Top 5 AFC & NFC QBs (Hour 2)

Yo, yo, it is the Zach Yelp show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. So I actually, the last two days hickey, I was in the NHL store here in New York City.

Pretty damn cool. Now I think I've been one other time, but I've been trying to get Amika's advantage add jersey for like three, four months. And since how popular he's been and the size I am, they have been sold out.

So I called the NHL shop and they didn't have any Amika jersey, but they said, we can customize the jersey for you with a authentic Rangers jersey that just blank and then put in the number 93, the assistant captain's patch, and then the name on the back. So yesterday I took a subway over to Penn Station and then walked like the two avenues to get on over to the NHL store. And I forgot my wallet at home yesterday, but I have my credit card linked to my phone. So I thought I could just do one of those normal, like tap and pay. And then you go, I guess anything over like 200 bucks at the NHL store because of identity fraud and credit fraud and all that.

You need to literally put the credit card into the machine. So I went yesterday and I then found that out. So then I had to come back here and I didn't get the jersey, but they can't customize it and then have it ready for you the next day before you pay for it. Cause all sales are final when it's a customized jersey. So I had to go back today and I put the credit card in the machine, big job out of me. And they said it was going to take 40 minutes for the jersey to get ready.

So I didn't think I was going to have the time. So I said, I'll pick up the jersey tomorrow, no big deal, but they could make it and then it'll be ready tomorrow. Kid you not, like 15 minutes after I left the store, I got to text your jersey is ready. The overestimation was obnoxious, but I'm getting what I want.

So I'm good with it and I'll go back tomorrow. But a very cool store and a lot of cool gear that the NHL store does have for all teams in, you know, when you look at hockey, which I love hockey, you love hockey, but that's a pretty damn cool store. I used to love as a kid, go to the NBA store in New York city too, which I think was close to ESPN zone, which as a kid, you go watch the game, you go to the NBA store, then you go to ESPN zone, you play some games. And I always remember ESPN zone hickey having great cheese fries. I was never a big cheese fry person, but I always remember my father would order cheese fries whenever we would go to ESPN zone, which was a really cool place. I have two lasting memories from ESPN zone.

It went once in my life. Number one, the best cookie skillet I've ever had. They put the cookie in the skillet, ice cream on top and melts in your mouth. Delicious. Never forget that.

The other thing, I think I know it. You went and Dick Vitale was there and he was like, oh no, even better than that. Even better than being diaper dandy by Dickie V in person, no celebrity sighting TVs in the bathroom at the urinal. You go to the bathroom where it was bowl season.

It was like Texas tech with Mike Leach being coached and it's all, I don't want to miss the game. Okay. I'm going to run to the bathroom. You remember the game? Oh yeah. Oh, this is burned in my brain.

Last thing, legacy in there at the urinal watching Texas tech. I was probably like 12 or 13. Okay. I have a weird memory when it comes to sporting events or like a lock. I can't remember anything else. Taking a number one in the bathroom.

Yes. And standing at the urinal and a very small TV right there watching the game like this is so cool. So my buddy Wes, who I think you met at the super bowl, but I'm, what's a good dude.

And he works in social media. His dad had the ultimate man cave in their house that they no longer have like his childhood home and it was six or seven TVs on the wall. And the first time I went there, they said to me, this is like ESPN zone. They have the sports ticker going around the entire bar, which is really cool.

All the memorabilia they had a kitchen behind. So you pigs in the blanket, whatever you order and all that. And they, I go, what do you mean? It's like ESPN zone. I go, no crap. I'm sitting there. I'm watching all the games.

You get the sports ticker going around. They go, go to the bathroom TVs in the bathroom. They had two back multiple. They had two bathrooms downstairs. One to the left was for number twos with the toilet. And then the one, the one to the right was a urinal. Like if you went to the right, it was a urinal house TV on top of the urinal. And then two TVs decently size where you can go take a number two.

And I think they even had a PlayStation. If you want to play some PlayStation in the bathroom too, which I did not elect to do what I would love TV in the shower. I would never, I'd be like Kramer. I'd live in the shower. I would never get out, but that would be the ultimate. I don't want a TV in the shower.

You know why? I feel like I do some of my best thinking in the shower and I have some of my best ideas in the shower. I don't need any technology when I'm in the shower.

