Lamar in Limbo? (Hour 2)

When you need to know what's happening, it's time to get hit. In The Huddle. You're fraudulent. You're not in the business of winning football games. You're in the business of trying to prove your own asinine decisions correct. We can talk about the Ursay thing. Do I think the Saturday thing is the biggest joke in the history of the NFL? I do. But at least he was willing to say, this ain't working for me.

I don't care that I just gave him extensions. Listen to In The Huddle available on the Ozzy app or wherever you get your podcast. No one's more locked into the NFL than First and Pod. Why is it not within the realm of possibility that Geno Smith was a victim of a horrible organization, bad offensive coaching, and then went and played behind three high level talents and only got spot starts and did OK, by the way?

Well, because it's just it doesn't really happen that often anymore. Subscribe to First and Pod on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. We continue to set up show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. We hope we will continue to talk about the Damar Hamlin situation. Clearly great news today.

We'll keep on passing along the messages that we got. He has made remarkable progress. He's awake. He's been able to communicate via writing. He is still critically ill, but it appears to be that he's neurologically intact. Lungs continue to heal and is making steady progress. We will have a ton of audio for you later on in the show when you will get to hear from Dr. Timothy Pritz, T. Higgins, Josh Allen and Sean McDermott. We know that is the biggest story we've been talking about it for the entire first hour.

I thought Dr. Brandon Erickson giving us the medical side of it was phenomenal. But I want to just get into a few other football things right now. So for a little bit, let's talk about Lamar Jackson, who's been dealing with this PCL injury. He has not practiced now in a while and he has not been this injury occurred 32 days ago. And he still is not practiced, makes you believe that he's not going to play this weekend.

And Hickey, I would assume now I'm not a doctor, but I would assume that Lamar Jackson, when he has to play, no one has to play. But when you look at, OK, the wildcard round this week, next weekend, and the Ravens probably, you know, Ravens are going to be playing the wildcard round that I would anticipate is the way that I'll say it. And you tell me if you agree here, because there's always that dark cloud kind of hanging over the whole situation with the contract. And do you force it or not if you're not feeling 100 percent? And how much is this maybe negotiations as well?

And you want to be fully healthy and whatever. But I would anticipate that next week, even if he does not play this weekend, it looks like he's not going to play this weekend. That next week, you will see Lamar Jackson back, assuming that everything stays on plan. And wildcard weekend is next week in the National Football League. Oh, I mean, this might be shocking place.

Really? I'm practicing. OK, but he's not practicing, but he has not had to play the last few weeks in a playoff game. You would you would not think that he would at least make an attempt to go practice. And you think, but also to me, especially even if you have your eyes set on returning in like two weeks, you would think you'd be at practice.

You could like a look at what Jalen Hartz is doing now. He's practicing. He didn't play last week. But this is back at practice and he's starting it back in the routine. I just don't know if you're if you miss again this rest of the week, which looks like he will, and you get back to practice on Wednesday of next week. Is that enough time to get ready for a game that's either on Saturday or Sunday?

I would think so. I think he knows what it takes to get his body ready for for a situation and to get back onto the field. You could argue what the heck does this practice even mean to him now? You could get into it.

How much rust is there to knock off? I think that is a different conversation. But my expectation would be right now that he would be playing next week. But with that being said, the only part of me that kind of says, Zach, maybe you shouldn't say that. And we don't know what actual physical condition he is.

And it's not fair for us to speculate. But this whole contract situation and this even goes back to last summer because two summers ago, it was obvious what was going down. He was waiting to see, since he already won an MVP and he was unanimous, what other quarterbacks were going to get paid. Like a Josh Allen, for example. We all agree Josh Allen is a better quarterback than Lamar Jackson. But when you have unanimous MVP, Josh Allen doesn't.

You see what he gets. And then the next year, that's when you cash in. Because even if you suffer an injury, as we saw with Dak Prescott, you can still get paid at that position and get paid at what you are deserving. But this offseason, Ryan, this is the one that really made me question if a long-term deal is ever going to get done with Lamar Jackson. Because at first it was, Lamar doesn't want to get the deal done now. And when Lamar wants to get the deal done, we'll be ready pretty much, the Baltimore Ravens, to get the deal done. Then it turns into Lamar showing up when there was speculation from, wasn't it DaCosta or was it the owner? I can't remember that had the line of, Lamar is so devoted to winning a Super Bowl, he doesn't have time to negotiate a contract. He doesn't feel deserving of getting the contract yet. And then Lamar shows up in the summer and goes, yeah, I'm ready to go win a Super Bowl. I'm also ready to go get a deal done.

