Platinum card, you can earn 1.5 times membership rewards points on select business purchases. And you can get complimentary access to more than 1400 airport lounges worldwide, including the Centurion Lounge, so you can keep running your business while you're on the go. See how the Amex Business Platinum card gives business owners like you the tools and rewards to do more of what you love.
Terms and points can't apply. Learn more at American Express dot com slash Amex Business. This episode is brought to you by unstoppable. Discover the inspiring true story about Anthony Robles, who defined every expectation to become a national wrestling champion and unstoppable. A new original movie from Amazon MGM Studios and director William Goldenberg, evoking the excitement and camaraderie of classic sports dramas and thrilling wrestling matches. Unstoppable features an all star ensemble cast, including Jerrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Michael Pena and Bobby Cannavale.
Unstoppable is streaming exclusively on Prime Video January 16th. Back here on the Roku Sports Channel, we're about to be joined by Luke Heakley. You know I'm a selfie guy, right? Suzie always made fun of me. My wife always made fun of me for being a selfie person. Well, now she's into it.
A lot of selfies with the kids. February 1st, 2016, this selfie. Ready to see it? That's me on the left. That's the current coach, the Colorado Buffaloes in there. And look at the Marcus, look at, who's that guy with the flow on the right?
Let's bring him in right now to ask that question. Who's the guy with the flow on the right, Luke Heakley? I'll tell you what, so that, that was cool. That year obviously went to the Super Bowl. Everybody on the team was growing a beard, facial hair. Greg Olson, huge beard. Ryan Khalil, huge beard. One of our special teams linebackers, Ben Jacobs, huge beard. Derek Anderson, huge beard. Luke Heakley couldn't grow a beard. What do you mean?
What do you mean? It was stubble and patchy and miserable looking. So my contribution was I'm going to grow my hair as long as I could.
So I don't remember when I cut it, but I didn't touch it from probably the middle of June through Super Bowl. Really? So that was my contribution. Wow.
So there was an actual story behind the flow. Yeah. You know, I'm glad I don't have a problem growing a beard because it's growing the hair out. That's my problem. I can't do that. You know what?
To each his own. But I remember that night, that was, that was media night, Super Bowl 50 media night. You were there and DeMarcus Ware was there and Dion and I were hosting it on NFL Network. And you just popped by and I'm like, let's take a selfie. And that was that was a you see that night every year. You grew up watching the Super Bowl and you see that night. And you're like, maybe one day. Yeah.
I'll have an opportunity. So for us to to be there at that arena, I think it was at the San Jose Sharks. Yeah, that's right. It was. Yeah, that was that in those booths and answered questions. And it was a great experience, man. And now look at us here live on the the Rich Eisen Show. And I just I just thought it would be a neat way for us to begin our conversation. I'm back here on the Rich Eisen Show radio network, sitting at the Rich Eisen Show desk, furnished by Grainger with supplies and solutions for every industry. Grainger has the right product for you.
Call clickgranger.com or just stop by. Luke Kuechly, Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist and one of the best in the Carolina Panthers history. Joining us here on the on the Rich Eisen Show.
And I mean, so many different ways to start. I last saw you in Germany, in Munich, when the Panthers season was just trying somehow some way to redeem Bryce Young, who had just got in the starting role back because of a car accident suffered by Andy Dalton. And that kid just he balled out the rest of the year, Luke. I mean, he is he is, in fact, redeemed, right?
Don't you think? I mean, since he's gotten back, he's been it's like he's been a different player. And, you know, that was a difficult decision for for Dave Canales, his first year in Carolina.
Do I do I pull this first overall pick who we traded all these picks for and start a veteran quarterback in Andy Dalton? And, you know, the season started off poorly. Bryce had a couple of tough games. We were struggling.
They made the move. Andy goes in week one. Starting goes and lights it up against Las Vegas. And everyone's like, boom, Andy's our guy. And then Andy gets hurt. Bryce comes back in that first game against Denver.
We struggle a little bit. And at the end of the game, he takes us on a drive. We go down the field, then we beat the Saints and then we go beat the Giants. And then we take the Eagles and the Chiefs to the edge. And it just it's like he came back and this is whoever took that picture is exactly what Bryce was when he came back.
