The Around the NFL podcast knows what they call you down at the station chackets. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansis I got a virtual room filled with some heroes here, Mark Sessler and Greg Rosenthal. And yes, we kept this open ended audience of loyal listeners this season that when there was a particularly newsy Monday morning, we might break out of our typical cycle, which has been Monday night recap plus news and just give the news its own little platform.
And that's what we're doing today because there is a lot to get to. How has everybody I've missed you guys, I feel like I haven't seen you in easily six hours.
Well, we've also been texting. That's the thing. We spend so much time together on air, certainly off air at work, but then it's usually like the minute we leave work, then we start texting and it basically continues until the next show. So you you are my brothers.
There's a healthy codependency, you know, at play. But you know, we have only done this news show once and we we you know, the bar needed to be high. A lot of quarterback stuff happened and before the show happens. You know, Greg typically will create a little news rundown, and it was like five items and it got longer and longer and longer and longer. So it's like, we got to go do this.
Well, said Mark, you put it.
Beautifully, I thought he was going to say, And it turned into a Russian novel by the end. That's a Marcism totally story, a little worn peace here.
So yes, check out the week eight Sunday recap and we will have the Monday night football recap for the game between Mark.
What are we saying? Are you totally? I was drifting off.
To space the Raiders the team of at l is Jimmy g the most handsome man in the league.
Let's go just a different different when Mark is in that home space. I gotta tell you I do.
Like the plaid though, So everyone check it out on YouTube.
All right, let's get into it. No sense messing around any further. Let's do some news.
It just didn't feel like it should end like that. You understand, only one team at the end of the season is able to walk off the field victorious. It's kind of a cool reality of this business.
But you know, we'll keep working and I will continue to have the goal that someday I'm standing here talking to you all, and it's a much much bigger stature, So thank you. I know it's not the most popular take on this show. In fact, I believe Mark you excused yourself from the studio when we talked the Quarterbacks Netflix series that ran this summer, But I thought that that was one of my favorite, like NFL films productions
that I've seen in recent years. If there was a tug boat cut, we're getting rid of everything Marcus Mariota based, and then we take it down. But then the two figures that are left, Patrick Mahomes, possibly the greatest quarterback who's ever lived, playing at the height of his powers during a Super Bowl Championship run, covering him day to day during that run, and then Kirk Cousins, who is perhaps the most you know, lightning Rod, like a lightning
Rod quarterback of his generation. And the news became official just before we went on today, the Vikings announced that Cousins did indeed tear his achilles tendon and Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers, he's out for the rest
of the season. The timeline and details of his upcoming surgery will be determined this week per the team, and again there is a there are implications for the here and now for the Vikings about what happens next with them, which we're going to get to, and also the bigger picture for Cousins, who in a walk year of his contract that the Vikings specifically chose to let this year play out, and he just so happened Mark to be having one of the best seasons of his career when
he took that fateful step at lambeau Field. So here we are now, Cousins out for the year, a great season cut short, and his future and unknown.
You started to feel like this Vikings team record aside, was a team that had a better chance with the way he was playing, to operate as like a berserker down the stretch, potentially make the playoffs and maybe do some damage there. There's just a lot to like in
this offense. And when you get this version of Cousins, I don't know, it felt like the ceiling was a mystery and a good way for them, And so I think there's sort of a feeling of depression around this development, because yes, like it's one thing if a young first round pick was stepping in or someone that had a lot of promise, there's really nothing behind him right now,
and it changes the end off. I mean, I feel like from another angles, a team like the Lions that doesn't play the Vikings till weeks sixteen and week eighteen, they basically this division is an empty husk, and so it's like it changes a weird NFC wildcard picture. It changes the NFC North, and it changes the career arc of Kirk Cousins. We don't know where he'll play next.
Yeah, I think if you look at that wildcard picture, that seventh spot is going to be funky, you know. And that's even assuming you know, second place in the NFC East, whether it's Cowboys or Ego, second place in the NFC West, assuming the Seahawks, you know, keep it going and can make the playoffs, and in the forty nine ers, then that seventh spot, who the heck knows where it's coming from. I would have maybe made the
Vikings the favorite after yesterday. They were four and one in their last five games, and they have a spicy defense and a quarterback playing, you know, as a Pro Bowl quarterback. It's heartbreaking. I think the point of those shows quarterback, other than to make money, is from the NFL film's perspective, to create an attachment with a player
with a team that wouldn't be there. And I think how they portrayed Kirk Cousins absolutely did that, and I think that's actually why it's resonating even more dan Is because of that.
