Aaron Rodgers All-In (Hour 1)

Live from the play show, yet not overly ostentatious, studios of CBS Sports Radio here in beautiful New York City, sitting on top of the 10th floor, 345 Hudson Street. Welcome on in to a Wednesday edition of the Zach Gelb show across all of our great local CBS Sports Radio affiliates, Sirius XM, Channel 158, and that free Odyssey app. Get at me on Instagram, where I'm straight flexing, or via the good ol' cesspool of Twitter, at Zach Gelb, that's Z-A-C-H-G-E-L-B, and producing the extravaganza for the next four hours is no other than Hotte Kiki.

I don't know about that Hotte Kiki. Here's what we do know today. Joining us coming up at 740 p.m. Eastern, 440 p.m. Pacific, is going to be Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady. TMAC will stop by at 820 p.m. Eastern, 520 p.m. Pacific. We'll do a little first and goal and talk to a man that's entering his second year in the NFL as we preview the Los Angeles Chargers with Zion Johnson. At 940 p.m. Eastern, 640 p.m. Pacific, we'll do some college football fix, and we'll talk to the second year head coach with the Hokies of Virginia Tech in Brent Pry.

So a whole lot to do today, and we're here until 10 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Pacific, but we've got to start with some breaking news. According to Tom Pelissero, remember the last time Aaron Rodgers signed a contract extension? It was three years, $150 million with the Green Bay Packers.

Now we know he's with the Jets. Well, he had two years remaining on that contract. He has taken a pay cut now, and it's not just like a little pay cut. It is a big pay cut where Aaron Rodgers has signed a two-year, $75 million contract with the Jets, fully guaranteed. So there was two years, about $110 million left on that other deal. Now he has taken a $35 million pay cut to be a member of the New York Jets, and the immediate reaction is good for Aaron Rodgers, because if you're a quarterback and you want to go make the most amount of money possible, God bless you.

Won't fault you for a second. This is the NFL. It's a lethal sport. But Aaron Rodgers knows he is at the end of the career, and he doesn't have that many years left, and he's still looking for that second Lombardi Trophy. Because if he were to retire tomorrow, a lot of people would say, hey, Aaron Rodgers has done things that we've never seen. Aaron Rodgers is a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Aaron Rodgers is one of the top 10, top 15 greatest quarterbacks you've ever seen, but it does feel disappointing with how early he won that first Super Bowl that he never won another ring, let alone got back to another Super Bowl. So Aaron Rodgers is leaving no stone unturned, and he's trying to do everything in his power by taking less to open up more money with the Jets so they could go for it with whatever remaining of the offseason there is this year. I think this means that Dalvin Cook, I felt like Dalvin Cook was going to be a Jet.

I feel even stronger about that now. And then next year, let's say if this is a year where they make the playoffs and they fall short, then you could really go all in a year from now. And then where it goes from there, we'll have to wait and see, because he does have a no franchise tag clause I saw on this deal. So after two years, if he looks at this and says he wants to retire, that wouldn't shock me. If he looks at it two years from now and says, hey, I still think we're close to New York, I want to go play another year, you could find a way to figure out a new contract on a year to year basis or whatever it is. Or maybe two years from now, he looks at the Jets and goes, man, I didn't think that was going to go the way that it did. I still want to play football, so let me go pick my destination and let me go be a free agent for the first time in my career.

And maybe that's something that he wants to do. But I kind of think that this means Aaron Rodgers is going to play bare minimum two more years in the league, this year and the year after that, and kind of a maximum of one more year after that. I think Rodgers is only going to play two to three more seasons. I'm not saying he doesn't love the game, because that would be stupid, but Aaron Rodgers is a different guy. Aaron Rodgers, I don't think is going to be someone that's going to be playing quarterback until he's 45 years old. Now, I get it, he's 39 right now, and I'm saying he probably will play at most till 42, but I don't think Aaron Rodgers is going to play just to play.

I think this makes it clear, he's only playing now to go get that second ring. And also, I think this move today, which I respect, him taking less dollars and him taking a significant pay cut and taking a whopping $35 million less than what he was scheduled to make is also a message to Green Bay. Because remember, Rodgers wasn't happy with their management team led by Brian Gudekunz. Rodgers was annoyed with how many players were shown the door, and Rodgers kind of has taken on this role as GM and wanted more input.