Oh, that would be great. Watching the game, especially get home late. All of a sudden it's halftime. I'm running late. Now I'm in the shower. The third quarter starting.

Now I have to miss it. So give me a, this is Pat McAfee show. This is Adam Thielen on the Pat McAfee show talking about going to the Carolina Panthers. And he says, they're not that far off from maybe winning a Superbowl. Honestly, wasn't really planning on going to the Panthers and went on a visit there just to see, just to hear them out. Cause I wanted to go somewhere that, that I felt like I had an opportunity to win a Superbowl. And when I went there, I sat down with coach, I sat down with the GM, sat down with all the coaching staff and I felt like Carolina was the place to do that. I feel like there, there is a real chance to win a Superbowl. So I think that's an interesting response. And I, we talked about a little bit yesterday, but something I didn't catch yesterday, I wasn't really thinking about going to Carolina. And then all of a sudden, just talking to them, you got ooh, to nod and impress AKA, they gave you a contract that you probably weren't getting anywhere else or the other option was not that great. And now all of a sudden he views them as a team that could go and do some serious damage.

Don't get me wrong. The Panthers have a good defense. We'll see who ends up being that draft pick with the number one, overall pick today, CJ Stroud had his pro day, 11 members of the Panthers organization were there.

They'll go to Alabama tomorrow for Bryce Young's pro day. And it's all about the quarterback. They need better receivers in that building after getting rid of DJ Moore and you lost Christian McCaffrey, but you then bring in Miles Sanders. So there's some room to still grow on the offensive side of the ball, but I don't know like Frank Reich, is he a Superbowl winning head coach in this league?

I was not impressed the last two years with the failure in preparation, the slow starts and the same losing that they did in the same spot. So I would pump the brakes before we talk about a Superbowl push. But if you get the right quarterback, the NFC is wide open. Like outside of the Eagles and the 49ers, there's no one that I feel great about in the NFC.

And you could argue the Niners because the Niners have a great roster, but we don't know who or how long we're going to see someone starting at quarterback for them this year. So it got me thinking Hickey and my answer is five. I think right now there's five teams that I could legitimately see winning the Superbowl next year.

What's your number? How many Superbowl contenders? And I guess it just depends on how strict your standards are right now in the NFL. Also five.

So I have a feeling we're probably the same five. Okay. NFC, just the Eagles and 49ers.

Yes, sir. A team like Dallas, I like what they did this off season, bringing in Brandon Cooks. I can't get there though with them until I see Dak perform on the big stage. Minnesota showed you they're a good regular season team, but a little fraudulent. Then come postseason time. You don't trust Kirk Cousins. The Lions I'm optimistic about, but I'm not ready to say, oh, we're all in on winning a Superbowl with the Detroit Lions. No one in the NFC South this year. I know people say, oh, the Saints could be good and you got Derek Carr. I don't trust Derek Carr to win a Superbowl. And then the NFC West, I like what Seattle did last year. I don't believe that the Rams are gonna have a bounce back year, but I also got to see what the Seahawks are gonna be with your number two of Geno Smith and how much regression there is. I feel really good about Philadelphia, even with some of the pieces that they lost this off season. And it's a big belief in Jalen Hurts. And then for San Francisco, I love their roster. I just don't like their quarterback position because I don't know what to expect at their QB spot.

And did you see this? I don't even want to call it a report because it was from Ben Roethlisberger's mouth. Big Ben had a conversation with the Niners last year.

That's right. I mean, look, they're running through quarterbacks like, you know, people run through underwear, especially morass runs through underwear. So of course you got to call me and Phil Rivers, I guess, try to call. They they turn his call down. So we're gonna go to Big Ben instead. I wonder how serious those conversations were. And I paused there and I gave you a funny face because the last time we saw Big Ben on a football field, he looked shot.

Done. Like with it, I would rather have I know it's been more he's been retired longer. I'd rather have interest in Philip Rivers over Big Ben. I would agree. But to answer your first part, I think it's absolutely serious because I think you don't call a name like that without, you know, actually being serious or bring him in. I think you're just calling him for, you know, fun. And we know for sure that they initiated the phone call. Yeah. Ben said they called him.

Okay. And then he didn't want to play because he doesn't want to play for anyone that's not in the black and gold. That's right. That was the quote. Is that a reason why you don't go to the to the 49ers? Like I'm thinking about this. I've been out of the game.

