The Around the NFL podcast. More strange than a Sesler fever dream. From the Chris Wesling podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansis, and I got heroes here. Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sesler, and them Viva Dreams. To my right, during the regular season, it was Wednesdays with Connie. Now it is not Tuesdays with Mori, Tuesdays with Connie, Colleen Wolf.

Way more fun.

Way more fun than a Mitch album, Page Turner.

Hello. Hey. What's up?

You had a great idea. Offseason is rapidly approaching.

I love the offseason. Summer of Connie is almost here.

Sure. The idea of us just dedicating an episode to breakups in our personal lives.

Breakup stories. Because we were just telling some off air, and they were quite confusing.

I think that'd be good. We have a little NFL hook to it. There's some breakup that week, and then we dive in.

Yeah.

Got to be careful how you label the person that you… We're talking high school years. These could be-You can use aliases. Sure. They could be adults with children at this point. You don't want to revisit that if they're listeners.

They don't have to be our personal stories. It could be like a friend, crazy We have a lot of breakup stories.

Mark lives in a world where his ex-girlfriends are listening to the show on a regular basis.

It's not entirely untrue.

You have women that you've dated that are listening right now?

I have evidence of one.Not religiously, in Probably turned off by the whole concept.

I feel like the off-season's here.

Go ahead. Is this Camp Happiness era, Cecil?

No, it would be post that.

By the Lake?

That had multiple eras, but it would be post that in general.

Pearl Jam just put out Verses.

I think we'llDan Doctors on top of the world.

Save it for the episode. Dan and I haven't even had our spouses ever listen to the show, and Mark's got his camp happiness girl still checking in daily. She's like, I can't wait to hear about the Steeler's offensive coordinator hire.What Mark has to say.I'm.

Not sure it's continually, if that's the word you just used.

Can we have her on the show for that episode?

I'd be happy to check. I don't think there's any ill will at this point. Again, I think anyone that I dated from back then has four children at this point and is a completely different person. No hard feelings. Good. I'm assuming.

Maybe not.

We'll find out.

Maybe the opposite of hard feelings.

If you get under it, you get under the earth's rust.Soft feelings for the old sestal. Maybe you buried him and then you get a little bit deeper and you realize there are issues still there.

Four children each. I mean, Mark only liked them if they were fertile. He's like, That's the first thing I ask.

You stop.

Speaking of heart-to-heart talks and digging into the emotional side of things, a little later in today's show, we're going to give some pep talks, some heart-to-hearts, some tough talks to those who need them. Colleen, how confident 1-10 are you with the understanding of today's session?

Well, you just said pep talks, and when you texted us, you said tough conversations.

Sometimes a pep talk is a tough conversation. Okay.

But I asked for clarification. I am often in her world, I'm driving around having no concept.Dusler.

And I are aligned on this.We are.

I actually asked for clarification.

Can I offer, clarify that as host? Colleen, Ryan's often a little confused about where to take it. Mark's all funneled to the same place. It doesn't matter how clear the explanation is.

I actually said, I want to make sure I'm trying to meet what your vision was. You said, I think anything goes, basically. It's just a conversation. It's just a conversation. It's just great. Somehow we'll go wrong. I have a feeling.I'll.

Let you know.I feel very confident.

I feel confident that if you feel confident, we'll all be confident that the segment went well.

I think it's going to be great.

All right.

But before we do that. And by the way, today's show is presented by DraftKings.

Nice.

Bang.

I'd also mention one thing because I think that people think that we have these easy jobs where... Here we go. No, no, no. No, it's just you come in and you just talk about sports. It's like all four of us, simultaneously on our laptops, are dealing with what I would call a... It's like a... Category 8 IT issue.

I would say, if Imagine for those old enough if Y2K actually happened.

That's what we're dealing with. Bank account's clear, traffic light's blinking.Prisons.

Open.we.

Don't need to dig down into it. But at any moment, every three or four minutes, all of our computers invariably are shutting off and we have to restart them while our information is contained on screen. And yet we continued. It seems seemal. No one would know that so far.

Well, now they would because we spent two minutes talking about how heroic we are, all our fighting through this.

I'm always told, be a duck. No one needs to know what's going on underneath the water. You're just swimming along and it looks very smooth and all the chaos is underneath. Why do I have to be a duck? I'm not a duck.That.

Sounds unhealthy.Not our style.I like to make us look as valuable as It was valuable as possible. I think it was a...

To synchronize the security detail of these laptops, universally, it feels like a major misstep by the IT department.

Terrible job by IT.

There's no way around that. It may just sink today's program.

But I love IT. I love everyone that works in the IT department here.We.

Have bad days, too.Rote it out there. This is their bad day, and we're going to work through it, hopefully.

Yeah, I'm confident in that.

All right, it just came up. There it is.

It's not fictional. We're working with this in real-time.

Let's do some news. Greg's uncomfortable.

At the end of the play, Tauny off his number 4.

Tuffy.

It'll be first and 10.

Don't worry, bub. There's only 65 million people watching that game. Tough one.Bub.He's fucking hard. Why did you side-eye Greg when I said that?

He's fighting through it. He's fighting through a difficult situation. He's paddling underneath the surface.

I wish we knew his name.

Well, it'd be very easy to find that out.

Cracked official voice.

I mean, I think he could walk into a bar and knock half the bar out, too. It's not like he some wimp up there, as he's portrayed from a….

John Smith. Hang in there.

It's like Peter braided voice cracking.

I mean, he was sick.

We've all been there. Let's try to avoid 1970s pop culture references. We got to move forward. I won't go there again. We have a young clientele.

Dan prefers 1980 pop culture references.

Just roughly 40 years ago.

Let's get to the '80s, preferably '90s. I just had a Y2K rep.

He was singing Frasher before the Let's talk about how live was a bad band name for the 10th time on the show.

Very bad.

The Internet is actually a band name, too.

When Ed Kowalczyk and the guys from New York, Pennsylvania, said, We got to come up with a band name, back in about '91, and they're like, Live. It talks about how we're vital and that that's where our music comes to life. Then it's like, six years later, you're on AOL and you type in live, and they go.

Was it live with an explanation point, too, I believe?

No, it was live with some type of reverse underscore, an over score, over the I. Well, yeah. Tough one, which is not searchable either.

A marketing Y2K.

Truly.

All right, let's do some news. Speaking of huge mistakes, the Atlanta Falcons have named Raheem Morris, their new head coach. Oh, you're so unfair, Dan. Raheem Morris, the first former NFL head coach, Arthur Blank, is hired in his 20 plus year tenure. He is, and this is a positive, the first full-time a black head coach in the franchise's history. He's also notably not Bill Belichick. The Atlanta Falcons go with Raheam Morris, who's had previous head coaching experience with Tampa Bay. He was also an intern head Coach. Where was he, the interim head coach. Where was he, the interim coach?

With the Falcons. With the Falcon. He was almost hired for that job. That's right.

Thank you very much. After 14 interviews, Colleen, the Falcons go with Raheem Morris. How are you feeling about this one?

