In short
Rich Eisen’s “Hour 1” focuses on Aaron Donald’s Rams comeback—“is he back yet?”—and the NFL roster cutdown news that Odell Beckham Jr. made the New York Giants’ 53-man roster.
Guest backgrounds
The episode features Jaguars head coach Liam Cohen (Jaguars) and Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), plus Rams general manager Les Snead (Rams). (The transcript also includes McVay and other on-air discussion, but the formal guests listed are Cohen, Freeman, and Snead.)
Key claims
Donald’s return was decided after 13–14 weeks of training; he stayed in contact with Sean McVay and said he wouldn’t “rush” the decision—he must be “all the way in.” Snead frames the Rams as a complete team with Donald, Miles Garrett, and secondary additions. Donald credits his wife for being fully on board.
Notable examples
Rams additions cited include Miles Garrett, Trent McDuffie, and Jalen Watson; the show compares the pairing of Donald/Garrett to Deacon Jones/Merlin Olsen. Beckham’s Giants return is tied to his 2014 one-handed catch legacy and the Giants’ Week 1 SNF opener vs. Dallas.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOAaron Donald's Comeback Announcement
1:51 to 2:06
Rich discusses the anticipation surrounding Aaron Donald's return.
“From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Preview of Upcoming Guests
2:07 to 2:25
Rich introduces guests for the show, including coaches and executives.
“Notre Dame football head coach, Marcus Freeman.”
Rich Reflects on Recent Shows
2:26 to 2:40
Rich shares gratitude for Bobby Bones and recaps previous shows.
“Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show.”
Discussion on Aaron Donald's Decision
2:41 to 4:20
Rich and the team discuss Aaron Donald's decision to return to football.
“And having some fun shows and fun stuff to talk about.”
Aaron Donald's Perspective on Returning
4:21 to 8:07
Aaron Donald shares insights on his return and the mental aspect of the decision.
“I was going to buy myself something nice.”
Impact of His Wife on the Decision
8:08 to 11:45
Aaron discusses the importance of his wife's support in his return to the NFL.
“I gave him all my updates, how I was feeling, how things was going.”
Final Thoughts on Aaron Donald's Comeback
11:46 to 14:01
Rich and the team react to the news of Aaron Donald's comeback and its implications.
“I think that the D-line group alone, you talk about the interior guys, and then you got B-wide, and then you bring guys like Miles Garrett, you know, out here.”
Aaron Donald's Anticipated Return
14:01 to 21:53
Discussing the excitement and implications of Aaron Donald's return to the Rams.
“and now it's time for us to talk about this.”
NFL Roster Cuts and Odell Beckham Jr.
22:42 to 28:00
Analyzing recent roster cuts and the impact of Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to the Giants.
“Oh, there's a, I got a Broncos four downs.”
Odell Beckham Jr.'s Comeback and Giants Roster
28:00 to 30:28
Discussion on Odell Beckham Jr.'s return to the NFL and the Giants' roster changes.
“does this bring back any kind of memories?”
Show all 17 chapters
The Significance of Memorable Plays
30:28 to 31:35
Exploration of how iconic plays overshadow game outcomes in sports history.
“Everybody thinks Aaron Donald sacking Joe Burrow was the end of his career.”
Caller Insights on the Broncos' Season
31:35 to 34:20
Listener Mo discusses the Denver Broncos' prospects and rivalry dynamics.
“Let's get him first up here on the program.”
The New England Patriots and Super Bowl Outlook
34:20 to 38:40
Debate on the Patriots' performance and potential in upcoming seasons.
“That's Mo in Nebraska here on the program.”
Fan Reactions and 49ers vs. Rams
41:18 to 42:00
Mike calls in to discuss the 49ers' chances against the Rams this season.
“for the kansas city royals during our commercial break um all right let's take some phone calls mike in north carolina just hopped on i like this this one intrigues me what's up mike how are you mic.”
Analyzing the 49ers vs Rams Matchup
42:00 to 44:35
Discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the 49ers in their upcoming game against the Rams.
“Kyle Shanahan, And he's already mad because we have to go to Melbourne to play and take away a home game at SoFi.”
Fantasy Football Defense Choices
44:35 to 45:30
Debate over which NFL defenses to choose for fantasy football this season.
“I had them in the last round value, so I just, why not?”
Draft Strategies and Team Names
45:30 to 47:44
Exploration of personal fantasy draft experiences, team names, and strategies.
“He had me announce his fantasy draft order.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Hey, I've got some game time tips to share with Frigidaire. When you're hosting during football season, you've got to be ready for every kind of craving. Somebody wants fresh pizza. Somebody wants crispy wings. Somebody's asking if there's sliders. That's when you need more than one call in the playbook. Frigidaire offers ranges and wall ovens with over 15 cooking modes, so you can tackle hosting with confidence. There's stone-baked pizza for restaurant-quality pizza in as little as two minutes, air fry mode for crispy favorites, and air sous vide for juicy tender sliders. Plus, there's slow cook, no preheat, and more.
