Waiting On Aaron Rodgers

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Holy crap. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Zach Wilson in Mike McDaniel's offense is really fascinating. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. They're 15th in a row. The Cavaliers down to Brooklyn Nets.

Gonzaga reclaims the crown. Today's guests. NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Matt Mayoko. University of Michigan Quarterback Bryce Underwood. Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odigizuwa. And now it's Rich Eisen.

Okay, everybody, welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show. Happy New League Year, everybody. New League Year. Merry New Year. Merry New League Year. Beef jerky for everyone.

Jerky beef? Actually, we're a little premature. The NFL New League Year when everything that we've heard over the last 72 some odd hours becomes official and then teams have to be cap compliant. So there'll be a whole bunch of, well, we're thinking of trading them. We're going to trade them. We're seeing what the market is.

Those guys just get flat out cut. It's either today. Listen, it depends on contracts.

It's either today or it could be sometime early next week or sometime later this week. But Robert really begins to meet the road. And the 49ers have been front and center with a lot of players that the team's fan base is used to seeing getting cut or traded away or signed away. And Matt Mayoko who covers the team up there in the Bay Area, he's the guy that we, he's the sort of the adult that we call and say, hey, what's going on up there? He's going to be first up in less than 20 minutes time.

And speaking of, I guess there's adults and then there's grown ass men. And in terms of that department that will be filled by a 17 year old making his way to the studio right now. Cause he's in Southern California. And I said, I I've got to meet Bryce Underwood. Wait, he's only 17. Yes, sir. Yeah. He doesn't turn 18 till August.

Wow. And he's going to be strolling into our studio. He's the, the young man who he's the young man. He kind of wrecked the LSU buffet. He's he's from Detroit, Michigan. He's the reigning Mr. Michigan football. He's six for 215 pounds.

At least that's what he's listed. He's he's all that and a biscuit. And he's the future of Michigan football.

The question is, does the future start this fall? There's lots to talk about with this young man just to meet him. I've heard nothing but great things about him. They were raving about him at the combine already.

So no pressure. He'll be in studio an hour and number two. And then we decided in the free agency period, let's celebrate the new league year by talking to an actual free agent signee of the Dallas Cowboys, you know? And when I heard the combine that the Cowboys were going to be selectively aggressive in free agency, it was like, well, what about their own free agents? I heard they were going to be all out on most of them. With the exception of this one, Oso Odigizuwa will be joining us on the program.

Resigned defensive tackle there for the Dallas Cowboys who have had made some other moves in free agency and including some of their own. We're doing some things. That's an hour number three of the program. Good to see you over there, Chris Brockman. How are you? Hey, Rich. It was fun trying to type out how to pronounce Odigizuwa for our voiceover, Chaz, this morning. She nailed it.

Nailed it. Good to see you over there, Jay Felley. How are you? What's up, Rich?

And TJ Jefferson. The candle's been long-lived. Good to see you, sir. I think I'm going to change my hip hop name to MC Cap Compliant.

MC Cap Compliant. I like that. I like it too. Very good.

You could have gave me a Rasta horn right there. That's top story. I guess we start this show same as it ever was, waiting for a decision from Aaron Rodgers. Albert Breer is the one who first kind of framed it that Rodgers isn't, you know, hoping to get phone calls. He's not in that 41-year-old situation at 41-year-old quarterbacks, if they exist, find themselves in, which is hoping to get a phone call to have a team invite them to try out for their squad.

They want to continue playing. He's got a choice. The Steelers and the Giants both want him.

And I guess they're waiting on pins and needles, I might imagine, because plan B, that next step is a Lulu. Sam Darnold's not an option. Daniel Jones is not an option. Those guys are off the table. Acquiring Geno Smith.

Who do? That's not an option because the Raiders beat everyone to that punch. So if Rodgers says no to somebody, then whoever gets that no, I guess turns to Russell Wilson. And you heard from Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated yesterday saying the Steelers aren't particularly sold on running it back with Russ. Letting Russ come back. And because there were some relationships in the building that still need to be solidified based on the way things ended last year.

The smelting didn't go up. You know, I was going to follow up on that with Albert, but he was choosing his words carefully enough to try and not to say what he was saying without saying the words that Russ rubbed people the wrong way over there. Because that is, as you know, a very third rail subject when it comes to Russell Wilson is how he's perceived in the building by his own teammates or his own coaching staff.