I think that it's for Arthur Blank, the fact that he wasn't hired the last time when they went with Arthur Smith. This is like, Okay, maybe I made a mistake. Maybe you should have been the head coach the last time. But the search that they had, I mean, 14 candidates, multiple second interviews. They almost be exhausted, first of all, from the interview process in general. But I just think it's really interesting that they ended up bringing him back when he was on the coaching staff there from 2015 to 2020. Obviously, he's known as a defensive guy, but he's coached on both sides of the ball because in Atlanta, he was the wide receiver's coach from 2016 to 2019. But it's a totally different roster at this point from when Raheam Morris was last there. Only six players remain from his last time there who are under contract for this upcoming season. I think that it's interesting, too, that both Morris and Terry Fontenou, the GM, will report directly to Blank. So they cut out Rich McKay, the CEO, and Blank said that McKay will no longer be involved in day-to-day football operations. So that almost reminds me of back when Chip Kelly came in as the Eagles's head coach, and Howie Roseman was banished to a storage closet, essentially.

The other side of the building, literally.

Yeah, came back, rose from the ashes. But ultimately, the quarterback back will dictate Rahim's success as the head coach there. Desmond Ritter and Taylor Heineke. Taylor Heineke is going to be a casualty. So whoever they end up bringing in is going to be the ultimate decider of what happens with Rahim Morris in his second chance as a head coach and his second chance with Atlanta. Will it be a Baker Mayfield type? Because Baker and Rahim were together in LA. If things don't work out with Baker in Tampa Bay, since he's a free agent, will they bring in like Kirk Cousins or Russell Wilson? So I think that that is the main thing to really watch.He's.

Entirely different.I.

Did it. That's all I got.

That's a lot. That was good. He was one of the youngest head coaches in NFL history when he took that Bucks job. He was 33 years old. Remember the Young and Bucks? It was 2000. Young and hungry. It was 2009. They went 10 and 6 in his second year with Josh Johnson as his quarterback. He went Coach of the Year. Josh Freeman, rather. No, I don't think so.

But he definitely was. I remember that. He was in the mix. That's when we ended up seeing an NFL market.

Coming off that year, he was like, stock up.

Yes, he was seen as one of the great young coaches in the league.

That was now what, 13 years ago. All you hear from players, from coaches, from everyone, he's beloved. You hear it enough year after year after year that Jalen Ramsey says he's the best coach he's ever had. All these different players say, This is the best coach I ever had. A lot of it is like, leader of men. He has a better idea of how different organizations work. I think this is a great way to get your second job that you had that much amount of time in between, and you saw that many different setups under Dan Quinn in Atlanta, under Sean McVay in Los Angeles, and The staff, I think that he sold them on also was probably a big part of that. Zack Robinson is offensive coordinator. He was a highly respected assistant in Los Angeles who was seen as the next offensive guy from that tree, and he's very tight with Morris, and Morris sold them on like, He's going to come with me. He'll take this job instead of all the other ones. The Patriots were hot after him, the Saints, all these other ones. And that's part of it. And then more than all that, they know him.

They know him, and they like him. And so there's familiarity there that I think he had that the other eight or nine second interview candidates didn't have. Bill Belichick was never getting this job after he left the second interview, and he wasn't hired. I think people have been like, I can't believe they didn't hire Belichick. I know you said that, too, and I get that, but that decision was made two weeks ago because the second Belichick left that second interview, and he wasn't the choice, and they continued to interview, they clearly weren't hiring him. If you're hiring Bill Belichick, you just hire him. He came in with whatever he wanted the setup to be, they didn't agree with it for whatever reason. Then out of the other 13 choices, to me, Morris makes a lot of sense.

I think it was more of a Belichick saying, probably like, I don't want to work with a Terry Fontnoh. We don't know. We don't know.

There's the mystery around Belichick. We don't even know. All this talk around Belichick, he wants to make all the decisions, all this different stuff. We're all just assuming that, and we don't know.

I'd love to hear from Belichick.

I know. We did hear a report from the Washington Post that he was planning to bring Patricia, Joe Judge, and possibly Josh McFanis.

Okay, so members of the staff, but I mean, in terms of the day-to-day football.

Yeah, I think it's just like Belichick basically not moving off of Belichick thinking. That's fine. I'm not saying that. There was other people saying that Arthur Blank actually was pretty resolute on giving him a real chance and wanting to bring Belichick in.

Oh, yeah. Supposedly in November, this was their plan. They've been working on Belichick for months, and something made them change their mind.

But I don't think Morris is this deep second place because I was listening to Peter King, who had talked to a ton of people over years, and it was like, he said that Rahim Morris, and he wasn't pumping him up, that if you ranked coaches in terms of the higher review that they got from people that work with them over years and years, that Rahim Morris was easy top five, and that players were actually agitated when he left the Falcons the last time. To your point, Greg, that's how he makes players feel. I do like the coach that doesn't just get hired the next cycle after they get fired and they failed. It's like, he has gone and done everything. If you're saying that Mike McCarthy went and had a one year away sojourn to learn about other ways to do things, Morris has gone half of his career doing that. I think it's a good fit because he fits in an organization that he already fit in.

Let me just be clear. I don't think Rahim Morris is going to necessarily... I'm not saying he's a bad coach.

You're coming from a Belichick angle.

I'm just saying I find it difficult to wrap my head around, especially if it's true that Blank had circled Belichick months and months ago. To change your mind and hire... Yes.

What would make you change your mind?

I don't know. We don't know.

The beating, like that it doesn't go well.

Sure, but at a certain point, Listen, I'm looking at everything about this. The fact that they spoke with 14 different people, the general trajectory of this organization since '283. I can't give them the benefit of the doubt that they haven't galaxy brain their way into an absurd decision. Maybe everyone else is right, because I know this is now the popular thinking. Bill is over the hill. Bill demands control. Bill is a guy that he comes in and nobody can work with him because he's a certain way. Maybe that is all true. Or maybe people are having the chance to hire Bill Belichick right now, and they've gotten their mind so wrapped around the negatives that they don't see what's right in front of them, which is the most successful head coach who has ever lived. That's all. I feel bad because it was a D-Move for me to be negative about Rahim when I set the story up. But it's because I think it's outrageous in a coaching cycle where there's been, what, eight openings, that this guy is going to be at the door.

They're the only ones even that we're interested. Out in the cold. Literally. I think that was... I heard that, and this makes sense to me, that that might have been a factor, and it shouldn't be. It does point to what you're saying, the Falcons being a bad organization, maybe. I think they were a little spuked that literally no one else had any interest in them. They were like, Oh.

That shouldn't be your That shouldn't process into your decision making.

You should have your own mind on that.

But we have no idea what is. But we don't know that either. We don't know a lot of things. We don't know what his demands were or anything like that.

I know enough about Bill Belichick and his history in New England, and I've listened to Tom Kern, who knows him as well as anyone talk about. It's like, he's not going to be like, Oh, yes, I'll report to Rich McKay, or I'll work with Terry Fy. Of course, he's not doing that. That's not going to be an option for him at this stage of his career.

But also, Rahim has to be attractive because of his experience there. Obviously, Arthur Blank knows him so well. I was talking to D'Angelo Hall about this because when D. Hall was doing the morning show with me, Good Morning Football, and that was when... Let's see, what year was that when Raheem Morris was the interim head coach. Was that 2020? 2020. Yeah. D. Hall absolutely loved Raheem then, and he was standing on the table for him then to get the job. It was from week after week, as soon as he took over as the interim. I was like, Are you going to go and work in Atlanta? But he's under contract still in Carolina, D. Hall is. But he was just saying he loves Rahm, and he really thinks that he will do a great job. Relates to the players.

