The Season with Peter Schrager: Bengals HC Zac Taylor + Brady Retirement Reaction

filmed on his own phone. That was such a departure from last year's whatever the hell was going on with you know, first a schefter report, then he retires, but he says he's not retiring, and then he un retires. It was just a mess. This year, Brady retires by just doing a simple, raw, honest video. Here's what he had to say to his millions of followers. Good morning, guys. I'll get to the point right away. I'm retiring for good. I know the process was a pretty big deal last time.

So when I woke up this morning, I figured I just press record and let you guys know first, so I won't be long winded like you only get one super emotional retirement essay and I used my up last year. So really, thank you guys so much to every single one of you for supporting me, my family, my friends, my teammates, my competitors. I could go on forever. There's too many. Um thank you guys for allowing me to live my absolute dream. I wouldn't change the thing. I

love you all. I'm not going to spend today's podcast going through all the Bradies accomplishments and listing all the amazing winds and moments. I'll just say the announcement of the news itself. Here's what I got. I have sources close to Brady and here the video was filmed days ago, So that wasn't filmed this morning. That was a video that he filmed days ago. He went to the eighty

for Brady movie premiere last night in Los Angeles. By the time that he posted the video, the sun was not up, so in l A clearly that that would not be him on the beach Wednesday morning. All that will be forgotten um days from now. No one cares about it. But what that The big takeaway is that he's known for for some time now that he was retiring. Sources with the Buccaneers told me they found out this morning prior to the video being posted. They were giving

a heads up that Brady was calling a quit. So think about the sequence of time here and his head. He's watching the games over the weekend, the decisions probably formulating. It is probably formulating for a couple of weeks, makes the decision. Films. The video flies to l A does this movie premiere thing? Is asked a million questions I'm sure um does on the red carpet, doesn't give any

doesn't address it. How's the Jim Gray podcast? Somewhere in there where he tells Jim Gray He's not answering any questions, all that stuff. Um. But then a simple Wednesday morning, bye week, boom video out, no statement, no marketing video, no plug to the TV twelve brand, No, no, you know I'm promoting this movie. Nothing, A simple video Brady, a man in his thoughts, succinct message. I dig it, I appreciate it. Um. That was one piece of news.

The other piece of news was Sean Phaeton. So on when we recorded this podcast yesterday, I said, screaming from the mountaintops. Please please do not listen to the reports that are saying that Sean Payton is not taking a job. Please. I knew something was going down, guys, obviously, and I was saying the orange tie that he wore on Fox, Um, it might not have been an accident, that's all. I'll say.

He were a big bright orange tie on Sunday. Uh. Talks with the Bronchos were well underway on Sunday, and that was going on while we were filming our show. However, they need to figure out the trade compensation with the Saints that wasn't done yet, and they also need to figure out Sean's compensation as far as salary goes. The interesting thing to piece to this is Payton is gonna get a huge salary from the Broncos. And you might say, well,

salary cap doesn't matter with coaches. We don't really know how much that money is gonna be. It doesn't have to be made public. There's no salary cap, there's no announcement of how much you better believe. In coaching circles, people start hearing what he's getting, and if he's getting a certain number, there's no stopping a Kyle Shanahan, A Sean McVeigh, a Zach Taylor. Any of these guys to go to their owners and say, well, why is Sean Payton making X amount more than me? That, to me

is the storyline here. Does the NFL want the coaching salaries to go out of whack? Are the owners thrilled that a new owner came in and is paying Sewan Payton a certain number? I'm trying to give you the next level analysis here. Sean Payton comes back at the age of sixty one, says, I'm gonna coach the new the Denver Bronco. I need this number, and the Broncos owners match that number. Now, if all of these Super Bowl contending coaches are below him, did they go to

their owners and say, we'll wait a second. If he got that, what's stopping me from stepping away from a year doing this. It's an interesting set of dominoes and it's the pretty side of all of this. And the owners in the league, I'm sure are not thrilled to to have Shawn pay and make a certain number and all the other owners say, hey, now I've got to pay my guy that last year to Shawn Watson got a certain number as a quarterback. All the other quarterbacks