Yeah, it was I'm glad you brought that up, because that was the other point I wanted to make that. I felt like the people that watched that and have followed his career, there was kind of a curcaissance going on this year. So for it to end in such sudden fashion when he's playing really some of the best football of his career at I believe age thirty six, now, that is a real crushing thing in terms of what
the Vikings do. And we talked a little bit on Sunday night, and I was in a little bit of a different camp because I didn't think the Vikings should trade a draft pick of value, and I mean like a Day one or Day two draft pick to bring in a veteran to just put somebody there. I wouldn't I wouldn't mortgage the future to try to save this season.
Where they are right now. But there is a report out there, Greg from Pro foot Ball talk of another name that's out there who would address both the here and now and the future, and that would make a lot of sense to me.
Well, yeah, Mike Floria, who is a closet Vikings fan throughout Kyler Murray. So it's it's a lot to happen in the next two days. And that's because they weren't they if they could possibly think about Kyler Murray, they weren't thinking about it two days ago. So it's a lot to try to wrap your mind around. But Kyler is an interesting name. The next two days between them, and just.
Think about Floria.
I think he was really just throwing it out there more than anything, but almost wishful thinking. There hasn't been any hard reporting about what they might do or won't do. But yeah, Nick Mullins is hurt. They have Jaren hall who is a fifth round rookie, and they're going to bring in someone, whether it's a backup to Haller or maybe like a case Keenum type, They're going to bring in someone.
One name that has sort of been linked to the Vikings because Colt McCoy worked out for the team recently. He was with Kevin O'Connell for three years in Washington. You know he was They were glued together in preparation every week, so he knows him well. He would know the attack to some degree. I don't know. I guess like Carson Wentz is still sitting out there someone like we talked about maybe Matt Ryan gives them a call Florio, you know, more like this was this was more just
like wild speculation. Wondered if Kevin O'Connell, who was teammates with Tom Brady, would maybe make a phone call in that direction. That feels like lunacy to me. But this offense is like set to go. That's the one thing it's like I don't like. I don't think the Vikings should give up on the season if they if they can self scout their quarterback position and say we've gotten
nothing here currently. I don't think you ride with Nick Maullins, like, do you waste another year of Justin Jefferson, a year of Jordison Jordan Adison's rookie contract. I think you like they're a sneaky good team if they get functional quarterback plays.
They showed a shocking amount of confidence in Jaren Hall in those two series, letting him throw on early down, letting him throw on third and eight when they needed to burn clock. He fumbled and kind of burn them and they did it a third and long, but they got to get someone. And I don't know, you still got to play these seven years. I'm with you, not mortgage in the future, Dan, but for a fourth round pick or you just you just try to do the best that you can, right, And it's funny. It might
give Kirk a better chance to return there. I actually think, like, because now he's not going to be healthy till the middle of the next offseason. It's weird. Whoever signs Kirk is going to have to kind of play it both ways and not totally count on him.
You know what, though, Like I think he would have a robust market in free agency. I think people would seeing how he played this season, knowing the way players can recover from even a serious injury like an achilles, I think he would have a big market and would get paid big time money. We'll see, Yeah, I do agree, you don't just give up on the season. But like I'll use the other like when Aaron Rodgers Pops's achilles.
Part of the reason that that was such a like a tragic thing for Jets fans is that you looked at the roster and you said, this looks like a potential Super Bowl roster with a loaded defense and playmakers on offense. They just need a QB to make it go. So when you think about should they go get a quarterback, it was like, okay, because that maybe they could hoist the Lombardi if they added a quarterback in Minnesota. How much does it lift the ceiling in terms of what
they can do? It is a wide open conference. I'll say that I would love the Kyler Murray thing. That makes sense.
That would be wild. But if you're like saving up draft picks or you're thinking about, Okay, we need to find a quarterback of the future at some point, so let's not burn our draft picks or our cap space like it's for someone like Kyler Murray bright a number one who's had some pretty good production.
And it's just interesting. I guess that it just so happens that the timing coincides exactly with a the trade deadline and deadline spur actions and b Kyler Murray being cleared to play in this exceeding weirdness coming out of Arizona about not wanting to play him. Let's see other news, other injury news. Matthew Stafford his near future is up
in the air at the Athletics. Jordan Rodrigue reports that the Rams are quote evaluating a range of potential scenarios for Stafford after he suffered a thumb injury on Sunday in that blowout loss to the Cowboys. They have a Week nine matchup against the Packers before they hit their buy, so it seems like potentially Stafford is on the shelf this week and then gets the buy to recover, but it could go beyond that, right.