He is sneakily like a Big Shanaher/McVay tree guy because he was on that Washington staff, the original Shana Han staff. He was with Kyle Shana Han, and he was the receiver's coach during '28. He was on the offensive side of the ball during that.

That's twice he was on the offensive side.

Then he was just with McVay. He is from that tree that everyone's going. I heard the Rams pushed really hard, too, saying like…They loved him.They talked him up. To their own detriment, because they lose Zack Robinson, and he's taking some more staff members from the Rams.They do get two third-roundPensentory. They do get two third-round-They do get that.cancentory picks.

That does help.

That's how it goes. All right, let's move on. This is a surprise. It broke right before we started. Ben Johnson is not Leaving the Detroit lines. The offense coordinator informed the Seahawks and Commanders, those are the two teams that have yet to hire a coach, that he's staying in Detroit. That's from Tom Pelacero. Seattle and Washington, as I said, they have those two vacancies. He was scheduled to meet with both clubs for interviews this week, but instead, the 37-year-old will stay in Detroit. Mark, this is obviously a big lift for the lines at a time where they could use some good news to keep that continuity with the offense. Also, I'll just say it, a risk for Ben Johnson because year to year, especially as an OC, you never know how your public perception could change. He was a very hot name this year. He'll probably be a hot name next year, but he chooses to stay home. Great news for the lines.

We have seen coaches who were high flyers and about to get hired make a philosophical choice to pass, stay where they are, and then their names fade. If the lines were to crash and burn next season, like It's all about hype and energy.

Kelenmore is an example.

I mean, Kelenmore, yes.

At least he's getting jobs. Byron Left, which supposedly turned down the Doug Peterson job in Jacksonville. He's literally not even in a league. He doesn't even have a job right now.

It could fade fast. But Chef Dreadet Nugget, that Ben Johnson also was asking for a lot of money. That could also just be spin and PR and people saying things, but his asking price was very high. But I think if you're him and you look at the team that you're on right now and the way it's built, the other wilderness you could be in is to go to a team and have like, Gino Smith melt away or go to Washington and pick the wrong quarterback, and then you're in a terrible situation and everyone's pointing fingers at you. You can stay like the center of the party if They go to Detroit, they go back to the playoffs, and you got a chance at eight other teams next year.

That's what I was trying to say in our conversation with Cynthia on Thursday, we're talking about Canales. If you really believe in your abilities, I'm not saying this is what happened with him, but it's okay to pass on a job opening like the one in Carolina, which is very dicey. If you want something that is more suited for you or feels like a better landing spot, Canales takes an obvious risk with Carolina. Ben Johnson is going the other route.

Yeah. Dave Canales. You're doing good with the Canales. Canales. This is now, what, the second time that Ben Johnson has turned down potential head coaching opportunities? We don't know if he would have gotten these jobs or not, but since he's staying, that's such a boon for Dan Campbell now that he doesn't have to go out and find someone else to be a creative play caller that knows these players that had this success. It just feels like if they're able to keep this in place and go far again, Then Ben Johnson has even more of a leg to stand on with these head coaching opportunities. I just think it speaks volumes of the culture in Detroit, too, of what they've been able to build. For Ben Johnson, to see when he started with Detroit because he's seen it really dark there. He's seen dark times, and he's seen the turnaround. To your point, Dan, to go to a place that he would have to do that again, that's not easy. That's not an easy thing to turn around, to change people's mindset, and to go to another toxic place, and to make it a winning atmosphere.

That's not easy.

Not every 37-year-old is maybe inside measuring where they're at, ready to do this. I know that everyone is getting hired at Younger. I talked to Ian one time, and he talked about a certain head coach candidate, reached out and saying, I like that people see me this way, but I feel like I need more experience.

Raheem Morris, the It's like that's-Reheem Morris the first time he's talked about it. He wasn't really ready for it. I think it's awesome because I just like the idea that someone in this society, essentially, can decide there are more things that are more important than money. I think he's making a personal choice. I don't know if it's about readiness. I don't know anything like that. To me, it's like, I have this situation that I truly love, that we're trying to accomplish something special, that I've been here for five years, that I know this is great. And whatever is going to be next in my career is going to be next in my career. But man, this is amazing right now, and I want to do it even more, even if I'm going to make less money this year. I'm not freaking going poor. I have more than enough money to live off and then some. And I'm confident in myself, too, if you're Ben Johnson, that there should be opportunities in the future, whatever they were going to be. And I'm going to just do this because that gives me a higher standard of living and what matters more to me.

That's very happiness. Imagine if they do get to the Super Bowl next year, and if they don't, he's going to have coordinator jobs, and he's going to have more money than anyone should possibly have in the world for the rest of his life anyways.

Right. If the chargers who have Justin Herbert or the bangles and Joe Burrow, there was an opening, he probably would take the jump.

But maybe part of this... Cowboys, eagles next year. Who knows what's going to happen?

Part of this is I like it. Then Ben Johnson knows he should still be in the catbird seat next year. He should be.

Just never know. Aaron Glenn is interviewing for that Washington job, by the way, still. Good luck, Aaron. Washington said they were surprised, according to Adam Schefter, so they were not expecting.

Speaking of Kelen Moore, he, formerly of the Cowboys and the Chargers, is now the offensive coordinator of the Eagles. He joins up, coaching staff. Also, this happened a couple of days ago. Vic Fongio, after a rocky one-year tenure in Miami lands in Philadelphia. You got Moore and Fongio and Connie with the Eagles here. They made the decision to stick with your boy, Siriani. They've now surrounded him with very probably expensive and successful coordinators. That was the move. They reinforced, let's say, the foundation around Siriani, which I get.

Makes sense. Yeah, it's It's almost like Siriani is giving Brandon Staley vibes in this situation because Kelen Moore goes there and it's like, was this a forced move on Siriani by Howie Roseman, Jeffrey Lory? He probably doesn't have a lot of leverage in the organization right now. Howie, mother. The Eagles have wanted more for a while, though. They interviewed him to be the head coach in 2021 and then went with Siriani instead. Now that they're bringing in more to work under Siriani, that's why it just feels like this is an arranged marriage and that Siriani is on an even shorter leash. Frankly, a lot of people thought that he wasn't even going to be in Philadelphia again despite his record, despite going to the Super Bowl last year. I like the move just because with Siriani, they never used motions or shifts, and they never really mixed up the offense that way. And that's That's what Kelen Moore does. That's what he's good at. The knock on Moore is that he doesn't really run the ball. So that was the issue at a lot of times last year in Philadelphia. So we'll have to see how all that goes.

But Moore's offenses have traditionally handled the blitz really well. That was another area that the Eagles's offense were lacking in. If it goes well, though, Kelen Moore, I guess, will probably end up getting head coaching opportunities because that would mean that they would keep Siriani if things do work out and they have success. It's just an interesting play.

It reminds me a ton of when they moved Howie to the other side of the building because it all seems... It doesn't even seem. It's clearly a Jeff Lory thing. I don't even think it's wrote... I mean, it's the two of them working together. They're the two most powerful guys in the building. But I think Jeff Lauri was convinced by Serian. We're going to keep you, but it's not going to be your offense anymore. We want to update and modernize. We want you to run the whole thing, but But you're going to do it with guys that are unfamiliar to because it's not his offense anymore. He is now out of his tree. It does seem a little awkward having two great interim head coaching candidates right on the roster. But it's a prove it year for Kelen Moro, too. I'm sure he would have gotten a different job in this cycle. There's still a lot of coordinator jobs open, but his stock is not nearly as high. The charges were totally disappointing last year on offense. He started like a house on fire, and that happened a lot in Dallas, where they'd start well and they finish poorly.

