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- The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
387 episodes
The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, page 16
by The Athletic · English
The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os, and tackle the ins and outs of roster building. They meticulously follow the details of why we all love this sport and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. You want year-round draft coverage? You'll get that here, too, with draft expert Dane Brugler. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show, available wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sneaky big second-year player X-factors
The Athletic Football Show (Robert Mays, Derek Klassen) discusses “sneaky” second-year NFL players who could materially change their team’s unit in 2025, arguing year-two jumps are often overlooked.
25 Jul 2025 · 49m · 18 chaptersWhat can the surprise teams of 2024 do for an encore?
Debate whether 2024’s surprise playoff teams can repeat success in 2025 (arrow up vs down), focusing on Washington (NFC), LA Chargers (AFC), Denver (AFC West), and Minnesota (NFC).
24 Jul 2025 · 1h 6m · 24 chapters2025 versions of 2024 stories
The Athletic Football Show previews the 2025 NFL season by taking major 2024 storylines/players/teams and predicting “2025 versions” of them.
22 Jul 2025 · 1h 25m · 27 chapters
SPECIAL No Free Lunch feed drop: The Hidden Costs of NFL Rookie Contracts w/ Vita Vea
Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea discuss the “hidden costs” of NFL rookie contracts and the gap between headline money and what players actually keep, plus practical financial habits for rookies.
19 Jul 2025 · 46m · 19 chaptersThe league's most cursed franchise, the determiners of floor and ceiling, the merits of Zac Taylor, and more in our final mailbag of the offseason
Final offseason mailbag on The Athletic Football Show, covering (1) what determines a team’s floor/ceiling, (2) which franchise is “more cursed” (Vikings vs Chargers), (3) under-the-radar “what if”…
18 Jul 2025 · 1h 8m · 23 chaptersThe quarterback honorability index
The Athletic Football Show episode “The quarterback honorability index” defines “honorable” QB play as fearless, pocket-hanging creativity, aggressive anticipation, and willingness to throw into…
17 Jul 2025 · 1h 5m · 15 chaptersWho's the 6th-best QB in the NFL?
The Athletic Football Show debates “who’s the 6th-best quarterback in the NFL,” using a “list season” format that skips the settled top four (Burrow, Allen, Jackson, etc.) and focuses on the crowded…
16 Jul 2025 · 1h 35m · 28 chaptersInside the fallout surrounding the NFLPA's collusion grievance, with Pablo Torre
The fallout from the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the NFL, centered on a 61-page arbitration ruling and the NFLPA’s decision to suppress it via confidentiality agreements.
15 Jul 2025 · 48m · 13 chaptersThe teams we can't quite figure out approaching the 2025 season
The Athletic Football Show discusses several NFL teams whose identities are unclear heading into the 2025 season, focusing on roster construction, expectations vs.
11 Jul 2025 · 1h 15m · 15 chaptersThe hopeful stories teams are telling themselves this season
The Athletic Football Show (Robert Mays and Derek) discusses the “hopeful stories” NFL teams tell themselves in the offseason—non-transactional narratives fans/analysts need to buy into before…
9 Jul 2025 · 1h · 22 chaptersMailbag Monday: Separating player from situation, balancing all-in and patience, remembering our favorite single-season teams, and more
Mailbag Monday on The Athletic Football Show covering: how to separate player talent from situation; balancing “all-in” moves vs patience/consistency; defining “busts” for draft picks; and which…
7 Jul 2025 · 58m · 16 chaptersA 2018 Redraft: Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson at the top, and lessons we can learn from this loaded class
A “2018 NFL redraft” with hindsight, debating where players would land if the draft were redone today.
3 Jul 2025 · 1h 19m · 33 chaptersThe next frontiers of tech in football with Prime Vision's Sam Schwartzstein
The future of football analytics and how AI is changing coaching, schematics, and broadcasting—plus near-term rule/schematic trends Sam Schwartzstein expects in the NFL.
2 Jul 2025 · 55m · 20 chaptersJalen Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick trade reaction with Bill Barnwell
Reaction to the June 30 Dolphins–Steelers trade: Dolphins acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick; Steelers acquire Jalen Ramsey and Johnnie Smith.
1 Jul 2025 · 39m · 17 chaptersMailbag Monday: Contract-year players, best QB + coach upgrades ever, the importance of aging on rosters, and more
The Athletic Football Show’s “Mailbag Monday” covers: (1) AFC vs NFC team strength, especially Baltimore’s supporting cast ranking; (2) how much offensive play-calling matters versus roster talent;…
30 Jun 2025 · 1h 1m · 18 chaptersLooking backward and forward for this season's second-year quarterbacks
The Athletic Football Show discusses what to expect from second-year quarterbacks drafted in the first round in 2024 who actually played in the regular season (excluding JJ McCarthy).
27 Jun 2025 · 1h 18m · 16 chaptersThe duality of NFL expectations
The episode discusses two things: (1) how NFL expectations often miss, and (2) a major NFL labor-news development tied to guaranteed contracts.
25 Jun 2025 · 52m · 22 chaptersOur guilty pleasure storylines
“Guilty pleasure” NFL media narratives—especially how fans and analysts talk about quarterbacks and legacy (Dak Prescott vs.
24 Jun 2025 · 1h 5m · 15 chaptersMailbag Monday: Worst QB rooms of the past decade, Protector of the Year Award, which low-expectations teams can make the playoffs, and more
Mailbag Monday offseason Q&A on (1) how to evaluate NFL play callers, using Todd Monken as a case study, (2) whether journalists can openly be fans of teams, (3) how far to adjust rookie expectations…
23 Jun 2025 · 52m · 14 chaptersLingering questions, episode 4: The Steelers' non-QB shortcomings, the Bears' defensive personnel, and the Falcons' pass rush drought
“Lingering Questions, episode 4” (The Athletic Football Show) closes out offseason debates by evaluating (1) how good the Steelers are without a QB, (2) whether the Bears’ defense is actually…
20 Jun 2025 · 1h 4m · 22 chaptersThe salary cap, uncapped
A salary-cap explainer focused on how NFL contracts are structured and manipulated, including reported vs real contract values, guarantees (especially injury guarantees), proration, extensions vs…
19 Jun 2025 · 1h 15m · 18 chaptersNFC QB supporting cast rankings
The Athletic Football Show ranks NFC teams’ offensive supporting casts (1–16) using three buckets: offensive play caller/infrastructure, pass catchers (WR/TE, sometimes RB), and offensive line…
18 Jun 2025 · 1h 36m · 24 chaptersMailbag Monday: A shifting of the QB age cliff, a longer leash for GMs, and a new occupant of the Derek Carr line
Mailbag Monday on The Athletic Football Show covering fandom decisions, the “QB age cliff” as scrambling becomes more central, rookie left tackle expectations (Bears/Ozzy Trapilo), NFL rule/schedule…
16 Jun 2025 · 1h 14m · 24 chaptersAFC QB supporting cast rankings
The Athletic Football Show (AFC QB supporting cast rankings) ranks each AFC team’s support for its quarterback using three buckets: play caller/offensive infrastructure, pass-catching talent, and…
13 Jun 2025 · 1h 22m · 26 chapters