And now he's in New York. We're sure Joe Douglas is very good at his job, but Aaron Rodgers, whatever he says, for the most part is going to go his way. And this gives him, not that he needed more clout in the organization, but it's not just do what I say and not what I'll do. He ended up going out there and say, I'm going to give you a reason to do everything for the most part that I say, because I'm taking significantly less money to be the quarterback of this football team. So if there is, and I don't think they ever had interest in DeAndre Hopkins, but if DeAndre Hopkins is still available and he really wanted him, that becomes more powerful when you say, guys, remember, I took a pay cut.

Or you have a guy like Dalvin Cook who's still available. Let's give him a few extra million dollars. Well, Aaron, we don't think that's in the best interest of the football team.

Guys, I took less for you to use that money and spend it in other places. So don't get me wrong. This is Aaron Rodgers, first and foremost, being all in, being highly committed to winning a second Super Bowl and literally be willing to do whatever it takes.

But I also think that motivation of him doing it his way and kind of sticking it to the Packers also does ring true where he kind of wants to show the Packers, guys, remember it was me and Green Bay. You should have listened to me more. Now I'm going to the Jets.

Look at this organization with the culture. They've embraced me. I love Robert Sala for now. I love Joe Douglas. I got my guy, Nathaniel Hackett, but my voice is going to matter.

And my voice is going to be the preeminent voice in the organization. And it's not just me saying, go get this guy, go get that guy. Guys, you're going to go get who I want, not only because I say it, but I'm always going to remind you that I took less. So I think the Packer part of this and the motivation with the things that Rodgers said towards the end in Green Bay. And let's be real, a lot of those guys he was upset to see go in Green Bay did nothing, did squat since leaving Green Bay. But I do believe that, sure, this will be presented as, oh, Rodgers, great teammate, which isn't wrong on this case.

Oh, Rodgers taking less. It's admirable. Not wrong. But I do believe that there is a lot of motivation behind this. And it's him doing it his way because he thought the last few years should have been done a different way. And he was clearly annoyed, even though the relationship was a little bit mended at times between him and Brian Gudekunz. He didn't like those guys because they drafted someone, even though he has a good relationship with Jordan Love, right? He sends a text to Jordan Love before training camp and all that stuff. But he wanted to finish his entire career with the Packers.

And once they drafted Jordan Love, he knew that wasn't going to be the case. So I give credit to Rodgers here, Hickey, but there's multiple incentives and multiple motivations for this to be done. Aaron Rodgers definitely deserves flowers. I mean, Aaron, excuse me, Adam Schefter pointed this out. And I'm going to fact check it.

I'm assuming it's correct. And this is probably the biggest pay cut anyone's ever taken in professional sports. Thirty five million dollars he voluntarily basically gave away or gave back. And it's not like he stinks, right?

Right. So to his credit, he deserves a ton of praise for putting his money where his mouth is literally and selling out for the team to open up cap space and allow them to add as much talent as possible. Now, with that said, while I'm still not buying into the Jets is two reasons. Money's not going to change his play in the playoffs. Money's not going to change my skepticism for him still being able to mesh quickly with the new Jets weapons that he's going to be playing with. I get it's his offense, but he is someone who is a quarterback, wants things his way. He wants the offense run through him. He's not going to adjust to someone else's system.

I get it's his system. But are you willing to meet maybe some players midway or halfway when it comes to certain routes or trying to get on the same page as quickly as possible? I'm still skeptical of that part. So, hey, let me interrupt you and I'll let you get to the other part. I think there's a difference between you and I. You say something and even when you start to see signs that you're going to be wrong, I do believe that you remain very stubborn until you're actually proven wrong.

Where I am, by own admission, quicker to say that I was wrong on something. And you were the first person that kind of brought that up that you don't think he'll assimilate well into the Jets. And you don't think he's going to mesh with the younger guys because of things that happened in the past in Green Bay. And Aaron Rodgers has shown us whatever we thought Aaron Rodgers was going to be in New York at the start to be a totally different Aaron Rodgers. He's making relationships with those youngsters, even a guy like Michael Carter in the running back room who is not a well-known name.

