Hour 1: Vikings’ QB Crossroads, plus NFL Insider Tom Pelissero Previews WK8

0:00Rich Eisen:Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever.

0:10Tom Pelissero:Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with Power Boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell.

0:22Rich Eisen:Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different. And Messi only trusts Duracell.

0:31Rich Eisen:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. 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.

1:05Rich Eisen: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. We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud. But it's shocking. It's shocking. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Brian Wynhorst is here. The NBA isn't concerned today with whether people who are playing in the legal poker games got defrauded. Today's guests. NFL Network insider Tom Pellicero.

1:46Rich Eisen:Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo. Actor Michael Shannon. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Well, hey everybody. Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show on a Friday. We are all over the map, guest-wise, and we love it. Tom Pelissero, my colleague from NFL Network, is going to join us with all the 411 in about 20 minutes' time. And then Tom Izzo is going to join us, the head coach of Michigan State basketball. Lots to talk about with him from our boy Steve Mariucci getting his number retired at the Northern Michigan University. and also speaking of college football Michigan plays Michigan State tomorrow and so I've got lots to talk about with Tom Izzo but front and center is what he was talking about a kid from the G League being allowed to play for Louisville basketball and that caught our ear and I'll tell him straight up when he joins us in the second hour anytime he starts a soundbite was by saying I'm going to get in trouble for this he has me at hello like I'm like you know does does he We know that Kenny Powers, Jeff of snapping the, snapping the long chair.

2:57Rich Eisen:That's me. And then Michael Shannon, the actor, an actual thespian is coming in studio in hour number three. Master thespian. Yeah. I mean, he's in some really heavy movies about the assassination of James Garfield and also the Nuremberg trials, you know, comedies. He's going to be here in studio in hour number three. and we've got a great celebrity true or false for him um and and then there's you at 844-204-RICH number to dial here on the program and uh it's always great uh when you when you do a show and you're sitting down and one of your colleagues strolls onto the floor says oh we're starting uh chris brockman good to see you over there chris i caught that one i'm an actor i'm here every day and you guys pick up on that i quoted i said like we always do it this time i mean it It was 8.59, 59.

3:44Rich Eisen:I'm like, oh, we're starting. By the way, only the best of the best do that. I've watched Chris Berman sit in a chair and say, hey, welcome. Hey, welcome to primetime. Literally five seconds before he has to start speaking. Hey, Jay Feli, good to see you. What's up, Rich? You're winning your Dodger cap. It is the World Series beginning tonight. Game tonight, let's go. Game one, good to see an actual Dodger fan sitting in that chair. Rather than that other guy who sits here, you put on a Yankee Dodger hat.

4:10Tom Pelissero:Like a split hat yesterday.

4:12Rich Eisen:what an abomination good to see an actual Dodger fan here on the first day of the World Series TJ Jefferson, Candles Lit, good to see you sir I was going to say this, I know Chris Berman Chris Berman's a friend of mine sir, Chris Brockman is no Chris Berman but they share a first name excuse me give some respect to Chris Crocodile Brockman and the man, we're very similar we start this show with Thursday Night Football. We'll talk about the Chargers in a second. Five and three. You know, we talk about the Chargers quite a bit on this show. They're in our neighbors across the way here in El Segundo, California.

4:52Rich Eisen:And I'm a Jim Harbaugh nut, as we all know. So I'm not being disrespectful of the team that won Thursday Night Football last night in convincing fashion without, by the way, arguably their best defensive player for much of the game in Derwin James. They put the hammer down on Carson Wentz. That's where I want to start this show. the Minnesota Vikings at a crossroads the 14 win team last year going 14 and 3 they now have more losses in the first 7 games this year as they had in all of last season and you know the focus of the Vikings 100 % is on their decision to draft my guy the champion quarterback of team 144 of the University of Michigan J.J.