And there was maybe some momentum. Then you have the Kyler Murray deal going down. You know the fully guaranteed Deshaun Watson contract. Definitely had to change some things because if I'm Lamar Jackson, and everything that Deshaun Watson was being accused of, if that guy is able to get a fully guaranteed contract, if I'm Lamar Jackson, I'm saying at least you asked for it. Now I don't know if that contract is ever going to be given out again, but because it shows you how desperate the Browns were too. But if I'm Lamar, I'm trying to get that deal done because I'm saying, look what that guy was accused of. I've been a model teammate, a model citizen, and all I've done is given you my all and I have a unanimous MVP.

And I made the playoffs a bunch of times. So if I'm Lamar Jackson, I think that also created a roadblock. So there was a lot of roadblocks this summer and there was never any clarity that made you think, Ryan, that they were going to have smooth sailing here and eventually get a deal done. And now back to back years where he's missed a lot of time because of injuries, I guess we could say it's uncertain when we're going to see him again on a football field. But this offseason is going to be massive because right now I would tend to believe that Lamar Jackson, when he gets his long term extension, is not going to be with the Baltimore Ravens. But if you really don't get one done this offseason, where I just said a few seconds ago, I tend to believe if they don't get a long term deal done this offseason, I would say there's no way I believe that they're going to get a long term deal done. Because at that rate, you would then be having him plan the franchise tag and you could technically franchise tag him for another year. But wouldn't Lamar feel disrespected if he has to play this year on a franchise tag after they've now tried, whether how genuine or not, it would be three straight offseasons to get a long term deal done and they didn't. This feels different than the Dak Prescott situation where you knew a deal was going to get done.

The Ravens, I'm getting mixed vibes here. If Lamar wants to get a deal done, and I used to think that the Ravens wanted to get a deal done. But now I don't know if the Ravens may just look at this and say, let's play the franchise tag out the next two years.

He's been injured the last two years. We think he's a great quarterback, but we don't know how durable he's going to be. And then after two years, we'll go elsewhere. Now, the gamble of that is good luck trying to find the quarterback better than Lamar Jackson. But you never know how these teams end up going about things when this much money is on the line.

So it's a very confusing situation, aren't they, Kiki? I am with you. At this point, I think the most likely outcome is going to be he'll be in Baltimore next year on the franchise tag. I think after that year is when they trade him.

You want to get something back before he's able to leave. I know you can franchise him a third time, but I could do that with how much money it is. So you franchise him this year, he's going to play. I think you're going to trade him after next season. He'll be on a new team, and I think you're right.

He'll get that new extension, that big session he's looking for from a team that's not right now named the Baltimore Ravens. Because if you trade for him, you're going to have to give up significant assets, and therefore you're going to give him a lucrative contract. But if I'm Lamar, and I was with you, and I've said this numerous times, even going back into this past summer. Remember when I floated out the idea of the Minnesota Vikings potentially getting him, and playing out the next two years on a franchise tag. And then you go after you say goodbye to Kirk Cousins, who's under contract for one more year. Maybe after the first year of the franchise tag for Lamar. Then when they franchise tag him the second time, you move on and you will get Lamar Jackson to Minnesota. That's something that I said in this past offseason in the summer. So we've now been talking about the eventual departure of Lamar Jackson.

And let's not forget, you go back to the draft, that's really when I started to get a bad feeling about this. Because afterwards you found out from Harbaugh and DeCasa that they kept him in the loop about Marquis Hollywood-Brown. And Marquis Hollywood-Brown multiple times requested a trade. And still, on draft night, he went to Twitter to voice his frustrations with the team getting rid of Marquis Hollywood-Brown. So I believe, or I tend to believe, that Lamar Jackson is annoyed with the organization.

Now, is maybe some of his disagreements fractured beyond repair? That I don't know, but if we ask this poll question today, when Lamar Jackson gets his first long-term extension, who will it be with? The Ravens or another NFL team? I'm going with another NFL team. With the last two years how it's gone, I'm not really going to expect much will change here in year number three.

And it makes me want to ask the question, and I'll ask it right now. Let's just say we keep on talking about them franchise tagging him from a year, and then if you're going to move on, you've got to get something back so it doesn't make sense to franchise tag him for two years and keep him for that second year. Because then you just let him walk for a compensatory third round pick. And even if you don't think Lamar Jackson is the greatest quarterback in the world, you could go get some significant draft capital back for him.