Smiling, having fun. I felt like he was the Bryce of Alabama. And I think a lot of it has to do with, you know, he got hit a lot his first year as rookie.
You got sacked 62 times. Our offensive line was a revolving door. This year, Dan Morgan goes out and signs a bunch of big guys up front.
Solidify the offensive line. I think it took him an opportunity when he sat back and watch. I think he said, wow, like our offensive line is really good. He got to watch Andy do it. And then when he came back, it just all kind of started flowing again. So I give him I give Bryce a ton of credit. Just the the mental in the physical toughness that he's shown since he's been here, both getting hit a ton last year and then dealing with what he went through this year.
I give him a lot of credit for how he rebounded the second half of the year. Yeah. And Dave Canales in our broadcast meeting before that Giants Carolina game in Munich. Luke told us that he knew that they would get in the right direction or they were going in the right direction. When the players personalities would show up on the field. So for you to point out, like the photograph of Bryce, you know, giving the first down line signal. As as that's the guy who is Canales was right. You know, with Lee get showing his personality out there on the field and you see what Bryce Young was doing.
It's feeling coming back was obviously crucial because he's still got a ton of game left. I got to tell you, I didn't see Bryce Young being redeemed by the end of the year unquestionably on the dance card. Didn't see it.
I didn't I didn't either. I mean, where he started the year to where he is now is has been I give that I give him a lot of credit. I give Dave Canales a lot of credit. I give Andy Dalton a ton of credit for the situation that took him off the field and still being a great teammate.
I just and I think a lot of it comes from Canales and his attitude and his positivity and the type of person he is. So while speaking of dance cards, Luke, you call on the games locally on the radio, on the Panthers radio network. Week two, you saw the Chargers, week seven, Washington, week eight, Denver, week 12, Kansas City and week 14, Philadelphia. Weeks 17 and 13 and 17, Tampa.
They all have one thing in common. They have made the playoffs. So which which is the best team do you think that you personally witnessed, Luke? Oh, I think it'd be hard. I wasn't at the Eagles game. I didn't get to do that when I was.
I had I had something else going on. I think the Chiefs, the Chiefs to me. I mean, you you can tell a lot by a team and how they warm up prior to the game. Are they loose? Are they confident? Are they having fun? The energy that you can feel from the Chiefs is very much the players. The players are the team. They have confidence in who they are. They follow number ninety five. They follow Travis Kelce.
They follow Mahomes. And they are loose in their confidence. And they they just feel like a team that's been to the Super Bowl and won two in a row.
That's just what they feel like to me. And they don't always win pretty this year, but they were pretty daggone good. And I think that was the best team that we played this year.
No doubt. And you know, but the Panthers gave them all they could handle in that game. If I'm not mistaken, that's the one where Mahomes was running down the sideline and and took care of business towards the end of it. And that result was kind of the pinnacle of the narrative all year long, that the Chiefs are winning with smoke and mirrors, pulling it out of various orify towards the end of the game and being a tad more lucky than good. So I'm wondering where you stand on that subject matter, even though we have seen the Chiefs kind of turn it around a little bit more in the last month of the year.
I think I think good teams just know how to win games. And that's what the Chiefs are. And I think some of these teams, they know the Chiefs have been in the Super Bowl last two years, have been in the playoffs the past couple of years. I sometimes think, do they do they get bored playing in the regular season? Do they get bored traveling on the road and playing a one o'clock game in the middle of the season in October when they know we're going to win our division? We're going to have a couple of home games. And then the ultimate goal is to get to the Super Bowl.
So I think, like, number one, good teams know how to win games. They have the best quarterback out there that can take him down the field. Kelsey, the narrative on him all year is, oh, he's not doing anything. And then when they need him, he shows up.
Chris Jones is a monster. That Spagnola defense is is really good, but they're the Kansas City Chiefs. They won the Super Bowl the last two years. I think when when it becomes go time, they're ready to go. And I think a lot of people are starting to really wonder what 24 days or whatever it is have an effect on them from when Mahomes and Kelsey and all those guys have played last to this first playoff game. Is that a thing? Getting bored in the regular season, playing just one o'clock games, you're not on Sunday night football or Thursday night football?