And we all know what the Broncos eventually thought of him with John Payton, making him the largest dead cap hit in the history of dead caps. So they're waiting on Rodgers in Pittsburgh and they're waiting on Rodgers with the Giants. And as I mentioned yesterday, if I'm Rodgers, I want to go to the Steelers right now, but he apparently has that option and he hasn't taken it yet.

As of now fewer than four hours until the new league year begins. And Kirk Cousins lurks in this whole scenario, depending on what the Falcons do with him. But Rodgers is letting people wait or he's making his decision carefully, or he's mulling it over carefully, or he's asking for something that we don't know about. There's an iceberg, we only see the tip, and we assume there's an iceberg when Rodgers is involved, as we all know. And me saying yesterday that if I'm Rodgers, I want to go to the Steelers and that if I'm the Steelers, I want Rodgers. I heard from Steeler fans hearing you, this could go easy. Yeah, I know they're hearing you. Good or bad? Well, a lot of them are, we don't want them.

Okay. You know, we're the Pittsburgh Steelers, we don't want them. Or that's not a very Steelers like maneuver.

They were very caught up on that. Never say never, but never. But last year's maneuver wasn't either.

That's correct. Or, you know, trading a first for Minka Fitzpatrick in the middle of the season, like they did a few years ago. That was very unstealers like, or paying a wide receiver $33 million without having a quarterback plan in place. The old Steelers would never do that. That's kind of nuts. They just churn through wide receivers.

Oh, they're good at drafting them. Those days are over. The days of that are over. You still have a bridge to the past in terms of the same owners and the same coach. But right now, the way that things are currently set up, you need Aaron Rodgers to say yes. I mean, it's that simple. He had a $33 million a year wide receiver and no one to throw him the football.

You know, I mean, that's, that's what we call bass awkward. And a conundrum if you want. To make that straightforward, you need, that's what the Jets needed.

They needed an adult in the room. Certainly since the previous situation, one of them was Zach Wilson and the other one is named Russell Wilson. Wasn't, didn't finish well and apparently isn't an option to run it back with. It's the same, it's the same scenario, which is probably why Steelers fans don't want to wrap their arms around it because, you know, it's following a game plan that Jets once upon a time came up with. And you don't want to follow a Jets game plan. You know, I, so I understand what Steelers fans are having issues with.

And by the way, it wouldn't take long if this happens for the first drama to pop up. And as usual, it would have nothing to do with Rodgers and what he says or does, you know, I'd imagine he'd want to wear a number 12, you know, who once upon a time wore number 12 for the Pittsburgh Steelers is somebody who has on Fox said many things about Aaron Rodgers that were not complimentary. So I looked it up. The Steelers have three retired numbers. 12 is not one of them. So it wouldn't take long to find out Terry Bradshaw's thoughts on the matter, you know, and so, but that's the stuff that we in the sports business, we crave that sort of material. How is Terry Bradshaw's number not retired? Oh, the Steelers don't retire a lot of numbers.

Yeah, I know it's Mean Joe Green. I believe Ernie Stoutner and Franco Harris just happened. Right. They don't, they don't retire a lot of numbers. All they do is just send people to the hall of fame. That's the way that they handle their immortality.

They just keep sending people to Canton. Yeah. So, you know, Big Ben will be next in that regard. Yep. And so listen, we're all waiting and see how it goes, but a clock's ticking and I'm sure everyone wants an answer cause plan B needs to be jumped on immediately. If plan A, A-ron does not land. Speaking of number 12, there was a uniform change announced yesterday.

I like your segue. Well, Puka Nakua was wearing 17 in his stellar first two record breaking seasons as a former fifth round selection breakout star for the Los Angeles Rams. They add Devante Adams and guess who's no longer wearing 17. It's Puka Nakua who's now wearing 12 and announced it all over social media.

And it does not appear Devante asked for it nor paid for it. That Puka because he is just a rare human as well says I'll just switch to 12 because that is a significant number in his family's sports history. His sister Chanel was the first to wear the number. His older brother Kai followed then their younger sister wore it while playing football and basketball. Another older brother Sampson wore it then Puka wore it at BYU. Almost said NYU. Be amazing if he played football for NYU.

Made it this far. Don't you think? And he calls it a blessing to wear number 12 in the pros. So calls it super exciting to carry the legacy there and adding one more jersey to mom's jersey case will be super exciting quote unquote Puka Nakua. But then also to have the peace of mind of number 12 not only represents me on the football field but all of my brothers and the sacrifices that my family have made before me to be able to wear this jersey at this moment.

This guy is unlike any other man. So Devante Adams will wear 17 as a ram and Puka will move to 12 and you sir will have to buy a new jersey for your son. I think we should get a free trade in. What do you mean? I mean everyone who bought Puka jerseys last year what are you supposed to do? I guess you're kind of killing two birds with one stone right?