You don't let him just walk for a third round pick. I'm starting to wonder, Ryan, and if I'm Lamar and you get the sense that a long-term deal is never going to get done, I would lean on the side of I'm not signing this franchise tag. The only way I will sign the franchise tag is if it's when you agree to trade me to another team. And I wonder if Lamar will expedite the process of his own departure from Baltimore where he goes, I'm not doing this where I'm playing on a franchise tag with no long-term security in terms of finances, and then just next year you're going to franchise tag me again, and then you're going to trade me. If I'm Lamar and I know he doesn't have an agent, so maybe he wants to hire him in this offseason, and hey, his mom is representing him and himself. But I would hire an agent, and I'd have the agent say, we either get this deal done this offseason or you trade my client. That's the way that I would approach it. I wouldn't even play next year in Baltimore hot take-hickey if it's on the franchise tag.

And I would try all I can to get out now if you don't think a long-term deal can get done. The issue for Lamar is actually someone who he's seemingly trying to model his next contract after Deshaun Watson. We've seen Deshaun Watson miss an entire season.

He's looked like crap so far in the four games, five games he's been so far back with the Browns. And I just wonder, now when you see, obviously he's missed time for different reasons, but you see the entire year-long layoff impact Deshaun Watson in a negative way, if you're Lamar Jackson, if you're a team that's interested in Lamar Jackson, he sits out next season, are you willing to back up the Brinks truck as much as you would have if he plays next year? Well, hold on.

Let me clarify what I said. There is a difference in threatening not to play and saying, trade me now, I don't want to play for you. And then actually, if the team comes back to you and says, Lamar, we're not trading you yet, then there's a difference in sitting out that entire season. Would you advocate for Lamar to sit out the entire year if he says trade me and the Ravens say no?

If I'm Lamar, I'll put it to you this way. If I'm Lamar, without telling the Ravens this internally, I would set a deadline on when I would come back to return to play to try to exhaust every option possible to show that I'm serious about getting traded. I'm talking about maybe like six or seven weeks into the season or something like that.

So then if they call your bluff, then you're playing a few games in, you get closer to the deadline, teams are going to obviously be calling and then maybe they find a way to get a deal done. That's how I would approach it. Do you go into the season? Yeah, I would. Miss the first month, miss the first six weeks? Especially when I've been banged up the last two years?

That's how I would approach it. I either need a long-term deal this offseason or need the Ravens to say that a long-term deal, if we can't get one done this offseason and we've negotiated now, which would be three straight offseasons, if we can't get a deal done by the start of the season or at some point in the offseason, then you look to trade me. That's what I would do if I'm Lamar Jackson for this upcoming season in the NFL. But we'll see if he ends up playing again this year. It doesn't look like he's going to play this week. I would think he'll be back for next weekend for the playoff round. But if he's not, then you know what happens here, because there's some in that organization that probably think he's healthy enough to play right now. And Lamar, for whatever the reasons are, whether they're true or not, doesn't think he's healthy to play right now. That's when it's going to get ugly. And that's when you're going to start to have these hit pieces get authored, where people are going to say, you know, he didn't want to return. He's focusing too much on the contract. And if that's the case, I don't blame the guy.

I don't. But if he misses next weekend, when they're playing wild card weekend, I will then push all the chips on the table. And I'll take it as far to say this, then maybe he may never play for the Ravens again if he doesn't play next weekend.

That's where I'm kind of at. And maybe he'll try to expedite his trade and his departure from the Baltimore Ravens. But if they don't get a deal done this offseason, there is no way I think they'll ever get a long term deal done. Now, I threw this out there on Twitter.

So I'll throw it out there to you. Now, I'm going to eliminate the AFC. This does not mean that I don't think he could get traded to an AFC team.

But the Ravens preference would probably be get him to the NFC, get him at a conference. And for Lamar, if you look around, you see the dominance of Mahomes, the dominance of Allen, the dominance of Burrow. Trevor Lawrence looking like he's going to be a stud for the foreseeable future and a few other quarterbacks. You look at the NFC, Jalen Hart's playing like an MVP.

Dak's a really good quarterback. Rodgers and Brady, we don't know their long term future. We don't know what Stafford's going to look like next year.

It looks like Kyler Murray's not going to play for some part, if not all of next season. The NFC is wide open. So in the best of both worlds, maybe Lamar says, I want to go to the NFC because I can be the face of the NFC for the next decade. And the Ravens would probably prefer to trade him to the NFC compared to then seeing him in conference in the AFC. So let's just say if the Ravens say, Lamar, we'll trade you, but we're going to work with you. We will only, though, trade you to the NFC.