Yeah, The report says they haven't ruled out injured reserve, so that would all but end the Ram season. And again, the timing's interesting with the trade deadline here, did they possibly think of just pulling the ripcord here trading some people for this to be reported in this way and she's the only one that's really reported this, you know, indicates to me, like the best case in it is probably that first thing that you said if you want Stafford to return, that there's a range of outcomes and
it's got to be cold in Green Bay. They even mentioned, like the weather this week, like with the buy coming up, that that would be unlikely. But when they do further tests and kind of see how it goes the rest of the week, like it might be pushing it and they might have to be careful. And then it's suddenly again Mark whoever has got the Rams on their schedule the next four weeks like totally gets lucky because Stetsan Bennett is on the did not is on a reserve
list right now, non football illness list. They haven't give given details about that, but it's it's Brett Rippin as the backup.
Yeah, it's uh, you know you were demoralized by Dallas. Then this was the anti icing on the cake. And it's you know, two years in a row where the Rams are thrown into the blender because of losing Stafford. And I mean like cousins, you know, we've been talking about Stafford correctly for the last month that it's not
as you know, numbers so much. But he's playing as well as we've ever seen him place, throwing the ball as well as Matthew Stafford ever has and there was sort of an energy in a spirit to this RAMS team, and he was right at the heart of it, and you kind of lose your north star now and you're back in that wilderness where it's like if you lose him for you know, if he goes on IR check you later. Rams. I mean, it's just it's like the drop off from QB one to two on a lot
of these teams. It's pretty drastic.
Yeah, And we'll get to the Giants in a second, because I had a thought on that about what's going on in the depth charts in our league right now? Mark, what would be anti icing on the cake? Are you? Are you scraping off essentially the top layer of what's already like a pretty like cake.
Yeah, Like it would be I mean, icing on the cake would suggest, well, this is just a beautiful thing, right taste and EXPERIENCETI.
Icing would be what like.
A layer of you know, if you were to go into like your sink in like deep scrap whatever's down that sink pipe and then put that on top of a cake that already tastes.
Good, like an anti freeze on the cake. That would work some anti freeze and it ruins the cake. You know, it's a little morient I freeze on this cake is And I know it's a little awkward to talk fantasy football after injuries. Of course, were disappointed for these players.
Oh, our society is long past the stage where it's seen as awkward. We just didn't talk about it.
And it's disappointing for these teams and these men. But if you were enjoying Jordan Addison's insane season or Pukinakua in Cooper Cup and all this stuff, it's it's not going to be the same. No, in the next few weeks.
In other quarterback news, Oh boys, True to what I said on Sunday, I couldn't believe it. I didn't think it would ever happened. But the first game that I teed up this morning for a rewatch was indeed Titans football, where Will Levis did look really fun in lighting up the Falcons defense. The Falcons on their side of the ball, finally mercifully benched Desmond Ritter, who's been holding the back
all year. Tellor Heineke comes in and plays well and the team produces in the second half, And I'm thinking to myself, like, how committed to this bit? Will Arthur Smith be because there is no way you could go back to Ritter after Heineke badly outplayed the starter. But Arthur Smith has kind of made it a joke of like how to handle a roster and how to how to deal with the media and being truthful and honest and and make sense and be logical. So let's see if he finds a way to keep Rider and the
lineup moving forward. Here's what Arthur Smith had to say on Monday about his starter.
I gotta see where he's at.
So that's that's fun.
That's all the best I can give him where I gotta see where he's at. I can see if that's the best thing for his team this week. Obviously it's not something that's earned long term. He's done a lot of good things, but we got to find a way to go win this game, whether you know we had it's Taylor, that's what we'll do. I concerned his Dez obviously long term, you know, got back out there.
I don't think he's ready. Okay, someone translated, because that was might as well be another language.
I'm going to translate. Yeah, Taylor Aidicky is starting Wednesday.
Yeah, but what was all that.
Says about Dez about I got to see what Dez and Okay, so he's.
Like hiding behind the injury thing. Still now he was tested for a concussion, and he kept saying, look, health can affect you, and so we got to see how he's feeling. But then he also said, like I'm concerned about him as a person.
And so that's what I mean, like, what are we doing here?
Right? I think he's talking about I think he's maybe a little scarred from the Marcus Mariota Ryan Tannehill transition, which Mariota took very poorly and had some issues with Arthur Smith about well he quit the team no back in Tennessee. I mean, not all. It's confusing. It's confusing that Arthur Smith Marcus Mariota benchings. But good point. There was one last year too. I'm thinking about the one
back in Tennessee. And so he kept pointing out like long term, it's Deaz and so what we got to win a game this week and so that to me said, but.
If he's clear, he's cleared this hypothetical health hurdle that's being floated out there potentially in a fugesy manner, does that mean that Desmin rider would start if he's healthy. I think he seems like the door was open.
