A training camp practices, they're pretty well scripted.
So I'm wondering you don't go off script much, and how do you kind of work on your improvisational skills. I guess in camp or in the preseason.
Yeah, I mean once you get in the season and like a regular season game, you know, things break down. That's that's part of football, you know, going off off schedule and finding guys in the scrambled drill and all that kind of stuff. So when you're in practice, you got your scripted plays and you want to be on time,
you want to go through progressions. But the minute something breaks down, for me, I'm still trying to treat it like a live rep, you know, like and it really is for the receivers as well, like for us to find each other, find open space and work on those kinds of things. If you just sit there and take a sack, which it might be in a game, but for practice, it's like, hey, let's continue to try to find something to work on. So that's how I look at it.
You throw an interception in practice and watch it on film afterwards, what's your process of tessing yourself on that play?
Yeah, I mean it depends on you know what kind of pick it is if I'm trying to fit in the window and trying to just be aggressive, or I just couldn't see a guy like Those are the questions you got to ask yourself, and that's what I do ask myself, and obviously I get I get pretty mad at myself in terms of, dude, he turned the ball
over and you can't do that. So it's finding finding a way to to grow mentally for myself in terms of dude, you can't do that, or hey, I was being aggressive here and I'm just trying it out and I'm saying if I can't do it with this guy in that kind of window or that kind of look and so but at the end of the day, I'm not just out there trying to just throw the ball up and act like it's camp and I don't care because I do.
So Mason was saying, I was talking to us yesterday and said that he sunk three grand into a judge machine and had his dad shoot him passes like tons during the off season to upgrade his receiving skills. Have you noticed an upgrade and his receiving skills?
Yeah, JP looks great, man, He's he's on top of his stuff, and just in terms of the run game and the fits and his past protection, Like just seeing it as a running back, you could tell he's on it. And and then when he gets out and for checkdowns and he's where he's supposed to be. He's got great hands, and you know, he's the kind of guy that we're all we've trusted in the past, but even more so now he's shown it time and time again and he's
building pretty good practices. So, uh, we're excited about it. And you know, obviously the more guys in the running back room the better. So proud of him.
You talked a lot about the mental benefits of having that full off season from a leadership standpoint, you felt just being out there every day and getting all those reps in the spring, just making you feel more comfortable in terms of commanding the huddle or just feeling like you're in charge out there.
Yeah, you know that when I first came in the NFL, like as a rookie, and even last year coming off like the surgery and stuff, there's a little timidus in terms of all right, like you go in, you got to say the play, you gotta say it correctly, you break the huddle, and what are my reads and this and that. But now it's like I feel good with the guys, with the with the language of the offense, and I can see it in my mind quicker when coach calls a play. So it's a lot more smooth
for me, and I love that. But I still got to find that, like that edge every day of all right, I have to find ways to be uncomfortable and still walk in the huddle, command it, break it, and not just think that the game's easy because it's not. It's never going to be easy, and I got to continue
to push myself in that way. But in terms of hearing the play, getting in the huddle, speaking to the guys, saying little things outside of the play, like hey, reminder this that I feel a lot a lot better with that.
So how do you find ways to make yourself feel uncomfortable?
Just like the play clock. You know, Greasey has the play clock going up, so I'm not back there thinking about the play all day. Walking in the huddle. It's like having that sense of urgency, like all right, I know the play, I know what I have to do on this, but it's getting in the huddle, getting some sense of urgency, getting up to the clock. We got three seconds left, and even in practice, like guys want to get set and then we motion. But my thing
is like walk up and hey, let's go. We don't have time, and so like let's make it more game realistic. So that's the level out of I'm at now with it.
You're upset obviously to throw a training Campaig interception. Much was made of the other day he threw four picks in your last five attempts. I mean, after something like that, are you like, you know, get out of the one. I'm super pissed, or like, is it just like okay, you know, I understand why these things happened, or I guess what's your what's your emotions? Because it became like a a national national story.
Yeah. No, I take pride in in protecting the ball for our offense and our team, and so obviously I'm mad when when I'm not completing the ball to our
guys and it's going to the defense. So and I'm hard on myself and and the coaches are too, Like we have a standard here, so it's not like, like I said, we're just going out and just because it's practice, it's okay to throw picks like now, there's still a standard here and so but with that is I know you guys have heard me say this all over the media, but it now is the time to be trying out some stuff in terms of throwing some windows and and
some some tight coverages and whatnot. But you know, I still gotta grow, I still got to be better, and uh, I'm hard on myself with it, but you know, now's the time to do it. I remember last year coming off my u c L at practice, I was throwing some stuff and and I threw multiple days of picks and stuff. But you get into the season and you're ready for those moments and you're ready to execute and protect the ball. So that's where we're at in the time of year.
Like they're on the you're on.
The field after practice doing some extra reps with the guys at catching.
What were you working on.
Just some uh, just throwing on the run. You know, I feel like at practice I can continue to get better at throwing on the run and being in time I'm throwing on the run. So today after practice, I just wanted to hone in on you know, we have a we have a day off tomorrow, so I wanted to get after it in terms of staying on the move, being accurate with the throws, and uh, trying to get better like today with.
No Debo, no McCaffrey, no I you guys, you would be throwing to a lot of games.
How does it?
How does a day like today benefit you?
It's good. I mean obviously we have, like our our star players not getting a whole lot of reps, so we have other guys stepping up and and for me, it's all right, regardless of the mismatches and all that kind of stuff. I'm gonna drop back, go through my reads, and I got to be efficient regardless of you know, not having my guys out there. So stepping up, going through reads, hitting Chris Calmley over the middle, checking the ball down like being smart, it makes me, you know,
play quarterback really efficiently. Not saying when they are on the field, I'm not, but uh, when they're on the field, I'm a little antennas up in terms of all right, if I do get this look, I'm more intentative to throwing IU or Debo. So a day like this was good for me to just go through reads, take completions, and be efficient.