Who are the destinations that come to mind? And the first two that came to mind for next season, Seahawks and the Detroit Lions. Now, both have quarterbacks right now.

Geno Smith's having a Pro Bowl year and Jared Goff has played really good football. But I don't think any Seahawks fan or any Detroit Lions fan is sitting there right now and saying, we got our guy for the next decade. You look at both those teams, I like some of the roster in Seattle. They still got to build a little bit more. Detroit has a really good roster. You've got to think, Kiki, that both those teams, even though they have solid quarterback play for this season, they would be interested in Lamar Jackson if he was to be made available this offseason.

Without a doubt. I mean, you can't sit here with a straight face. If you're John Schneider, if you're Dan Campbell and say I'd rather have Jack. When you need to know what's happening, it's time to get in the huddle.

This sham with Steve Keim out there in the desert. I mean, it's like no accountability. Never my fault. It's never his fault. Stuff just happens.

Losses just fall from the sky. It's not Cliff's fault. It's not Kyler's fault. It's not my fault.

It's not the owner's fault. We just have really bad luck. Just hang in there and keep throwing money at us and we'll figure it out. Shut up.

Listen to in the huddle available on the Aussie app or wherever you get your podcast. No one's more locked into the NFL than first and pod. Why is it not within the realm of possibility that Geno Smith was a victim of a horrible organization, bad offensive coaching, and then went and played behind three high level talents and only got spot starts and did OK, by the way? Well, because it's just it doesn't really happen that often anymore. Subscribe to first and pod on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. No one's more locked into the NFL than first and pod. Why is it not within the realm of possibility that Geno Smith was a victim of a horrible organization, bad offensive coaching, and then went and played behind three high level talents and only got spot starts and did OK, by the way?

Well, because it's just it doesn't really happen that often anymore. Subscribe to first and pod on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. Now, here's another one, and I think we're all leery of this organization just because of their owner, but their roster is good. That's the commanders with Terry Mclaurin. I think when he's been on the field, Johan Dotson has had a really good rookie season out of Penn State. I know both of us were optimistic about Johan Dotson. You got Brian Robinson, Jr. in the backfield, who's really good.

Defensively, I know Chay Seung was out most of the year, but now he's back and they have a good front seven. The only concern, if you're Lamar Jackson, you go from one of the more well respected organizations in the league to an owner that no one has respect for anymore with Daniel Snyder. But maybe Daniel Snyder is starting to see his departure from the NFL.

It looks that way. We haven't really heard, though, anything since on that front. And if you're Lamar and you're thinking, I'll be here for five, six, seven years, you got to think at some point and sooner or later that a new owner will be in town. The head coach, Ramon Rivera, obviously had a lot of success with Cam Newton.

So similar style to quarterbacks as well, assuming Ron Rivera is going to be there. Yeah, that'd be you just overlooked or overlooked. But you know how you overlook it. Dan Snyder.

It's a great landing spot. If you're Lamar Jackson and I don't condone what Daniel Snyder has done. I've made it very clear. I don't think he should be an owner in the NFL. But if Lamar Jackson gets a call from Dan Snyder and Dan Snyder says, we'll give you the money and the contract that you want.

I think that Lamar Jackson will say, OK, I'm good with going to the Washington commanders. Right. But there's a business side of this as well. True. Money talks.

Money does talk. Now, if we had to incorporate the AFC, the first two destinations I thought of, actually, the AFC East. Miami Dolphins, we don't know what the long term future is of Tua Tung of Aloha. And then the New York Jets. The Jets have a solid roster.

They don't have a quarterback. Those are two destinations I think of in the AFC. Anyone else in the NFL that you think of if you had to give another destination or two for Lamar Jackson? Well, your guy has a big affinity for Lamar Jackson. That's Bill Belichick. I don't know if the roster is quite where the Jets is offensively, where the Dolphins is offensively. Where any of the NFC teams are listed. So it's not like he'd be searching out to go get a contract from the Patriots.

But I wouldn't say no. Like I said, Bill Belichick is someone who loves the mobile style quarterback and has always kind of talked about Lamar Jackson. Tennessee could also be in play. That's a big swing. We talked about them taking a big swing with Ryan Tanel maybe already playing his last game in Tennessee. Vegas. Devonta Adams wants to stay, assuming they go get a big quarterback. They are in the need. That would be a good one with the Raiders.