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1:13Get what you need even faster with Express Delivery from the Home Depot. Subject to availability, restrictions and fees apply. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of The Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Our long national nightmare is over. From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
2:00Where is A-A-Rom? I know the world was saying all types of different things. I kind of knew for two weeks. Today's guests. Jaguars head coach, Liam Cohen. Notre Dame football head coach, Marcus Freeman. Rams general manager, Les Snead. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:24Rich Eisen:All right, everybody. Welcome to this edition of The Rich Eisen Show. Back in the chair here on Disney Plus, the ESPN app, ESPN radio, Sirius XM channel 83. Thrilled to be with you here. Great thanks to Bobby Bones for holding down the fort on Thursday and Friday. And having some fun shows and fun stuff to talk about. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial here. We've got Marcus Freeman joining us on this program from Notre Dame. Mike Del Tufo's excited about that because he's been a, I mean, for as long as he's been a front runner for a bunch of teams, I think you've been front running for Notre Dame the longest.
3:02Rich Eisen:77. There you go. About 50 years. There you go. About 49 years. Do I need to tell you to talk into your microphone since you're the, we got about, oh, there you go. Rich. I can't believe I'm telling the audio guy to talk into his microphone. 49 years. 49 years. 49 years. Well done. At any rate, Marcus Freeman's on this program. Good stuff. Chris Brockman's laughing already. I got Liam Cohen on this show. Liam Cohen's on this program. I am. Duvall. You know, last time I spoke with him before season, I'm like, can we get Travis Hunter offensive and defensive rookie of the year? And he's like, damn straight we can.
3:36Rich Eisen:Obviously injuries popped in at the wrong time. Right. But this conversation that he's only going to play one side of the football. I need to speak to Liam Cohen about this. So we got that going on. Oh, yeah. We've got Les Snead, general manager of the Los Angeles Rams joining. It's good to see you, Chris. Good to see you, Rich. All right. As Mike Del Tufo has been established. Hello, TJ Jefferson. Is candle lit over there? It's lit. Welcome back. Did that sound? Yeah, that was not sincere. That sounded like begrudging. I was about to give you like a compliment. Oh, I'm sorry. You really have a weird way of looking at stuff.
4:11I was going to say thank you so much for entrusting Bobby Bones, myself, and Mike Del Tufo. Yeah. That's right. For keeping your shit. He held down a fort. I appreciate that. Thank you. Do you have a championship ring on your finger? Well, you know, kind of. What is that? Hello. Well, this week is NCW's 100th episode. I was going to buy myself something nice. Are we announcing who's on it? Oh, we did last week. We'll do it again. Go ahead. This week, Wednesday, the man, Becky Lynch, in studio to help celebrate No Contest Wrestling's 100th episode. That's awesome. So I bought myself a ring. You did?
4:40You know. Okay. Does it open up like everyone else's? It's not one of those Dr. Evil, I can't slip Mickey into a drink or nothing. Whoa. Becky Lynch is on, but is O'Shea going to be here? O'Shea's on his way now. What do you mean? He's coming now. He's been on Zoom a couple times. Last week, we were waiting for O'Shea to come in the stadium. He was in Orlando.
4:58Rich Eisen:Oh, good to know. Anyway, good to see you, sir. Good to see you. So we've been asking this question since late July. Oh, my goodness. Oh, yes. Everybody around here knows we've been asking around these parts this very question. And we finally, finally have an answer. Is he back yet? Where is A-A-Rod right now? Well, guess what? Is he back yet? We can remove the yet. Here, coach. Yes, he's back. Yeah. Wait a minute. Does McCaffrey look more disappointed? Is he a little sadder? Is he sadder? Is Sam Darnall looking more frightened? I'm happy in the back. Brockman and I are like... I know. Hey, the resale value on your tickets.
5:45Rich Eisen:You're not going. You're not going to Dallas for me. He's back. Again, we asked, is he back yet? Because we assumed he's coming back. He's going to start kicking tires. Let's just put it this way. Ten-time Pro Bowlers don't just show up, unless you're the Los Angeles Rams. And it's a one-year,$20 million deal. Woo-hoo. Yep. The memes were flying. Up to 30, right? They were flying all over the place. You know? His wife with an outstanding post. Yeah. Just an outstanding post. I let him out of the house, y 'all. Erica Donald. All right. All the numbers being floated around. She was like, oh, well.
6:34Like 20 mil. Guess what?
6:37Rich Eisen:As you'll hear shortly, if she's not on board, 99's not coming. Yeah. 99 would have one problem, and that's enough. Okay? Was he magic, Rich? I'm not going to be there. You guys all got that problem. He would have been magic. He would have been full magic. I ain't going to be there. I ain't going to be there. Okay, the Rams put out, you know, quarterback's scramble instead of rejoicing. How about the letter apparently he sent to Roger Goodell? I don't know if this is real or not. It's on Ram Stationery via electronic delivery. That is clear. Dear Commissioner Goodell in the league office in New York City.