So That's what happened with Kelen Moore in Dallas. It's what happened with him in LA. So he's got a lot to prove, too.

I mean, it's eye of the holder type stuff because either you're looking at him as one of the most pressure-packed new coordinators in the league based on the fact that there's a lot of questions around everyone on that offense. But also things melted down so poorly and became such a nuclear winner as the regular season ended that maybe it can't get a lot worse.

And they have great players. They still have really great players on offense, which matters.

Awkward vibes. There. All around. It was an awkward end to the season, and now it just feels like an awkward offseason now, too.

Yeah, and the stability around Philly, as you're saying, is not great. But Kelenmore is thinking to himself, maybe this ends with me being the interim coach. Maybe we've seen, as we saw in Las Vegas as an example, recent example, I keep the job if I do well. It's a backdoor way to get a job.

But interim head coach also means that stuff is terrible. You've got to fix all that probably in four or five weeks, and that's tough.

In Kelenmore's mind, probably the better outcome is even like, Jalen Hertz is back in the MVP mix. We're awesome, and I'm a head coach a year from now.

Or to make all those guys terrible in the first month.

You just had Justin Herbert.

Get Siriani fired.

And then, that turn on the juice. That's Machiavallian. That's a move. That's what Antonio pierce did. Don't get it twisted.

That is not what he meant.

I don't think that he thought.

You have some odd takes on the coaching.

No. I watched that Siriani presser, by the way, and Siriani sitting next Howie. They were just...

With a gun in his ribs.

He just felt very like... I'm the kid now at the adults table, and it was just like toning everything down.

Kids have no responsibility and everything provided for them. That's what it was. Sounds like next year.

I can't wait for the combine press conferences to happen.

You think I'll let him do that?

Well, and then Dom will be there. Big Dom as well.

What if they do the thing where just put him on the lap and then do the voice? Whose lap? His lap How he puts Seriani on his lap and mimics his voice.

How he's like five, six. I mean, it's visually awkward, but go for it. Why not? Adult on child's lap. Not that he's a child.A lot for him.

Let's spin through the rest of this real quick. If you must share hot takes, please do. But be smart about them and concise. I'm sure that will occur. Arthur Smith expected to be hired by the Steelers as their offensive coordinator. Jim Harbaugh, excuse me. Got to get used to that again, who's back in the with the Chargers. He brings Michigan DC Jesse Minter with him. He will be, yes, run their defense. The Browns, Mark, your Browns hired Ken Dorsey as their offensive coordinator. The Bills promote Joe braided from intern to full-time OC after a successful takeover during last season. Bobby Bobik as Bills DC. Is that right? Bobich? Babich. Babich. Anything on those personnel I don't love Arthur Smith potentially still not having a quarterback, but I do think he's probably just a better OC than head coach in general.

I think it's fun. I know Martha Smith was frustrating in Atlanta, but he's an upgrade from what's been going on. I rememberGrave Digger. He was fun as a coordinator in Tennessee.

Grave Digger was calling for his return to Nashville, so he did have a lot of success.

I thought it was telling the ownership there in Pittsburgh was like, We're sick of losing. He was saying We have some urgency here. We're going to give Tom Lynn a long-term contract, but we have some urgency to get past what's going on. By that, I read, We're going to bring in... They might be doing a little bit more of a Jeffrey Lurry thing where they're bringing in some people from the outside after hearing from Tomlin over and over. It's like, We're going to do how we're going to do. Tomlin, I think, is being made to maybe open up the kimono.

This makes me worried for George Pickens because Arthur Smith never utilized his top guys.

That was always the thing. He did a nice job with AJ Brown, though, I thought. But you're right. There's some residual concern just based on the Falcon car crash we watched.

There was something about him in the press conferences where being a head coach, it did seem too stressful for him, and maybe it all impacted that he fits well as a coordinator. I could see that.Impacted his ability.He.

Did seem to get increasingly frustrated by the aspects of the job. I hate that for him. Man, if you put Kirk Cousins in Pittsburgh and gave him Arthur Smith, the Steelers are cooking with grease. Would you, though, Mark?I.

Pour them.Yes.What.

One?fink of you. Finally, Chief's...

Why the shot?

No, I'm saying because he's...

He's a brown. I don't need to worry about... I'm fine because the browns...

You mansplaining his tandem to me?

Well, you're asking me. You try to lead me into a mansplained hit.

Why are you so defensive? Why are you yelling?

When the Browns can hire the coordinator that was fired midseasonal having Josh Allen as his quarterback, you got to do it.

Charles, many of you.What were you saying, Mark? Nothing.

I was being manipulated by a colleague.I don't care. I was taking some shots at Ken Dorsey. I like having two convos. I was not taking a shot at Ken Dorsey.

I was just like, talk about a low octane high.

But it's for Stefansky. So these like Babbage under Sean McDermott. What does that really matter?

He's the defensive coordinator. When you hire an OC and it get shoved into the speed round, I think it says it.

But he's not calling the play. Like, Stefanski is that dude.

Greg, I do understand that.

I know. So I'm saying it's a low octane higher. Yes.

I do understand that he's not calling that.

People do love themselves some Jesse Minter.

Are we still talking about these now? I do. Because- Does anyone remember what I said? No, we don't. Does anybody care about anything?

I don't.

All right, go ahead, Greg. Let's talk about Jessie Minter now for five minutes. Well, because- Let's get those takes that need to be out there. Go ahead.

Imagine if you were a Charger Street, you would want to hear it.

If I was a Jets fan. I'd love to hear it. We played that book as well. Go ahead.

You're still mad about her saying you were sensitive?

She gaslit me so easily. You emotionally manipulated me. I'm so sorry.

We're accused of mansplaining. That's never a positive.

I just wanted to come in and cause a little chaos.

You're the Joker.

I am.

You're welcome. Go ahead, Greg. Go ahead.

When you have time to prepare, you have to go chaos. Do you understand that, Colin?

The last DC that Jim Harbaugh found in Michigan was Mike McDonald, who we knew nothing about and came to the NFL and was the best defensive coach in the league almost immediately. Everyone says this about Minter, too. There is something about Harbaugh that he develops coaches very well, and he needs a good defensive coach.

Well, Minter was also with the Ravens, so his brother helped find him.

There's something about these Harba's. They know what to do.

Anything?

What was your Dorsey comment? I don't need to go back to that place.I'm trying to comply.He said it twice. I think you're orderly and sensible request that we put a lid on it for once.

I'm just trying to get to the second part of the show, and Colleen is on a time crunch, so I'm going to move on now. Charles Amendehu, Tora is ACL.

I'm on a time crunch, too, just to let you know. Always.

You don't really have anywhere to go, but you're on a-Burg after this.

It's just smoke.

You just see the smoke behind him.

Here's Andy Reid, by the way, on Kedarias Tony, who said that he wasn't injured and the chiefs are lying and blah, blah, blah. Here's Andy Reid. Obviously, he's been on the injury report. I got that part. That's not made up by any means, but he's been working through some things, and he'll be back out there.

I will say one thing.

Why even have him back out?

Go watch this and then go take an hour and read about body language. I'm not saying that he's... I think he's stuck- An hour, that seems like a lot. He's in a sticky situation, but I always like to see where people's eyes go when they respond to questions because the upper left thing is like, I'm thinking and I'm processing. Sometimes it's like, I'm not telling you exactly everything I know.