And then let me just get the disclaimer out the way. Anyone in the NFC South too could use Lamar Jackson. And if you're the Ravens and you obviously need a quarterback if you're going to trade Lamar, you do a whole lot worse than Derek Carr. If you want to do, you know, include Derek Carr. Oh, you're saying you get Carr back?

That actually takes two to tango right there. Not terrible. Not great for the Ravens, but not awful. But if you're the Ravens, yes, you get Carr. You're still going to need a few first round picks. Oh, right. This is not a one for one here.

This is absolutely not. But it would at least help alleviate some short-term ills if you're looking for a quarterback elsewhere. Yeah, I just had to make sure of that because I didn't know if you were still popping a few beers after your whole escapade coming out of the Rose Bowl. Carr for Lamar.

Who says no? Do you have, by the way, can you quickly find your USC audio? Not the Rose Bowl audio coming out of the Utah Penn State game? Let me know if you could find that very quickly in the system. I'll try to stall here for about five to ten more seconds. And then if you can't find it, I'll just shut my mouth and take a break. But I do want to point out, you have it?

Go ahead, play it. This is Hickey walking out of the Rose Bowl. We are live right at the Rose Bowl where, no big deal, Penn State demolished, dominated, controlled number eight Utah in an absolute domino victory. So I'm going to tell you folks for the future, 2023, look out for the Knicks. They dominated with Sean Clifford, six-year quarterback, no big deal. Hey guys, you are coming in two professional running acts, dominant. We'll see you next year.

We'll see you in the playoffs. So as I said to you yesterday, you were clearly drunk and you acknowledged it, and you were the leader of the Penn State cult spreading all that Penn State propaganda. I was making fun of the way that you sounded yesterday, but in the process of doing that, I missed one slight thing when you were slurring your words. Play that clip one more time and then I'm going, and maybe it's because I have a few pops myself here and there, so I have a better understanding of the things that you were trying to say.

But play that one more time and then I'll cut you off where I want you to explain fully what you were saying. We are live right at the Rose Bowl where, no big deal, Penn State demolished, dominated, controlled number eight Utah in an absolute domino victory. That one.

Stop. Were you saying in a dominant day? That's what I thought you were saying. Dominant victory. Dominant victory. Dominant victory. After hearing that again, I think DA said that this morning, it sounds like you're saying Donovan Mitchell.

Anything you'd like to add on that? Oh no. I mean, yeah. I thought I was saying dominant victory. Again, it's more my voice than anything else. No, you were slurring your words there.

Well, I know. Obviously I was, but in terms of trying to decipher what I was trying to say. You were saying dominant victory there? Dominant victory. That's what it sounded like.

Dominant victory. I guess it sounds like now, Donovan Mitchell. So there you go. You can have those two always kind of paired together. You got it.

I can't wait for the Jazz to have another, or not the Jazz anymore, but the Cavs to have a DA victory with Donovan Mitchell. That's great. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. It is Zach Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio 855-212-4CBS, 855-212-4227. Let's go out to the phones and we will go to Alabama.

Dave in Alabama is next up on CBS Sports Radio. Dave, been a while. How you been? Hey, good. How are you? Good.

What do you got? Hey, I think that coach of the year shouldn't even be in question. I think that what Western New York has had to deal with this past year. Before the season starts, there was an active shooter at a top supermarket and the Buffalo Bills handled it great. The Blizzard killed, I think, I don't know the exact total, but I think 35 people died, maybe 37.

I don't know the exact number. And then what Sean McDermott just dealt with and the way he handled it and the team handled it with class. I mean, usually they give coach of the year to the team that does more with less.

But there has to be a human element because we're all humans, right? And this guy has done so much this year through so much adversity. I mean, up until the game was caught off, they were the number one seed in the AFC. And I mean, how do you not give it to him? I mean, that's just my opinion. Man, I think that guy deserves it more than anyone else. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but I mean, they just earned it.

Dave, I appreciate the phone call and thank you for bringing up the point. So I feel weird in regards to the DeMar Hamlin situation making a football point off of it, but in regards or talking about an award from it. But in regards to the question that was asked, Sean McDermott coach of the year, you could make a case for it. Now, if I put on my football cap here, I don't think he's going to win the award where you look at the bills, because I think a lot of bills that were people that vote for the word are going to say, oh, the bills supposed to be this great team. And the record was a great team. And then people say like Brian Dable, I think is going to win coach of the year, is going to win the award.