7:07Rich Eisen:Dear Commissioner Goodell, I'm back with a fantastic signature. I'll be back. that's it so we finally got the answer it's great August 30th I think we first asked to July 31st a full month of this we got a lot of legs out of it is he back yet? well he's now back and he was asked about his thought process just having conversations with Sean obviously seeing what was being done with this team pieces that was getting brought here okay it's a complete team and then you see other moves they make and it's like okay I wish I was still out there playing right about now you have conversations and then kind of start bringing it to fruition right and you know starting to put myself in a position to train and get my body to a certain point where I felt good and see how I move and see if I still can do certain things and felt pretty good man and you know through my training for about 13-14 weeks of just non-stop grinding and get to where we at right now so you know and back playing football I guess right let's go for the radio audience let's go for the radio audience let me just describe to you what the Disney Plus and ESPN app audience just saw they saw an old man wait hold on a minute wrinkles out of shape gray hairs no i'm being told he looks exactly the same when did he know we want to know when did you know aaron donald when did you know we knew this decision about two weeks um you know i know the world was saying all types of different things and nobody knew what was going on but um you know i kind of knew for two weeks And then I talked to Sean every single week, damn near every day.
9:10So we stayed in contact. I gave him all my updates, how I was feeling, how things was going. So I know you got to know we were asking all the questions in camp every damn day. So I felt bad for him at that point. But, you know, I was doing everything I needed to do to get myself a peace of mind and see if I can do it. So there wasn't no rushing. Just wanted to take my time and make the right decision, right, Because once you choose to come back, you're all the way back in. Can't be halfway in. You've got to be all the way in it. So I had to get to that point where I felt like I will feel like I'm 100 % committed to playing football again.
9:47Because the last two years have been amazing. Building things that I've been building, working on what I've been working on. Kind of working from home and jumping back in the fire playing football again. So I really had to sit back, think about it. Not just from the physical aspect, from the mental aspect as well. So everything just played out how it played out, and we're here now.
10:09Rich Eisen:Let me just speak for Sean McVay, who we're going to hear from in a second.
10:15Rich Eisen:Aaron Donald said he felt bad for him answering all the questions being asked of him about Aaron Donald. I'll just say this, Aaron. That is a very small price to pay. Very small price. Plus, I mean, the number of times he stood up there with his perfect hair in those shades, you know, like he's Jim frigging Rockford. You don't buy those shades at the gas station. No. So you return with the hair and shades now with Aaron Donald in the fold. And headline. He's pumped. Good to be able to get Aaron back into the mix. He and I, obviously, you guys know how close we are. and there's been a lot of dialogue that we've had and excited to be able to just take it a day at a time.
11:02I'm not going to talk about any sort of plans. It's going to be a day at a time for us. What does that mean for Australia? The first step was, all right, if you're coming back, let's do that. Let's get you out on the practice field. Let's get you acclimated to your teammates, to your coaches, and then we'll see what that ramp-up period looks like, whether or not he's available or whether or not we think it's best to be able to play him in Australia. I think the best way to do it is take it one day at a time, but we're obviously excited to be able to have him back. He's excited.
11:30Rich Eisen:He's just, yeah, we're just excited to have him back. All right. We're going to get there in a second. We have a couple more soundbites to unpack here. A great question being asked about how Miles Garrett played into all of this. I think it's obvious. That was a huge part. I think that the D-line group alone, you talk about the interior guys, and then you got B-wide, and then you bring guys like Miles Garrett, you know, out here. I already thought it was a stack D-line with verse. Obviously, things transpiring happen, and then you bring a guy like Miles Garrett, a generational talent, and it's like, that can be fun.
12:07Obviously, what they did on the back end was bringing certain pieces they need at the secondary. I think this is a complete team with me here or without me here. For me to even have the opportunity to be a part of this, be with this team, I take nothing for granted. It's a blessing to be, you know, retire from the game for two years and had opportunity to come back and be a part of something special. You know, and nothing's promised, nothing's guaranteed. But I'm willing to try to, you know, get to that ultimate goal, what it is, day by day, week by week, and just stack them days.
12:36Rich Eisen:Stacking days. Stacking Defensive Players of the Year awards as well. there's one person though that um one person that needed to be convinced for him to come back and that's his wife hit it yeah well it was a lot of conversations i think my wife played a huge part of this me making this decision period because if the wife wasn't happy it wasn't gonna get done and My wife was, you know, on board. You know, she said, if you want to do this, she's with me 100 percent. And there was days when I was like, I don't know. She was like, Aaron, she talked to me enough to be like, you want to do this. Don't make no decisions faster than what you need to make a decision.
13:20Take your time. And, you know, she played a huge part of, you know, me figuring this out through this because it really wasn't an easy decision. It took a lot of, you know, hard work, a lot of long conversations with a lot of different people. but felt good enough to make the decision to come back and do this.