That quote, I mean, if you read it versus I think the way he speaks sometimes you kind of drift away as the listener. But I've never heard him say this. It said, it's not something I'm concerned about long term. He's done a lot of good things, but we got to go find a way to win this game. Like he's never introduced. Like yeah, but like, no matter how healthy is or how good of a job Desmond Richards done, we're in a different situation now as a team. So I think for me, I took it as a clear
indication that Heineke will start. And by the way they're playing the Cousins free Vikings, so you got a chance till Tilhonnieck is in a better spot than he would be with Cousins announce Wednesday.
He will announce the starter, he said, no matter what I promise you, I will tell you Wednesday who's Startingly that means that's a new guy.
Yes, but I also would not be surprised if Wednesday comes and goes and there will be no starter announced. He's got his commitment to this bit is I mean almost admirable, all right. Now, moving on more quarterback news, Daniel Jones, who has a neck issue for the second time in his career, and that and that spooks teams, as it should. He has been practicing with the team the last couple of weeks, but hadn't been able to get cleared for contact, which is why Tyrod Taylor started
the last couple of weeks. On Sunday against the Jets, and so much was happening in general that didn't get to drill in on this as much. Tyrod scrambles out of the pocket, gets brought down near the sideline, suffers a rib injury. He was pretty scary because he's down on the field and he runs off the field and then kind of collapses on the sideline. They ended up taking him to the hospital for observation, and I believe of this recording he's still being observed at the hospital.
And the news is Daniel Jones is now cleared for contact. He will return and start for the Giants and Week nine in what is obviously a must win for them.
And that's good news because one other takeaway from that insane Jets Giants game was Brian Dable having a quarterback on his roster in Tommy DeVito, who went to don Bosco Prep is where which is where all like the kids where I grew up, went to play sports if they were really good, by the way, So like a super local kid, he would not let him throw the ball.
He finished with negative passing yards, and even in overtime, the Giants win the coin toss and they throw three consecutive screen passes behind the line of scrimmage and punt the ball back to the Jets essentially gave up. But it almost felt like because they wouldn't let de Vito even try a pass. The fans at met Life Stadium, it was a Giants home game, so all their fans were there were channing let him throw, let him throw, and it was just as crazy to me that they wouldn't, like,
you would have this guy on your active roster. You would go through all of training camp and he would be ostensibly throwing the ball downfield in these practices, and then when the games comes, he literally never let him throw the ball once. So thank god for Giants fans that Daniel Jones is healthy enough to return to the lineup. But that was a head scratcher to me.
Well, yeah, like, I'm with you. What is he doing on an NFL right? Anyone playing quarterback in an NFL roster, are you going to be great? No, not necessarily if you're a third stringer, but you've got to be able to be trusted to in that situation. Try to make a play, go for it. So I'm with you, was mystifine. I don't really remember a game where a team ended with negative nine yards passing. I'm sure it's happened, but it's an outlier, you know. The one thing with Daniel Jones,
it's like the reoccurring neck issues. He's had disc issues. It's just kind of like, I know the game and the money, but it's like the durability has been a b line for Daniel Jones outside of last season's and he's playing behind a terrible offensive line. He's he was so heavily punished before he went out that it was getting hard to watch. So that is a concerning situation for his health in general.
Well, at least he gets to play the Raiders next week. But it's it's pretty heartbreaking for for Tyrod. He's had such an unlucky career and he's been a solid NFL quarterback. That's why he's still playing at age thirty six. You do wonder if that is potentially the end of his career. Hopefully he can come back this year and continue being a backup. But I think he's still in court suing the charters doctors for watching the injection that led to
his collapse lung, same area. You know, we don't have any information.
It started the career of Justin Herbert, right.
So it's just man, uh, you you feel for this, This whole team, this whole quarterback room seems spooked.
I went to school again, grew up in the same area as Tommy DeVito. I went to school with a kid named Tim DaVita, and this is Tommy DeVito. A lot of Italians in my neck of the woods. Here is Tommy DeVito on Twitter. If you're watching on YouTube, can we please take him moment? This from Andy Wilson to talk about Tommy DeVito's TD chain. Yeah, it's a
gold change with maybe diamonds spelling out the name. And I could tell you as someone who grew up in and around New York, New Jersey, this is a very normal look and people shouldn't think it's different because I know a lot of men like Tommy DeVito and they all have that chain.
Yeah, don't you know, don't shame the accessory crowd in the Tri State area for the way that they adorned themselves.
Yeah, but Dan are they all are? Any of them football players with the word to your initials meaning touchdown? I mean, it's perfect.