Because that team really doesn't have a great roster and they're off to the postseason and you could go through some other football storylines as well. But that doesn't mean that Sean McDermott shouldn't be in the conversation. And then we should just be praising Sean McDermott totally outside of the coach of the year award, just because of not only what he's been through this year and what Buffalo has been through this year, but just the job he's done ever since he's got to Buffalo.

And I don't want people to get this wrong. I've always been a huge fan of Sean McDermott. When when the Eagles hired Doug Peterson, I wanted the Eagles to hire when I was in Philadelphia, Sean McDermott.

I've been a big believer in Sean McDermott for a long time. And this was a team that has not made the playoffs in forever. And ever since he got there, even when Tarod Taylor was the quarterback, they made the playoffs.

And now all they do is make the playoffs. And, you know, my my feelings for Buffalo and that community. And there's a reason why we talk about Buffalo a lot on this show.

I have strong feelings and I always have a soft spot for Buffalo because I've been there a bunch. My sister and my cousin went to the university at Buffalo. So that's when I first visited Buffalo. I've been to countless Bills games. Even the university at Buffalo, I've been to their football games as well.

Back when Turner Gill was the coach. I've been to NCAA tournaments in Buffalo. But any time you go to Buffalo and you're involved and you're there for whatever event, it's always around a few things.

And these are the principles that I love to live my life by or or surround myself by. And it's really family. It is food. And then it's also sports.

You go to Buffalo. The only three things you do is family, food and sports. And when I mean family, it's an entire community.

And not only your direct family, but the people there are awesome, great people. And you see in tragedies and we know, unfortunately, this year, Buffalo has been through too many. One tragedy is too many, but they've been through so many tragedies with the shooting.

With the snowstorm. And obviously the latest being DeMar Hamlin. The leadership that McDermott has displayed through all of this.

Has been better than what anyone could have imagined. And the entire team as well. We talk about Deon Dawkins a lot on this show because I went to college with him. He's up for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Reason why he's up for that award, not only because Deon Dawkins, a phenomenal human being and someone that has never changed ever since I met him at Temple University. But what Deon did to try to uplift the community in a horrible time after the shooting that did occur. And it wasn't only Deon, so many Bills players. No one's more locked into the NFL than first and pod. Why is it not within the realm of possibility that Geno Smith was a victim of a horrible organization, bad offensive coaching and then went and played behind three high level talents and only got spot starts and did OK, by the way. Well, because it's just it doesn't really happen that often anymore.

Subscribe to first and pod on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. You need to know what's happening. It's time to get in the huddle. You're fraudulent. You're not in the business of winning football games. You're in the business of trying to prove your own asinine decisions.

Correct. We can talk about the hearsay thing. Do I think the Saturday thing is the biggest joke in the history of the NFL? I do. But at least he was to say this ain't working for me. I don't care that I just gave him extensions. Listen to in the huddle available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast.

When you need to know what's happening, it's it's it's it's time to get in the huddle. You're fraudulent. You're not in the business of winning football games. You're in the business of trying to prove your own asinine decisions.

Correct. We can talk about the hearsay thing. Do I think the Saturday thing is the biggest joke in the history of the NFL? I do. But at least he was to say this ain't working for me. I don't care that I just gave him extensions.

Listen to in the huddle available on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. When they went into the community, when they didn't have to and they went to help because they wanted to do what was right. And they're just great people in all of Buffalo. So if you want to say Sean McDermott coach of the year, I don't think he's going to win it. Because I do think a lot of people are look at it from the football side of it of, oh, Kyle Shanahan was down to his third quarterback and Brian Day ball with the team that people thought was going to win four games, won nine and got to the playoffs and a few other people as well. You know, Pete Carroll goes to the playoffs. He'll definitely get some votes that the Lions get the playoffs.

Dan Campbell definitely get some votes. But those are all things that even though they're important, they're trivial compared to what Sean McDermott had to go through. So there's an argument to be made.

I just don't think there's going to be enough voters that are going to think in the way of. The way that Dave in Alabama presented the argument, but it is a an argument now that we've heard in back to back days, and obviously I have a lot of respect for Sean McDermott in the way that he's handled the situation. He has shown leadership and he is the definition of a great leader. Zach Gelb here with you on CBS Sports Radio. We will take a break when we come on back. We will talk a little bit about the future of Jim Harbaugh. Now, that take was right when the Colts did say goodbye to one Frank Reich, and I still think it should be the first phone call that Jim Erce does make, assuming that he can't get Sean Payton. I don't see why Sean would want to go to the Indianapolis Colts, but we shall see if Jim Harbaugh is actually going to leave. We'll get to that in just a second, but first this NFL postseason, every Westwood One NFL broadcast streams live for free.