13:38Rich Eisen:I let him out of the house, y 'all. Chris knows it now. I've known it for 23 years. Mike used to know it. You did know it the hard way as well. Once upon a time somebody threw an Emmy at you because she was pissed at you. TJ, you know it because you've been around a bunch of guys who have been married. Happy wife, happy life. True. And Aaron Donald has a happy wife. and now it's time for us to talk about this. All of the month-long anticipation and fun with the, is he back yet? He said for two weeks he's known that he was back. Yeah, exactly. And, you know, a lot of speculation. Why hasn't it happened yet?
14:23Rich Eisen:Who cares? In the same way that you send a bunch of draft choices for somebody and everybody, the fan base is flipping out, you gave up too much for that person. Oh, wait, there's a trophy in the case. Nobody remembers the draft capital given up for somebody for whom it's worth it. Ever. So all this wait, it's now over. Now it's time to actually freaking talk about this. With two guys that weren't on the team last year, were not on the team last year. Two guys have been added. Guy on the left and Garrett. two defensive players of the year, including last year's, when he had 20 gazillion sacks.
15:04Rich Eisen:Seven-time Pro Bowler. Guy on the right, 10-time Pro Bowler. Three defensive players of the year. They added five DPOY, including the reigning one, and people with enough trips to Hawaii, you know, they're like the Don Hoes of National Football League. I'm making an old school reference, but let me go even older kiddos. There used to be something called the fearsome foursome here in Los Angeles for the Rams. Fearsome foursome. Okay. Rosie Greer was one. Lamar Lundy was another. But there was a defensive tackle and there was a guy that would, who actually, essentially created the word sack. Yep.
15:45Okay.
15:45Rich Eisen:Sacks have been a stat since 1982. But the guy who created the word sack, like you're taking quarterback and you are sacking him, put him in a bag.
15:57Rich Eisen:okay that guy deacon jones who also created the head slap to the point where a bunch of other players offensive linemen would take the uh screws and have them facing out outwards rather than in on their helmet they would remove the screws and have them facing out so anybody anytime a head slap would come, would actually pierce the hand of Deacon Jones. Deacon and Merlin Olsen.
16:29Miles Garrett, Aaron Donald.
16:32Rich Eisen:21st century version of it. Here we go. Here we go. And you want to talk about the pieces on the back end? They added two guys in Trent McDuffie and Jalen Watson on the back end. so now the expectations are there the Super Bowls in Los Angeles the guy who's helping put it all together in less need in hour three you want to talk about just saying to hell with it carpe diem and then via con Dios I think I went Latin and Spanish on you there right I am hooked on phonics right now listen this is the ultimate bet at the center of the table. It's a one-year deal for Donald. Who the hell knows if this is a gateway to something else.
17:19Rich Eisen:That's for another day. But for the 2026 season, somebody has said, screw it. It's time. And it's not just anybody that they're laying their wagers on. These are very smart pets, to say the least. And they're all motivated. They're all in their prime, with the exception of Donald, who can come back after two years on the couch and be in his prime because he's that much of an Avenger superhero. And then you got a quarterback who's obviously pushing 40, but he's the reigning MVP. They have the reigning, I don't know the last time somebody had the reigning MVP and the reigning defensive player of the year on the same team.
18:01Rich Eisen:I can't believe I haven't looked that one up yet. I don't think it's ever. And everything that I have just said, this is what's so awesome, okay? About this. Everything that I have just said. It's not only fodder for making the Rams must see television, but it's also going to piss the hell out of everybody else around the National Football League fan bases, locker rooms, coaching staffs, because they're going to be sick of this conversation. They already are. It was coming. The defending Super Bowl champions, Seattle Seahawks. What do you think? They're just going to close up shop. The 49ers are the first team to face the Rams in Australia.
18:46Rich Eisen:They're just going to close up shop. Your Cowboys, who look as stacked as they've ever been since their championship days, and I mean it. Like, this is the real thing. They're just going to close up shop. The Philadelphia Eagles, they're just going to close up shop. And guess who's on the schedule for the Rams? All four of those teams, including two of them twice. Oh, the Kansas City Chiefs. they're going to close up shop the Buffalo Bills who might be the AFC favorites with Josh Allen they're going to close up shop the Chargers across the street our neighbors across the street I got Jim Harbaugh on Tuesday's show oh yeah Herbert and all those guys feeling good Mike McDaniel his capri pants his lid his shades McVay and McDaniel going to have a lid and shades off.
19:42Rich Eisen:They're going to close up shop, are they? Oh, yeah, there's Baker. Week 17, that's a guy who waves white flags or he plants them. You see where I'm going with this? The Broncos, week three, Sean Payton. Oh, yeah, his speech to the Broncos. And that offensive line, which may be the best in the business. Statistically. Correct. Oh, yeah. You don't think he's going to be leading up to that Sunday nighter on NBC telling his Broncos offensively. He's going to walk in the offensive line group meeting room and go, yeah, guys, you got no shot this week. That's what I'm hearing. What do you think? What do you think?