Well, in the case of the the Chiefs, they've literally won a game on every day of the week this year except Tuesday. Isn't that wild? It is true. So is that a thing where you get bored maybe? You think? I wouldn't I wouldn't say yes. I wouldn't say no. I certainly believe, though, it's a possibility when they they go on this thing about if they go on a road against an NFC team in the middle of October and they're 10 and one in their divisions, not great this year. Obviously, they had three teams go to the playoffs, but they're still the the the best team in that division.
I I wouldn't be surprised if you talk to those guys and you're like, yeah, you know what? We'll play the first three quarters in the fourth quarter is turn it on. Luke Kuechly here on the Rich Eisen Show, seven time Pro Bowler, five time first team All-Pro, a defensive rookie of the year and a defensive player of the year here on the Rich Eisen Show. If if this was like the Heisman Trophy and defensive players of the year got a chance to vote for defensive players of the year currently, who would you give your vote to, Luke? Well, you know, I doesn't think getting up gets ever gets enough credit as Trey Hendrickson. And granted, they were on they were on a bad on a bad defense with Cincinnati's one of the big reasons they missed the playoffs.
So I can't give it to him. I think I think T.J. Watt, I think Miles Garrett, I think Zach Bond and the job that he's done on that Philadelphia Eagles defense has been has been really good. So I'm sure I'm missing some guys. Well, Sertan is another one that's out there on the back end, which is obviously a rarity for a back end guy. Normally it's in the same way that the MVP is a quarterback award. Frequently, the defensive player of the year is a sacks award. Right. Like it's a pass rusher award.
You are obviously an exception to that rule. Sometimes you can have a middle linebacker who's doing it. But Sertan is on that list, too. He should be. Yeah, I mean, that defense and Vance Joseph out there in Denver has been has been phenomenal all year. But I'm going to I'm going to throw a little love at an off the ball backer, Zach Bond first year in Philadelphia and that Fangio defense he's had. He's had a really good season and he's been a big part of their success, I think, in Philadelphia. Yeah, I mean, he's what what a story for him. Right.
I mean, oh, yeah. A special team or in many ways coming from new New Orleans and and Vic Fangio is like that that's clay. I'm going to mold that guy into a defensive player of the year. And he's he is 100 percent resulted in success.
Absolutely. He was a he was a second round pick out of Wisconsin. They brought him into New Orleans and he wasn't I don't think he was what they thought he was going to be.
And everyone was kind of like, what's going on? And then switches over to Philadelphia and Vic Fangio is playing him on the ball, off the ball, five man front, traditional four man spacing off the ball. And it just shows you that sometimes it's not the guy and it's just more guys. Guys thrive in a different system and nothing wrong on either end.
He's just a better fit with that Fangio defense. Let's talk about a team we're not talking about. OK. Because in many ways, I understand Cam Newton was the MVP of your team that went to Super Bowl 50.
So it's and it's not like you didn't have any stars out there. You did. But I don't think a lot of people going into the season were pegging Carolina to make the the Super Bowl out of the NFC that year. With all due respect.
But you did. So which team are we not talking about that can make it that you think has got a real shot to make the Super Bowl? I think of the NFC, you start to think about teams that when they're hot, who do you not who do you not want to play? And I think the Rams are one of those teams where, you know, in weeks, you know, 15 through 17, where they didn't play a lot of their guys. They were really, really good on the defensive side of the ball. And then to the offensive side, they struggled those weeks, 15 to 17.
But they're healthy. They have both the receivers. They got Stafford. You watch if you watch that Bill's that Bill's Rams game, you know, they can score a million points. Their first game will be at home since they won the NFC West. I think Sean McVeigh is a really, really good defensive offensive coordinator, offensive mind. And if that defense plays as well as it did, you know, weeks, 15 through 17, and that offense starts to get going again like we know it can.
I think they're a team that in the NFC that you wouldn't you wouldn't want to play. And then I think everybody on the AFC side is is breathing a sigh of relief that Joe Burrow and the Bengals sneak their way in. You think right. You think he is. I'll tell you what, that guy, he can you watching him throw the ball in pregame warm ups. It's Jake Delone, who I do the radio with, made a really a really good point.