Andy Reid, he invites this chaosThat's true. I think you're right.

There are deep studies about that. I would just say-The FBI and the CIA.

If I were, Andy Reid, knowing what I know about what Canary Stone can provide to my team this year, go take a walk.

Totally agree.

I'll see you back in practice. Bye-bye. I know he made big plays in the Super Bowl last year, but this ain't last year.

It's a little strange.

It's been a nightmare for them.

But they invite that. That is the Chiefs. It gets lost in trouble. No one brings in in the draft would be called character concerns than the Chiefs. Literally, Omana, who tore his ACL and is going to miss the Super Bowl now and was a really good starter for wasn't available because he was arrested for domestic battery and assault earlier this year. That's the type of players that the Chiefs very often bring in, and then things come with it.

That's what's happening in the news. Real quick, it's time now to talk a little game of the Week presented by DraftKings. The game of the Week is actually next week. It's the Super Bowl. Heard about it. Let's take a look at where we're at in the desert land on this one. The spread sitting right now at one and a half, the TicTac zone, as Bill Simmons is known to say, one and a half calorie in a tic-tac. It's funny. The over-under is 47.5. All right, Greg, when you look at this.

Money Line minus 20 for the Niners. I've listened to a lot of Simmons over the years.120. Never once heard that. Minus 120 for the Niners.

If you were to pick one of these props, game props, what would you go with?

Give me all the Pacheco's. 68.5 rushing yards. More. 16.5 rushing attempts. More. 90.5 total receiving rushing yards. More. How about Pacheco plus 3,000 for MVP? I'm just saying, if you think the Chiefs are going to win, can't you imagine this 49ers defense, which has been bad week after week after week, stopping the run that they give up 200 Pacheco just goes nuts.

Yeah, get your wallets out unless you work for this company.

How do you beat the Niners? You got to keep that offense off the field. Run the football. I like that. That man runs like he bites people, Connie.

It's my favorite descriptor of him.

Chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp, chomp.

So good.

All right, let's take a break. When we get back, pep talks for those who need them, some hard conversations. Oh, no. Difficult ones. All right, welcome back. I just got another prompt for a security update.

I've learned how to navigate around it this-Tell me.

Okay, after the show-Not on the show, later on. I think you need to handle this and just bite the bullet.

I tried it. I already connected with IT.

I'd bring this issue.

You might have to try it.

I'm going to have to go. I'm going to have I did that, too. Empty.

I'd bring the issue to Las Vegas with you and see if it maneuver around it all.

But you said you have a workaround. That's good.

In the moment, yeah. But it's not content for the show.

Do you want to go on a trip together, hand in hand to IT afterwards?

I don't have time.

What's going on?

I don't know. I'll come in. It's the dead zone before the show.

What do you have going on after the show? Got to pack schedule. Come up with something.

It's just so much. I can't even-Dentist, doctor, psychiatrist.

All right, here we go. Let's get to it.Not all wrong.Pep talks for those who need them. Colleen, you are in therapy yourself. Always. You shared with the show. It is perfectly healthy for the mind and body.

It's all connected.

Now, what you can do. Now, what you can do is take what you've learned in that realm and use that on someone in the NFL who could use it. Okay.go ahead.

All right. Well, I don't love having tough conversations. This is not my favorite thing to do. I avoid conflict at every possible turn. But eventually- Although it's nice what you did with Dan a little earlier.

That was fun.

It bubbles up and you react.

Right, exactly. But there comes a point where the bill comes due, and you have to face these things. You have to, in order to get through something, you need to go straight through and process it. There's no way you can get around it. When you have a long history with someone or something that makes it really difficult because a lot of times being familiar and having a habit, it's something that you go back to doing all the time, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's good for you or it's positive. It's just familiar. A lot of times you have to break the cycle and you have to break that. I don't love change, but change is necessary for growth.

I feel like I'm in the office with you and Suzanne right now. I love this.

I feel like I should have been a psychologist, but whatever. I really do appreciate the time that I had with this thing, but now it's time to move on, and we need to stop using Roman numerals.Oh, I love this.I'm so done with Roman numerals. I learned them in grade school, and I never needed them again until I started working at the NFL, and it would just be random bits of copy that I wouldn't know were coming, and a producer would hand me a piece of paper or just say, Read the prompter, or it's in the script, just read it, which I hate because I don't like to just read something cold that someone else wrote that I don't know what I'm saying. That's not my vibe. That's not what I do. I don't I would never have someone else write stuff for me. I write all my own stuff, and I would never use a Roman numeral for someone that's reading something cold live on the air. When was the last time that you guys even used a Roman numeral? We're not using Latin. There's no other... If you're listening to a football game, it's not like they would speak Latin for the penalties.

I took Latin high school. What? Why?

Big waste.

Exactly. It was an easy grade.

The Roman numerals need to stop. I thought I thought Super Bowl 50 was going to be the turning point because it was the first time that they didn't use a Roman numeral for the Super Bowl. Sure, it looks nice when you're using a lot of Xs and Vs and I's. But there just comes a time to move on. I I think that time is now, and we need to drop the Roman numerals from society.

Wow. I think it's marketing gold because back when it was like XX, and even a child was like, Super Bowl 20, but now where it's like, my mind We aren't a Roman culture. We're not harking back to something that came from deep- Our origins are in some way, especially the idea of the arena and the gladiators of the sport. That's fair, but I'd say our culture comes from every culture at this point. We're or melting pot, if you were. It's such a nod to Rome. My thing is bigger. When it got to 50 and you're making it to '56 or '58, and then I'm trying to remember what Super Bowl was. I literally can't remember the Super Bowl from four years ago because it's been put through Roman number machine.

I'm with you. It shouldn't have an L in it. L is for loss. I don't like that either.

I did see on the lower third this week.

It's also for love.

On NFL Network, they used the number on a graphic. It was during one of the shows during the day, maybe it was Insiders, and I was like, Maybe they're starting to hear you because I'm with you. Progress. This needs to change. It was a marketing gimmick when NFL was not popular at all, and it was going to be this big thing, AFL versus NFL, and no one cared. People watched that a little bit on TV. Like, literally, no one even showed up for the game, and they're just trying to get some pop into it, make it a gladiator. They played it in the Coliseum. I think that was all connected. And so they put the one, and now, forget it.

Any research there? Just connecting dots.

I like what you said. Oh, I've read this is from America's game, Michael McCambridge. Yes.

But I'm saying, is that where the Roman numerals because they played at the Coliseum?

That I don't know, but it would make sense. The more that they were trying to pump it up into this big thing because people weren't really into the AFL. People weren't that into professional football, but they definitely weren't into the AFL. It was this new thing, and everyone thought, Well, who cares about this game? The NFL Championship already happened. They saw this as a preseason game that's being played after. They gave it a little more heft, but I don't know if that is exactly.

Which is why what happened in Super Bowl III with Namath was so important because when the AFL beat the NFL, it legitimized that and then they came together. Absolutely. Now, that's it. I think I've probably done a similar monolog on the show. I hazily remember it years ago. About Roman numerals? About banning Roman numerals. But now I'm back on the other side. I think it's tradition. Oh, point counterpoint. Here's the other thing. We had the chance, as we pointed out, they went with the number 50 for San Francisco, and that was a huge to do, the celebration around the 50th anniversary. The year after that, The next few years after that were horrendous, borderline embarrassing to use L-I-L-I. Just looked to the eye. If they had the chance to move and they didn't, guess what? We're not going to get 100 until... I mean, we're not going to get the number back until 100, and are we even going to be alive? The next time you see a number next to a Super Bowl, that is probably when it's going to happen.