This is first full year out of the game. And you get a phone call. Hey, it's Sean Lynch with the 49ers or hey, it's Kyle Shanahan with the 49ers. If I'm Big Ben, I'd be like, yeah, I know you want to play your entire career with the Steelers, but you retired.

They have Kenny Pickett. We'll see how that works out. But it was an encouraging your number one. I would have said, yeah, I'm in the last few months of the season with a team that's ready to go win a Super Bowl. And you're Big Ben who has two Super Bowls.

I don't think there's any downside there. I think even though his legacy is pretty much set, you go to San Francisco, you win a third Super Bowl and you do so with the different team. I think the upside is greater than, oh, I didn't get to play my entire career with with Pittsburgh because I went for what? Two months to go play with the Niners. Here's a hot take. Would he have even played?

Like, let's say, let's say, you know, Ben said this is an opportunity. Jimmy G went down. It was early November, I believe, right? Against the Dolphins.

Yeah. Pretty got like five or six starts late November, late October, early November. So by the time Ben Rosberg, let's say they called in the day after Jimmy G got hurt. So you got to think, okay, he's got to get a little bit of shape. He's got to learn the playbook. Let's say two or three weeks bare minimum between signing him and playing him.

December 4th. That's when he got hurt in that Dolphins game and Brock Purdy came off the bench. Are you like, is he going to play? Because Brock Purdy came in and played pretty well like right away.

They beat Tampa and they beat Seattle. Do you like, is he playing? I don't know. Yeah, I think he would have. Here's why. Because I know you got to do it to the best interest of the football team, but if you were calling him begging for him to join and you made him get off his ass and walk into your facility and not just, it's not like he was in the area. You have him go from Pittsburgh to Santa Clara. You have him go there, learn the playbook and you go, Oh Ben, thanks, but no thanks. That's a bad look.

Do you think they're begging? I mean, they went to Josh Johnson, so it's not like, they called him, they called him up saying you could call him, see if he got in the building, if they signed him to a contract, he even though Brock Purdy played two games, Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant, two games, they definitely would have went to him. Look, you said that the Buccaneers playoff team, Seahawks playoff team, he was playing well if you're Kyle Shannon.

A buck 85 and two 17 were the passing yards. Are we going to really sit there and say, I don't know. Yes.

I don't know. Even though Bill Romanowski came on this show and said after like three starts, I think it was, Oh, Brock Purdy is there next year. He sees some Joe Montana in him and he'll go on to be the starter for 15 to 20 years. If they would have signed Ben Roethlisberger, there is not a chance that you would have seen Brock Purdy starting when big Ben was ready to go. And mind you just to make this, you know, argument, I guess as accurate as I can, Jimmy G get hurt in the first drive against the dolphin team. So basically it was three starts for Brock Purdy played well in all three. That's a, that's a decent sample size.

Yes. I wouldn't have trusted Kyle Shannon if I was Ben Roethlisberger to play me again, you don't know what's the time when they call, you don't see, you don't foresee this happening. We don't know how much they were begging. We don't know how far the conversation did go. There was a conversation that was, was had. And ultimately I guess Ben didn't want to do it. And however he spun that, and you got to wonder what is actually true here.

Cause this is big Ben leak in it, which I don't see why he has a reason to lie, but you'd never know how people try to stretch the truth a little bit. Let's just say, but, but if you're saying if they would have signed to me, absolutely would have started 100% sit here and say that for a fact, I can't do it. Telling you, I've never been more confident in my life until Brock Purdy hurt his elbow. I think we would not have seen big Ben until Philly.

And by that point he may have retired at that point out of embarrassment until Philly when he got hurt. Yeah. I don't think you're taking off the field if he's playing well. Stop. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Stop.

We'll never know, but back to the Superbowl contenders. You have crazy theories. What do you mean? Crazy.

That's crazy. Brock Purdy played well. We talked about Brock Purdy playing well for weeks, but you didn't say if they signed big Ben and told big Ben, learn the playbook, take your time, get ready. We're bringing you in to go win a Superbowl. A guy that's won two Superbowls for what? A guy that played two and a half games or basically three games in Brock Purdy.