are like, I need that number. Guess what that might be coming after Sean pay and gets what he got. Um, that's the unsavory side of sports. It's the business side of it. There's also a football side of it. And scheduled long before Brady's retirement was this guest today. And if you're a Bengals fan, you're gonna love it. If you're a non Bengals fan, you're gonna wish this guy was your coach. I'll tell you what. Zach Taylor is

the real deal. I've known Zach going back to his Miami Dolphin days when he was coaching on Dan Campbell's interim uh Dolphins team that Joe Filbin era back then. Zach Taylor bounced around from there to the University of Cincinnati at one point, to the l A Rams at some point, Um too, then of course, elevating to be in the head coach of Cincinnati Bengals. Two rough years to start his career, two amazing years the past two years, and he has been the same guy since day one

that I've met him. Zach Taylor is a great NFL coach. He is a great podcast guest. He agreed to do the season with Peter Schreeger. He has not done any other media. Fresh off a heartbreaking a f C Championship Game loss, guys, sit back and enjoy Zach Taylor, the head coach the Cincinnati Bengals. Back to back trips to the a f C Championship Game, a Super Bowl appearance last year, and a fantastic season from the Cincinnati Bengals, were welcoming in their head coach and one of the

best best minds in football right now, going, Mr Zach Taylor. Zach, welcome to the podcast. I appreciated Peter. Thanks from here on. I love having you on. Alright, so, just as we're recording, this is Tuesday. I'm sorry Wednesday morning, UM, Tom Brady

put out a statement a video that he's retiring. I'm not sure if if you've been able to check all the tweets or whatever, but as we sit down and do this, you guys playing against the Buccaneers this year, obviously good comeback win for you, and of course you were the Big Twelve Offensive Player of the Year Player of the Year, Um, after Brady had already won three Super Bowls, so you put this whole thing together. Your reactions to Tom Brady finally calling it quits and this

time for real. Yeah, it was an awesome career. Um. I grew up watching Tom Brady and Peyton Manning and so to coach against those guys interact with him is unbelievable. So again, hats off to him for a phenomenal career. It's it's that'll be tough to ever match. Did you exchange any words after that game? I guess it was December eighteenth, Bengals Buccaneers. Brady comes to midfield. You guys come back and win that game. Is there any exchange of like, here's my words of wisdom from Tom Brady

or it doesn't go down like that? Oh? No, I don't know that I've ever interacted with Tom, you know, and I've always had a ton of respect for him, but but I've never interacted with him. Yeah. Um, we're seventy two hours now outside of the a f C Championship game, which I said earlier in the week was an all time classic that everyone will remember where they were.

You guys, the season's done now, it's so fresh, it's so raw, and now that you've had seventy two hours to remove yourself not only from the game, but from the season. Uh, for Bengals fans, for NFL fans, you know, just your perspective on the season that was and really how far this team came. Yeah, I'm really proud of our guys, you know, and we didn't know what at the time, but on Hawween we lost the Browns on Monday Night football to go for and for and we're

really playing playoff football ever since then. You know, we just didn't know it. And so to look up and be four and four and then turn around in your fourteen and four and you're on the run that we were on. It was a credit to our guys. We're just putting their head down and and focus on each week and finding ways to win. And the next thing you know, you're in Kansas City for the HC Championship and a couple of points away from going back to

the Super Bowl. And just really proud of the effort of our guys and and the discipline to get to that point. Loss like that that's so heartbreaking and obviously it's so fresh. When do you put on the tape? Is that something a coach puts on Sunday night in the flight home. Do you in the tape and never

watch it? I'm always fascinated. We know that. You know, when you win one, you don't want to linker too much on on the tape and you just want to take it to the next But when the season ends, like it just ended, Like when do you go to that tape and watch the All twenty two and break it down? Yeah? You watch it on the plane afterwards on the iPad and really, um, you know, and then

the next morning you go through the game. You want to be aware of of what happened and be able to talk through it with conversations with the players and other people as you need to. And um, yeah, it's painful to watch. But um, you know again we we we played hard. Proud of the way that the guys played. Um, you know, wasn't wasn't like we were prepared. It wasn't like our guys and poor performances. It was just a great game against two two heavyweight fighters, and and unfortunately

we came up a little short. You know. I said it on Twitter on Sunday night and it got about a billion retweets And I'm not usually that guy searching for the retweets. But I just said, how you handled the press conference after the game was was pretty classy. It took the high road. You didn't go through play by play when you know a lot of people online, a lot of Bengals fans were upset about certain things.