5:32Rich Eisen:McCarthy to move up one spot to draft him 10th overall before Bo Nix just after Michael Penix in a draft that also has Jaden Daniels, offensive rookie of the year last year, Caleb Williams, winner of four straight games in 2025 with Ben Johnson in Chicago. He's playing much better. Nobody, though, as we all know, playing better from that class in 2025 than Drake May, whose head coach, Mike Vrabel, was on this program yesterday. We talked all about it. And the decision to draft J.J. McCarthy, him getting hurt, watching Sam Darnold do what he did last year in 14 wins and have him stroll off to Seattle where he's five and two right now on his bye and then Daniel Jones was sitting there after the Giants caught him and they made an offer to Daniel Jones to stay and he decides to go to Indianapolis where he was definitely going to be the starter without any kid behind him that they're definitely going to play because they need to see what they have in him Anthony Richardson the Colts already saw what they had in him and decided to get Daniel Jones in and he is six and one he's the quarterback of the only one loss team entering the rest of this week eight action right now.

6:42Rich Eisen:Pardon me. Jordan Love is a one loss team. He also has a tie. Six and one. The only quarterback that's six and one entering week eight action. And so the decision for them to do that and then start J.J. McCarthy this year, have him play three dreadful quarters and then one superb quarter in a week one Monday night football win in Chicago that had, by the way, J.J. McCarthy, the Offensive Player of the Week, only to show up the next week and look so dreadful in the Minnesota Vikings' Week 2 home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Look so dreadful that everybody thinks that the ankle injury that he suffered in that game was, in air quotes, it's just, you need to take a break, kid.

7:24We've already seen eight quarters, seven plus,

7:27Rich Eisen:seven healthy, if you will, quarters out of you. Take a break. You're not ready yet. we're going to start Carson Wentz and see what we have as a team to try and win behind a veteran and getting his you know other chances in another organization just like Sam Darnold did although Carson's had many many what I think Al Michaels mentioned six teams in six seasons yep bouncing around and by the way the reason why Anthony Richardson got drafted in Indianapolis is because Jim Irsay may he rest in peace was like this guy Carson Wentz that just lost in Jacksonville get him out of here i don't want to see him anymore literally just disappear him from our organization please was essentially how jim ursay was approaching once and this is the guy that minnesota is starting and now they're three and four and now wentz was so banged up last night as he's suffered 19 sacks since becoming the viking starting quarterback in week three after being sacked five times last night by a los angeles chargers defense that got khalil mack back and was marauding that front for the vikings that wentz looked like he was in tears on the sideline coming off the field after his last sack you could look at his left arm he's holding because his left shoulder is what got injured a few weeks ago and he's playing because that's not his throwing arm but you could see wincing and on occasion looking like he is in tears to wonder about whether his body can hold up whether his ability as a quarterback is dwindling away I don't know what was going through his temples but it looked like he was going through something it's hard to watch it was hard to watch it was hard to watch and um that's where the Minnesota Vikings sit today at three and four and as I mentioned there's a four one and one team in the NFC and it's the Green Bay Packers sitting atop that division and the Detroit Lions on a bye week at five and two and a Bears team that is sitting there at four and two with four straight wins and the Vikings are the ones sitting in last place wondering what next this was the head coach after the game talking about it.