I don't care what he did. They would have gone to big Ben. Now it would have been fun because if big Ben got in and look old, terrible, washed up, which he is, we know he's a great quarterback, but not anymore.

Then that's a different conversation. Two three weeks from then, Oh, Purdy was playing well, big Ben stunk different after the first game or two, but he definitely would have got the start whenever he was ready to start. There's no doubt about that in my mind, but back to the Thielen comments, we have five Superbowl contenders. We both agree that the Eagles and the Niners, the only two Superbowl contenders right now in the NFC, the three in the AFC, it's still for me, Kansas city, Cincinnati, and then Buffalo. Is that the same, the three that you have in the AFC?

I will say this though. I think the Jaguars are a dangerous fourth. The Chargers could be a dangerous fourth if they keep Boston Eckler and you know, starting to make some really good moves. It's the jets. I don't think the jets are winning a Superbowl with Aaron Rogers because I don't trust Aaron Rogers to go win a second Superbowl with what I've seen when he was 13 and three 13 and three 13 and three and one, two MVPs in those three years. But even though they got rid of Elijah Moore today, you go bring an Allen Lazard. You have Garrett Wilson as well. I think that jets team, uh, they tr they, they bring McColl Hardman in as well.

And then you're getting Rogers and you have breeze hall coming back. That's pretty damn good offense. When you look at some of the names there for the JTS jets, jets, jets. It's not bad. Look side OBJ.

Okay. I just don't trust Aaron Rogers in the playoffs. I can't put the jets on the list. Even if they make all these other moves, you bring OBJ in, you bring Randall Cobb in, you bring Aaron Rogers in, don't they go equate to a Superbowl contender?

I think they're dangerous though. And I'm not a jet fan, but I liked the job that Joe Douglas is doing, assuming that they get the deal done for, for Aaron Rogers as well. Would that be the biggest tease ever? If you're a jet fan, you think you're getting an Aaron Rogers, so excited. Then it's like, Oh, the Packers are being a bunch of pain in the asses.

We can't get a deal done. I think. Would you agree with this? I do believe one of those second round picks cause they acquired an extra second round pick in this deal today, getting rid of Elijah Moore. I do think one of those picks are going to get sent to the Packers and then it will be a two that maybe could turn into a one with certain parameters. That's the road that I think we're traveling down. At this point, I would say, yes, it seems like the jets are bending the knee, if you will, and are just going to try to get this deal done.

Well, is that really bending the knee? Because not like the Packers are getting an outright one. Well, we'll see. We have no idea. Maybe it's a one and a two.

I have no idea. Well, I'm just throwing out that scenario. I think now, cause you have the 42nd pick and the 43rd pick. I do think one of those are going to get traded for Rogers to maybe outright, that's the deal. Or it could be a conditional two that turns into a one. That's what I think is most likely to happen now. Cause you look at the jets right now, I just want to make sure that this is updated. Yeah.

This is from today. They have one, two, two, four, five, six in this year's draft. So it feels like one of those twos are going to get dealt for Aaron Rogers.

And that may just be the deal in its entirety with no conditions on it as well. It is Zach Guilbe show on CBS sports radio. You're listening to the Zach Guilbe show. Time for your daily news brief. We get you caught up on the rumors, reports and reconnaissance from the day in sports. Mike trout on his reaction to show a Oh, Tony striking him out last night to end the world baseball classic.

Everybody wanted to see it. You know, he, he, he won round one. No, it's, you can't take it any way for it just to be able to come out of the bullpen, you know, show time.

So, you know, hats off to them guys over there. It was a tough, tough night for us, but we'll be back. I know that last night after the game trout walking from the plate to the clubhouse look devastated. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. He was that white. I wonder how annoyed he's actually with it.

Hickey. Cause that will tell me really how important the world baseball classic actually is. I was impressed last night with the final. I've not been a big fan of the world baseball classic, but that moment trout again.

So Tony was needed. If you want to continue to move this thing in the right direction with the world baseball classic, I just wonder how devastated trout is today. I mean, it seemed at least from what you, what you hear, what he says, he's already committed to 2026. He said it, I think it was the best baseball tour he's ever been a part of, or one of the best events he's ever done. He, again, he's also never played in a world series, have loved it. And there's not been a player that I've seen that has hated on it.

That's, you know, said, ah, it's not that important. I get the player's credit. They're all into it. Even from team USA.