20:26Oh, baby, the competition, the nationally televised games,
20:31Rich Eisen:The Packers, the day before Thanksgiving on a Wednesday night, a game in Australia. Sunday nights, Thursday nights, Monday nights. Come on. 100-day Tuesday. What exactly? It's like the Godfather. And the question is, is the car going to blow up? Spoiler alert. I'm so sorry. Oh, Appalachian. R.I.P. Yeah. Pour one out. Or raise a glass. Yes. that's what this national football is. You want to pour one out? Because the Rams are coming to town? And everybody in the media says they're invincible? Or you want to raise a glass? Can't wait. Aaron Donald did it. Miles Garrett lit the pilot light. Boom! It's going to happen.
21:25Last week you guys were a little skeptical as if it was going to happen or not. And I was like, definitely going to happen.
21:31Rich Eisen:Well, apparently he's been there for two weeks. Already saying I'm there. But whatever. Pour one out for that segment because that got us through a very hot month. Oh, yeah. Is he back yet? Is he back yet? Is he back yet? Yeah, pour one out. What a second. There he's coach. He's back. He's back. All right. We got a lot to talk about on this program. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial. We're having a conversation with you throughout. Very excited to have less need on this program coming up later on. Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the United States is diagnosed with cancer? Awful. That means some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes.
22:19Rich Eisen:They're the kids in this fight. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. for the past 28 years with support from Hyundai, their dealers in every new Hyundai sold. Hope on Wheels has contributed over$300 million to childhood cancer research, helping save more than 40 ,000 kids. Please join our fight right now at HyundaiWarriors.com. We take a break. Your phone calls on the other side. Oh, there's a, I got a Broncos four downs. There was a horrible, horrible breach of baseball etiquette this weekend that just got some people crying. Can't wait to talk about that one. Chris Brockman's back from his fantasy football draft.
Read the full transcript
23:02Rich Eisen:Yes, sir. He's got a team. We got our draft to the Rich Eisen Show draft tonight. Tonight. So much to talk about with you. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. He is back. Where is A-A-Rod right now? Here, coach.
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24:48Rich Eisen:the rich eisen show podcast here on the rich eisen show here on our radio and also our disney plus and espn the app feed so um rosters were created 53 man rosters i the cut day is just a it's a it's it's not a fun day and again less needs going to be on this program an hour three um especially now that it's kind of all at once it used to have you know moments of like get it to 90 get it to 75 right it used to be a slow march yeah now it's just like 30 guys all at once i know and then everybody's trying to figure out where they can go on practice squads and continue on with a career or wind up playing for LSU.
25:39Rich Eisen:It depends now. You know how it goes. It'd be funny if it weren't serious. Now the NFL is now a feeder system for college football. Who knew? But one name wound up on a roster. And I could not be more excited to see Odell Beckham Jr. as a New York football giant again. Think about it, man. this guy and how he came in a house of fire from LSU. Remember he was hurt to start his rookie season. And then he just went nuts. He took over the town and he took over the team. And he was as dynamic a young football player that the city of New York and the New York, New Jersey metropolitan area has seen. And now he's back.
26:34years later
26:36Rich Eisen:and he earned this spot. John Harbaugh is all about the team and he is all about the franchise. He is not about selling number three jerseys. That's not what he's about. Calvin Austin went down as well for the season. The New York Giants need dynamic pass catchers. They don't need reclamation projects just for the sake of nostalgia. He earned it, man. This guy earned a roster spot. And we talked about it on Overreaction Monday. Chris Brockman and I recorded the last preseason edition. Because the next time we record Overreaction Monday, it will be for our annual Labor Day drop season preview. Mortimer, we're back.
27:34Rich Eisen:We are. We are. Because next time you listen to Overreaction Monday, you watch it on our YouTube channel. It's two days before the beginning of the season. Oh, crazy. I mean, it's football week next week. And the Giants, with Odell Beckham Jr., are going to start the season on Sunday Night Football in MetLife against the Dallas Cowboys on NBC. And I'm wondering. does this bring back any kind of memories? Anybody? Memories of the Cowboys winning the game I get it, I know it I don't mean to cut you off I apologize, but I know you have every right to say, you know, scoreboard It was a nice little play, I guess It was a nice little play Dude If I'm John Harbaugh I have this play in my playbook, you probably already do but I'm running it.
28:35Rich Eisen:The minute the Giants are in sniffing vicinity of midfield
28:43Rich Eisen:I'm saving it for the proper end zone and the proper corner and I'm telling Jackson Dart all week long watch this YouTube video kid. How old was Jackson Dart when this play hit? Oh my gosh. So what season was that? 13 or 12? Let's see. Look it up. I'm looking it up, too. I guess I should have figured this out. So his catch was 2014. Yeah, that's his rookie season. Yeah, I'm just looking up. His first season with the Giants. So the Giants would have been nine. When you're a nine-year-old Jackson, Eli Manning once upon a time threw a ball in the air and Odell snagged it with one hand and Al Michaels and Chris Collinsworth lost their minds on NBC.