You can still rock the 17 which you know supports Devante Adams but on the back it says Nakua so you're still a Puka fan. But like you know this stuff is kind of a bummer for fans. Is it really? Can you not just rain on a parade for just one day?

I'm not raining on any parade. I think I'm voicing what a lot of people feel each and every year when it comes to jersey buying. They're not cheap and you know teams kind of got guys trading teams and trading numbers all the time. You know it's tough to keep up and if you want to stay a fan and wrap your favorite player it makes it hard on families. Let me ask you this question. Let me ask you this question. It makes it hard on families. I hear you.

They're not inexpensive. Because I see your son a lot. You bring him around here you and Sarah bring him around here a lot. He loves his Puka jersey. And by the way kudos to him.

But how long till that weed grows straight out of it man? Well I did buy two sizes too big last year. Oh okay.

Anticipating growing into it. You didn't see Devante Adams crapping out with the Jets. No I did not. Well actually he didn't crap out with the Jets. No he had a really good year last year. He just went there and just the Jets situation just crapped all over him. That's what happens sometimes is the Jets just you know some crap out there and some get crapped on. He was one of the crapped on. Crapped on. The Jets are the crapper.

The crapper. Not anymore maybe. You never know. But yeah so Nakua apparently didn't he could have gotten some cash out of Devante right away. He should have hit up Brent Baty to be honest with him. Brent would have told him how to do this. I mean yesterday especially with the day of the week it was it could have been Taco Tuesday. It feels like Devante should do him a solid anyway. You know what I mean? One soda would have brought him a car. Is Puka still on a rookie deal?

Like hook him up with a truck or something. And we forgot also about somebody had to give their blessing for this change. I saw this today. Ryan Fitzpatrick wore 12 for the St. Louis Rams and he tweeted out his football card by the way. Look at that thing. Football card in the old football card days.

Puka I formally give you permission to don my former jersey number with the Rams hopefully it works better for you than it did me. So that would have been an 05-06. Yeah. I think was Ryan Fitzpatrick at the end of the Kurt Warner-Bulger era? I think that's when it was. The Mark Bulger-Kurt Warner-Rams everything was going south for them era.

Yeah I don't know. And then Fitz started getting starts. Kurt was gone that was Bulger Jamie Martin. Okay. Oh yeah Kurt was already with the Giants.

Yeah. Which is a situation just to bring this whole segment full circle. Aaron Rodgers might want to avoid with the Giants. Hey I'm gonna come there and you're gonna use the third overall pick to not supplement my last two years like say the Rams have done for Stafford with my best receiver.

What are you gonna do with the third overall pick? Maybe that's the some of the guarantees he wants and I wouldn't blame him. Because he doesn't want to be Kurt Warner 2.0 for the Giants where all of a sudden you get tapped on the shoulder in the middle of the season and say it's time for us to start the rookie. You know that's what Tom Coughlin did back in the day because don't forget that was before Tom won his Super Bowls there. So things were getting hot under the collar. I mean you got to wonder about these things if you're Rodgers and certainly the one thing you're definitely not worried about if you go to Pittsburgh is that the coach is going to be on a hot seat.

I forget I'll say that just to piss off the Steelers fans who are upset with me enough. A little more. Undaunted we throw to our first commercial break Matt Mayoko will tell us what's up? It's another like what's going on? What are they doing? That's what's up.

Or you use another SNL phrase what's up with that? Yeah. I don't know if it will break into song about it but what what is going on with the San Francisco 49ers remade series? I don't know. I don't know if the San Francisco 49ers remaking themselves and what is the plan moving forward?

Matt Mayoko of NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers Insider will join us next on that. Hey Rich Eisen here. I hear from a lot of business owners like you about the work it takes to pursue your passions so I know how important it is to have the tools that can help keep you moving forward and with access to world class business and travel benefits the American Express Business Platinum card helps you take your business to the next level. It offers a flexible spending limit that adapts with your business plus you'll have 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. Not all purchases will be approved.