I've talked about my life in the Coletown a lot on this show, and there was just an uneasy existence between the Irish and the Italians. And we were all kind of in the same we all went to the same church and all that, but the Irish and the Italians were different types of dudes, and the Irish had a certain way about them and the Italians they had a certain way about him. The gold chains and stuff that was the Tommy DeVito crowd kind of makes me nostalgic for that time in my life. I kind of
like seeing him. I wish you would have been allowed to throw forward pass on Sunday.
It was like nineteen thirties in the Bronx, But I understand weird. Well, it wasn't exactly Gangs of New York.
I'm not saying there was warfare, but there was definitely a rivalry in terms of like, you know that those two you know, cultures. I wish there was like a who was the butcher from uh it was? I wish there was a butcher character that was like my dad, No, what's his name? The guy Daniel d Lewis, Like if my dad was actually the richer of Pearl River, that there would have been an additional pack.
Bill the Butcher. Betty the Butcher is a rapper, you know, probably which is a takeoff and building.
Yeah, definitely not referring to Betty the Butcher. Bet All right, let's take a break and then we'll hit the rest of the news. All Right, we're back. More injuries to so many injuries in the NFL. It feels like this year. Falcons defensive tackle Brady Jarrett suffered a torn ACL in the team's Week eight loss of the Titans. He is out for the year. He's a two time Pro bowler, a key, a key to what they do, and he's
done for the year. Also after the year, Gregy Kendrick Bourne he suffered a torn ACL the Patriots wide receiver and their loss. That was from Mike Garifolo and that happened in the fourth quarter. He was having a really nice season, especially for Patriots playmakers in terms of that category, and now his season is over as well. Quite a bummer.
Their offense is so tough to watch. He had the most juice of any receiver they had, along with the Mario Douglass, their rookie, so that it turned out to be a decent free agenciety. I mean, he was their second best receiver two years ago, was totally in the doghouse last year, was back out of it, and I
expect he'll be gone. Grady Jarrett, though, was a bigger impact here a team competing for the playoffs, and you could see the difference they were put The Titans, who have struggled to run, were really opening up some holes in that defense. Once Jarrett was out, he's the you know, him and Ajterrell are the two best defensive players on that team. They're better than they used to be, so
it's not as catastrophic, but they're pretty thin there. They have David on Yamatta who's been playing well, but that's a huge loss for Atlanta.
I could see that being a trade deadline, a source of activity. I could see them bringing someone in along the line, they've been so active trying to pump up that defense and it's been good otherwise, Like.
They have a ton of cap space, by the way, it's why Kyler actually would make more sense for them than almost any team, just because they've had all the cap space in the world.
Yeah, they seem active. And like when I watched Kendrick Bourne go down as one of the ones where you knew right away he's gone. And like their list list of leading receivers was Kendrick Bourn with thirty seven catches, then the next person is Romandre Stevenson, then Hunter Henry and you mentioned to Mario Douglas he has nineteen catches on the year.
I mean, he's been in the doghouse. He at least unlike anyone else. He makes people miss when he gets involve. But I hear what you're saying. Kendrick Bourne was a little more of a veteran version of the Mario Douglas neither which they had a good team. They'd be the three in the four, you know, not the one in the two.
Let me get some other injury stuff out of the way. There Will Levis, who he talked about briefly. He balled out against the Falcons, and he's expected to start on Thursday night in place of Ryan Tannehill, who has a high ankle sprain. And you would think if Levis continues to flash, he will continue to start there. And who knows what Ryan Tannehill's future is. The Jets also so much going on in that game. They were on their fourth string center the second half of that game against
the Giants, Connor McGovern their starter. He suffered a dislocated needcap out which he's out weak to week. His backup comes in and on the last couple series before he hurts his calf and he's gonna be out sometime. And this is a great tidbit for my father in law, Bob Bates, because the guy they put in as the fourth stringer and his first snap was a lost fumble and the second snap nearly went over Zach Wilson's head
and threw the back of the end zone. But then he calmed down and did a great job in a really tough spot. Xavier Newman, he's a Baylor guy. That's why Bob Bates, my father in law, is all over it at BU. According to Bob Bates' text, he actually started only one game at center his entire college career, and all of a sudden, he start he's playing in the rain in the NFL, snapping the ball, so Jets a snake bit at offensive look.
And Dexter Lawrence, who might have had like one of the best days of any defensive taxles like ever that game.
That game was just stupid, But shout out to the Baylor Bear for holding it down. Mike Tomlin said, Mika Fin's picked Minka Fitzpatrick. Their defensive back is out. I believe it's a hamstring and the door is quote a jar for Kenny Pickett, who was also injured in that loss of the Jaguars. Here's Tomlin on pickett status.