What's your message to the team after the game. You guys get in the locker room and there were some calls obviously whatever it is, but you know that this is more than one game and one play here and there. This was an entire season that they should be proud of. Yeah, we gotta find a way to be proud of what we did. Um, this team should be tied together forever as a special team. And I want guys to be able to reflect on that and enjoy that. UM talk,

moments like that is really where your characters tested. You know, what are you gonna be about when the when the emotions are raw and and uh, you know, And so I thought it was just important that we conduct ourselves the right way. And it was really proud of the way the guys handled that. Would you would you say

to us I after a game? Obviously in the moment, everyone has their reactions, but then at the end of the day, you realize this is a kid who played his best game as a pro twenty two years old, is going to be a player for this team for a while. He didn't want to push, you know, Mahomes after the whistle. We know that. So what's the message from the head coach to the young man. Well, I think what's great about Joseph is is his passion for

the game and his effort on every single play. And more times than not, that's gonna pay off in a really positive way for you because he's he's an effort player. He never gives up. He gives everything he's got on every snap and uh and and so again, he'll he'll learn from that. He'll be on that stage again someday they can make a great plays for us to help us, you know, and get to that next level. And I think he'll have a great appreciation for for what happened

on Sunday when he gets to that point. What kind of kid is see, I don't think anyone in America knows second round pick young guy. But like we don't know, I don't. I wouldn't be able to identify his face if he walks by and now he's this name like it's already passed. But in the moment that was like, you know, a side, So what's he like? Give us a little light on the young man. Guy, very passionate about football. He's all in. Um, just wants to be great,

eight wants to help the team. And uh really really did a great job growing in his role this year. He's fought through some injuries. Really was on I R last year as rookie because he got hurt in the Tampa Bay preseason game. Um, he's bought through injuries of the course of his career, and he was really starting to hit his stride at the latter point in this season and playing good football on Sunday, you know, he made some great plays for us and and so again

he's got a really bright future for us. You know, I I watched the game back. It was on Monday night. I watched it back, and it's fourth and six and here's Burrow goes back and hits Chase and then there's the other pass this to Higgins to so many great young talents on this team. And as everyone wants to rush forward and say, well, the window might be closing

on forget the window might be closing. Just talk about the youth and the core of this team, and you know, and why there's a reason for great optimism not only

for next year, but for the future. Cincinnati Bengals football. Yeah, such a great balance of players on our team where we've got those veteran leaders that are really talented um and they roll in the past that wisdom down to some really special young players and and those young players are willing to take that information and become even better players. And so it's just a really good collaborative effort in our locker room. Right balance of personalities, right balance of talent,

right balance of age. Duke Tobyn's done a great job in the draft acquiring these these guys with talent, and then we've hit on these guys and uh, the coaches have done a really good job developing that talent as well. And so it's it's a it's a really special team. I'm happy to be a part of it. And talk about the owner because you know, Mike Brown has been there forever and for years it was like the Bengals aren't investing in this team, and there was all those criticism.

Now I look at this team, it's one of the best rosters in football, new facility coming. I feel like the narrative is should be changed. Absolutely. You know, my my experience in four years here has been on the were on the same page every step of the way with with Mike Brown and the rest of family. Um, I've got so much appreciation for him and what he's meant to be and how he's allowed me to grow, the wisdom he's given me. He's been around this league forever,

he's seen it evolve. Um, He's got so much wisdom to share to me, and he's just been so encouraging and patient throughout the whole process. Um that I'm incredibly grateful for for Mike and the rest of the family. It's been a fun ride for Bengals fans these last

two years, and it's only gonna continue. And it all starts under center at the switch when you guys were scouting Joe Burrow and when you guys were considering him number number one overall, did you in a million years envisioned this Now he would say, yeah, this is all what's been written and this is what I do like. But did you think it could be like this good? This fast? Yeah, He's a special person. I don't know that we ever had a timetable on on when we

make it to the super Bowl. They're always hopeful that's gonna happen sooner rather than later. Um, But just being around him and watching him play on his college tape, he's he was a special player and he elevated everyone around him. He had great talent, no question, but um, he's certainly maximized those players around him and maximize his abilities.