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Thank you. Rogers probably if he goes to Pittsburgh we'll do what happened with the Jets which is well the Jets 12 was retired for Namath who came out from Florida and said I am so excited you are here you should wear it and Rogers like I'll wear my old college number eight right and because I don't believe again and I shouldn't speak for Terry I just know how Terry has commented on anything Rogers related in the past. He might not get a Namath like welcome. That said if Rogers wears wants to wear eight the punter currently wears eight. The stealer that wore eight prior to the punter in Corliss Waitman no relation to Corliss Williamson I believe right big nasty but 40 million 40 minutes of hell yeah was in fact Kenny Pickett and before that was Melvin Ingram who I believe were the last two Steelers who went from volunteer to hostage. Am I am I not mistaken that Melvin Ingram was the original I want volunteers not hostages I believe you're right it does sound before he was sent to Kansas City it does sound right right yeah and then Pickett so I don't know I mean I don't know is eight the the official number of Steelers who go from volunteer to hostage just wondering am I right about Melvin I don't know why things stick in my head I don't know why but I do believe that does feel that does feel right yeah okay that feels right okay uh Tommy Maddox once wore eight yep and if I'm not mistaken Tommy XFL MVP but Tommy was the uh was the quarterback who went down that led to Big Ben getting his shot he was the quarterback before Big Ben he had a weird like neck injury he's gonna wear eight there's too much freaky stuff around eight if he gets the Steelers obviously back on the Rich Eisen show radio network I'm 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 every single time something's up with the Niners and I'm wondering what's up with the Niners we reach out to this man and he kind enough to answer the bat signal once again from the Rich Eisen show uh the San Francisco 49ers beat reporter for NBC Sports Bay Area Matt Mayoko back on the program how you doing Matt I'm doing great yeah I'm trying to uh you know filter in all the uh anxiety and panic from 49er fans who are seeing all their players leaving this off season well that's why I wanted to reach out to you uh my first question to you is how much is your phone blowing up from friends of yours who are diehard 49er fans who are reaching out to you as sort of a comfort station you know what I mean right now how how how how is that working for you that that is it is working and it's not only the guys who are leaving the 49ers that they're asking about you know up until last night it was when is Joey Bosa signing and so yeah there's a lot of stuff and you know I guess John Lynch you know when we were there at the Combine John Lynch kind of set the stage for this by saying that this was the year to kind of reset recalibrate those are the words he used and so I think he tried to kind of soften the blow for this and a lot of these are predictable but still when reality strikes and you see all these guys leaving you know starting with Deebo Samuel but you know Kyle Juszczak he was one of their first free agent signings and all he's done in his eight years with the 49ers is go to eight Pro Bowls and and Dre Greenlaw and Charvarious Ward and Talano Hufang and I could go on and on and on Rich but you're probably your show will well well there it is there it is there's a whole second row on the graphic Matt and as you could see Aaron Banks and Deebo on Juszczak are the offensive players of Notoragon defensively my goodness gracious you know there's some names that that have been famous for this team that are now gone but a famous face that was gone is now back and Robert Sala is there as the defensive coordinator a name that I know Niners fans were clamoring for the minute the Jets mysteriously fired him after just five games last year so I guess I ask you the overarching question of what are the Niners doing right now Matt? Well and I was going to bring up Robert Sala because he's probably needed now more than ever I mean it's going to be a defense that a lot of new faces on that defense you know there will be two new starting linebackers you know the defensive line the only carryover really is Nick Bosa I think the defensive backfield is semi set but it's funny I mean they have added some guys but frankly there are guys that I had to go to pro football reference to just kind of check on and see who see who the heck they were so I don't know that they brought in any starters to replace the guys who are leaving now they tried to kind of soften the blow even a year ago by drafting people where they thought that there would be needs now so they drafted you know their first pick was was Ricky Pearsall our wide receiver anticipating that Deebo Samuel wasn't going to be around then it was Renardo Green a cornerback in anticipation of Charvarious Ward it was Dominic Poonie an offensive lineman in in thinking that Aaron Banks wasn't going to be around and then with Talana Hufanga expected perhaps to leave they got Malik Mustafa safety so their first four draft picks from last year were all kind of taken with their eye for a year from now meaning right now when they wouldn't be able to re-sign those guys and sure enough like I said I don't think the only one that I think was really kind of 50-50 or the 49ers really thought they had a chance to re-sign was Dre Greenlaw but coming off the injuries and man the 49ers were bit by that injury bug last year you know I think the price just went too high for them with his background you know the torn Achilles and barely even playing last year. Matt Mayoko here on the Rich Eisen Show is it fair to draw a straight line between the decisions that are made now or as you pointed out last year at the draft in advance of knowing these decisions were going to be made now at these positions that there is a plan there was a plan in place can you draw a straight line from that all the way through to the fact that Brock Purdy needs to be paid right now? I do believe so yes because