29:33Rich Eisen:Where's he from? And I'm doing it again. I'm doing it again. And you know what I'm going to do? I'm inviting Eli. I'm inviting Eli out to be a captain. Go figure that. They made him a captain. Honorary captain. Wow. You know? That's a lot. I'm going to come out there with Jackson Dart, stand out there with Odell. Let's take some pictures and let's do it again. Why the hell not? I'm so excited for Odell. I mean, we just started the show about a 35-year-old guy coming off the couch after a two-year absence. And the Giants' first-round selection of the 2014 draft is returning as a 33-year-old man to make the roster of the New York Giants.
30:20Rich Eisen:In a pretty big season for the Giants, by the way, you know they go outside the family and they get John Harbaugh to say to him redo this around here remake it we're still the New York football giants but in your image sir you have at it and it's pretty cool I mean you want them to run the same play same yard line same end zone that's a lot just to lose the game by 12 obviously for the Giants the results should be different yeah hey listen man you know you know how it works with with all-time great plays you forget who wins who loses you know everybody thought the 86 world series ended when the ball went through Buckner's legs there was a game seven after a rainout yeah you had to wait two days to finish that thing this is true you know everybody thinks, oh, United States beat the Soviets in 1980.
31:20Rich Eisen:That was it. No. Everybody thinks Aaron Donald sacking Joe Burrow was the end of his career. No, he played two more years at it. I'm excited. I'm excited. Let's go to the phone lines. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. Mo in Nebraska was first in. Let's get him first up here on the program. What's up, Mo? Hey, what up, Rich? How are you? I hear your voice again. Welcome back. Good to see you or speak with you. Good to be seen. What's on your mind? What's on your mind? Either way, it's good. I want to talk about my Broncos. Okay. Ain't getting no love. They're not getting no respect. I mean, these are, I would say, supposedly the AFC championships if it wasn't for an ankle.
32:06And I think that we would have taken it to Seattle. I don't think Kenneth Walker is going to be running all over this defense. And we're going to prove that Monday night when we beat the Chiefs.
32:18Rich Eisen:Honestly, man, I can't wait for week one. And the Broncos against the Chiefs after that Giants-Cowboys game I've just been sort of previewing. And after the Wednesday opener, Seattle against New England. And now Aaron Donald debuting for the Rams for a second time with Miles Garrett making his debut with Trent McDuffie in Australia against the 49ers leading to a full on Sunday slate. It's going to be awesome. And I don't know. I mean, Denver gets overlooked in many ways because the parts don't stand out in anybody's first round of a fantasy draft. But the sum of their parts are pretty damn great with a coach that can dial it up.
33:16Rich Eisen:And that's part of my four downs. And by the way, I think it's pretty cool. The Broncos country does bleed into Nebraska, does it not, Mo? Right? Oh, it does. It definitely does. I mean, half of it's Chiefs fans the further east you go, of course. But, yeah, there's definitely a good representation of Bronco fans out here. And I'm telling you, with Pat Sertan back there, you've got Ufunga. I mean, you've got Allen on the line, Singleton. I mean, that defense is for real. And I brought everybody back. Everybody's looking healthy. Jalen Waddle's going to open up. I mean, it's going to be awesome.
33:51I mean, nobody gives Bo's number one out of it. He's better than Caleb. I mean, as far as touchdown goes, as far as wins goes, as far as just even leading a team. You know, Caleb did. I mean, he balled out towards the end, but I don't think that he's better than Bo. I think Bo did the same path on the knee, with the knee almost touching down last year. I mean, he's done a lot of the same things, but he does it consistently. You know, if it wasn't a foreign ankle, I'm telling you, we whoop New England, and then we go in there and give Seattle definitely a run for their money.
34:20Rich Eisen:Thanks, Bo. Appreciate it. That's Mo in Nebraska here on the program. no believe do you believe that that they in your heart of hearts whoop new england no no no no no let's just say they do get past new england better super bowl they would have had a better a better competition no 100 tj tie tiebreaker couldn't have had a worse super bowl Yeah. I don't know, man. I'm kind of... I'm picking the Broncos as a winner of the division, and I do believe that had he not broken his ankle, that they would have beaten New England. Well, the thing is that the weather still would have happened. Yeah. And you'd have to figure, though, that Knicks would have played better than Stidham.
35:10Rich Eisen:Yeah, Stidham. I mean, you have to figure that out. Yeah. Right? I don't have to suppose... I know that, but I'm asking you because you're the one with the actual emotional tie to it. I do believe Denver would have won that football game if Knicks was healthy, and I think they would have had a better Super Bowl. I think Drake May was hurt in that Super Bowl, and they didn't let it on. He didn't look himself at all. He did not. He didn't look himself. I mean, again, I watched that back because it was on NFL Network before one of the preseason weeknights that I worked there a couple weeks ago. I watched that game back.