Michael Carter talked about how they went to the Kentucky Derby together. You see him out on the town with Sauce Gardner. Garrett Wilson is in love with Aaron Rodgers right now. This guy with a lot of the younger players is looked at like a god in the football world. And it is his offense. It's Nathaniel Hackett running the offense side of the ball. So Rodgers is running the offense. And Rodgers just showed you whether it was showing up for the all-season workouts, which a lot of us did not think he was going to show up for the entirety of. And now putting really the thought into it of I'm going to take less, he's done everything perfectly so far with the Jets. And remember when Joe Kletko came on our show and Joe Kletko was like, I don't want Aaron Rodgers.

And he said something similar to you. I don't think he'll mesh well with the youngsters on this team. And Joe Kletko's even done a 180.

So not that I'm going at you here, Hickey. But I'm just curious with everything so far, even in your own admission going perfect with Rodgers with the Jets, I'm with you. I don't think they're going to the Super Bowl. I think there's flaws with Aaron Rodgers in the postseason, but I don't think they're going to fail and not win at all in the next two years. Because Rodgers isn't going to do his part in terms of building that proper synergy and making those connections with the youngsters. So just further explain that because so far he's done everything and then some where we look at it where this is not typical Aaron Rodgers things, where he looks like a totally different player. Remember, he didn't like his time at the end in Green Bay.

He didn't enjoy going to work with the coach and with the general manager as well. And now he's excited to go to work. So I do think that motivates him to prove the Packers wrong, but also he's getting everything that he wants right now and I think he's in a happy spot. This is the easy time, though, for Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

This is the still honeymoon phase. Nothing has gone wrong. Everything is perfect because it's pretty hard to screw up at this point when there's no losses on the scoreboard and when you don't go three now in front of your home crowd. Like you look, you got Monday football against the Jets, against the Bills, excuse me. You're on the road with the Cowboys. You play the Patriots, which I get it. The Patriots are down. Still Bill Belichick, Chiefs, App Broncos, Eagles.

They start off two and four. Is everything hunky-dory? Is Aaron Rodgers in a good mood? But it's not because Aaron Rodgers has a bad relationship with his teammates.

But my point is, while I'm not, I don't think there's anything to be proven wrong so far because nothing has happened where you actually see the relationships if they're real or not. Going to a basketball game is awesome. Getting a stabilization is great. Is that going to help you on third and ten, convert a third down? Probably not. You never even hung out with the guys last year.

Remember Maggie and Perloff had Romeo Dobbs on? This is totally different Aaron Rodgers. Great.

Is it going to change the way he plays on the field? I doubt it. But that's not what we're talking about. That's what I just said.

That's my point. But we're in agreement in terms of we don't think they're going to go win a Super Bowl. We don't think they're going to have the ultimate success. But when you get to the relationships, even if they're two and four, you think that changes the relationship of Aaron Rodgers with Garrett Wilson or Aaron Rodgers with his own guys in Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb who are in that locker room or even a newer guy like a Breece Hall? That's the part that I have a great disconnect with you is sure, if they go two and four, not everyone's going to be all happy. But I don't think this is going to fail because Rodgers not doing his own part in terms of building relationships with the guys in the locker room and being a bad leader. My point is you truly find out how strong relationships are when you face adversity. Again, going to training camp, there's nothing right now pushing against any relationship they have. You start off two and four.

You will then see how strong these bonds are. Go back to last year. Remember when the Packers were struggling midway through the year? What is Aaron Rodgers saying?

Cut reps, bench guys. We got to make changes. He's thrown people and players under the bus.

Why should I think that won't happen again if they're two and four and all of a sudden now the offense is struggling? But here's the great difference. That's what I'm interested in seeing and I'm not buying in right now that he is this totally different guy when it comes to blank actually hitting the fan.

Here's the big difference though. Matt Leflore, they could talk about how great that relationship is. I know for a fact Rodgers would blow off some meetings with Matt Leflore. He didn't respect Matt Leflore at the end. He was annoyed at the organization.

He didn't respect Brian Gudekunz at the end. He's gotten everything that he wants. He didn't feel that in Green Bay towards the end.

So now he has to wear this. If it doesn't go wrong, it all goes back to him. And I don't think there's going to really be a contentious relationship with a guy like Rodgers and Garrett Wilson because he's already said he reminds him of number 17 and Devante Adams. You never heard him talk that way about anyone in the Green Bay Packers last year. So I don't see, even if they're not winning, where it gets to a point where wide receivers are barking back at Rodgers. None of those wide receivers have the leg to stand on to do that Aaron Rodgers.