I think the door is definitively a jar for Kenny. You know, probably a game time type decision based on the information that I'm that I'm holding here uh today with no structural damage and so forth to his ribs and so we see how we'll go through the week, his ability to throw, his level of comfort, his ability of effectiveness, et cetera. Uh, and let that be our guide in terms of determining his availability.
I want Mitch. I want Mitch. On Thursday night, I want to come on, Levis. I'm not saying Mitch is gonna be good, but I think he's more entertaining to.
What I think it's time. By the way, with Mike Tomlin, you know, like right like the second half of his career, like Bono just started wearing the sunglasses all the time inside and outside. I think Tomlin and these press conferences indoors to just wear the aviators because it's always like now, it's a little weird when he's not wearing them, So why not just roll with them all the time because he looks cool as hell on them.
I could listen to him all day long. I think the one development that's a little interesting is that losing MIKEA. Fitzpatrick. I mean, I'd say you just hardcore rest them as much as you can if it were the previous version of the Titans that we watched in London, dead and dead on arrival, on offense, but Minka Fitzpatrick being absent against what we saw from Will Levis is a factor if he's going to continue to whip the ball down feel and become operate like a super robot.
Will Levis the quarterback we always wanted justin Herbert to bet get that off, all right, contract news, I don't believe that everybody shut up. The Packers give Rashan Gary a one hundred and seven million dollar extension four years. He's a pass rusher. He announced it on social media. This was the final year of his rookie deal. Former first round pick, he has been a difference maker for them.
He overcame a torn acl GREGI and I guess this is a good time for Packers PR to fire out something like this because other news around the organization is not so hot.
I mean, shout out to Rashan Gary for breaking this story on Twitter. What I found unique was I actually think he put the amount of money in his original tweet, you know, so it's like he's coming for your corner now. He didn't have like the signing bonus. Our guy rap sheet got there first with that. It was a thirty four million dollars sign it was But good job for Gary,
he gets over one hundred million dollars. Our friend's over at the PFF podcast, Steve Pelozolo noted Rashan Gary and this was before last week, had the highest pass rush win rate of any player they've ever recorded this season. So far, like he was on pace for it probably wasn't going to maintain because early on they were being careful with them coming off of to ourn acl. But
that that's how much Rashaun Gary is winning. I don't know how their defense is so bad with so many good players, but they are.
So He's that they always thought Miles Garrett could be get me, Mark come at me.
No that now you've now you've just gone into insane world gear.
It's got posters of Rashan Gary in his room.
Gary is a higher pressure percentage over the last two years than Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa. So, I mean, you know, he's sort of this gem inside that defense, and they've not been really good as a group. I mean, their offense isn't helping them out.
ACLS really used to take two years to recur from. I guess it's just I mean, and sometimes people come back slow, plenty of people, but sometimes they come back and they're Better'll never it never happened.
I think age, Yeah, definitely factors in. But you know Ferry von Miller, now there's like a breeze hall and it's like was he even hurt those type of situations.
And even von Miller the first time around. He's on his second ACL, so that's it doesn't help too.
That is a thing the Bills add to their backfield. They signed playoff Lenny Fournette off the Street, where he'll join a Bill's depth chart led by starter James Cook has been very good this year. And also Latavious Murray, who I like, he's an old man that's still just go north and south, buddy and you'll be all right. TDD Johnson is also there. And now you add playoff Lenny. But I don't know where he fits in. But they you know, he's a deaf guy. He's a body this.
Sage like maybe like a goal line guy for them. But I kind of if I like it at all, because it sort of mystified me. I mean, it tells me two things. One, all right, like people are whispering about Derek Henry still being available the Bills are out on that one. But also, if Leonard Fournett's going to join any team, I like him joining like in November, not like we can get him for eight or nine weeks. That's probably the best case scenario.
I have a theory to hear it.
The mysterious Josh Allen shoulder injury is leading to some changes to their play calling near the goal line, so they want to get somebody in there that can debangs Wild.
He did finally run in that in that game. I did notice. So they started Latavius Murray and anytime they were in the hurry up, which they're they used more in that game, almost used primarily. And Alan talked afterwards like, I don't know, we'll see, maybe we'll do a lot of that. So maybe maybe Fordett is an upgrade on Latavius Murray as like the hurry up back. For some reason, they don't like using James Cook for that.
