Whenever a player makes a leap—whether that's bad to average, average to good, good to great, or great to elite—it can change his team. Just think of guys like Zack Baun and Derek Stingley last season. Who might make a leap this year akin to what those two did in 2024? Derrik Klassen and Diante Lee from The Ringer highlight their top defensive breakout players on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Daiyan Henley Edgerrin Cooper Nate Wiggins Laiatu Latu Kobie Turner Brian Branch W...
Jun 05, 2025•1 hr 1 min
June is here, and with June comes all things summer. Sunshine, trips to the pool, cookouts...and fantasy football. That's right, fantasy football season is upon us, and we're celebrating that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Michael Beller sits in once again for the vacationing Robert Mays, and he's joined by Jake Ciely, The Athletic's senior fantasy writer, to dig into the biggest moves of the offseason from a fantasy perspective. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michae...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr
How does one determine what is or isn't a successful move in free agency? Which teams could surprise us this year by ending up with top-10 play callers on both sides of the ball? How should we feel about the Jonathan Gannon era in Arizona thus far? Those are just three of the questions Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen get into on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Plus, the guys answer an email of the year candidate weighing the pros and cons of potential fictitious owners. Hosts: Robert ...
Jun 02, 2025•57 min
We've got some honest-to-goodness quarterback battles to look forward to this summer, a few of which have real stakes for their teams and the league at large. Derrik Klassen, Mike Sando and Michael Beller dig into those battles—including the Colts, Giants, Saints, Browns and Steelers—and also touch on a few QB situations that aren't battles but they're still watching closely on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller and Mike Sando E...
May 29, 2025•57 min
We've arrived at our fourth and final episode in the Offseason Buy or Sell series, and this is the big one. Seven of the eight teams that played in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last season are in this episode, and the eighth is a perennial contender that was ravaged by injury in 2024? So did the Rams, Commanders, Lions, Ravens, Bills and Chiefs do enough to win, say, another game or two in January of this coming season? Can the 49ers get back on track? Did the Eagles do enough to protect...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 16 min
We're digging into the mailbag on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. This time around, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen tackle questions on how a team made up entirely of rookies would fare in the NFL, how the original Antonio Brown/Raiders trade affected the league, what makes Justin Jefferson so special, and a whole lot more. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... ...
May 26, 2025•52 min
Bryce Young put himself on the right track in the second half of last season. The Chargers shortcomings in 2024 owed to a lack of talent. The Seahawks defense is primed for a breakout in 2025. That's all true, right? Right?!? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer three more of last season's lingering questions on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... ...
May 22, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Seven of the eight teams in this edition of Offseason Buy or Sell made the playoffs last year, and the one that didn't, the Bengals, had one of the best offenses in the league. In other words, each of these teams goes into this season with realistic playoff hopes, and some of them are harboring even bigger dreams than that. So how do we feel about what they all did this offseason? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen make buy or sell calls on the Steelers, Vikings, Bengals, Buccaneers, Packers, Bronco...
May 20, 2025•1 hr 19 min
Ever wonder what would be the most beneficial second sport for a future NFL player to play on their way to the league? Ever think about how you'd build your own team brain trust if you couldn't poach anyone currently in the job? Ever consider which current coach could've gotten the most out of Jay Cutler? Good news, this edition of the TAFS mailbag is for you! Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer each of those questions, and a whole bunch more. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michae...
May 19, 2025•54 min
There's only so much time to indulge our curiosities during the NFL season. What that means is that a number of questions we have in the moment go unexamined because we have to, you know, pay attention to the games that are actually happening. May and June, though? That's when we can let our minds wander. And that's exactly what we're going to do in our Lingering Questions series on The Athletic Football Show. In episode one of the series, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask and answer the follow...
May 15, 2025•1 hr 17 min
The impasse between Trey Hedrickson and the Bengals took its most bizarre turn yet on Tuesday when the star pass rusher staged an impromptu press conference on the practice field at the team's facility during OTAs. The Athletic's Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. was there, and he joins Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show to discuss exactly what happened, how it all transpired, how things got to this point, and, ultimately, where it all goes from here. Hosts: Robert Mays ...
May 14, 2025•35 min
The next step up the Offseason Buy or Sell ladder takes us to the NFL's middle class. These are teams that oddsmakers project to be right around .500. In other words, these teams harbor realistic playoff aspirations, but there's path for all of them that leads to picking in the top 10 of the 2026 draft. This group includes the Colts, Jaguars, Cowboys, Seahawks, Falcons, Cardinals, Bears and Dolphins. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen make buy or sell calls on each of their offseasons on this episod...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 23 min
The mail carrier came knocking and yet again brought us more than our fair share of great questions. Which successful team of the last five years is most realistic for current bottom-feeders to replicate? Are the Steelers still an elite franchise? Why doesn't Sean McDermott get as much respect as Kyle Shanahan? Which quarterback is the best who, in theory, could get traded? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Michael Beller answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athleti...
May 12, 2025•54 min
The George Pickens trade (mostly) brought to an end a busy offseason movement period for wide receivers. Davante Adams, D.K. Metcalf, Cooper Kupp, Stefon Diggs, Deebo Samuel, and Christian Kirk all find themselves on new teams. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chris Godwin and Metcalf all signed big extensions. Ten receivers, including Travis Hunter, were selected in the first 70 picks of the NFL Draft, and reliable veterans like DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett and Josh Palmer also found new homes. Wh...
May 08, 2025•53 min