Our brocket.
When if a new receiver walks in the room, how long does it typically take you rep wise before you feel real comfortable with that receiver.
Probably, you know, Leo, maybe a couple of weeks to be honest, you know, we have to go over so much detail within our routes, our concepts are timing all of that. It's not a couple of days and then you feel good and you're ready to go play a game.
Like it takes time, especially in this offense, Like everything is so detailed within our offense and our scheme that I have to have a guy come in and learn and and understand things and where to be and the timing of a concept, not doing too much in his route and stuff. All those things take time. And so I mean, I'd probably say a couple of weeks if that were the case. But yeah, a couple of weeks.
With Ricky Pierson, what would it would have been your kind of impressions of him as he goes his first stand here?
Yeah, I mean I think he's he's getting better and better, just more comfortable within our offense. But you know, I think we just we need more reps, you know, to to throw them the ball and need more opportunities and
looks and that'll come. I'm confident in that. But uh, the last couple of days, like try to get in the ball and stuff, and whether he's trying to get held or trying to get in and out of cuts, Like it's sometimes tough at practice because you don't always get the cleanest looks, so you're trying to make it happen.
But he's doing a good job. He's picking up the playbook, he's learning it real well, and you know from what we did in the OTAs and then he had a little setback with the sam string, so we just got to get back on track with that. But I'm confident that.
We will brought rapport and timing with Conley back to the Packers game of the playoffs on that out. But it seems like this camp he's spend a much more feature target has that kind of apport. How has it grown with him playing more reps, you know, with the first.
Team and all that with you Yeah, I mean, dude, Chris has that veteran mindset. He's smart and sort of like what I was talking about just in terms of you know, he understands the details of our offense, and he understands where he needs to be the timing and the like of the concepts and the plays and and so, uh, you know, Chris obviously he's just got that older veteran ness to him where you know, he's smart within plays and reads and knows where to be and where we
need him to be. So you know, we've grown obviously from last year playoff games. There's been some some clutch plays between us, and he's been where he needs to be. And and so in camp man he's come in, you know, ready to roll, like he's got fresh legs, he's moving quick, and like I said, like we've been able to connect. And that's because he sees the defense really well and he's supposed to be where he needs to be. So he's done a great job.
Been over your preseason game plans. You anticipate seeing the field next weekend.
Uh, we haven't talked about that. So, uh, we're saying one day at a time, and I think, well, it just depends on how practices go and my reps and how I'm feeling stuff. But I'm sure we'll make a decision here as the game comes closer.
So has earned a lot of praise in camp so far.
What have seen going up against him every day?
Yeah, he's a man, he's a baller man. He's got just good ball instincts and he understands football well. He's gotten more and more reps obviously as his career has gone on. And you know, for us, like every time we walk up to the line and I see him, see him in man coverage, I'm like, all right, this is you know, it's gonna be a battle here. So he pushes our guys, he pushes me. You know, I gotta accurate the ball because he's going to be on the back hit pretty pretty tightly. And you know he's
he's made some really good plays. So going up against him and a bunch of other dbs man, you know, Ike and obviously the linebackers in the middle and Tig in the back, like we've got we've got a great, great defense going up every rep. So they're all pushing us. But Demo is doing a great job.
Getting really impressions of Mordecai the rookie.
Yeah, you know he's come in and he's just put his head down and he's gone to work. He studied his butt off and in meetings, you know, Grease, he's asking him a lot of the questions and stuff to push him and help him continue to develop. And and after practice he's staying and then you know when he's gotten his rep. So far, the last couple of days, he's done really well. He's taken with the defense has
given him. He's been ready for his opportunity. And I'm continue I'm happy to to see his success and I know he's going to continue to grow so Tanner can rip it. So I'm excited for him.
Serious question, but I mean relatively little in Sally and so you've done a lot of you know, commercials and stuff. Is that does that provide a nice supplemental income?
Seriously? Next question.
And like how is it? I assume you've got a lot of opportunities and you probably haven't taken the mall, but what is the process? Like is that your agent says, hey, Brod, what about this? Or you just like how does it? How is it presented to you? And how do you decide? Okay, that sounds good?
Yeah, I mean, uh, you know, for me, obviously I don't make a whole lot. I make a good amount playing football. But you know, just with the lifestyle and the privacy for my wife and I and the things that we're able to do with my family outside of football, you know, we got to make some kind of money somehow, you know, and so marketing is a great opportunity for us.
And so yeah, a business or organization will hit up my agent and he'll be like, he'll bring it to me and he'll say, hey, this this aligns with who you are when you leave, or and this might not, so we can pass on it. So I mean, those are the decisions that go into it. But you know, for me, like I said, I'm trying to you know, provide for my wife and my family moving forward with our life because you never know, tomorrow is not promised.
So we've tried to be smart about it. But there's been some good opportunities this offseason and that's why I've been able to do some.
So privacy, I mean, is it to a point where it may be practical for you, given you've reached a level of fame to like be hanging out in some random apartment complex and how to joke ro as you leave, Like is that what you're getting.
In yeah, I mean just that, or like, how do I describe it? Like, yeah, just security, you know with our house where we live and when we travel and stuff being able to you know, fly first class and do like those kinds of things and ubers like the more expensive ones where the more private. I don't know I describe it, but I'm just thinking long term for my wife and I like, yes, like the privacy aspect, Like with privacy comes expenses and and it's a little
bit more expensive with that kind of lifestyle. So that's what I'm thinking of. But thanks guys,