I don't know why. All Right, you mentioned it, Mark, So let's circle back with the trade deadline twenty four hours away. Derrick Henry is still available, despite you know, some things coming out of Tennessee. He is still available, according to Jake Glazer, who is plugged in on such matters. So if you really want Derek Henry, there's probably a pretty decent chance he can be had if you give up what the Titans are looking for, which is probably
a fairly nice draft pick. And another report out there is that there is a team a mystery team that has offered the Commander is a conditional second round pick for Montes sweat I think this is interesting because you've heard Chase Young's name put out there more in terms of the Washington Pass rush. Sure that could go at the deadline, but Mike Grifolo said on our show last week that either could be had. It just depends on what is the better offer. So Young and Sweaty could
be gone. Young or Sweaty could be gone or neither.
Florio, not our Florio, but at PFTUS Mike Florio had some information that the Falcons were sniffing around one of these players, So I mean that kind of makes sense with what we talked about before, especially post injury. It's I kind of find this whole Commander's thing interesting, where they're like, we're getting rid of one of these guys. We're not sure which, but one of these guys is going to be off our roster, like why, and we've already discussed like who the heck is making this decision
or this order. But I don't know, I want to be post like confusing commander stuff, and this feels confusing to me. I don't quite get why you have to do that.
Oh, I was hoping for it based on the time we were taping this. Eric Roberts behind you know the virtual screen. I don't know if you've been watching this, but I need some breaking news. Eric, we have a t trade. We have a trade. Hit me with that break. The Giants are finalizing a deal, according to our guy, Ian Rapaport, breaking that news to send Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seahawks. According to rap Sheet and Mike Garifolo, Lenny Williams to Seattle.
Here there you go. I mean you want to talk about I said, speaking of that conversation with Garifolo, you know we're talking about how much things can change just based on the outcomes of Sunday and the Giants losing a game that they had a ninety nine percent chance of winning. I think absolutely plays a role here in them saying, you know what we done, so we're gonna get rid of our second best defensive lineman, maybe third
now with Kavon really emerging along that line. But Leonard Williams is always He was a good player on the Jets, he became a great player on the Giants, and he definitely will fill a need mark for a Seattle team that needs some help in the trenches on defense.
I like it for them. I don't like it for Williams in the sense that he did the very savvy thing where while he's played for two teams, he probably didn't need to move his residence just by operating for the Jets and Giants. But now you're getting sent about as far away as you can geographically, but you're being sent to a team that suddenly and surprisingly leads the NFC West after the swoon of the Niners.
So fortune's up and Ian in the tweet mentions, gives them some flight financial flexibility as a primary motivator. So that's interesting. Like for Saquon I guess, or for who knows Lendar, Williams is a free agent, so this is more of a rental. He's I think thirty thirty one. He's not the player he used to be, but is
still a good player. Seattle, you know, might be looking to sign him to a mid you know, a short term contract after this, because they are sending according to pell Razer, and we got the we got the skinny on the battle between these two insiders. Now I see they tweeted it out basically the same time. I think Ian barely beat him. But Tom has the trade terms, so that's interesting. Tom gets the trade terms, but Ian wins by like twenty seconds. When will this ever end?
It's a twenty twenty four second in a twenty twenty five to fifth So that fake trade Colleen tried to send out there where she was just like asking for like a fifth round pick for Leonard Williams or something, and you scoffed at her, Dan, that was right to scoff. They got a lot more. They got a second round pick.
That is a good return. Yeah, and that is uh. I mean that just seems like a very difficult existence, the insider war. Will you imagine the semantics.
Of it all? Well, what can you imagine if zastly our responsibilities flipped and the three of us had to compete with each other to break news and parse up breaking news. I mean, we'd be in tatters and about.
I'm the ATN insider, so I actually lived in both worlds, but I do it a little bit different than the Pella Sero's and the rappaports of the world. Just put it that way.
You're insider, You're not, You're not like you know, Sham's and.
I would never well for starters.
If my media group ever said you have to be a co insider, I'm walking like, I'm gone, Like.
Don't they all have to do that? Almost like Schefter had more with him for a while.
You know, Yeah, there's always a lead dog. Fair Ian's our lead dog. But if they if I was like, Okay, here's the here are the two tweets, and we're going to change the wording here, and we're going to change a participle here, I'm out. I'm gone. Okay, I'm I'm at Yahoo the next morning. Okay, hello Athletic, it's me. Do you want an insider? I work alone inside.
I like that, And I also like the idea of like this immense career retrospective that's coming down the pipe for you at some point. That is just one of the sort of the way that it's marketed is the gentle insider.