you know what they've tried to do you know last year they'll be very upfront in telling you and they'll tell you without asking they they spent more cash last year than any team in the league and so you know that cash spending they spent about 85 million over the cap so they had to look to their their future finances and their future cap standing that's why they they're you know right now they they're gonna have 77 million dollars in dead money and so that's clearing money for the future and you know right now they're they're in good shape in the cap for this year but I think that the thinking was if Brock Purdy or when Brock Purdy signs this long-term extension you know the big money won't kick in for another couple years down the road and that's when they need that salary cap space so a lot of the moves they're making now certainly aren't to make their team better for the 2025 season it's just to make them more financially responsible I think for the future when Brock Purdy's money kicks in when they still have guys like you know Warner and Kittle and they're going to try to redo Kittle this off season so they still have some big money guys left on that contract and more big money guys to come such as Purdy so let's talk about Brock Purdy Matt Mayoko where do things stand right now and where do you think they're going and headed yeah right now there's not much activity with them and you know they both express both sides express the desire to have this thing done not necessarily by the start of the new league year but certainly for the start of the off-season program you know one of the major distractions from last season was the contract situations that were hanging out there with Trent Williams and with Brandon Iuke so those are two guys where you know there were there's a lot of distractions and then the season got off on kind of a bad note because of it Trent Williams was a holdout Brandon Iuke was a hold in and those are just you know that's a left tackle and a wide receiver so with their quarterback they have to have him in the building being a leader I think they have to you know make you know they got to put their money where their mouth is I mean John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan both said that they want they expect Brock Purdy to be the quarterback for as long as they're with the team so in order to do that I don't think you can cut any corners and I don't think you can pay him like a top 18 quarterback or a top 16 or 14 if you think he's the guy then they have to pay him but as we've seen this off-season with the the cost cutting and the belt tightening and all these guys leaving you know they also want to get a deal that they don't come to regret a year or two down the road so does it start with a five and did the Niners opening foray as reported start with a four I don't I you know I that to me seems really difficult to believe because the last thing you want to do is give Brock Purdy an insulting early offer and when you see so many of those quarterback contracts starting with a five I would think that that's where it starts I mean you look at what Brock Purdy has done I mean he was fourth in the MVP voting back in 2023 you won't hear anybody in the building talking any smack about him anything about his limitations it's all about what he can do all that other talk is from people outside the building so I'm still of the opinion that where both sides want to get something done I think there's enough quarterbacks who have signed extensions or new deals that gives them the parameters of what they can look at you know Josh Allen's contract helps certainly Dak Prescott's contract helps and we could go down the line of Tua Tonga Violoa, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love I mean all those guys and I mean it's obviously some of those guys are are you know on a hall of fame track but Brock Purdy has done everything the 49ers have asked of him I mean they frankly they rescued the Oregon or he rescued the organization because nobody's been talking about Trey Lance and trading up to number three and giving away all that future draft capital to go get a quarterback who was never you know the team's starter because Brock Purdy stepped in and really helped the 49ers out in in that case so I think it'll get done because there's a desire on both sides to get it done and frankly I don't think the you know the 49ers don't have a plan B it's not like these quarterbacks are going to get like these quarterbacks are falling out of trees that they can just say oh you know what let's move on to plan B and get somebody else Brock Purdy's the guy and Kyle Shanahan has made that very clear. NBC Sports Bay Area Matt Mayoko here on the Rich Eisen Show so let's finish up our conversation with what the plan is for 2025 for the 49ers and you know listen I understand the eye is falling for a lot of Niner fans right now but the Rams two off seasons ago the team president Kevin Demoff sent a letter to season ticket holders that essentially said everybody be patient and gave an indication that a reset was coming of some sort and I am paraphrasing here Rams made the playoffs twice in a row since that including that very year the Bills last year Bills fans were freaking out about some of the names that were being let go from their championship years and everyone wondering if the window was closing we saw Josh Allen won the MVP and the Bills had a terrific Super Bowl run in them and the Niners do have what those teams have which is a front office and a coach that's been together for a while and knowing what they what they can do so that's my long-winded setup of handing it off to you and saying what does 2025 in your estimation look like from the 49ers point of view Matt? Well let's look at this roster I mean we're not going to go through the whole roster but this team has Christian McCaffrey, it has Trent Williams, it has George Kittle, it has Nick Bosa, it has Fred Warner and then they signed D'Amedore Lenoir a very good young cornerback to an extension part way through the season last year so it's not like this is a tear down rebuild they have no good players on the team