And that's what he's done for us as well. And uh, we're very fortunate to have him and and uh, you know it's it's we gotta keep aiding in his development. But man, he's he's an elite player right now? Does he bust chops? Does he funny? Like? I feel like he's got this steely glaze, he's got this amazing swag all the stuff that we see. And then he gets on the field and he never wavers. He's the same guy and does not get high, does not get low. But like behind closed doors, does he bust chops? Is

he funny? Is he a wise ass? Like? What's he like? Oh? Yeah, no, he's great. You know, the quarterback room is a special place. Um, And and he the personalities in that room are great with him and Brandon Allen and Jake Browning and Dan Pitcher. Yeah, they got their own thing going on in there. Uh yeah, he certainly gives it as good as he takes it.

And and uh yeah, he's a fun person to be around. Yeah. Um, we'll rap shortly because I just think this is it's awesome to get access to you, and it's it's unfortunate with how the season ended, and yet there's so much to be proud of. We go back to the Monday night game and I thought you showed your true character, but also we saw a lot of I guess, grace and the good of the league. Um in the way

that entire situation was handled amongst two coaches. Talk about the bond that maybe you and Sean McDermott will have the rest of your way throughout your careers going through that traumatic event. Yeah, I always had a ton of respect for Sean and the way he operates and the way that he's built that team, and and a lot of respect for Sean and and in even more so in a lot of ways for seeing how the decisions

he really made at the moment were. Um, you know the life of Damar is more important than what this game is. I need to be there for him. It's my obligation as a coach to support my players and be in the hospital. And um, that made every decision

after that very simple and easy. UM And and so again I've got a deep appreciation for how he handled that stuff and um he had a great pulse for his team and and we're just all really fortunate to see the way that that Damar has come out of that given what we saw on Monday night to now, UM, I think was was not a prediction anybody would have been made that he would have been doing um as well as he is right now. And that's just awesome

to see. I know he still got a long ways to go, but um Man, to see where it was on Monday night, it's it's special to see. Yeah. And and your team responded by Okay, there's a coin toss not gonna be relevant, there's a neutral game not gonna be relevant. From the coaching side of it, how much did you kind of use that stuff as motivation for the team or do you stay away and just let the headlines tell the story and let the players go from there. No, we we use as much as we

can get. You know, I think it's good and this professional will take any edge you can get. And you know, you could argue, yeah, the players don't need that if they're both the right stuff, but but they'll take it, you know, and it's it's good anybody you can push to trying to motivate guys to get that little extra out of them. Um. I think our team has done

a great job responding to that kind of stuff. Um. And then obviously get in the playoffs and win against Buffalo is historic and it's one way everyone assumes this offensive line is gonna be in tatters and they can't protect Burrow and they put on a perfect game. You look back on this season, you look back at that moment, what's the moment you're proudest of the two Bengals? True?

I just think, um, you know that those games down the stretch for us, you know, it's it's uh, having to win both those Baltimore games, having to win at Buffalo on the road and one of the toughest environments and all football, and then you throw the snow on top of it, and um, just that that stretch I think was UM, a great testament of the character of our players. And it's a long season. At that point.

We played seventeen games, and we need you to be at your best, and and we were able to beat some really good football teams down the stretch, and I think I spoke to the character of our team. This this story of the Bengals is one thing. The story of your rise as a coach is another. Um. You've told me this story before you and it was on the podcast A day was Sean McVeigh, I gotta retail for this one though. Eastern Washington a workout in twenties sixteen. I guess it was you were in the what was

your what was your role with the Rams? You were the wide receivers coach at the time? Are you are the quarterbacks assistant wide receivers coach at the Los Angeles Rams? And you get an assignment You're gonna fly with Sean mcveighat Eastern Washington. Take it away from there, Zach. What's the rest? Yeah, So it was me Sean. Let's need Shane waldron Um and Matt before think about that. That's who's who. Like NFL offensive coordinators, head coaches and decision makers.