I do really like that. Quickly on the Seahawks, by the way, I've been meaning to throw this stick. I really think they have a higher ceiling right now than I expected going into the year because their defense is so much more capable. They're not going to be a shutdown defense, but they have so many playmakers. I think some games they're really gonna pop off, like different guys just making plays. I think it's the best Seas defense in seven or eight years. The offense hasn't totally clicked,
you know, but they have talent there. I think their ceiling is a little higher than I expected. And this is a nice move. They lost to Chennon Nuosu, who's an edge rusher, and I know Leonard Williams is in the interior, but they were quite thin on the interior. This this is a team that's pushing now. Pete Carroll's getting up there in the year like this is a window. I think they think they can go make a run at it this year.
Yeah, the Niners are obviously vulnerable. They're on a three game losing streak. They'll they're not gonna fall off the cliff, but they they have proven they are far from some type of, you know, decades spanning dominant team. The Eagles are winning for the most part, but we know that they haven't been a perfect operation either. And then after that, I mean, the Lions are obviously very good team, but they've shown themselves to be vulnerable cowboy dam thing. It's
it's a wide open NFC. So I think it's a trade giving up a second round pick that is that's pricey and the and the Seahawks have been heart before looking for that one final piece on d H and giving up high draft assets. But this one I think makes a lot of sense. And Williams, I bet will be excited to play with that team, so good one makes sense for both sides. And I'm and you're right.
I think the takeaway about the finally changing his address is notable Mark and should be a conversation point as well.
Beautiful well in area of the country though Mark maybe expand his horizons, you know, you ever hear aputes it sound like he live like he on the water.
You know he's also it's not the same as when you know, some Joe Blow has to travel across the country to get a job and you know, pay for it themselves. This guy's like a multi millionaire. I'm sure, like nice moving trucks will come and move all sorts of gold chains and big boxes of you know, treasure, like from east to west.
So he actually has like old school cartoon treasure chests that were found at the bottom of oceans. The centsions it's possible. Finally, in the news, it's a good little newsy thing. Eric Roberts, we gotta slap that headline on there. This from Front Office Sports.
Uh.
The NFL has demanded that the University of Houston stop unauthorized use of the oilers trademarked love You Blue uniform.
Uh.
And here it is if you're watching on YouTube. It is obviously a callback to the old Love You Blue oilers era. Checkout Chris Westling's love You a Blue feature he wrote years back for our site. It was excellent. Anyway,
there's a lot of things going on here. First of all, the Gonads of the Tennessee Titans, imagine Mark and I understand this situation was different because it was so contentious when the Browns were taken from Cleveland that the Browns won the right to keep all their ip so the Ravens could never do something like have a throwback in Baltimore wearing Brown's orange, which is confusing, but that's the
way it is there, so that couldn't happen. But the idea that you would ever want to do that, I mean, I'm watching the only thing I didn't like about Will Levis's debut is that he's wearing the uniform of a team that was ripped from a city. And that is a salty reality for Houston football fans that now have the Texans but missed the Oilers and those beautiful get ups.
So we got two things, two levels bothering me. One that that happened at all, and you should, if you should, have the good sense if you leave a city behind and all their fans not to antagonize them from a thousand miles away. And two, now the NFL is saying to this this Houston area that still has a lot of pride about those old Oilers teams that you don't even get to call back to that for your local college.
Just come on, guys, can we just clean up the entire operation?
End of rant?
Yeah, Like for me, the levels of absurdity up top are trying to go at the University of Houston in regards to a uniform that was attached to a team that the NFL did very little to prevent from moving. The whole thing went down in a way where it was a little bit different than Cleveland. If it was sort of a wet fart. It happened a year after the Browns were pulled to Baltimore, and the Houston civic uproar was not the same. But this next level of
absurdity is the Titans doing that. The only thing that I'm torn about is that, you know, we have our childhood football worlds and those old type, those old Oilers uniforms were wonderful to watch, so I kind of love seeing it in them in action, but the way that it came to us is problematic.
Agreed.
Also, this is picking a knit here, but those uniforms look quite a bit like the well regarded, well reviewed two lane University blue unis. They broke out a little bit in former aac rival two lane, so they're trying to copy two lanes, nice clean unis. But let let Houston wear I'm with you, good.
Rant, all right? That was insane. That was an insane little addendum there, Greg, top.
Twenty five team. Baby, you know, let's enjoy it while we can here.
All right, there's what's happening in the news. Yes, so we needed to jump in obviously, so much to get to including a breaking new whose trade Leonard Williams fortifying that front seven in Seattle and the Giants looking ahead to twenty twenty four and beyond. We'll be back later tonight with a recap of Monday Night football, a matchup between Mark.
The Raiders and the Lions of Detroit.
There you go, so make sure you check that out. And that's it for now. All right, we all have to head into the studio. Now we've got to do an NFL Plus recording. They're getting their money's worth here. Heed the call.