that said they have a lot of work to do and whether it's just being very judicious and finding the right guys in free agency they're not going to make some guy they go out and get at this point the highest paid player at his particular position but then they also have a lot of draft capital and so with 11 draft picks they have to connect in the draft but I know inside the building they think that they still have the pieces in place the nucleus to compete outside the building there's a lot of skepticism and rightfully so so now it's a matter of them following through on their plan and making those draft picks work. Now I know they took DeMarcus Robinson from the Rams you know in a two-year deal but again the Niner fans that I know of like they want Cooper Cup you know what I mean like that's the Ram receiver they would be interested in right? Yeah and I forgot to mention too another one of those high-priced players is Brandon Aiyuk who they just signed a year ago to an extension now there's some uncertainty about him as far as if his availability is going to be right there at the start of the season coming out the ACL but I don't know that the 49ers are going to add a big-name guy I mean they feel good about Juwan Jennings they drafted Ricky Pearsall you know anticipating you know that they would need a receiver this year Aiyuk's situation is up in the air I'm sure they'll they'll see if Cooper Cup is a possibility the problem is they were burnt so much with injuries last year I think it's why that they didn't overextend for Dre Greenlaw it's why they didn't overextend for Joey Bosa and so you know in keeping with that line of thinking they probably wouldn't go after Cooper Cup just because it's one of those buyer beware situations with the past injuries and where the 49ers have been bitten in the past. All right not to say you know that you're you're the voice of reason that uh that 49er fans need to hear from as their psychiatrist but what is your message because what what are you saying to your friends who are blowing up your phone saying tell me something good and the Niner fans who who do the same for me like what what's your message Matt? Well it is it's jarring it's absolutely jarring for the 49er fans to see so many guys leave the building um I I mean my my message I mean if you're going to try to put any kind of positive spin on this as far as what the 2025 season holds it's that they were 6 and 11 last year they finished two games uh behind the Arizona Cardinals last place in the NFC West so they they did have to change up the roster they I think they did have to get younger they have to get healthier so I will see I mean they didn't they're not winning the off season that's for sure they're not winning you know the open negotiating period but we'll see I mean the the 49ers and John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have done a good job in the past of putting together their plan and and building that roster so I mean I guess you'd have to at this point Rich it's a leap of faith to think that this team can get back up there into contention in the NFC yeah certainly the Rams have constituted themselves in the last couple of weeks as well right and the way that the Eagles looked and the way that the commanders have gotten stronger right um with Adam Peters uh taking one of one of their guys in in Debo right I mean that's the way you got to look at it unfortunately yeah I mean you know a year ago you know if you'd asked me about the NFC I would have said man the way the Eagles fell off the cliff at the end of the 2023 season yeah the 49ers and all those other teams don't have to worry about them but man how things change so you know all it takes like you mentioned with the Rams I mean they got one of the best defensive lines I've seen and they come at you in waves and you know what two years ago none of those guys were even on the team and they're all young guys so with a draft deep and defensive lineman that's the 49ers biggest need they have to cash in with two or three of those guys to step in and make an immediate impact and then all of a sudden Robert Saleh's job looks a lot easier and the 49ers team looks a lot better Matt really appreciate you uh answering our bat signal and look for more of our calls and and texts to come back on appreciate it always my pleasure Rich thanks for having me you better that's NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Mayoko here on the Rich Eisen show I mean listen I know the rallying cry for Niners fans can't be like hey we got a third rounder in the compensation picks that were announced yesterday yeah I mean but that is a third rounder that can turn into somebody and and you've got you just that's why I'm saying you just gotta wait and see you gotta wait and see you got that letter from Kevin Demoff two springs ago and you came in here because you're a season ticket holder and you're like I guess the Rams are raising a white flag sounded like they were tanking right they're just like they're just like hey heads up you know please remember whose house it is when we completely rearrange the furniture in the house because Aaron Donald is gone and then they make the playoffs they almost beat the team that almost made the Super Bowl and the Lions in that wild wild card game and then the Rams win the division the next year after starting one and four right so everybody's got to hold off because when everybody thought that that letter came out of the bills last year remade their team yeah we're sending Steph Diggs to Houston yeah all those guys that you fell in love with on the back end of the defense saved DeMar Hamlin they're gone you know we're changing this team around and everybody thought and we took that and I already thought and we took that cheese here didn't we well the bills can get got and then they clinched their division with five weeks to go yeah that said it you know there's where they're now on the um alarming their fan base portion of the season right now that's for sure let's see who they get in the draft and how it all works out let's see if Ayuk is healthy because if it's Ayuk and it's Ricky Piersall doing