I will say-Unlikely would be the answer, but possible.

The other in professional wrestling, Russellmania, almost certainly took it after the Super Bowl, and they used Roman numerals up to 30 before they decided it doesn't really work anymore.

Especially, wrestling fans don't operate in that mode mentally.

When I'd say. Why do you say that?

I don't know why I said that.

But in general, whenever you can follow the path of Vince McMahon, you do. I think we could all agree in terms of an intellectual and moral compass.

Was that a point counterpoint? Was that also your presentation?

Oh, yeah. But yours is... I get what you're saying. That was a tough talk. But who was it to? Was the marketing an arm of the league? What? Or the Roman numerals themselves? Who was your talk to?

He's questioning your understanding of the second.

No, not at all. I was more just... Just like, who was it to?

I was speaking directly to the Roman numerals. It's time.

Well, that's confusing.

You served your purpose, and it's been really nice.

It would be funny to watch him turning around and sadly walking away.

Like 58. I think you should just have a burial for them.

I think you should just have a burial for them. I, I, I. Just walking away, sulking around the bend, never to be seen again. Then all proud, like 58, the number walks in and takes its spot.

Oh, boy.

Well, she brought it up.

No, I like it.

She turned it into talking to the actual numerals. Yeah. If we're going to humanize them.

Now I can't stop picturing.

All right. Can I talk? Since we brought up, can I talk to Bill?

Please. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I think you need to.

Which is weird that I'm even doing this because obviously, I have a complicated relationship with the man, personally, in terms of my fandom and the history and everything around the Patriots. But I feel like this guy needs a little pick me up because, Bob, you're a legend. I think somebody needs to tell him that right now. I feel like... Linda's not even around to tell him. I don't know if anybody's telling him that right now.

His whole career?

I think if you listen to...

Maybe demanding to take over the entire Falcon's organization, it's a sign he's still feeling that way.

Well, We don't know that again. We don't know the details of the conversation. I wish, well, I'll get to that. There's a lot of conjecture around and discourse around you right now, Bill. Everybody says you're too old and you're too power hungry and you're yesterday's news. He lives. I just want you to know you're the best, man. You're the best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be. You're him. That's what the kids say. You're goated. Don't let people I'll let Greg tell you you're not great anymore and you don't deserve to be in power anymore or to build a team again. Because all I know... Update device, one moment.

I just got the same. Don't do the Julian Edelman to Tom braided motivation that you're too old.

Yeah, no. You got 11 Super Bowl, Bob. You got eight titles, six as a head coach. The idea of you, Bill, wasting another year of your prime, and you are in your prime, baby, fake laughing with JB and Howie while Terry bumbles yet another read on the teleprompter. It's beneath you. It's uncouth. He was reading Roman. Everyone's like, Oh, Bill's fine. He'll go to box and sit on the dais. Are you kidding me? Bill Belichick? That's what we're cool with.

He would make his own role.

He would make his own role. What if they put him in a booth with braided, though?

That would be fun.

I would be okay with that. It's beneath you. It's strange to say this, but I really do think Bill Belichick in a weird way is being blackballed right now. I want to know why. I want to know why. Greg, I want to know why. Because it feels like Barry Bonds, his last year in baseball, he had a 480 on base percentage, hit close to 30 home runs, couldn't get a job. That guy was a cheater. You're not a cheater. All right. No, forget about that. Maybe it's because you're not a GQ model like Dave Canales. Maybe that's what it's about. Maybe there are people out there that are saying that you're both frumpy and grumpy, which is a terrible thing to say, but it's out there in the discourse. The fact that you don't fit the mold of the modern head coach, as if having high cheekbones and a chiseled jawline helps you do January meal downs after Ws with confetti raining down. It doesn't help at all.

I can tell you personally that it helps, but...

Don't let them. Don't let them do it. Why? Because it's Stefansky?

I was suggesting that I had high cheekbones. That's obviously not true.

Yeah, you don't fit the prototype of the modern head coach, whatever. But Bill, is there anything else you'd like to share? Did you watch the game on Monday? Yes, I saw both games, and they actually were on Sunday. Bill, this is the type of stuff we got to keep under our hat a little bit because people are asking questions about your age. Just, let's play this the right way, Bill. Let's play this the right way and understand that you are loved and appreciated and don't let the discourse get you down. That's it. I think he needs that right now. I don't know. I think he's going to beat up a little bit.

A well-timed talk because he could be at the point where no matter what he's accomplished or what anyone's told him or what he's read about himself, there could be a little bit of imposter syndrome setting in. You're a little bit old. You're staring out windows, the phone's not ringing. Everyone thought you were a home run for this job. You get passed over for someone 30 years younger.

Everybody wants to stick him in the nursing home like he's Junior Soprano. You're not Corrado. You still have something to give. Then people pile on by saying he's power hungry, and of course, you pass on a man that's power hungry because he didn't make Mac Jones a champion. It's like, give him a chance. Give him one more chance.I.

Want to see him coach again.That's it.

Then maybe he can finally experience success. Right.

I told you, it's conflicting for me.

I don't need I want to see him coach again. I think he could do a great job. When I watch them this year, I love Belichick. I've read all the books about him. I consider myself a Belichick-a-phile. He's my guy, even more than braided was during that run. I really saw a coach this year, I think that knew exactly where he is in history, was fine with it, wasn't enjoying what was going on there, but absolutely was able to celebrate where his place in the history of the game is and who he is as a Patri and all this stuff. I think he's very comfortable with himself. Maybe he couldn't see in this cycle a vision of him not running everything. I totally understand why owners would be hesitant to do that. It's the same thing. No one hired Tom Landry after Dallas, after the Cowboys. You don't think he was a better coach than some of the people that... But no, he was Tom Landry, and he was going to take everything that Tom Landry was with him. A year away from the game, I think, might be great for Bill Belichick, the coach.

Even if he wants to come back and coach next year, being able to look at the whole league and take a step back. He's such a football genius that this, I think, could give him a different perspective. Whether he wants to do a little bit of TV or not, we'll see. He'll make that into his own Belichick thing.

But what changes one year from now? If you're saying part of the issue why people might not want him is because he wants to do it his own way. Is he a year from now, after a year away from the game, going to say, I don't need to be involved with the operations?

A better fit, maybe. Maybe just the right option comes up and people a year removed, or maybe he changes, or he has different ideas of what he would do, or maybe he takes away some of the requirements in terms of control and everything, because I'm with you. It'd be fun to see him cry again.

I really would love to hear from him if there was someone in the media that he trusted, or if he did a press conference. I know this isn't his style, but I just feel like there's so many things being affixed to him, what he wants and what he demands, and we don't really know anything.

Cbs Jonathan Jones said several sources expect Belgium to take a job in television, which would indicate there's probably been some backdoor talking. One quote, this really made me laugh. Every network would want him. He would revolutionize media with the way he prepares.Okay.That's a little bit.I will say that. But he was great with Tariko before the Super Bowl. That's the role I could see him in, in these little parts where he just does a Belichick telestrator.Not.

Founding out Sunday.He's.