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I'm going to just tell you every way that my brain does process. Hickey, thankfully I knew what Super Bowl it was this year, that it was Super Bowl 57, because in this read, don't look at the read yet, it gives you the Roman numeral. Do you know what 57 is? Is it XVII? No, not even close.

I have no idea. You said XVII? Yeah. You got the V, the I, and the I, right. LVII.

Oh, L. L. So, shoot. Just a little note here for everyone behind the scenes, and I guess this does include you too, even though we use you a bunch here on this show being the executive producer of the Zach Gilp show. When we do this read, we maybe should write out for everyone else 57 instead of LVII. Because how many hosts do you think here at the network see that, and they're like, huh, what Super Bowl is it this year? Because the number isn't always on the top of everyone's mind of what number Super Bowl it is until pretty much Super Bowl week. Did you know that this year was the 57 Super Bowl, just wondering? I probably would have guessed it, yeah.

I know it's in the area, 55, 56 was recently, so one or two guesses for sure. Gotcha. But if you had a read, let's just say in the middle of an overnight show, when you're doing the hot take hickey hour, and they gave you this read, would you think right away you would have said, oh, and Super Bowl when you saw LVII that it would have been 57 for you right away? I think so. I think so. I can't fully say that, but I feel like I would have. You don't sound very convincing.

It's not as confusing when you get the I and the V as four, that's when I kind of get twisted. Now, Jim Harbaugh thinks he's staying at Michigan. So, two things here when it comes to Michigan. Now, this was not the order that it went down, but Nicole Auerbach released an article today via The Athletic that Michigan football is under NCAA investigation and expects to receive a notice of allegations by Friday, the source told The Athletic. Source says it's relatively minor infractions, but the investigation also centers on the program's response.

So, we don't know to what magnitude that is yet. Now, it makes it appear to be something that is minor and something that is not a big deal, but we'll see what other details come out. Now, a few hours before that, we did get a statement from Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh. And Hickey and I, we don't usually agree, but we agreed on this that if we had to, and now Hickey was more adamant than I was, but Hickey said, without a doubt, 100% Jim Harbaugh is going to the NFL.

And I said, if you made me lean one way or another, I would say that he's probably going to the NFL. Because everything that he said, even going back to the Vikings job and he's in the room for 10 plus hours taking an interview, when he got back was, I intend to be the coach of Michigan. Michigan, this is not going to be a yearly thing. And all throughout the year, he says, I expect to be the coach of the Michigan Wolverines in 2023. So, you got a tweet today from Michigan football with the statement. And when you see the statement from Jim Harbaugh, and this is before the whole allegation issue did come about, you're thinking to yourself, oh, maybe this is Jim Harbaugh when they initially released this tweet that a Michigan man through and through. Like Hickey, before you read the statement, and before we read the statement, when you see just the photo, and there's text underneath it of Jim Harbaugh, and they released a statement, a Michigan man through and through, you would assume that this was going to be Jim Harbaugh saying, I appreciate the NFL offers and all the conversations, but I'm not going to pursue this job this year. This is on the official Michigan football Twitter account, and they're tweeting out a Michigan man through and through.

Would have laid down the hammer and left no doubt where he'll be next year, and that would have been, you would have thought, in Ann Arbor on the Michigan sideline. So, as I've told you, I've had many friends that go to Michigan. I'm in a bunch of group chats as they've kind of adopted me as a Michigan football fan because I watch all the games with them. And this group chat today at 4.02 p.m. Eastern, once this post gets sent out, it's buzzing.

And it's like, oh, Jim's back, Jim's back, Jim's back. Now, Hickey, you're looking at me like, oh, what a bunch of idiots, as if you've never said anything stupid when it comes to college football. I then quickly, this was in the first two, three minutes of this being out there, I said, anyone in this group actually read the statement? Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, because you just see a Michigan man through and through, hashtag Go Blue, and then a statement, it's, oh, Harbaugh's going nowhere, after all the reports the last few days, and John U. Bacon's going to join us coming up at 8.20 p.m. Eastern, is that his preference is to go to the NFL.

If he gets offered a job, he's going to take it and all that. So then, I said to everyone in this group chat, read the statement. And then tell me what you actually think.