Ricky Piersall things as he did on the flashing in the last month of the season he was nice Kittle played his best football maybe of his career last year and then of course it's the can McCaffrey stay healthy and Purdy be the Purdy that took him to the Super Bowl I mean those are 1A and 1B those two Purdy and and then the defense they did get Salah back he's gonna have to coach him up talk to any Niner fan that's like we got to get him back they wanted them they wanted to hire him mid-season last year you talk to a Niner fan oh he's available in week six hire him yeah and he's a damn great coach so he's going to be back on the sideline doing solid things as well the cupboard's not totally bare you know but that said we're now in wait and see mode certainly on the defensive side of the ball eight four four two oh four rich number two some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking allstate first the same way you know you've got to make sure your lucky jersey is clean on game day or your team might lose checking first is smart so check allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds you're in good hands with allstate savings vary subject to terms conditions and availability allstate fire and casualty insurance company and affiliates northbrook illinois in the nfl there's no margin for error as we just saw one mistake can change the outcome of the game and a season and the biggest game at that science proves quality sleep can help boost reaction time recovery time and overall athletic performance and that's why sleep number is the official sleep and wellness partner of the nfl because they provide players with data and insights to optimize their sleep for the ultimate competitive edge imagine what it can do for you i know my sleep number setting is 60 my wife's is 70 just 10 numbers apart but guess what it makes the world of difference so why choose a sleep number smart bed so you can choose your ideal comfort on either side and now save 40 on the new sleep number special edition smart bed limited time exclusively at a sleep number store near you see store or sleepnumber.com for details can you just clean that up please sir thank you said how aaron paul you were thinking of killing off his character by the end of season one the original idea was you know you always got to come up with a great season ender you want a cliffhanger of an episode to keep folks watching uh next year and and my thought early on before i even met aaron before we cast aaron was was to have this young guy a former student of walter white played by brian cranston give walt his entree into the business sort of show him the ropes of criminality and then at the end of that first season that character jesse pinkman would get horribly killed in some very cinematic graphic way that i never quite nailed down but he would be murdered by some rival drug dealers and walt would feel very guilty and then he would seek revenge and that would propel us into season two then i meet aaron paul and i cast this young guy and he's fantastic in the role and he's such a sweet guy to boot he's just a wonderful guy but i think we're probably shooting the second episode and i was hanging out on the set uh with him you know sitting in those chairs near the monitors and i just make a conversation i say you know i was going to kill you off that was the original plan he goes what nervous he goes what are you talking about no this is a good thing it's a good thing and i tell him the story i just told you but he's not hearing the compliment contained within he's just thinking oh my god i might get killed off and i told this story to brian cranston i think he wandered by uh as he's hearing the tail end of this and he he was relentless for the next six years he'd get every time he got a script for a new episode before aaron did he'd look through and he'd read it and then he'd go up to aaron he'd say buddy just put his start massaging his shoulders it was it was uh this next one it's at least you're gonna go out with a bang that was the first ever in-studio guest in the history of the rich eisenhower day one yes indeed right there talking about um he breaking bad right right and um and he just left the writer's room from his new his new show better call saul to make that appearance they were working on season two because i remember the first time we ever had him he left season one writer's room to come and ended up hanging out said we had a half hour ended up staying 90 minutes it was amazing right vince gilligan has been here multiple times since then and i remember i fan-boyed him at the reason why we met him and got him on the podcast and then was kind enough to be the first in-studio guest is because i fan-boyed him at an airport going to a thursday night football game in tampa where he had uh he was visiting friends or relatives i went up to him he's like i'll go on your show but i don't know anything about football don't care and i'm like don't care okay does that podcast exist uh yes it does i found an old link to all the old pop it out there because for anybody who binge watches breaking bad which i'm sure you can do right here through the roku portal and multiple different apps that you can stream it on um that you know and it's also the baby of i'll mention his name charlie collier who was roku charlie roku charlie come on okay uh when he was at amc and um and so uh it is for anybody who's done watching breaking bad we did like a 90 it was basically like an exit interview we have to ask about every hanging thread yeah that was unreal you know and uh truly truly uh amazing stuff back here on the rich isin show radio we just showed uh vince gilligan was our first ever in-studio guest that you know and and mike hoskins played it because i told him a story yesterday before the show that i'm going to tell here now uh vince gilligan the creator of breaking bad and and um uh better call saul i remember that day i was working still at direct yeah direct tv and i put out a tweet i was like vince gilligan is downstairs at the rich isin show and i kind of want to go down and people like what's the rich isin show because it was our first