Not sitting on the tel-Not even that. But even maybe he does one Sunday, but it's just the Belichick segment.

He was a totally different person than I have ever seen in NFL Atmospheres when he was on College Game Day on ESPN this year on the set. I was like, Is this his twin brother? Who is this person that is sitting up there in Bill Belichick's body? He was smiling, he was laughing, he was making jokes. He was all in. They were giving him stuff to do, and he was buying in. He was yes anding everything. He looked like he was happy, and he was in his element doing that. Now, maybe he's happy when he's on the sidelines in New England when it doesn't look like it. Maybe he's happy on the inside. But this really looked like he was glowing in that role, and I liked that for him. I liked him there. It just seemed right for him.

braided and Belichick and the Fox put together. Right? That'd be awesome. Maybe it wouldn't be, but it'd be fun.

You would have to... I'd watch it. Who's the play-by-play guy you put with him? Let's put it together right now. Well,al.

Well, Al. Well, Burkard.

I don't know. Kevin Olson.

It should not be demoted on any level, but that's the- Give me this old crusty booth of Al Belichick and braided.

Let's go. Give me a couple of years. Because this is It'll be a year, by the way. I think he's going back into coaching eventually, I think.

But in the booth, too. I think that that role, seeing him in that role would be so interesting because a lot of people haven't even seen him in the happy, I'm relaxed, I'm here to just hang out and talk about football and I love it role, let alone calling a game role.

We get right back into the world of which one or the other is lifting each other up and making them look better in front of the public. I don't know if I need it.

That's true. I can't really imagine them working together.

I do like the old Travolta movie, Wildhog's vibe of putting Al, Tom, and Bill in the booth and be like, Hey, everyone thinks you're done. All three. Al, you're washed. Bill, you have no personality and nobody likes you. Tom, you're not cut out for this. You don't deserve a number one.

You're no Greg Olson.

You're no Greg, and then letting them revolutionize the sport or the broadcasting business. All right, Greg, wild hog them.

All right, we probably only have so much time, right? We're doing this once.

Yeah, one time around.

Okay, because I've been starting to prep for a free agency list, the off-season stuff.

You're prepping right now during the show?

No.

Getting up at 5 AM, drinking some egg jokes.

Hardly, but I started to tinker with the list. And there's some- Throw around tires. There's some big names out there that I think are going to get to this free agency period. Big old times. They're going to be a little disappointed. Guys like a Chase Young or an Austin Echel or a Devon White, guys who thought maybe going into this, they were going to change their life with these big-time contracts, and they get there, and it's a little disappointing. But I'm going to have the hardest talk with a free agent who's facing a different challenge. It's really for the teams that are out there circling this free agent. It's a little bit for you, too, Dan. It's for everyone that's getting ready to give Kirk Cousins $100 million guaranteed over for two years, because I think he'll get that money. It's a little for Kirk, too, because Kirk, the history of 36-year-old quarterbacks coming off a torn Achilles tear, expected to save a franchise doesn't exist. It's a little for Aaron Rodgers, too. The history of 40-year-old quarterbacks coming back from an Achilles tear and expected to raise a franchise. But he's different. Doesn't exist.

He is different. Kirk, we've watched you on this show, the ups, the downs. What I always remember with Chris, always a supporter of Kirk, and he was right, I think.For.

Aboutwe were the kissing cousins.For.

For six games every season, and I remember this as a QB index writer, for six games every season, he is the fifth best quarterback in the entire league. He's elite. Then other things happen. There's ups, there's downs. I know Kirk was improving. He was in this system for Minnesota. Kirk Cousins is like, You tore your Achilles right at the peak of those six games. And that's all anyone remembers. No one really remembers the 10 years before that. There were ups, there were downs, where you were very good. You were a better than average starting quarterback without a doubt. But you weren't like MVP conversation, Kirk Cousins, the whole time. You were that for about a month every year. You never knew when that month was going to come, but it usually didn't last. Now you're 36 years old and you're coming off a torn Achilles. That, to me, is a massive red flag in the sense that if a rookie was coming in with a torn Achilles, imagine how that It would affect their draft stock. And yet teams aren't going to care. They're going to watch those last six games of the season, see how excellent it was.

Maybe it's going to be Minnesota. And because quarterbacks are so underpaid, I believe, the value of Patrick Mahomes in a free market would be $500 million or something like that. Something bonkers that we can't even imagine that Kirk is going to get all this money because it's very rare that these quarterbacks are actually available. But I think you got to have a hard conversation with yourself, Kirk, of who you're going to coming back and teams, who you expect him to be when he comes back before you pay him more money. And he's probably going to cost more money than Justin Herbert and all these guys on a year-to-year basis.

So you're not suggesting that Cousins is pull back the reins and say, I don't need as much money.

No, take what you get. What are you going to do? You're talking to the team. Yes, but just don't necessarily believe that you're going to come in and you're going to be at that level that you were at before. There's nothing he can do.

He doesn't That strike me as someone drenched and hubris to begin with.

No, but expectation-wise, I just feel like everyone saying, Okay, let's slot in Kirk Cousins, and he's that guy when he's either joining a new team or he's coming off a tour in Achilles. It's just a lot to Yeah.

New team, or maybe not. New team, new offense, new expectations, all that stuff. But he's no stranger to being doubted himself, whether it was in Washington or at Minnesota going into this year. Minnesota actively letting it be known that we're not looking to do more business with you. Then he went out and was playing maybe the best ball of his career before the injury. I think he's a little different than Aaron Rodgers because he is four or five years younger. Even Testaverdi, who had an Achilles The came back, wasn't the same. He was, I think, 37 or 38 by that point. He's not a guy that's known for being an explosive athlete to start with. He's part of a dying breed, almost, of a pocket passer. I think you have things working to his Now, would it be an overpay if he's a slightly lesser version of what he was previously? Yes. But would he instantly, in my mind, still bring stability to your quarterback position? Also, yes. Yeah, there's some buyer beware, but I would live with it if I were a team that... If I had Kenny Picket and Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolf in house, to use that Seeler's example again, or Desmond Ritter or Sam Howell.

Like a two-year deal we're talking about here. You're not signing away the rest of time.

I guess it It would depend on what his market is, but yeah, two, three-year deal. I'd still do it, I guess, is what I'm saying, but there's absolutely a chance that it could be.

One thing I like about what you said, though, it's like the teams are just glued watching his tape, the high end of his tape from last season. It's like His health is a complete unknown. We need to know that.

Your pep talk could also equally and maybe more appropriately be directed at these teams.

That really is where it should be.

But he'll be a little bit confused when you're saying to him, but at the same time, he's like, Greg, they're all good What do you want me to do? I'm not sure.

I have played the colleague role of not really understanding the assignment.

But it's good. It's interesting. Did it well. He's an unrestricted free agent. He is. Is he number one?

He's not going to be number one.

As a quarterback, I would think I would have built in. If the value in terms of close-I have a hard time with Chris...

Josh, there's... I don't know. I guess I haven't fully decided.

When does this list come out?

Not until February. Okay.

When When's the last time-I mean, February.

Chris Jones is in the mix. Josh Allen from the Jaguars is in the mix. Kirk's obviously in the mix.

But if Cousins is Cousins, he's... Well, I don't know.

Pre-injury Cousins is playing at a top, what, eight level as a quarterback, and now he's a free agent? Injury. Wait, who was the last time there was a big-name veteran quarterback?

That's what I was looking that up. Kirk Cousins.