He makes a lot of good points. But he said that Joe Burrow is a passer of the football. He's not a thrower. There's a lot of guys out there that throw the football.
I mean, Joe can certainly throw it, but he's a passer. Everything is precision. Everything is well thought out. He goes through his progressions. He's really hard to play against because the ball goes where it's supposed to. It's on target. If it's not there, he goes one, two, check down. And it's it's impressive to watch him. And I bet you a lot of those teams, especially the Bills, the Bills, it would have been it would have been Cincinnati versus Buffalo.
And I think up there in Buffalo, they're probably pretty happy that Joe Burrow and that Jamar Chase T. Higgins offense isn't coming up to Orchard Park. You know, this is probably an unfair question, but I'll ask anyway. When Jake Delo makes good points, how do you understand him? I don't understand. Oh, my gosh. I know he's got that Louisiana accent. I'll tell you what.
Yeah, he makes he makes Xavier Leagut sound like he's British, you know? Oh, my gosh. Jake, I'll tell you what. What? What are you laughing over there?
It's the truth. OK, I'm trying to picture him. He starts getting excited, too. Yeah, he is. He is so good at it. He loves it.
He loves the Panthers. And he's just he's a lot of fun. He's a lot of fun to be around. And we've got a good we've got a good booth there with the three of us in there with a niche drop who does a great job as well. So we've got a fun group. And Jake certainly makes a lot of fun for all of us. I bet. I bet. So you're a pro football Hall of Fame finalist, Luke.
How does that hit you when you hear that? It's cool. It's it's it's been fun kind of going along the process and seeing, you know, how it gets whittled down, who's on that final list. And, you know, you go to you go to NFL honors a couple of times, you know, the week of the Super Bowl. And, you know, the last thing they do that night is bring the guys out. The twenty twenty two Hall of Fame class last year is a twenty twenty three Hall of Fame class or twenty four, whatever it was.
Yes. And I see Julius Peppers walk out and you don't know until they call the name. And it's just cool to see those guys up there. And, you know, obviously you're down to the final 15.
You think maybe your name gets called. But when you think about it, I was in grade school. I went up to Canton with one of my grade school buddies and we went through the pro football Hall of Fame. And you start looking at, you know, all the names of guys that, you know, Jerry Rice and Smith, Troy Aikman. And you start walking through there and then you see all these guys and then you grew up watching football. And for me, you know, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher and Derek Brooks and those guys, those guys all get in. You know, I got to play against Urlacher, which was like a dream come true. I got to say hi to him on the field after the game.
And these guys that you spend so much time watching and trying to be like. And, you know, you watch Urlacher pick balls off down the middle of the field and you think maybe one day I can play in the NFL like Urlacher. And, you know, to kind of have it come full circle and have the opportunity is is it's super cool. I'd be lying to you if I said it wasn't a really neat honor just to be mentioned on the list. When you see a photograph like this, what do you think? You coming out of the mist, 59. Man, I wish I could trade places with that guy.
Why? Because that is so fun. Playing football is so fun.
Playing in Carolina at Bank of America with the guys that we had on our roster with Coach Rivera. It's the best the best job in the world. You show up.
It's all your boys. You go to meetings. You wear sweats. You have meetings. You mess around. You you you go out to practice.
You have practice. You come inside. You're with your guys all the time. You go travel to a game. You have dinner. You have snacks on the airplane home. I get an ice cream bar and go sit up with Greg and Derek Anderson and JJ and watch the game. And then it's just it's so fun and get to compete and do something that I've wanted to do since I was a little kid is a special thing.
So I would trade I would trade spots with that guy running out of the tunnel tomorrow if I could. Well, just to begin, let you know, because your first time being a finalist, Luke, that, you know, folks who are in the audience don't know who's being announced for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But the Hall of Famers find out about a week to 10 days beforehand when the voting takes place and somebody rings your doorbell.
And I would have my head on a swivel if I were you. You know what I mean? You know, I know that and I know it's nerve wracking. I've spoken to so many folks who are in your position who are deserving of it and get that. And then, you know, the doorbell doesn't ring now.