Even Garrett Wilson had just won Rookie of the Year. And I don't think Rodgers is going to get chippy with his own teammates because he knows this is his team. He has all the power.

Everything he didn't have in Green Bay, now he has. So this is ultimately all on him. And say what you want about Rodgers.

He's a sharp guy and he knows that. And that's the difference from what we saw last year in Green Bay to what we'll see forever long this relationship lasts with the Jets. Would you call Aaron Rodgers accountable? In general?

In life? At the end in Green Bay, no. With the Jets, yes. I would say for Aaron Rodgers and accountable, I would not use those two words in the same sentence. So even though yes, it is his quote-unquote team with the Jets. It's a major difference. Again, if they're 2-4, do I see him pointing the finger at himself?

No, I do not. And again, with expectations the way it is and how high they are, you have to get off to a fast start. You have to play really well. Again, my point is just it's all great now. It's all gravy now. But taking less money, going to basketball games. It's not going to change the way he's played in the postseason in recent times.

And again, if you don't get off to a fast start, I don't see this going well. That's my point. But once again, obviously him taking $35 million less is not going to now make Aaron Rodgers all of a sudden this killer in the postseason.

But if you use some of that money and go get an extra piece or two, it puts them in a better position to get the team to succeed. And Aaron Rodgers in New York so far has been the ultimate team guy. And I give him credit for that. I think just the perception of Rodgers where it was coming to the Jets is the disconnect that we're going to have on this. Where Aaron Rodgers has done everything perfectly so far.

And yeah, they get off to a bad start. I don't think he's going to revert back to the way that he was in Green Bay at the end. Because he's the guy. He's the point guard. He's calling all the shots in this organization. Now, let me just ask you this real quick because I know we've got to take a break. When we look at his future, I think obviously this is guaranteed he's going to play the next two years with the Jets.

We know that. This year and next year. Do you think Aaron Rodgers will play another year after that? If they win a Super Bowl in these next two years, I think he's walking away right after winning that Super Bowl. At the end of two years with the Jets, if he still thinks they have a chance to go win, I think he'll come back. And maybe he'll consider going somewhere else. But I really think that at most this is three more years for Aaron Rodgers including this season. I haven't determined after two if he'll go retire right away. If he'll go somewhere else or return to the Jets. But I only see Rodgers playing two to three more seasons max. I know we disagree on this as well. I believe Rodgers, he said he was ready to retire before the Jets came calling. Before he went into the darkness.

Which was a lie. To be honest, I think he'll play this year. Probably play next year. Can I say it's a lock? No. You don't think he's playing two years? I said probably. But can I say a fully 100% lock he's back next year?

No. As long as he doesn't get hurt this year, it is a guarantee. It is 100% outside of them winning a Super Bowl this season. That's the only but. That and injuries that Aaron Rodgers is going to be back with the Jets next season.

And you know what? If he doesn't then he's a fraud. Because he's even talked about how he didn't think that this was a one year deal. So Rodgers is back next year with the Jets. Are you willing to change your stance about all the other things that you said about Aaron Rodgers that you're still skeptical about him? I gotta see how this year goes. I have no idea. Well I'm saying if he's back next year.

With the Jets playing. Because you're not sold on that. Because you start to think okay this is a changed person.

With how many times now you've been questioning him about messing with the teammates. Or if this will even be more than a one year arrangement. Will you then change that tune a little bit if he is back next year with the Jets?

I can't say the answer right now is yes. I don't see how I can change my tune without knowing what's going to happen this year. I mean outside of him coming back next year. Congrats I guess that he said it wasn't a one year deal. But gotta see how this year goes first where I can say I changed my stance. Okay.

I'm just going to. I'm wondering when it's going to take for you to realize that Aaron Rodgers is actually turning out to be a pretty damn good teammate with the way that he handled Jordan Love. And then what he's doing so far with the Jets. We'll take a break on the Zach Gilp show on CBS Sports Radio.

If you want to jump in on this conversation. How much you believe in what we're seeing out of the teammate of Aaron Rodgers right now. 855212, 4227, 855212 for CBS. But when we come on back we'll play you some audio from Jerry Jones that you don't want to miss. You're listening to the Zach Gilp Show. Alrighty this is Zach Gilp Show on CBS Sports Radio. So Connor Hughes who covers the Jets for SNY. He says he was told a few months ago that Aaron Rodgers reworked contract to make him a folk hero amongst Jets fans once the deal became official. Which he reported at the time Connor Hughes that is not even Connor says he saw thirty five million dollars less coming.