And then everyone's like, oh, that doesn't seem 100% like he's coming back. So here's the statement from Jim Harbaugh. I'm aware of the rumors and speculation over the past few days.

All right, good start. College and NFL teams have great interest in all of our personnel, from players to coaches to staff, and I truly believe that is a testament to the strength of our University of Michigan football program. As I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023. I've spoken with the president and the athletic director and appreciate their support of me and our program.

Our mission as Wolverines continues as we are preparing for the 2023 season with the great passion and enthusiasm as a legendary coach, Bo Shem-Beckler said, those who stay will be champions. Now, the line that stands out to me, as I stated in December, while no one knows what the future holds, I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023. Yeah, Jim, I also expect to be dating Beyonce. I'm not going to be dating Beyonce ever, for many reasons.

One, she's married, and two, I don't think Beyonce would ever want to go on a date with me. But when you say I expect to be coaching Michigan, what's the point of saying that when it's really just you giving yourself an out if you do get offered one of these jobs, hey, I expected it, but the NFL came calling and they offered me $15 million a year and I just couldn't pass that up. That whole expecting hickey, even though they tried to make it something today, as if this was the announcement that Jim was saying, I still expect that he's going to be going to the NFL.

If, if, if, if, if this is the big if, he gets offered one of the NFL jobs this offseason. He's better off not saying anything at this point. I agree. Like, that's a bad look for Michigan football.

Because what is that? So some people are going to say in terms of keeping the recruiting class there or getting people for NIL or the transfer portal to go there, they got to put something out. I read that statement. You expect to be back if I'm a recruit that committed to you or let's just say if I'm in the transfer portal. Does that make me say, oh, yeah, I expect him to be back? No, you're just saying you expect to be there.

Like we all expect to do things doesn't mean we all do them. Recruits also aren't stupid. They know what this reads. They know the rumors.

They know where his heart truly lies. It just it makes it worse. And it brings more speculation towards him than exactly didn't release this in the first place. Yeah. Now, Joe carriage, who played for Michigan, you want to see how he how he quote tweeted this?

This is actually great. It's a funny line. Some people are mad about while no one knows the future. He's being honest and covering all the bases except third base because we all know Ryan Day has that one locked down. What a shot. That's a good one by Joe. That's a great tweet. We see a lot of crappy tweets.

That is an A plus plus plus plus tweet. Have you heard the defense this week of Ryan Day? Now, Ryan Day is a very good coach.

Don't get me wrong. He's a temple man, too. He had two stints at Temple University. I bet you didn't know that one there, hot take. No idea.

Yeah. Temple, they they breed out all the all the big powerful names in the NFL. But anyway, our college football. Ryan Day, I think is a good coach, but we got to see if he could eventually win a national championship. I thought he did a good job for the most part and getting his team ready to go and the performance he gave up against Georgia.

But there was a lot of people this week. How dare anyone criticize Ryan Day? And you should be so fortunate that Ryan Day is the coach of Ohio State, your Ohio State football fan. You know what it's all about? It's about beating Michigan. The last two years, they haven't been able to do that. We're under Urban Meyer, even though I don't like Urban Meyer as a human being.

All Urban Meyer did was go out there and dominate up against Michigan. So, you know, the Panthers have already come calling. You know, the Broncos are having conversations, too. I'm sure Jim Mercy is picking up the phone. Jim, come on home. Join us back where your name is in the ring of honor, even though it probably shouldn't be in the ring of honor. But come be the coach and other jobs will open up and other teams will come calling for Jim Harbaugh. And if he gets offered, then we'll see if he still expects to be the coach of Michigan, because then I think that will be a different conversation. When you need to know what's happening, it's time to get in the huddle.

This sham with Steve Keim out there in the desert. I mean, it's like no accountability. Never my fault. It's never his fault. Stuff just happens.

Losses just fall from the sky. It's not his fault. It's not Kyler's fault. It's not my fault.

It's not the owner's fault. We just have really bad luck. Just hang in there and keep throwing money at us and we'll figure it out. Shut up. Listen to in the huddle available on the Aussie app or wherever you get your podcast.

When you need to know what's happening, it's it's it's it's time to get in the huddle. You're fraudulent. You're not in the business of winning football games. You're in the business of trying to prove your own asinine decisions.

Correct. We can talk about the thing. Do I think the Saturday thing is the biggest joke in the history of the NFL? I do. But at least he was to say this ain't working for me.

I don't care that I just gave him extensions. Listen to in the huddle available on the Aussie app or wherever you get your podcast.