It might ring next year, might ring the year after that. And it's exciting, exhilarating, frustrating, nerve wracking, all of it. But it is just as great a moment as possible. And the fact that you are in this mix right now is so well deserved. It really is. I appreciate it. I'll probably have some some neighborhood kid at the end of January is going to come ring my doorbell.
Let me get all excited. Well, at least it's not like it used to be, Luke, where where you'd be sitting in a hotel room with your family members. And one year, like I don't want to say who told me they're sitting in their hotel room with their family members and housekeeping knocked on the door. Oh, my God. You know, and it's like, no, I don't want turned down service.
I want a Hall of Fame service. You know what I mean? Like so at least you're in your own home and you don't know if it's going to happen or not. You know what I mean? You go about your life. It's funny. You get the call for the draft and you never know if somebody is calling you and making a prank call. And then some of these guys get to the end of their career and they get the knock on the door and they wonder if it's the Amazon guy or if it's Stahl. So, Luke, I hope it is the latter for you now.
And if not, it'll happen. And I appreciate. I'd love to keep doing this and pick your pick your thoughts on what's going on in the NFL. I appreciate it. Absolutely.
Thanks for having me on any time. That's Luke Kuechly Pro Football Hall of Fame finest. One of the best to ever lace him up right here on the Rich Eisen Show. Would he be the youngest Hall of Famer ever? He's thirty three, right?
Well, I think Gronk holds that record. When he gets in, he will. I don't know who's that young.
Well, the Indian Tom went in right? LT was young. Marshall was young. Jim Brown probably young, too. But I mean, NFL defensive player of the year, rookie of the year, five time first team All-Pro, seven time Pro Bowler, two times led the league in tackles, all decade team.
And then his college accomplishments in Boston College are too long to mention. Certainly when Rich Ackerman is waiting for a news update right here on the Infinity Sports Network. Here's Rich Ackerman with that sports news update.
Thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical, health care just got less painful. Let's freakin go. The Jim Rohn show.
Follow and listen on your favorite platform. I thought it was a phenomenon. Go coke crew.
I can do that. Oh, this is the new One Direction right here. It has taken over your face. Is there a name for your beard? I call my stats a tickler. Is there a name for your beard? No, I haven't named my beard.
I call my stats a tickler. I'm gonna tell you why. Rams are moving to L.A. Are you afraid the next time you play them, they'll have implants and Botox and won't recognize them? Man, they're gonna be so worried about where they're getting on the freeways. Those guys have no idea.
They're gonna have to leave four hours before practice. You said you wasn't funny or smart. No, no, I was being serious. I wasn't supposed to be funny.
I know if I'm laughing my ass off right now. Jam, what up? Baby Smooth. What up, baby? What's up, my brother? Hey, when you make love to your lady, who dares first, who dares last?
When I make love to my lady. Who dares first, who dares last? I don't know, man.
That next question. Come on, Jam. Who dares, baby?
Can you go in the bathroom and dab by yourself? Oh, please. What happened?
Please. Jam, come on, man. Turn this mic off.
Turn this mic off. Jam, go to the bathroom. If I'm a man, I dab my lady first.
When she dabs, I go in the bathroom and I dab again in that mirror by myself. I go, ooh. I asked Jam this question. Yeah.
Jam got all shy on me. No. You made love to your lady, right? See.
Who dares first, you or your lady? See. You wildin'.
Do you? You wildin'. Do you dab or do she dab? I don't know, man. It's probably a mutual thing.
We both dab. That's all. There you go. There you go.
That's all I know. All right. My man. Can we get a jab circle?
Can we get a jab circle? Come on, y'all. Everybody. Come on, y'all. Come on, y'all. Come on, y'all. Come on, y'all. Come on, y'all.
Come on, y'all. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey.
Ka-meow f coral. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic.
Ya genetic. Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic eggs.
Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic. Ya genetic. Ya genetic.
Ya genetic. Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic eggs. Ya genetic eggs.
Yeah, yellow grass around here and over there. See. We can make that happen, and then we did. And the idea, because again, the Thursday, the final press availability of the week, the players are done talking, man. They're talked out, they've been asked 15 different ways to Sunday the same question, and they're done talking.