It's just, I think it's more of a fan actually all into it. Cause I did see Rob man fraud say he would like to see the USA get better pitchers. A lot of pitchers did not participate and they were sitting out. So that's the commissioner of major league baseball. He says he wants the best of the best pitchers to also get involved as well. Well, it's definitely riskier from pitchers perspective to play. So I get why you wouldn't, but if it's that important, go play.

If this is such a big deal, then go play, go participate in the, uh, in the world baseball classic. So I'll, I'll be curious to see next year or they do this every four years, 2026. I think it's every, it's supposed to be before of a COVID, I think screwed it up a little bit. Okay. Uh, so I believe that's yeah. Why it's three years from now. Gotcha.

So in 2026, we'll see how many more players, especially the pitching side elect to participate. Devin McCourty was on WEI and he says there was a divide on the team between which QB should play going back to the whole Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi debate. I think there were some guys that are in the locker room, like, all right, let's go with Zappi. All right, no Mac looked good today. It was just a back and forth, which to me spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback. We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. Like to me, it was just that cycle of, there was never like true hope.

That's an interesting spin zone by DMAC. I don't even get what he's trying to say in that answer. Like kind of the way that I took it in, correct me if I'm wrong, is it's not damaging on the actual quarterback ability. It's just that people believed in what was working. Like that sounds to me like there was guys that didn't want Mac Jones to start therefore they doubt him. Yeah. So he tried to dress it up as the offense was so bad that no one knew.

Basically, there's no way to judge them because the offense stunk, whether it's the coaching or the players around him. Can you play that for me one more time? Because that's how I heard what you just said at the end. But I feel like the build up there, it wasn't leading there in the first 75% of the answer.

Go ahead. I think there were some guys that are in the locker room, like, all right, let's go with Zappi. All right, no Mac looked good today. It was just a back and forth, which to me spoke more about what we had on offense than the quarterback. We never were solidified as an offensive group that guys had full confidence in anything we were doing. Like, to me, it was just that cycle of your right. It was never like true hope. You're right. It took a little bit to get there.

But you're right. He was like, it's such a bleep show. If Mac Jones played well in practice. Yeah, Mac was the guy. If Bailey Zappi played well in the game up against the Browns.

Oh, Bailey Zappi is the guy. It's kind of crazy. The Patriots won seven games last year.

Hickey or eight games. I think they actually won. Also kind of crazy that Devin McCourty is kind of being that honest. I was not there anymore.

So I know it's a little less, but it's basically there yesterday. Throwing the, basically throwing Bill Bellich are going to the bus. They had his press conference yesterday. Right. I'm saying I still thinking once a Patriot was a Patriot, you kind of keep the lip zipped. Well, not necessarily. I think it was Bruce Geer Harrison, Rodney Harrison that told the story that bill said, be honest, let it rip.

Do what you got to do. Ben Roethlisberger says the 49 has reached out to see if he would come back. This is on one Oh five, nine, the X last year, there were some trues to the Niners thing. Just, just in the sense that they were, I think reaching out for some, just to maybe gauge my interest.

I'd be a lineup. I didn't say there wasn't like a small part of me that was intrigued. Like, Oh man, I could, you know, I could still do it, like prove to people, right.

That I could still play. But at the end of the day I was, I just can't see myself in anything other than black and gold. So here's the real question. I do believe that there was some interests. Here's the part that I don't know that the Niners elect didn't say, okay, we actually don't want you after just sniffing around and seeing if there was interest or did big Ben actually turned down the 49ers.

And since this story is that after he wanted to put it out there, like, Oh yeah, they were interested. But I said, no, because it makes him not that he has to look any better with the Steelers fan base. They all love him.

Anyway. He's a two times football champion. He's going to the hall of fame. It's like another one of those things to stay relevant and be like, yeah, I'm the man I'd never play for anyone other than the yellow and black. Why would I guess the 49ers call and then say no is my question. Well, they could do, they could check in on all the possible names there, but he ended up going with Josh Johnson or dry that Ben Roethlisberger big Ben.

But if you're signing big Ben, you have to start him. So maybe they believed more initially in your guy, Brock Purdy, then the more we were led off to believe maybe. Well, how long is this process going for that? I don't know. No one knows on that.