That was the last time it's happened?

Or someone-That good. Or someone- That good.

Where was he then?

I think he was number Number One? On the list that actually gets put out when free agency starts, usually there's this first list where it's like Lamar Jackson was number one last year because he technically was.

What about the pretenders that put out a similar list? Where are they putting Kirk right now?

Well, we don't talk about them.

We don't. My process is I do not look at those. I do look at them the minute I have my list, and then I think, Oh, okay, that's interesting. Did I miss anyone? This is that. But I do not want to look until I have it.

All right, Mark, close it out for us.

I did not miss I understand the assignment, but I took it less as a pep talk and more as a warning to yourself.Okay, that works good.It's not based on the fan base of this team who I think have been through hell. They've seen their team reload located. They have been let down year after year. They've been overly pumped up as a team that's going to go to the Super Bowl almost every summer, and they find a way to undress it. Well, we've all done it. Everyone's guilty of it. This is directed at the team that I find already to be on my radar. It is the Chargers. You hire Jim Harbaugh. Great job. Great move. Way to regalvanize your marketing, everything else. But the attitude around some of what I'm seeing has me a little annoyed. I think it has nut to the fans. I wish the fans all the good. So don't confuse that. That's all I'd say. To the team and to the people messaging what this offseason means, because we go through this with one or two teams every offseason, and it usually ends in total wreckage. I would say this, Chargers, don't or celebrate.

Okay? A couple of bullet points here. That's a sessler. I love it. Don't caress yourselves and put special oils on your forehead just yet. Settle down your social media team. Stop naming pets after Jim Harbaugh. Go stark and sparton and dark and work in the shadows. Become pure evil. Take out the enemy with a complete lack of mercy and restraint. Destroy houses and township. Don't even view children as vulnerable. Animals are your enemy, too. Rip roads and highways to shreds. Pull fruit off fruit trees and burn it in stinking piles. Destroy books and films celebrating anything in your way. Less self-celebratory tweeting in 2023 before you've accomplished a single particle of good. Before you tell us how great it all is. In essence, be everything the chargers have never been or leave us be.Go do it.Do.

You have a kid kill kids in there?

I said, Don't assume the kids are vulnerable or innocent. Something like that.

Why the fruit trees? What?

Wreckage. Anything in your way. Enough with telling us now on Twitter that everything's perfect. These teams, I get what they're doing, and it's mostly for children or gullibles, but settle down with yourselves. Go start I even know, take down Patrick Mahomes.

Can we also push that out to people who celebrate the charges a lot and just be like, Do we have to hear it again now this summer?

We don't have anything to celebrate, though.

No, but now That's right.

This is Jimmy. This is their hard knocks. This is the Jets, Aaron Rodgers hard night.

But this year is different.

Right. But this, to me, was a targeted attack, an isolated attack on the team itself. Then I hope the media would understand to take on the same-I'll tell you why, Greg. It will not.

My takeaway here is Mark needs to mute the chargers account for our mental health.

I'll tell you why it's different. That's a good first step. For instance, the Jets hard knocks, Greg, because nobody was pumping up that team before Rodgers got there. We've been hearing the chargers get pumped up for years and years for different reasons, and then it doesn't happen.

He's mad at the chargers making their little AVI, Harba, and doing funny little Harba videos.

I don't even think Jim Harba would like that or really want that.

Jim Harba doesn't even know the The Internet is a thing.

I know, but his thing isn't let's come and anoint me and put a clown on my head before we've won one game.

Although he is. He went on CBS and he was like, I was star struck meeting Justin Herbert. He is a hype creator, not on purpose, but he's just naturally that guy.

Let him do it without telling us that he's already done it.

I don't need to hear that you're star struck by Justin Herbert. Just make him a star.

Are they going to be on Hard Knocks?

Oh, my gosh.

I can totally see that. Wait, new coach, though.

New coach, I thought that they'd kill all that. No, they didn't kill it, but a team can volunteer.

I don't know if Jim Harbell would want that.

It suggests they will at this point. They probably would.

I'm just saying you don't want them to. That would be a perfect example of don't go on Hard Knocks.

I actually would want that.

Talk about the access.

That's a whole separate thing, but that would be spicy.

Juicy access.

We're going to manifest it.

All right.

I like it.

Burning the fruit I liked. Killing the kids, not as big a thing.

I didn't say kill kids. I said, Hold on, read the text. Don't even view... Destroy houses and township's, don't even view children as vulnerable. Don't be fooled by a child.

Are they saying destroy everything, including children who are not vulnerable? No.

I just said don't view them as... Don't assume they're vulnerable. They can't be trusted. Right. They may be in your way. They may fool you.

I'm glad that... They may lure you. Because if I was a little confused, there's probably other people would be like, What did Mark just say about kids? But now you've clarified that even.

I'm not saying you shouldn't view children as vulnerable. The chargers should not.

I got stuck on the fruit tree.

It's not a societal message.

What about Phil Rivers as children?There's.

So many. That's an army.

It's not attached to the organization at this point.

Well, he's a member of their Ring of Honor.

Then it applies to his children. If you're the chargers, not Philip Rivers.

It's more of a trust no.

They're not above suspicion. Trust no one. They're not above suspicion.

Right. Eyes open.

Not totally clear, but I'm with you, Sestog.Thank you.Mostly.Not again. Got another updated. All right, here's the situation. By the way, voting closed on that award overseas, and they're announcing a winner on Thursday. Oh, wow.

Did you guys vote for yourselves? No.

No, of course not. No.

You had to give them an email.Uncouth.It was one of those things.

I'll tell you this, Mark, I know you're resolute as a person. Stand by it. If we do not win that award, You will not have Dan and Mark on the show. Those that want a solo, Greg, around the NFL-They're going to get it. You're going to get it.

Well, the only problem is, you'll know by...

Right. I'm being alerted to this in real-time. What?

We made it clear last week. We said, If you don't vote us, the victors of this particular contest, we're going to Mexico or somewhere else. Then we said, Do you want to join us, too, Greg? Greg goes, No. Now, you're staying here.

This is all made up. Am I crazy? It was on the show. Ten Nominies.

I think I remember this. I was here for it. Yeah, okay.

We asked you if you wanted to join us in the walkout.

You did find. We're going to Mexico.

Well, I just assume-It's not too late. Do you want to join us? When there's 10 Nominies.

Don't love that attitude.

The only problem with this call to action happening right now, people now are spurred. I don't want-It's too late. It's too late. Voting is close.

But we did give them a week.

We did. We could have put it out on different platforms. If we really were... We're just leaving, but we are leaving the show, I will leave the show.

Lessons were learned.

I mean, we could... If you want to break your word.

No, we said it. We said it. We'll leave.

Yeah, no empty threats here.

Where are we going to go? Wait, I can still take Colleen, right?

North or Patrick.

I might be going with them, though.

Greg, Take the ambition and take it under the table.

Greg is already formulating a new lineup.

See who's available, at least.

Oh, my God. It's so real.

All right. Bill Barnwell at the moment.

Bill, I think they lost. I voted against them. All right, here we go. We'll be back on Thursday. It is the annual Don't Say Super Bowl show. So if you're already sick, if you're annoyed about the teams in the game, you just want to talk about something else to connect to the NFL, that's your show. Be there, Connie.Thank you.Good luck.As always.Yeah.You've said it all.We'll do it again.Let's do it again.Great. Heed the call..