Folk hero under selling it. And what a statement this is when you think of the Jets you usually think of an organization that is a national embarrassment and a laughingstock. You have one of the top 10 top 15 greatest quarterbacks ever in the history of the game saying I want to go to New York. I want to be a Jet and not only that he wants to take thirty five million dollars less in a new contract.

Hickey is this microphone on testing 123 testing 123 are we in the year of 2023? Is this reality? You know I'm not going to say pinch me because then it makes me feel as if I'm excited I'm a Patriot fan.

But this doesn't seem real. This is usually the Jets like death taxes the Jets being an embarrassment. And Aaron Rodgers is taking thirty five million dollars less to play for the J.E.T.S. Jets Jets Jets what a world we live in. Jets fans deserve this offseason. They absolutely do. They've been through a lot. They've been tortured. They've been mocked.

They have been degraded. They have been miserable for my entire lifetime in 30 years. Outside of to a championship for that it's been basically 60 years almost of mediocrity outside of 19 or since 1969 when they won Super Bowl three. They deserve this giddy. They deserve to go into a year probably I could confidently say happier excited looking forward to it more than ever and actually a reason to believe.

Because sometimes especially this time of the year. Well we have a chance. Everyone has a chance.

You know you could go from worst to first easily or whatever people say. And we believe this team could win a Super Bowl as one thing to say that like for example Justin Fields comes out tomorrow and Bears fans have been tortured. You know you had an all time great team one of the greatest teams ever. Clearly you had a trip to a Super Bowl with Rex Grossman. But for the most part that organization has been a disaster and they've never had a quarterback. And now you have a guy Justin Fields who Bears fans they're not saying he's definitely the guy but you're at least think he maybe could be the guy.

But they were a terrible football team last year and on paper they made some improvements but no one's expect them to do much this year. If the Bears if Justin Fields came out tomorrow and said I believe the Bears can win a Super Bowl this year. Great.

And I also believe that one time I go on a date with Beyonce. We all know that's not going to happen. It's a nice thing to say. But with the Jets even though I don't think they're winning a Super Bowl this year. When Aaron Rodgers could say we could go for it we go win a Super Bowl.

There's a reason to believe. Even though you're in a gauntlet of a division and in a gauntlet of a conference. You have a dominant defense. And you had a team with no quarterback last year win seven games. Now you had Aaron Rodgers bare minimum the Jets should win 10 games.

And they're going to have a shot to be in every game that they play. Because you have a great quarterback and you have a great defense. There's other questions right. Offensive line. The run game.

You got to stay healthy. How is the pecking order going to fall in the AFC and the AFC East. There's other questions don't get me wrong. But if you're a Jet fan even though I don't think you're going to win a Super Bowl this year. And you tell me that you feel as if you can win a Super Bowl.

It's not without merit. There is actually merit to that claim this year. Where the Jet fan hasn't had in forever. Because even those two years where they got to the AFC Championship game. They weren't this great team and this dominant team in the regular season.

They just got hot at the right time. How about Lions fans too. Two of the most downtrodden franchises we've seen in the last 50 years. Jets and the Lions realistically have a real reason to believe and have high expectations going into a season. What a world we are living in.

So a little bit different. You're not wrong in terms of both those teams and those fan bases being optimistic. The Jets have Super Bowl aspirations. Even though we both don't think the Jets are going to win a Super Bowl this year. It's Super Bowl or bus for the Jets. It's not Super Bowl or bus for the Detroit Lions. The Detroit Lions have to win the division this year. And I said this yesterday.

I'll say it again. Everyone's picking Detroit to win that division. Right now I would still go Minnesota.

And it wouldn't shock me. Even though the NFC is a mess. And you only need nine wins to get in. They got nine wins last year. That, you know, probably nine wins gets you in this year. That it would not shock me whatsoever if the Lions end up missing the playoffs this year. I hope that's not the case. Because like you said, that's a torturous fan base that's just been tortured. I hope they make the playoffs. Too many people are optimistic about the Lions.