I don't know how quickly it was. No, but if they're calling just to see if he would be interested, maybe there was one person in the organization that wanted to said, okay, let's call it to the due diligence. And then other people said, nah, we don't want it. It's not just one person making the decision. So I wouldn't shock me either way if they called him and then they said, you know what?

Actually, we're going to go in a different direction. Or if they called him at first, tell me, think about it. And then he said, no, I don't know what to believe there. Thomas Davis on why he believes the Panthers will take Anthony Richardson with the number one overall pick this on the NFL network. I think it's going to be a very, very surprising pick in Carolina. Oh, but I mean, I will say this.

If this pick happens that who I think that they are in love with, I'm not a fan of it. Okay. Spill the beans here. I just know. I just know that there are a couple of guys upstairs that that are enamored by the physical ability of Anthony Richardson.

I'll just Wow. We watched this kid play a lot. Just me being an SEC guy. He has all the physical characteristics of being a really good quarterback in the NFL. But I don't think that he's going to be that great player that the Carolina Panthers need to take them to the next level. When you look at Bryce young, what he brings to the table, he's a proven winner. When you look at CJ Stroud, what he brings to the table, this kid has proven he can win football games. Anthony Richardson, on the other hand, will Levis on the other hand, those guys have been in programs that could potentially be good, but they just haven't been.

And it's the reason had to me has been the quarterback position. So the reports have been that David Tepper likes Bryce young, Frank Reich, like CJ Stroud. We don't know who Scott fitter prefers, though. He's the general manager.

Now, Thomas Davis's wording was very specific. He said the guys upstairs. That doesn't sound like a coach.

It could be an owner. But then that would go against the Bryce young kind of conversation that's been associated with David Tepper. Now, Thomas Davis last played for the Panthers in 2018. Scott fitter was not with the organization yet, but still have relationship with the guy. Is that is he speaking for Scott fitter or someone else in the organization? That's the big question here.

Totally multiple, right? Maybe Scott fitter, maybe assistant GM, maybe the head scout. Maybe it's the owner two out of the three and mixed combo. You buy it, though. Yeah, I don't know. He's in the know. I don't buy it, though. You just put thrown it out there being lied to. I just that's tough for me to believe that they're actually seriously considering Anthony Richardson with the number one overall pick.

Something seems fishy with, you know, to me there. Mark Murphy says he's not allowed to comment on the future of Aaron Rodgers. I'm sorry. Every time Mark Murphy speaks, it's always that some event or some summit. Usually when you get these things like Oh, one so and so radio station on so and so TV network. This is at the Lambeau Field Tech Summit. Obviously we have the draft coming up. You're in free agency. Yeah. And you know, we've got no other news really going on.

Now we are. I would love to tell you everything you want to know about Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, but I've under sworn secrecy not to say it seems like someone told him to shut the bleep up after the last time where he was at a Wisconsin woman's basketball tournament. I think it was. And he was talking about Aaron Rodgers in the past tense.

That's what that sounded like. Ryan Dan will make CJ Stroud a franchise quarterback. This courtesy of the NFL Network. There's a lot that you need to do to be the face of the franchise. I think so much of it is off the field stuff. And I think being the head coach or being the quarterback at Ohio State, you get a feel for that. You know, you understand what it's like you are playing in such a huge environment, the pressure cooker environment. So he's passed all those tests. He's done a great job in that area.

So you can almost see that part of it. But then there's on the on field stuff. And today you got an opportunity to see all the great throws that he was a mate.

I mean, I thought this is as good as a workout as I've seen. You know, a quarterback go through. He was great down the field. It was accurate with his touch passes. He was loose. It looked like he was enjoying himself. I really like CJ Stroud. I did not love him throughout the season. I loved what I saw in that game up against Georgia. My question is, why did it take that long with all the talent to see him play his best at the end of the year? That's my biggest question.

Ed Cooley, the new coach of the Georgetown Hoyas and what led him to leave Providence for Georgetown. It was going to take a special place. And it is divine providence that I'm here. It's just meant to be right. It's just it's just that time to change. I needed a change, but I wouldn't change unless the right place offered the opportunity. And it had to be a partnership and a marriage that would work.

And I can see myself here for a really, really long time. It's so intentional with that word choice there. Divine Providence.