9:44Rich Eisen:As I told our team, we've got an opportunity in front of us where we need to own this. This is not a bury-the-tape kind of time for our organization. This is a watch it, view it, own it. Every coach, every player. And it starts with me. I did not have our team prepared to play. and we'll go back to many aspects of what we need to improve on. Yeah, here's what they need to improve on, the quarterback play and the offensive line play in front of him. And the offensive line play is what is crucial. There is a conversation again about J.J. McCarthy's viability. And, you know, I saw the moment last night, and Chris, you were bringing it up in our pre-show meeting, prior to you um wondering what time the show was beginning i guess um and uh where the other jj justin jefferson makes a catch rolls out of bounds jj mccarthy is there and for somebody coming off of a high ankle sprain look pretty limber in avoiding the very athletic and then jj and then enthusiastically signaling the first down yeah while jumping up and down on said alleged injured ankle okay it's it's it's it's not an alleged injured ankle it's an actual injured ankle that the head coach says does appear to be well enough for him to start potentially next week jj and he was close and jj and the medical staff kind of didn't quite feel like he was he was there yet um but there was a lot of encouragement that uh especially with the time we have kevin and and where he's at and the confidence level he thinks he can get to you know if JJ's healthy JJ will play and JJ will play and when he does it's on and I'll I'll be straight up uh with you you know how I feel about him you've met him as well guys when he's been here he's one to root for he's one to like but he's gotta play stay healthy you know what your best ability is right yeah ability and he must avail himself of this opportunity and show why he was drafted 10th overall in last year's draft and show some action for four quarters that look like say pennix when he had some time at the end of last season although it was a very difficult spot got to show stuff like dart in his first few starts this year got to show stuff like um he did in the fourth quarter of week one that part he's got to show what we're seeing out of boat what we saw to bo nicks after he got some time last year not saying you got to be jayden daniels um and he might have to be behind an offensive line that is having trouble i mean darosaw is in and out he's hurt and uh you know wentz as we know as a proclivity to hold on to the football um which has been part of his career and part of the reason why he's bounced around and it was bounced off the turf last night and uh just 34 rush yards fewest rush yards by a game for minnesota in two years two years so got to get the run game going and you got to protect the kid and maybe you know his ability to move around um is hampered which is why they're like we're not ready to put him out there yet but this business of they're hiding him has got to be disproven by jj mccarthy when he gets out there and here's the issue you put up the schedule

13:32Rich Eisen:talk about a crucible detroit hosting him coming off a bye but he's back in the state of michigan You may find some magic. Then he's home against Baltimore and Chicago before the first of two against Green Bay. That one against Detroit in Detroit is the first of two against Detroit. You're at Seattle, too. Home against Washington. The one at Dallas, everybody. That ain't going to be easy. As we know, the pass rush is in question there. But at the Giants, that front seven is nasty. Ask Bo Nix. and then they finish up two at home against Detroit and Green Bay. He's going to have to, JJ's going to have to get out there, and he's going to have the toughest opponents in his division and in his conference and must have games for them to not only show that they have a playoff run in them this year, but you have to wonder if JJ doesn't show anything in that remaining 10 games of this season for them, do they have a decision to make in the offseason now kevin o 'connell your reigning coach of the year said when he was on this show during the draft season that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations and he's going to have to be the avatar of that theory and that belief and their organization is going to have to support this kid and that means the front up in front of him protect him and then he's going to have to be dynamic and we're going to see and then we'll see if that organization does use these 10 games as enough of a sample size for them to go into the offseason and think, what do we do here?

15:36Rich Eisen:And all options might be on the table. You draft another one? I'll throw it out. At that point in time, Kirk Cousins might be inexpensive. You get one last run with him? He knows the system? Because you got someone like Justin Jefferson who became the youngest player to reach 8 000 career receiving yards can't waste this okay you know what i mean can't so there's the people are there you're three and four and you could say part of it is because you told sam donald um here's our offer he took a better one elsewhere we don't know the numbers you told daniel jones here's our number to stay here he's just like you got the kid you're going to definitely play him i'm looking at the kid down in indianapolis they're looking for competition you're not at the spot i'm going there and um and vikings fans i i i again love jj mccarthy he will always have a place in my heart i am biased i am biased i just know i believe in him um but he's gonna have to show it he's gonna have to prove it yeah i have friends who are vikings fans and that is literally you know as we talk about football they're like we had sam yeah we had daniel so the one the one is is sam like you could have committed all the dollars to him that could have kept him i imagine uh i i imagine daniel jones is just like you know hey um you're clearly starting jj mccarthy around here and you aren't going to commit all the dollars to daniel jones just by having him around and just assuming he could turn it around sam's already shown you something daniel had to show you something for you to decommit to jj mccarthy darnold showed you something that could make you think about decommitting to jj mccarthy and just saying sorry you got hurt kid but we we have to we have to keep this thing going 14 wins and is too much for us to just turn our back on that one that one is i'd understand vikings fans would lament but again organizations fail young quarterbacks before the other way around says the reigning coach of the year and the quarterback whisperer of note in this league and he's gonna have to find that connection at detroit and then home against the Ravens and then home against the Bears and then at Green Bay at Seattle against Sam Darnold now going up and showing up and winning these games and winning a good amount of them and then going to Seattle and beating Sam Darnold as a way for J.J.