And that gives me cause for concern. Let me hear from Jerry Jones. He's at Oxnard where the Cowboys have training camp. And you know each and every year there's something crazy that goes on with Jerry Jones. A few years ago he was holding up a trophy pretending to mock as if it was the Lombardi Trophy. Which is hilarious because the Cowboys haven't got back to an NFC title game or a Super Bowl. Where they last won their Super Bowl in the 1995 season.

And ever since then, they haven't found the way to even come close to sniffing an NFC title game or a Super Bowl appearance. But here is Jerry Jones saying that he thinks his team can be a Super Bowl contender. If we can have the kind of camp we want to have, we've got a team that can compete for the top spot. Where we've evolved over the last two or three years with our defense. You look at some of the talent we've got. Look at Dak. When I look at all those things, I think we've got a chance to be a contender. So he did preface it by saying if we have the type of camp that we think we could have, then we could be a contender.

So a calculated kind of decision and saying there by Jerry Jones. Now this is not 1985 where NFL training camp actually meant something. NFL training camps, I've been there.

I've covered them. They're monotonous. This is not as tough as training camps used to be.

There's no more two-a-days anymore or any of that craziness. You look at the Cowboys, they have a lot of talent. But I can't say that the Cowboys are a contender. Even where you could make the case for the third best team in the NFC, I won't do that. And even though this is not a deep conference, because until I see it with the Cowboys, the only thing I'm going to believe is they'll go win their 10, 11, 12 games this year. They won 12 games last two regular seasons.

But then come playoff time, the defense will play really well. And Dak Prescott will fail in the big moment, as he did two years ago against the 49ers, and last season up against the 49ers. And I remember we had Drew Pearson on, and this was last year, the Cowboys legend, right? He's Mr.

Cowboy, the original 88. And Drew Pearson, I even said to him last year, do you feel like this team is a Super Bowl contender? He's like, let's stop with the Super Bowl. Let's make the playoffs first and then win some playoff games and just get to an NFC title game. I'm paraphrasing here because the Cowboys, they have not been to an NFC title game since the last time they won a Super Bowl in that 1995 season. So you look at this Cowboys team, can they be in the NFC title game up against the Philadelphia Eagles? Yeah, I guess. Or up against the 49ers?

Sure, I guess. But why am I going to believe in a team that I call the Drama Dallas Chokin' Cowboys that whenever you're starting to believe, and I believe last year that they could get to an NFC title game after they defeated the Buccaneers, and if Dak Prescott just stepped up in that game against the 49ers, they had that game won because their defense was dominant. Their defense was sensational. But I don't trust the quarterback to move them into the next step.

So at best this year for the Cowboys, I could see an NFC title game, but I don't think in a big game, NFC championship game against Philadelphia, the 49ers, that they're going to get the job done because even though they're very talented with guys like Trayvon Diggs and Micah Parsons, and you look at a guy, I know he's got to figure out his contract in Zach Martin, and you have someone like a CD Lamb, and you get Brandon Cooks, and we'll see when Tony Pollard can come back, I just don't trust in a big spot Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott. Same, which is why I actually give Jerry credit here. It's the annual pre-training camp press conference where, as we know at this time, hope always springs eternal, and for Jerry, he always has two words on his mind, Super Bowl. And I give him credit. I know it's only 20 seconds, but in the entire press conference, I don't think he said the words Super Bowl once.

He's more toned down and maybe, for the first time in a long time, more realistic going into this season compared to previous years. By the way, we've been praising a lot of teams that have had to get tortured a lot. It's amazing when some fan bases continue to play the victim card like the national media never praises them.

I just fired up my Twitter, or X, whatever it's called, and this guy Randy Ross tweets me. So we continue to praise the Jets and their woes for the last 30 years. What about Buffalo?

Why do we never credit Buffalo? I don't know if Randy was living under a rock last year, but Hickey, I don't think there's been anyone in the national media for the last five years that has praised the Buffalo Bills more than me. And has praised Sean McDermott, and I was someone that wanted the Eagles to originally hire Sean McDermott before they ended up going with Doug Peterson. So I've been a big fan of Sean McDermott. Brandon Bean has been on this show. We've had a ton of Bills players on.

There's no one in the national media. Maybe Adam Schein is one person that praises the Buffalo Bills more than me. But everyone last year said that the Buffalo Bills should be in the Super Bowl. So this idea, and yes, Bills fans have been tortured. You lose four straight Super Bowls.