35:47Rich Eisen:he missed wide open guys, that final interception that killed him in the fourth quarter. Air mailed. He air mailed it. He wasn't himself. And that's going to be a great opener. I just thought putting Chicago there would have been better. The Super Bowl wasn't like one of those games where you're done, like I can't wait to watch these two teams play each other again. It's probably funny. It was not a compelling Super Bowl as much as I can. From the Pat's perspective, they probably would have had more buzz coming into this season if they had just lost to Houston. Meaning? They'd be like, all right, all right, here's a team.
36:23On the rise. They won a playoff game, and now they're on the rise. We would be talking about New England, how we're talking about the Bears right now. Correct. But they kind of find ways to win and miraculously make the Super Bowl get kind of worked. Interesting. And now it's like. Now they have A.J. Brown. Now it's like regression, 10 wins. I mean, I got people in my comments saying 8-9, and you're like, be real. The curse of making the Super Bowl.
36:46Rich Eisen:Yeah. Would C.J. Stroud have a contract? If they had made the AFC championship? If they had, right. Yeah, I mean, probably. Dang. I mean, he looked really bad against the Pats, but. Texans, how about this? Let's keep going here. The offseason played out. Based on the fact that Bo Nix broke his ankle, the Texans might have made the Super Bowl. Would that have been a better Super Bowl against Seattle? Well, what Stroud are we getting? A better Stroud than the one that we've seen. I think no matter who was playing quarterback that day, the Seahawks were going to wreck them. I kind of feel that way, too.
37:25Kind of seems like it, right? So I don't know why you guys think Denver would have put up more of a fight. I just don't.
37:31Rich Eisen:Well, I think Denver's defense is better than New England's. So it would have been a low-scoring game. Probably would have been pretty boring. We'd be talking about how boring the Super Bowl was, 13-10. I don't know. So we're saying that if New England had not made the AFC championship game and then kind of got, everyone looks at it like it was a bye week, which is a very disrespectful thing to say, but that's the way everyone is looking back at it now, that there'd be a lot more people higher on New England than there are right now. Because they're like, okay, they won a playoff game, and then they kind of just kind of fizzled out.
38:13But look what they added in the offseason. They're much better on paper.
38:16Rich Eisen:And then the if, that is if Bo Nix didn't break his ankle, they would have made the Super Bowl. And if New England had lost to the Texans and Bo Nix did break his ankle, the Texans would have made the Super Bowl. And that was the guy. Stroud's got his new contract. But no matter what, of all the scenarios, the Seahawks still win it. Totally agree. I think so as well. Yeah. All right. Yeah, on that day. Fun conversation. Yeah, on that day, Seattle was the best team of the league. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial, Liam Cohen of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hell, I am. Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame football.
38:55Rich Eisen:And then I do have a Broncos four downs conversation. And then Les Snead, the general manager of the Los Angeles Rams. Love it. That's how we're rolling on this very busy overreaction Monday that's already in the books. Monday.
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39:46Stone-baked pizza and air fry, both built right in your oven. That's the game-time MVP combo. So when you're hosting before kickoff, Frigidaire helps you cover every craving. Available at the Home Depot. Outdoers get more done. Only when using stone-baked pizza mode, cook time requires preheat and reheat and may vary based on ingredients.
40:02Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here for Gusto. On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated. But in any successful operation, what happens behind the scenes matters just as much. Small businesses are no different. Payroll, hiring, onboarding, benefits, and all the details that keep things moving may not be the most visible part of the job, but they still have to be handled right. That's where Gusto comes in. Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use, so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere.
40:38Rich Eisen:automatic payroll tax filing simple direct deposits health benefits commuter benefits workers comp 401k you name it gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget and it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters onboarding docs direct deposit and more plus you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price no hidden fees no surprises tried gusto today at gusto.com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll that's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich one more time gusto.com slash rich the rich eisen show the podcast here in the rich eisen show chris brockman is offending catchers for the kansas city royals during our commercial break um all right let's take some phone calls mike in north carolina just hopped on i like this this one intrigues me what's up mike how are you mic.
41:36Rich Eisen:Morning, raise up. Uh-oh. You there? Hello? It's just crazy. As a 49ers fan, I didn't need any other reason to hate the Rams, but between being a 49ers fan and a Giants fan, it's been pretty sad lately. And I just, I gotta believe that Kyle Shanahan, And he's already mad because we have to go to Melbourne to play and take away a home game at SoFi. So I'm like, what are your thoughts on the 49ers and their chances going up against the Rams? Hey, man, I think they're as good as any. I think the 49ers are collectively a terrific team, and we saw it last year. And when healthy, that's the big thing with them, man.