Hot take, Kiki. Isn't it divine intervention? Unless maybe it's interchangeable in one and the same. I always thought it was divine intervention that you would kind of use that phrase for. Divine providence in Lutheran theology.

Divine providence refers to God's preservation of creation, his cooperation with everything that happens and his guiding of the universe. I looked it up. Tough for Providence fans to hear that phrase. And that's I'm going to leave you. I'm going to stab you in the back and I'm going to twist the knife when I'm walking out the door. I use your name in my mouth again.

Enjoy it. I actually think this is really good for the Big East because Ed Cooley, who last not last week on Monday, we're talking about how cool this guy is. Then it gets announced that he's going to Georgetown and he is now turning heel. He has every right to leave if he wanted to go to Georgetown. Okay, but when you're leaving conference, you become a villain.

And I really do think Ed Cooley, who's like Mr. Nice Guy is now becoming a villain. Ed Cooley, of course, says it was a very difficult decision to leave Providence. Twelve years at a school where you grew up. Twelve years at a place that you took from the bottom. Twelve years to build a championship top 20 program year in and year out. And I owe it to all the former players, the GAs, the coaches, the administrators, Ken Saccard and Steve Napolillo, who was the athletic director there.

Ken Saccard, who was the president. That was one of the hardest conversations I ever had to talk about. Talking about leaving to go to an interconference team.

So if any of you can just sit in my skin for 48 hours and know how hard that was, it had to take a really special place. What a sell job that was. Yeah, again, if you're a Providence fan, nothing he's gonna say is gonna make you feel better, but I think it only gets you a little bit more upset. All right, John Moran expected to return tonight.

Grizzly's playing the Rockets at the top of the hour. Here's John Moran saying he went to counseling to learn how to deal with stress, not for alcohol. I don't have an alcohol problem, never had an alcohol problem. So I went there for counseling to learn how to manage stress, cope with stress in a positive way. A set of ways I've tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes. And John Moran vows to be more responsible moving forward. Obviously, I made mistakes in the past that caused a lot of negative attention, not only to me, but my family as well, my team, the organization.

I'm completely sorry for that. My job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don't cause any of that. We'll see what happens. He's a heck of a basketball player, but we'll see if decisions he makes continues to derail his career or if he's able to learn from this.

And we look back at this in 10, 15 years, and no one even thinks about this again. All right, Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio. You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio.

So I just want to do this exercise real quickly. I want to rank the top five quarterbacks in the AFC right now and the top five quarterbacks in the NFC. And Hickey, let's operate under the assumption that this Aaron Rodgers deal is going to get done with the New York Jets. My AFC quarterback rankings are going to be like this. Mahomes 1, Joe Burrow 2, Josh Allen 3.

I think this is going to surprise some people. I'm going to say Trevor Lawrence has an MVP type of year this year. And I liked what he did in the postseason after those terrible interceptions coming back and winning. I will put Lawrence 4, and I will then throw Rodgers in at 5. So notice, no Justin Herbert, who was definitely tough to leave off this list. Lamar Jackson, tough to leave off this list. And we could probably end it there because we just don't know what Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson are going to do for this upcoming year. And two, I can't trust them to say healthy, so I can't really consider him right now.

Yeah, no, that's fair. I would go Mahomes 1, Burrow 2, the same top two. I would go Rodgers 3, Josh Allen 4, Trevor Lawrence 5. Okay, so the same five names, just a little differentiating on the order.

Alrighty, let's go to the NFC. Now this one's tough, because it's Jalen Hurts 1, right? We are in agreement there.

Yes. And then it's, what are we gonna do for 2, 3, 4, and 5? This is the list that I put together.

And I don't know what world we're living in right now, but it's the state of the conference. Jalen Hurts is 1, absolutely. 2, Kirk Cousins. 3, Dak Prescott.

4, if you would have told me I would have been saying this a year ago, I would have never believed it. But Geno Smith is 4 off the year he just had. And then as much as I want to put Goff in there, Geno had a better year than Goff last year.

I got to see the consistency out of Goff. I'll put Carr in at 5, just going over to the Saints. So Jalen Hurts 1, Kirk Cousins 2, Dak Prescott 3, Geno Smith 4, Derek Carr 5, are my top five quarterbacks right now in the NFC, with Rodgers going to the AFC. So we are in agreement, and Jalen Hurts number 1, obvious. Number 2, Matthew Stafford.