And then after that, they were horrible. They did not make the playoffs from 2000 until 2017. But this idea that no one praises the Bills, what the heck is Randy talking about? Yeah, there's some doubt, there's some criticism heading into this year, but don't give me that bullcrap and that small violin and you want people to play it for you when you cry because all of a sudden now the Bills are getting a little blowback and there's some question about the Bills. They were everyone's pick last year, Hickey.

So that's just ridiculous. I was just going to say 95%. There has never been, at least for what I've seen and can't remember, a bigger consensus last year going into a season on who the Super Bowl champion was than the Bills last year. Josh Allen was a guy that in 2020, he exploded and really took off. I got everyone rallied around and loved and praised right away. There's been really no negativity for Buffalo and they've gotten a lot of praise. People have believed in them. People continue to pick them. We're talking also about the Jets today because Aaron Rodgers gave up $35 million.

It's something you've never seen before. It's not like we're just picking a day of, you know what, let's praise every team but the Bills today and the AFC East for no reason whatsoever. And we'll get to Staphon Diggs later because he did speak to the media today. We talk Buffalo Bills more than anybody, so this idea, oh no one praises the Bills fan.

Randy, I don't know if you stuck your head in some of that Bar Bill wing sauce and you have some blue cheese covered in your ears and you can't hear right now, but the last few years, everyone has praised the Buffalo Bills. We'll take a break. When we come on back, we'll react to the Jaylen Brown deal.

You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. I remember when LeVar Ball was a thing, that LeVar Ball was doing an interview and he said when he was looking at who to marry and who to date, he always wanted someone that was tall and had big hips because he always wanted to be a father of basketball players. And LeVar Ball is a pretty big guy to begin with. Hickey, I think I'm going to take that approach moving forward as well because if you're a basketball player and look at a guy like Bum Brooks, Dylan Brooks, who we torched on this show, he got a 40 or 80 million dollar deal.

But then if you could be a really, really, really, really good player, you end up getting one of these super maxes, which is just wild. For Jaylen Brown, Jaylen Brown's a really good player, don't get me wrong. He's a one and a half kind of guy where I don't think he's a star on a championship team, but he's probably better than a normal two.

But if you maybe pick more of a one or a two, he's a two. And Jaylen Brown in that game seven up against the Heat, when you had the whole ankle situation where Jason Tatum rolled his ankle earlier, there's been talks that Jaylen Brown wants to be a one. And that was his moment to elevate. That was his moment to go win.

And he didn't do the job. And Jaylen Brown we see in the postseason, as good of a player he is, our all NBA second team this year, he can't go left either. And there's so many turnovers too. So I'm not shocked that Jaylen Brown got a super max because we knew he was going to get one. But when you hear that Jaylen Brown yesterday got a five-year deal for $304 million, I'm not asking for much. But I'm going to find someone that is tall and has big hips and do the LaVar Ball approach and just try to have my son, my future son, be a decent basketball player. I'm not even saying great. You don't have to make it all NBA first team. I'm not even saying you have to be really good.

Just be decent. Now be someone that can go get a four-year $80 million contract. Because I look at this Jaylen Brown deal and Jaylen Brown's a really good player. Five years turns into $4 million.

I had two reactions to that. One, Jason Tatum, he's going to get the bag and we all know he's their best player. But the other is, there's going to be so much pressure on the Celtics who've been close to win it all.

And I still think the Celtics can win a championship because they've been knocking on the door the last few years. And I look at the Jaylen Brown deal and I go, he's not worth five years, $204 million for what he provides on a basketball court. But if someone's willing to pay you and that's the going rate, you're going to get that, as we've seen with all these quarterbacks in the NFL.

You don't have to be this tremendous quarterback, but if you're a good quarterback, you can reset the market and become the highest paid quarterback in the NFL. It's amazing how much money Jaylen Brown is going to get here, Hickey. And I look at that and I say, would I rather have Jaylen Brown at $300 million or Damian Lowe at $200 million and giving away a few pieces? If I was a Celtics, I would have went all in on Dame, would have tried my best to go bring him to town. And now they're going to run it back and they by far have the most pressure on them of any team in the NBA to win the championship this year.

Now, I do like the move that they made this offseason. If he could stay healthy, and that's a major if, bring in Kristaps Porzingis. But I agree with you that, sure, if you ask me, would you rather go have Damian Lillard, even though he's older at the age of 33, or Jaylen Brown, who's 26, and pay him this enormous contract? I'd probably rather have Damian Lillard because I think the team would be improved. And I do believe Jason Tatum and Damian Lillard get you to an NBA Finals.