I love it already and Eric Yarber, and it was probably about two weeks before the draft. We got on a plane and flew around the country. We worked out Evan Ingram, We worked out as A Jones, Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky, Adam Shaheen, Gerald Everett, and then we finished with Cooper Cup. And so I was the arm I had to throw as least this receiver. Coachs all these guys over over three days and that the last one

was Cooper Cup in Eastern Washington. And I mean halfway through the workout my arm was gonna follow which lay there was a quarterback there, you know at Easter Washington kid that was able to supplement some of my throws. But um, you know, Cooper was a special player. We connected on all of them except for one. We had a we had a back end line red zone round. Remember that over threw it almost his dad in the background, you know, But uh no, Cooper, Cooper was special players

on the red trip. It was cold. It was in April, but it's kind of cold and wet and just kind of a miserable day. And but we fought through it. And uh you know, Cooper had made enough impact on the organization where they drafted in the second round. Think about that, that group that you were with on that on that journey. Of course you get Cooper cup I think it was third round actually, and probably didn't even have a first round pick if it's the Rams, if

I'm not mistaken, that's usually how it goes um. But think about that group now and now everyone has spread out, and it's pretty cool. You've got a cool staff of your own. We know that coach Lou and Rumo and Brian Callahan are currently in the head coaching interview process for a couple of gigs. Lou with Arizona, then Brian

still alive in Indianapolis and then Arizona. Now that you're the head guy and you're watching your coordinators get this opportunity, what do you tell them as they step up to the mic and try to interview in front of these owners, Well, that they're ready for it. You know, they they've um seen how we've we've done this thing every step of the way. And I think that's what special is having those guys here for four years, from starting at the beginning to all the way at this point, and so

that they've seen it. They've seen a foundation be built the way that we wanted to build it and how the cultures transformed this team, and um, so you know they can just be from the heart and go interview these and and there's special guys, and I think the owners that interview them will see that and they're gonna

have great opportunities to get these jobs. Selfishly, i'd like to run a back with Goot, but I also understand there's gonna become a point where they're gonna they're gonna get these opportunities, and that's awesome for them and their families, and we're very supportive of that. Would you make of this Bengals fan base the last few months just rallying around this team and they almost you, guys, wants this plucky underdogs to like these this incredible fan base just

like who wants to face us let's go. Yeah. I think we're just intertwined as a team and as a as a city, um as an overall fan base. Um, they feel a part of what we're doing. We feel we feel that from them. It's it's not the biggest city and in America, and so there's a direct connection there where we interacted these fans all the time, and we're in the schools, where in the restaurants, were in the community. UM, I think they feel a strong connection

to some great players that have great personalities. Our team. I think that's that's a really fun thing to have these personalities that these kids can um, you know and connect with. I mean exactly. I see the videos of you going into these bars after wins. I think there's something to that. It's pretty cool, it's pretty neat to be a part of, and it's kind of a tradition we we fell into. Um, there's gonna be a part of us forever. And just just happy to be able

to connect with the fans that way. And um, I think it's worked out well for us. Uh. Two more questions And I like asking this to all the coaches. If you could sum up Cincinnati Bengal season with one offensive play, if there was a play that you're proudest off, there's a play that you're like, you know what, dig this one up? This is this tells a lot about

our squad. We had Dan Quinn on last week and I said, give me a play, and he picked a random play of Parsons chasing down a tight end, you know from ten yards that didn't It wasn't as significant as maybe a game that put into the playoffs, but

it was like that was our team this year. I hate putting me on the spot, but what's a cool play that you're proud of the air Like you up that tape, let's run it back and you could guest, you know, I think the first Kansas City game, um, we were We were able to show clips of every person on our roster making impact plays on that game, every single one of them, all forty eight guys that

were active. And there were so many clips of our offensive line in that game, uh, just doing a great job helping each other, you know, against a great pass rush, against great front, great linebackers. And so I don't have the one specific on the spot right here. That's I do like the question I gotta put more thought. I was gonna say, give me some j P rod and

it just rumbling and get it to me. Yeah, I mean I just finished it after contact down the field for some j In that game, there were just so many point Higgins catching a huge third down to put the game on ice at the very end, um Jamaar with so many guys fighting on second down, UM to convert first downs or a third down to where we didn't we were in a third one or fourth and one.