Guys still complaining, still has talent. You're 100% right. Stafford has to be in the top five since he was hurt last year, kind of out of sight, out of mind on my behalf. Right, and the Rams tearing it down so it doesn't make it like they're a sexy name. And also, that organization, it seems like everyone is one foot in, one foot out. Who knows where his health is going to be.

Yeah, you know what? You're 100% right. I got to put Stafford. I would still put Kirk as 2, just because of the unknown Stafford coming off an injury. I would then change it, put Stafford 3, Dak 4, Geno in at 5. Kirk would then be number 3, and then 4 and 5, I'd go Jared Goff 4, Dak Prescott 5. Look how bad this NFC list is.

It's really putrid. Outside of Jalen Hurts, you don't feel like there's an elite name on that list for where they are in 2023. Like Stafford, when he won the Super Bowl, played great, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't feel like there's an elite name on that list as you enter 2023. There's a lot of quarterbacks grouped in that second tier altogether. Where it's like in the AFC, you're leaving Herbert off the list, you're leaving Lamar Jackson off the list.

If Russell Wilson could bounce back, like he has top 5 ability in the conference. Deshaun Watson, depends how much Russ there still is to knock off, he has top 5 ability as well. You look at the AFC, you can make a case for any of those guys in the top 5 list to win the MVP this year. In the NFC, the only one you can make the case for is Jalen Hurts.

It's brutal. From a quarterback standpoint, and with how much movement there's been on the QB carousel, the NFC's got to start getting some elite names. And in the draft, maybe it's going to be Bryce Young or CJ Stroud, whoever, that's going to be number one going to the Carolina Panthers. Will either of those quarterbacks be elite? Time will tell, you never know because how many years you say you love a quarterback that goes to the first round and then it doesn't happen, whoever doesn't go, then they're going to go two to the Texans, but that's in the AFC. And watch, whoever goes one will stink and whoever goes two will be elite and will still have just this lopsided affair with the AFC dominating the quarterbacks. You really need Lamar Jackson to get traded to the NFC. That's what you need.

Spread out the talent, you're right, there's a big log jam in one conference compared to the other, it is easily, like I said, almost a dichotomy. 855-212-4CBS, we'll be going to Lee in Cincinnati next up on CBS Sports Radio. Lee, go ahead. Hey, thanks for taking my call. But what I want to talk about was St. Anthony Richardson, why some people are saying, talking about him going first, it's a classic diversionary tactic, man.

You know, throwing a red herring in there. Anthony Richards got all the talent in the world. He's got, when it comes to talent, he's like the second coming to Cam Newton.

There's only one big difference. Cam was good, Anthony Richardson stinks. Yeah, I don't know what Anthony Richardson can be outside of that Utah game. He left me desiring a lot more with his time at Florida.

I don't get why, well, here's the thing, I don't get why you need a smokescreen. You have the number one pick, you moved up to the number one spot. That's why I just questioned the whole Thomas Davis thing.

And thanks for the phone call, Lee, I got to get to Daniel Jeremiah, who's coming up in five minutes on the show. Like Hickey, that's what I don't get the whole Thomas Davis thing, because I don't believe it. I don't think it's going to happen, but he said it. I know that he's like Mr. Royalty when it comes with the Carolina Panthers, he just talked it out of his ass. And then he just said, oh, you know, I know people in that organization. Like who knows?

I don't know much about Thomas Davis in terms of his time as an analyst, to be fair. I don't think he either would lie or is being lied to. I mean, remember when the Panthers traded up, they said multiple times, we don't really have right now a guy in mind. They're open, which I don't buy. They have said they have conviction on a few different quarterbacks.

So right now they're going through the process. I can absolutely see, I can, I wouldn't do it. I could see though the reasons why you'd fall in love with Anthony Richardson and basically see Josh Allen 2.0 on your roster. What do you think the actual number is that they draft Anthony Richardson? I would say about 25%. Okay.

I think it's 1%. That's I really think this is a decision that is between Bryce Young and CJ Stroud. And maybe they already know, or maybe it's just, you got one person saying this to GM, then the owner saying this and the coach saying that, but I don't think it's going to be Anthony Richardson. Daniel Jeremiah will join us next. Zach Gelb Show, CBS Sports Radio.