day on the air oh you know coming up on 11 years later on this fall so you know how um you're driving and somebody's creeping in front of you not going fast yes right and then that person pulls off to the side and you're now going to pass this individual but you always gotta take a look take a look always it's not it's not it's not it sounds like one um so i don't know why i why do we all want to see the face of the creeper there's no explanation you know what i mean all have to do it because it's just because it doesn't matter who they are what race color creed gender they are there's no real face of a creeper you know what i mean like they all fit you know what i mean like it doesn't matter but you just need to see you just gotta know you just gotta see and shoot a look like what are you doing because this was the hov lane on the way to to to work yesterday you know i drive an electric car so i'm allowed to drive i have the proper credentials to drive by myself in the hov lane this person in front of me in a prius going really slow and i'm like okay prius driver don't do it offense but i gotta see who you are and i'd look to my right and it's i swear to god in a prius wearing a button-up dress shirt or button down whichever your your way of describing it like a p green button-up dress shirt bald-headed white dude with a goatee and i'm like wow is this like a heisenberg double for hire like driving a prius looked just like walter white like completely bald goatee you know and driving a prius and i'm like is there a pizza box you know on the on the roof i swear to god it was i i just i almost followed the person like for a split second it just went i'm like i gotta see how this ends it might not have been a good idea no because it's creepy and like you know it could have been heisenberg too like plus the person is just you know like does he go full on but like it's like hey bro do you realize you're you look like walter white you're driving walter white's car you know pulls out his hat yeah he starts it starts flashing a gun telling me to tread lightly because i drive lightly so i'm the one just found that funny i'm the one who knocks well i'm the way he's the one who creeps the guy was going like 55 and the hov lane on the 405 which means you are not serious drivers facts to mix show metaphors here in line serious people and that by the way i'm in an algorithm on instagram getting uh succession oh clips and it because i followed a succession site i missed that show every one of them i know i want to rewatch this brother every single one of these clips whether it's serious arguments or laugh out loud funny it's god do i miss that show oh i wish they continued it it's like a like a movie like a succession movie well i mean i don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't started watching it yet yeah certainly i adam our call screener started watching it and he had the same experience susie and i did starting it but the first two episodes the humans on the screen are so horrible to other humans and to themselves and to their family members you're like why do i care about any of these people and then the third and fourth episode of the first season took off like a rocket ship so i missed that show and you know just went down just went down a breaking bad wormhole who knows uh at the hunday getaway sales event right now it's the best time to get that hunday car or suv you've always wanted plus every new hunday comes with america's best warranty three years of 36 000 miles of limited complementary maintenance don't wait the hunday getaway sales event is going on now visit your local hunday dealer today it's a great new day for a new hunday hour two coming up um guess guess who's here is he in our green room is he has you're wrong oh i cannot wait to meet this you're very you're so excited you're very happy oh my god he is in our green room right now and i honestly it's crazy that he's a year older than my son my oldest he's a year older than xan does he also realize this might be part of the the adoption process because no no no no i mean i think we have a photograph of him with his family don't we have bryce underwood what appears to be his his senior day yeah because i think we we have that he's got a beautiful family already um yeah but you're always welcoming to bring in you know you know so this was uh bryce from what i imagine a senior day or his final day is at belville high there in the great state of michigan but i also played high school quarterback i did not look like that is that your that's your high school helmet behind my helmet is behind me uh signed by snoop dogg if you want to because i think he signed it because he thought it was a usc trojan helmet right uh-huh it's not yeah he was like trojans for life and i'm like sure my high school my high school was the trojans and he thought it was usc it was in maine though correct in maine yeah different different so i got signed by snoop this is a this is a real one of one i i have not met him but i i have you know uh heard about him and um i heard about him at the combine i'm telling you people were talking about this guy at the combine and not just michigan people i did run into a bunch of michigan wolverine coaches who were just singing this young man's praises about who he is as a person as opposed to just as a football player and um you know so i guarantee you when bryce underwood comes out here you guys will wind up cursing audibly saying that this person is a 17 year old he's going to turn 18 in august guys i was i was five nine at 17 okay so is that right yeah so it's like they're not usually like that amen well i'm six three now so it's a little different but like yeah that age yeah there's brockman yeah baby oh nice yeah that was a split screen of 13 yeah that was my and uh sophomore year i think i was can we get now belville highs 17 year old were you 17 in this picture uh 15 15 yeah yeah look at that that's a gam right there man that's a grown-ass man we can spend the rest of today's show just flipping back and forth between these two prep football pictures not the same oh fantastic bryce underwood when we come back