All right, um, before we get started, just want to update you on our injuries again for for this game. Vinny Curry, I's got the left knee sprain. If we had if we had a game like a you know, a regular in season game, he would be Um obviously okay to play. Taylor Heart the same way with his knee and also the ankle, so he's he would also be able to play. Um Leo McKelvin yesterday just had a had a hamstring strain. It's it's it's nothing again. If it were a game week, he'd be okay to play.
So we'll get all these guys back next week. Obviously, Isaac with his peck again day to day, I fully expect him to go as well. And then Wendell Um still in the protocol and and uh um going through going through that. So again he's day to day for next week. Yeah, next week, we're gonna hold him out of this game. Isaac to be the guy. Yeah, I mean you know he has and whether he is or isn't, I mean he's shown us enough that that gives us a lot of depth at that position and some versatility
up front. Yes, yes, try to get lane lane little work. Uh rational, Well, you know, in that situation, first of all, he uh you know, UM loved everything about him. You know, he's a good player, and it's just unfortunate you have to make those tough decisions, you know, and and um and in his situation, and plus with the injury and the extent of the injury, um, um, we felt we felt that at this time we could um, you know,
we could we could release him. And you never know, he does also have practice squad eligibility, so there is a chance that that he that he could come back on practice squad. So um, it's not that he's completely removed. Even though he's not on the team at this time. By the first week that it would not have been healed for the first game in case, no suspension has been living yet. At what point you need to plan
for the possibility he could be here before? I mean a great question, And this is something that we wrestle with every day, and and uh, you know, the conversations are such that that we got to have and especially offensively, you know, just have a plan ready to go if if I'll tell you this, if or whatever the league to say, if he is if he's ready to go then, and he's our he's our guy, you know, I mean you just go, you just go that because he's got plenty of reps in training camp too, and that was
part of the reason why, you know, getting Allan over there and and you know, getting Big V some reps and all that. But um, you know, we just gotta we gotta cover all our bases one way or the other. And and uh, um, just have a plan when when we get when we get to that point right now, he would go back, you know, to left guard. I think he had a tremendous camp at tremendous offseason a left guard and and you kind of put the pieces
back back in place. We've seen an enough from the Isaac's and was new skis and and Alan over there at right tackle that we know we've got, We've got the combination of guys and Big V got a plenty of plenty of reps to to to sustain this thing through the through the duration. Seem like we can go somewhere you were expecting. Mike Black plays Mike Martin. Mike Martin, Yes, I caught happen between that and you know, say, I'd tell you it's again. It's unfortunate with the situation that
he was in. You know, the knee just um, it just never came back and just never bounced back. And and it is hard. It's tough, and players, veteran players like that because it's you're making decisions you know that that are kind of out of his control. And um, you know, if we also felt like it doing it, doing it early enough that if there's an interest out there from another team that that they could pick him
up and try to give him that opportunity. And plus we had some young guys to play well, so you know, all in all, it was it was the right thing to do for the team. He said that then he never bounced back in me, like he didn't look like the same player after the injury. Well, I mean the injury, it's it's not it's not the same, you know it. Um, that was that was the reason why he was missing
so much time. And you know, it's unfortunate in that situation. Um. And I know from from being around enough guys and enough enough players too, you know, especially veteran players, that the wear and tear on their bodies in this in this day and age, in this game. I mean it takes a toll on everybody and and um, you know it's just unfortunate. And that's just where we are. Yeah,
it's the quarterback locations. There's uh, Chase will start and can't exactly tell you how many number of reps would In a perfect world, it'd be Chased the first half and uh McLeod the second half. Um, and that's in a perfect world. But but you know, we'll see how the game goes. And and uh, um, if there's an opportunity to to to let McLoud play more, I'll let him. I'll let him play more. You want to bring him important, well, I tell you what. I love his length, size, Um,
he's got good athleticism. He's coming right off of a championship season, so he's in shape and he's ready to go. And and uh, you know obviously we needed with um uh you know, with Alex and McCalister going down, we needed some depth there. And he gives us. He gives us that uh, that rotation that we're looking for up front, and it gives him an opportunity to get himself on film. He standing around national anthem something. If the subust with
the team. I have a policy community I have you know what, I don't necessarily have a policy per se. I mean I addressed it with it with the team and and listen, I can I can appreciate everybody's opinions, and I respect everybody's opinions. But at the same time, I feel that it's important and it's obviously out of respect for the men and women of our country that sacrifice in order for us to uh coach and play this great game. So, um, I get it, I understand it.
But at the same time, I I encourage everybody to stand obviously well, incorporating the players and everything like that. Um, when you were here before, you know, with Dandy is the last couple of years, it seemed like you guys are trying to do the same thing. Why is it so difficult to just try to win now while also building for the future. Well again that that is a
fine line. I mean, you know, as coaches, we fully expect to win right now, and that's my job to instill that into the players, that that we have a good football team here and we're very capable of winning now. But at the same time, you know, you're looking down the road and you're trying to put pieces together for the future. I just don't I can't get caught up
in the speculation game. I gotta worry about this this team, you know obviously Thursday night, but but just going into week one, and we just take it one game at a time, one day at a time, and and we're going to coach our players up you know who we have. So, um, that looks fun. That's what you want, that's what you want to see right there right there, that you're looking at it this last game. But you still have a
lot of decisions to make it a game. But we've got some young guys in the back end of the secondary, you know, we're still taking a look at receivers are the same way. And then we've got you know, our offensive. I mean, really, this is a great challenge for all the players in this football game, you know, to get one last uh substantial amount of reps um and to
really put themselves on on tape. And it's something that uh, you know, I've made it known to the team that you know, it's not just our team that's watching, it's it's it's it's the rest of the National Football League that's also watching. And um, I want them just to go out there and play, play, care free, play, you know, play fast and have fun doing it. And you know, at the end of the day they can hold their head up and said they gave everything that they that
they had at that time. All right, thanks guys,