That was really that first Kansas City game. We showed so many clips of some j and and Jama Chase getting that extra inch to put us over the line, and a lot of those drives continue and it's a lot of those plays stand out. So has huge shutdowns on third down in that game. I gotta spurst downs and extended drive some touchdowns. You know, I'm I'm a writer by trade. I love the story, so like the narrative. To me, there is like fighting for every extra inch.

And that's kind of the symbol of this team this year, going through the Damar Hamlin thing from the other side of it, um, having to endure the same type of uneasiness of where is this going and then having then go play football. I think that's symbolic of what your team was. Uh last but not least, what now for the for the Taylor family. Do you get a chance to maybe put down the clicker of the All twenty two? Can you take some time to unwind? Do we play

video games? Are we watching cartoons? What are we doing? Yeah? My my son's downloaded uh double as seven, the old Nintendo six Golden Golden Old, and we put in a good three to four hours last night grenade launchers. They were having a blast. It kind of took me back to my my high school days. Yeah, I don't think they enjoy it with all the technology they got now,

but they love it. They've got their friends over today and um, so you know that that's that's been pretty cool to spend some time with them and be able to do some old school type of stuff. And when does it start where you're like looking at draft prospects and Senior Bowl craft, Like I cringe at the thought of you having to bring up that tape. Does that happen now? Like is it this week? No? Not this week?

You know, I'll take two weeks off and and still be around town and and for meetings and things that will hop around here. But jump, I can that process before the combine starts to be prepped on those guys and do does a great job. They're already moving full speed ahead there at the Senior Bowl, and US as

coaches will catch up sooner rather later. When I said it on on Good Morning Football last week, going into the game and we announced the finalists for Coach of the Year, and I know you're not one for look at me, and that's certainly not in your but I don't know. Man, start off the season oh in two, losing on Halloween, four and four, go through the Damar Hamlin thing right, alof tense, straight wins, win in Buffalo. I'd sell you had a pretty good year yourself. Neck well,

we we we want to win championships. That's what drives us and UM to get those numbers on the wall. You know of Division champs. We wanted waves champs. Didn't work out for us, but those are the things that really motivate us. Hey, I appreciate you taking the fifteen minutes here and talk with me and wrap it up the season. Best of luck to you. I will see you Combine. I imagine the next time i'll see you, I'll be there for four days. Yes, so alive, so alive,

my friend. We'll see each other at to Shake Shack or whatever they call it was that shaking shaking steak. You want shape, no way. If you want to go to different restaurant, I'll meet you there, but I'm gonna stay away from Zach Taylor, congratulations on a great season and thanks so much for joining the pod. Awesome thanks, Peter. Tremendous person, tremendous coach and a great, great ambassador of

the game. Sack Taylor. Uh, just an awesome convo. I love the image of him playing Golden Eye for four hours with his family. I got Aaron Kaufman, um, my producer right here. Aaron, when you hear you're thinking Tahiti, you're thinking Hawaii. No, he's sitting in a basement playing slappers only with his kids. You gotta come away from that conversation. Love and Zach Taylor. Yeah, I would love to get a couple of rounds of Golden Night in with him, you know, play complex and Uh. I think

he was saying they were doing Grenade launch, but yeah, tremendous. Um. That's the goal of this podcast, guys. One week we're gonna have you know, Dan Quinn as he's about to go interview for head coaching jobs. The next week we're gonna have Eric stone Street, a diehard fan, talk about the audition process in Hollywood and how heartbreaking that can be.

And then the very next day we're gonna bring in Zach Taylor, who was in the Super Bowl last year in the a f C Championship Games seventy two hours ago. We love doing this podcast. It's a joy and I want to thank you Aaron as always uh so good, so nimble to to make these happen. I want to thank the great Jason English at I Heeart Radio, Matt Schneider, Jason Kleinman who has been awesome with the clips. Um. I'm getting nostalgia because the season's coming to an end.

We got one more left before we wrap this season and we want to go out with a bank. So we have not booked our Super Bowl week guests yet, but I want to bring in a big one. Hopefully I can uh fulfill expectations. And until then, guys, enjoy the weekend, enjoy the Pro Bowl games. Person good by Verizon, and uh no doubt. I'll be back next week and we'll be talking more ball, Chiefs, the Eagles. It's here, guys. Enjoy the season with Peter Schrager is a production of

the NFL and partnership with I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, is it the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts wherever you get your podcasts,