So the only way to actually get them to engage in an animated way is, here's Snoop Dogg. Yeah, mix it up. By the way, and I think his credential did read Calvin Brought Us. Oh yeah. Junior, is he a junior T.J. Calvin? I don't know.
I don't think so. But yeah, it wasn't Dogg comma Snoop, according to the NFL. And we used to send J.B. Smoove in every year. J.B. Smoove went in every year, but that's the only one where he asked if people were dabbing with their lady.
Super fun. Who dabs first? And he asked Bill Belichick about cookies one year. And by the way, as Lou Kuechly said, he was growing his hair out, because he couldn't grow a beard. He says, because Khalil and Wilson were growing beards. Case in point.
There they were. Greg Wilson. Look at that. It's like Yukon Cornelius.
Definitely not wearing that on Fox. No, it's Castaway. Castaway, yeah. Like, where's Wilson? You know?
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That's try E-T-H-O-S.com. Nick in Philadelphia. Let's take his phone call to wrap things up. What's up, Nicholas? Rich, how you doing? You tell me. I have a, I know it's Thursday, but I have a, what's more likely for you? We can front load it.
Chris is looking for ideas for tomorrow's show, I'm sure. All right. So, and I can provide you the teams, but my question is, what's more likely, a team with a new quarterback or a team with a new running back to win the Super Bowl in here? Oh, baby. Come this one. So, do you have the breakdown already? Cause I could do it, I'll try to do it off the top of my head.
Yeah, I have the breakdown for you. So for the quarterback, I have the Broncos with Bo Nix, the commanders with Jayden Daniels, the Steelers with Russell Wilson, and the Vikings with Sam Darnold. Right. And for the running backs, I have the Eagles with Saquon Barkley, the Packers with Josh Jacobs, the Ravens with Derrick Henry, and the Texans with Joe Mixon. Great.
This is a very good bunch. The team that no one's talking about, the Houston Texans. I'm going, that's true. We all assume that they're gonna lose, right?
Nick, as you know, when I play what's more likely, I play my own game. I'm taking a team that's got the same damn quarterback and running back to win it all. That's where I'm going. And that's why I went Chiefs and Lions before the season and I will not deviate. I just can't. Until I don't have to.
And at this point, throughout the entire week, and I'm sitting back with my feet up on the desk and a cigar lit like Red Auerbach. I don't have to worry about this weekend because I chose the one seeds prior to the season. And here we go. And 76% of the Super Bowls have at least one of the one seeds in them. Good stat.
Thanks for the call, Nick. As a backyard Eagles fan, I definitely would lean towards the running back. I'm sure you would. But I'm also saying it's a team with the same quarterback and a new running back. The only team with a new quarterback and a new running back is Minnesota, right?
Wouldn't you say? I think that is correct. To balance it out, I put, and because of the year Sam Darnold had, no disrespect to Aaron Jones. Thanks for the call, Nick.
Great food for thought here to wrap us up. Yeah, because Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels have the same running backs. Right. From, or the Broncos and- Chifonte. Right, and Washington. Although they did add Austin Eckler. They added Eckler, yeah. But B.
Rob was the main guy last year. Right. Yeah. You want to chime in on this one?
I like this one. TJ? If you got to stick with it, team with a new quarterback or a new running back? I mean, I said the Vikings earlier, so- I would have to go with new running back because that means they've got the same quarterback and it's a quarterback driven league that's been in it before, right?
Agreed. That means it's Philadelphia. It means it's- Green Bay. Green Bay, Houston, and Baltimore. Do we have a list of- Yeah, there you go. Teams that have won the Super Bowl with a brand new quarterback in this first year with them?
I have the ability to ask somebody who could know that. Tom Brady. Thank you. Good one. True. Good one. Hey, it's Rich Eisen here.
Join me and my compadre, Chris Brockman, every Monday on the Overreaction Monday podcast. You're also saying the record's going to go down. I'm saying the record's going down anyway.
The guy. I don't think you're off on this at all. Like, you're spot on here. I don't think this is an overreaction because we have no idea what we're reacting to. Come react or overreact with us. Overreaction Monday. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. It's game over. It's game over, man.
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