Now, Brown has been to an NBA Finals a few years ago up against the Warriors two years ago where they ended up losing that. But Damian Lillard didn't want to go to the Boston Celtics. And Damian Lillard has made that clear he doesn't want to go to the Boston Celtics. Now, that doesn't mean that the Celtics shouldn't have tried, but it has been communicated publicly and privately that Damian Lillard doesn't want to play for Boston. Now, it's also been communicated that Damian Lillard only wants to go play for the Miami Heat. I'm not saying that Damian Lillard is definitely going to go to the Miami Heat, but for a while this has been talked about. He had no interest going to Boston.

Well, that's fine. He wouldn't have stopped the trade if it happened, and I don't think he would have sat out for three years if he was traded there and not played on a championship contender. He could say the words he wants. He's got no leverage to prevent that, and I don't think he'd be unhappy if a trade did go through and Boston actually pursued and got Damian Lillard to town. Now, if you're the Celtics, though, if you have to go all in to go get Damian Lillard, why would you have the incentive to do that or the feel or the need to do that if you know he doesn't want to go there?

Because the alternative is he sits out three years, and I don't think he's going to do that. Well, I don't think he will, but what I'm saying is if you're Brad Stevens, who's a smart guy, you're not going to be motivated to try to go get the thing done with Damian Lillard when he doesn't want to go there. That's just all I'm saying, and that's why I never thought Damian Lillard was going to wind up with the Boston Celtics, where I'm in agreement with you.

If Damian Lillard sat out after all he said, I just want to win, the report of all I need is who is it, Jeremy Grantham, Draymond Green, and that would be my dream team. If you go to Boston, a team that never won a championship but they've been winning the last few years and going far into the playoffs, going to an NBA Finals, if you then say, yeah, that's no, I'm not going there, and you got traded there, it would be the biggest fraudulent thing in maybe the history of the NBA because all you've talked about is how you just want a shot, but I don't think the Celtics were ever seriously exploring that because it's been communicated to them that he doesn't want to go there. Now, the question is, the Celtics made moves, and that's what happens. Damian Lillard's smart here. You say one thing, other dominoes fall, and then eventually teams make moves where now the Celtics can't possibly go get Damian Lillard. And eventually I do think he'll get traded to the Miami Heat, but there's a few destinations, like the Sixers are still out there, the Sixers could still go get him if they wanted to do so, and I wonder if any of those teams go to Portland and Portland says, I like what they're getting back, and then that team says, okay, we'll run the risk, and we're going to wait and see if Damian Lillard doesn't actually show up once we complete the deal. And that's something that is something that's curious and a nice question to put out there, but we've seen this so many times in the sport, where it may not always happen right away for the NBA player, but nine times out of ten, inevitably in a player-driven league where this is Spineless Silver's NBA, the player eventually gets what he wants, as we've seen with Kevin Durant recently, and as we've seen in other situations throughout the years. If I was in another team, Nets, Sixers, Clippers, I would run the risk of getting Damian and saying, let's see how happy you really are.

That's me. The Nets, it doesn't make sense, because the Nets aren't winning a championship, now it would improve their team. The Sixers, absolutely, and the Clippers, if you're Portland, what's making you say yes? Kawhi Leonard's never healthy.

Paul George is never healthy as well. I don't think they have a piece to make me say yes. That's the other part of it. Portland's got to say yes. Is that enough? Well, not just him alone, but I think it's enough of a starting piece to be attractive for a potential trade.

I don't know. I'd rather probably avoid the headache. Terrence Mann or Tyler Herro? Probably Tyler Herro and the picks.

And avoid the headache? Yeah. That's what I would rather have.

And Tyrese Maxey? Got to see what picks you can end up getting. But yeah, probably that, then having to go through all the headache of having to deal with Dame and him threatening not to go there, and then maybe the team getting cold feet and backing out, and then Dame getting even more leverage, and then Miami saying, okay, we know that we have all the leverage here, we're just going to drop our price significantly. So it takes two to tango here. And so far, Portland, they're sounding like they're playing hardball, but in reality, they're actually not. They're just trying to drive the price up a little bit more with the Miami Heat. Onside, offside, next. The Matt Gelb Show on CBS Sports Radio.