18:26Rich Eisen:McCarthy to tell all the Vikings fans they made the right choice and showing the coach you made the right choice and showing the general manager and the ownership you made the right choice can he do it i think he can will he do it stay tuned 844-204-RICH number to dial tom pellicero joining us we'll talk the chargers after we talk to tom and there's a great harbaugh files based off of last night's victory before tom iso joins us it's a what's more likely friday as well don't go anywhere off and running

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20:23Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. You're on The Rich Eisen Show on ESPN Radio presented by Progressive Insurance. Tom Pellicero is back here. How are you, Tom? Good to see you, man. How are you?

20:34Tom Pelissero:Doing fantastic, Rich. What's up to my boys in the studio? Hey, Tommy P.

20:37Rich Eisen:What up, baby? All right. Hey, Tommy P. Stop it. All right. It's so stupid you take a video of him and then send it to him. It's a waste of time. It's really stupid this time because I was recording myself. No, please stop. Speaking of waste of time, the people who think that J.J. McCarthy has an ankle injury, in air quotes, because he was so ineffective in his second start that they just had to bench him. You were already making that face. Talk, walk me through what's going on there and the decision that that that they made on him last night prior to Thursday Night Football and what when we're going to see McCarthy next.

21:13Rich Eisen:Tom?

21:13Tom Pelissero:I've tried to explain this as consistently and clearly as I can amidst all the conspiracy theories and the talks of a soft benching. J.J. McCarthy has not had a lot of opportunities over two years in the NFL to practice football, much less play football. He had his entire rookie season wiped out because of the meniscus injury, got reps, of course, through the course of this offseason. Week one goes out, didn't play well in the first half, but made a bunch of plays in the second half against Chicago on national TV. They're 1-0 in the division. Following week, his fiance gives birth to a child, misses a day of practice.

21:50Tom Pelissero:It was already a short week. Game didn't look good, but he also got hurt and suffered a high ankle sprain in that game. So we have literally seen one full game of healthy J.J. McCarthy. And by the way, he hasn't even practiced on consecutive days in a full capacity since before week one. And so what the Vikings have tried to do is take a very deliberate approach to getting J.J. McCarthy not just 100 % healthy, but 100 % in a groove and ready to go out there and play well. They were hopeful that that was going to be right after the bye and he'd be able to do it against the Eagles and then the Chargers when they were playing two games in five days.

22:26Tom Pelissero:When I was told during the bye, hey, he looked good on the field last week, but the ankle's not 100%, that was a pretty good tell between J.J., the medical staff, the Vikings coaching staff, they just didn't feel like he was already all the way there. You listen to Kevin O 'Connell postgame last night. He made abundantly clear what I've been saying, which is that all signs are pointing toward J.J. McCarthy being back in the lineup this week against the Lions. You're hoping that, you know, with a mini-bye, you get a bonus practice on Monday, more time for the offensive line that's been beat up, for those guys to get fully healthy here.

22:59Tom Pelissero:You're hoping that the entire environment is set up for J.J. McCarthy to go out there and have success. That is certainly what the Vikings are banking on after already playing more games with Carson Wentz than they ever intended or hoped or wanted to going into the season.

23:13Rich Eisen:So do we see him against Detroit next week? That is my anticipation.