42:29Rich Eisen:I don't know what the hell's going on. They've got to figure, you know, let's make sure McCaffrey's not tight. Let's make sure that, you know, that Mike Evans, their Hall of Fame wide receiver, that guy is a Hall of Famer, stays, you know, that he's not icing down and the other guy's not tightening up. And, you know, and Bosa's healthy and Purdy's Purdy and Kittle's apparently coming back to practice this week. And let's go, man. I mean, why not? I know. We've got to stay healthy. I mean, we need to – it's got to be this year. We've got to stay healthy. Come on. Give us a chance. But I just worry that offensive line.
43:08I'll tell you, we've been talking about making that better for the last several years. I don't know if it's going to be up. The guys are going to have to step up. But I don't worry about Trent. I think McKibbitt's actually held his own against Donald when they played.
43:27Rich Eisen:Hey, listen, the Niners are familiar with Donald, and thanks for the call, Mike. The problem is for the Niners and everyone else that might be familiar with Donald, they're also familiar with Garrett, but they're unfamiliar with them together. You know what I mean? It's kind of stupid. It's kind of stupid. Because if you want to somehow bottle them both up, there's some really terrifically talented players ready to hop into the void. That's it. That's the problem. Oh, this guy did really well against Donald before. Sure. You know what I mean? Any given Sunday. You face him twice. You know his tendencies.
44:10Rich Eisen:You know this. You know that. Fine. You face Garrett, if you're a 49er, once every four years. Okay. Facing Donald and Garrett together? That's a once-a-week proposition now for the NFL. and it's going to be awesome and fun to watch. It's just that simple. Do you take the Rams defense over the Texans defense in fantasy? I kept the Rams defense in my league. Makes sense. TJ? I had them in the last round value, so I just, why not? Texans, Rams, Broncos. They're sitting out there, and you've got to choose a defense. To me, those are the top three, right? I think everyone will agree with that. So, yes.
44:55Well, the Niner. Seahawks. Seahawks. Seahawks as well. Maybe Eagles. I had the Seahawks defense last year when I won fantasy. They did well. Certainly when DeMarcus Lawrence was returning things for touchdowns. I would say I'm, man, you can't go wrong with any of those. I'm aware you have to choose one though when you're on the clock. Give me the Texans. I don't blame you. Do the Texans have an easier schedule than the Rams?
45:20Rich Eisen:Don't say that. The Jaguars are already listening in. Don't say that. The Jaguars are the defending champs of the division. hey everyone schedules hard i guess your fantasy draft just went down in seattle we have your team let's take a look yeah because it's fantasy draft time yep all right so who'd you keep i kept i had luther burden in the ninth round value and i had rams in the last round okay 15th round all right so you chose caleb as your quarterback huh i wanted caleb this year i love a stack uh tj you know we love a good wide receiver quarterback stack and so i'm kind of all in on the Bears offense here year two Ben Johnson 14 team league right 14 team league which is why I mean Keaton Mitchell is your third running back we're fourth Rico Dattle too yeah well Rico is going to get some run I think so Keaton Mitchell is just total wild card wild card I don't know what's up with him he's fast as lightning yeah don't know how Mike McDaniel is going to choose to use him in that category and Judkins Dattle and Mitchell your running backs your wide receivers you got seven of them full point ppr full point uh pickens burden addison coker i love coker cooper was in a draft by the way and he was on the phone his draft was an hour before taylor's bat mitzvah wow he's walking around with his phone and we're taking pictures and xander who doesn't care about you know the fantasy football world but just cares that you know it's 95 degrees out we're taking pictures and his brother's allowed to be on the phone what the hell's going on yeah i'm doing a draft oh my god uh he's like what do you think of coker and i'm like grab him yeah i really want to tucker craft this year i think he's primed to be a monster cyrus allen is your rookie dart throws yeah dart throws caleb douglas too maybe okay good as any right there yeah what's what's the name of the team do we know is it allowed can you say it no just the bandits okay yeah because breer had me do his fantasy draft that was outrageous and um nine out of the 12 teams.
47:15Rich Eisen:He had me announce his fantasy draft order. And as a favorite of him, because I love the guy. He's on the show all the time. I love Breer with the exception of one day a week. And that's any day that he'll text me about Ohio State. And one day of the year as well. Listen, but the names of his team, his draft, couldn't repeat them. Literally, 9 out of the 12 would make me lose my job on the spot. If I got to see the light of day. At one point I said, are you really going to say that into the camera? Greer made me... That was a quick tweet. He swore that's never getting out. At any rate. What's the name of your team, sir?
47:54The Bandits. Okay, the Bandits. Why the Bandits? Why the Bandits? I love Burrells. Better than Smokey.
48:00Rich Eisen:Smokey. Hour two coming up with Liam Cohn, one of our favorites from the Jaguars and Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen and show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN radio, Disney plus, and on the ESPN app, the rich Eisen show, the podcast.
48:26This summer, no excuses double down when everyone else disconnects at Equinox. That's high performance living science back training, real results start today at equinox.com.
From the publisher
Rich Eisen talks about Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to rejoin the Rams in hope of a title run. (3:42)
Rich Eisen reacts to Odell Beckham Jr. earning a roster spot for the NY Giants. (22:14)
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