23:17Tom Pelissero:We'll see J.J. McCarthy, unless there is some type of setback, unless he tells the coaches, hey, I just don't think that I can go. You know, he's had six full weeks now to recover from an injury that, by and large, that type of high ankle sprain is four to six weeks. That timeline's up. Again, he gets an extra practice next week so you can see him four times out there. If you see a full participation designation on J.J. McCarthy come next Wednesday, that'll be a pretty clear indication all systems go, and he's going to be out there for a tough game against the Lions.

23:44Rich Eisen:Tom Pelissero here on the Rich Eisen Show. Let's talk about some other big-time games in Week 8. Aaron Rodgers says it's not a revenge game. I give you the floor, sir. Tom?

23:55Tom Pelissero:A revenge game might not be exactly the way that you would script it because quite frankly, Aaron Rodgers, he wasn't traded away against his will. He was a willing participant for several years in wanting to leave Green Bay prior to the draft week deal that sent him to the Jets. You know, Aaron's a remarkably talented player. He's obviously a very unique human being. He has a habit, and we've seen this publicly based on his appearance on certain shows, to say exactly what is on his mind and to complain about various things. Sometimes that can get weighty for an organization. But it did not disrupt his ability to work with Matt LaFleur and win a couple of MVPs with that group.

24:41Tom Pelissero:It came to a point he felt like from the Jordan Love, the trade-up to get Jordan Love and taking him in the draft, that from that point on he had been kind of disrespected. That's where you started to hear different things. They ultimately tried to appease him by giving him a new contract before ultimately, you know, he did not perform well in 2022. The time was right for everybody. The time was right for Jordan Love to go play. The time was right for Aaron, who wanted to continue playing, to go and do that in a different place. Is this game going to matter more to Aaron Rodgers? I'm not inside his head, but my short answer would be, Rich, absolutely Aaron Rodgers is going to want to go out and play well against the Packers, you know, show the organization that he's still got it.

25:22Tom Pelissero:You know, on some level, you know, he likes Jordan Love, And those two worked a lot together. And you see the impact of Aaron Rodgers on, you know, the little things Jordan Love does with his footwork and other things that really Aaron Rodgers, you know, whether it was verbally or whether it was leading by example, he really helped bring Jordan Love along. But would it mean something to Aaron? I think that everything, Rich, in what could be Aaron Rodgers' final season, everything means a little bit more to him beating the Packers before ultimately, as he made clear in an interview with Green Bay reporters yesterday, eventually re-signs with them a one-day contract to retire as a Packer.

25:57Tom Pelissero:Absolutely, that's something that he would remember a lot more than your average game.

26:01Rich Eisen:Is Josh Jacobs going to go in this game? He's always questionable, and then he runs for 90 touchdowns. So, I mean, is there any concern on this or what?

26:08Tom Pelissero:It was legit close last week in Arizona, particularly after the plane got delayed for hours on end. And, you know, they lost all their nightly meetings. You know, he went through a pregame workout. Josh always thought that he could go. He had to convince the Packers and the medical staff and the coaches that he could go. I would anticipate it's a similar type of situation here. You know, Josh Jacobs is always going to want to go. He's going to have to make sure that the medical staff believes that as well. But, you know, like you said, Rich, we've seen this a number of times. I mean, he was once questionable with a calf going into Seattle when he was playing for the Raiders and ran for 300 yards.

26:45Tom Pelissero:Put nothing past Josh Jacobs. He's always going to believe he can go out and do it. Packers generally have a conservative type of medical approach. But as of now, I would anticipate Josh Jacobs going.

26:55Rich Eisen:Niners sitting right behind the Packers in the NFC standings. Packers 1, Niners 2, taking on a Texans team that comes off a bye and gets spanked by Seattle. And it's a short week for them. A couple guys in this game, it's another Brock Purdy going to go. Is it Mac Jones instead? And then Nico Collins is not practiced with a concussion that it knocked him out of that game all week. What do you got for me on this big one in Houston, Tom?