In short
NFL draft and offseason speculation, focusing on trade likelihood, top-10 draft projections, and whether Aaron Rodgers will announce his Steelers future before the draft; plus Steelers-related quarterback and roster-building discussion with Cam Heyward.
Guests and backgrounds
- Tom Pelissero (NFL Network insider; reports on league-wide draft/trade dynamics).
- Cam Heyward (Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle; veteran leader; discusses team direction, Will Howard, and Aaron Rodgers).
Key claims
- Pelissero says most “draft info” is second/third-hand and often wrong, but trade calls usually heat up in the final days before the draft.
- He suggests the first likely trade window is around pick No. 3 (Cardinals) and expects more movement Friday/Saturday than Thursday.
- He reports no indication Rodgers will announce before the draft; Steelers mainly need him by mid-May for OTAs.
Notable examples
- Giants at No. 5 could take Caleb Downs or a wide receiver like Carnell Tate/Jordan Tyson (if medicals check).
- Pelissero mentions possible trade candidates like Dexter Lawrence and former QB movement (Anthony Richardson/Will Levis).
- Heyward says the Steelers should “insulate” at No. 21 and build weapons around the quarterback, praising Will Howard’s growth and competitiveness.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOZach Galifianakis and Upcoming Guests
1:12 to 1:56
Rich discusses the earlier appearance of Zach Galifianakis and introduces Tom Pelissero.
“Coming up, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.”
Tom Pelissero on Draft Information
1:56 to 3:10
Tom Pelissero shares insights on the reliability of draft information and rumors.
“There's not going to be any video of you saying hello.”
Draft Projections and Trade Scenarios
3:10 to 6:05
Discussion on potential draft picks and trade possibilities among teams.
“I would say it's not so much that it's a complete lie.”
Giants' Draft Strategy and Decision Makers
6:05 to 7:30
Explores the Giants' strategy and dynamics in their draft decision-making process.
“build up the wide receiver group around him, build up the defense.”
Potential Picks for Giants and Other Teams
7:30 to 10:30
Analyzes potential player selections for the Giants and other teams in the draft.
“it's his number one player because he's the safest pick in the entire draft.”
Aaron Rodgers' Situation Ahead of the Draft
10:30 to 14:00
Tom Pelissero discusses Aaron Rodgers' potential announcements and the Steelers' timeline.
“You're drafting the best football player available.”
NFL Trade Speculation and Player Insights
14:03 to 16:27
Explore the likelihood of NFL trades, including notable players and predictions.
“It would be good if they got one by mid-May, by the time they're actually out there on the practice field.”
Introduction to Cam Hayward
16:28 to 16:56
Welcoming Steelers DT Cam Hayward and discussing Aaron Rodgers' situation.
“Tom Pellicero, everybody, sending us off to our weekend before the draft right here on the Rich Eisen Show.”
Discussion with Cam Hayward on Aaron Rodgers
19:30 to 20:04
Cam Hayward shares thoughts on Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' draft strategies.
“So it's a perfect time to bring this subject matter up again to Cam Hayward, ladies and gentlemen, back here on the program.”
Aaron Rodgers' Uncertain Future
20:05 to 21:41
Cam Hayward speculates on Aaron Rodgers' next steps and his impact on the Steelers.
“And you're basically like, hey, if Aaron Rodgers is one play for us, you know, just we're the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Show all 25 chapters
Previewing the NFL Draft and Will Howard
21:42 to 22:58
Insights into the Steelers' potential draft picks and quarterback Will Howard.
“Or he might just be getting ready for Jeopardy.”
Cam Hayward on Team Dynamics and Competition
22:59 to 25:54
Cam discusses team dynamics, his competitive drive, and mentoring younger players.
“Obviously, everybody wants Aaron back, but if you do go in a direction where you have Will, you feel pretty confident.”
Mike McCarthy's Return and Team Philosophy
25:55 to 27:38
Cam shares his thoughts on Mike McCarthy's return to the Steelers and team philosophy.
“Playing football and getting the chance to talk to you.”
Will Anderson's Contract and Team Strategy Insights
27:39 to 28:00
Discussion on Will Anderson's contract and the implications for team strategy.
“Man, that edge tandem between him and Daniil, It's pretty special.”
Discussion on CJ Stroud and the Texans
28:00 to 29:15
Explore the dynamics of CJ Stroud's contract situation and the Texans' strategies.
“Will Anderson is a dog and he is young and you feel his presence playing and play out.”
Evaluating Quarterback Potential
29:15 to 31:05
Analyze how teams assess quarterbacks based on performance and potential.
“But CJ, you know, I mean, CJ looks like these going to either sign this summer, or they're going to make him prove it.”
Mike Tomlin's Offseason Plans
31:05 to 31:50
Discuss Mike Tomlin's activities during the offseason and his approach to coaching.
“Hey Cam, before I let you go where's Mike Tomlin?”
Cam Heyward's Basketball Insights
31:50 to 34:00
Cam shares his thoughts on college basketball and his fandom for Duke.
“Yeah, so we won't see him on the stage waving to Pittsburgh fans?”
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Experience
34:00 to 36:05
Cam recounts his experience on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and the challenges he faced.
“Ohio State, they lost to TCU in the first round.”
Aaron Donald's Training Regimen
36:05 to 37:59
Cam discusses the impressive training methods of Aaron Donald and their impact.
“And, you know, I've always respected Aaron a lot throughout these years for how he competed and how he worked.”
YouTube Highlights Discussion
41:54 to 42:06
A recap of the most popular video content on the Rich Eisen Show's YouTube channel.
“The number one video on the Rich Eisen Show YouTube channel right now.”
Rick Bonas and the Columbus Blue Jackets
42:06 to 43:54
Discussion on Rick Bonas's coaching rant and his return to the team.
“It's not from the sport of baseball or basketball.”
Rick Bonas's Passionate Approach
43:55 to 45:28
Analysis of Rick Bonas's passion and expectations for his players.
“And the team that he said, I guess they want him to break some Bonus off.”
Upcoming Highlights in Hour Three
45:29 to 46:39
Previewing upcoming topics, including a major contract extension and Cardinal news.
“Before that, we've got to hit on the big signing contract extension in Houston.”
Cam Heyward's Party Invitation
46:40 to 47:23
Light-hearted banter about an invitation to a party from Cam Heyward.
“Jared Verse is in it, a bunch of the Rams players.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Tom Pelissero:For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbours, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more.
0:25Rich Eisen:Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. 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.
0:43Tom Pelissero: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.
0:58Rich Eisen:Let's do this. This is the Rich Eisen Show. I'm just an on-air host. Rich Eisen. Looking for shoulder care. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Earlier on the show, actor Zach Galifianakis. Coming up, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Steelers defensive tackle Cam Hayward. Two-time Academy Award winner Peter Farrelly. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
1:56Rich Eisen:he's back in that realm he wins an academy award for green book and he goes you know what i want to make a movie called balls up let's get back to the important things and it's it's it's gonna it's wild that's our three eight four four two oh four rich number to dial tom pillow sarah back here on the rich eyes and show our buddy from nfl network and awesome to see you sir how are you bud great to see you rich what's up to the boys in the studio tommy p what's up baby Tommy P. All right, Tom. There's not going to be any video of you saying hello. Well, no, I got it. TJ's not here. No, I got it.
2:28Rich Eisen:Oh, you have it. I got it. I got it. Yeah.
2:30Tom Pelissero:I'm so glad.
2:32Rich Eisen:Great job, Tom. All right. So now I need percentages. Percentages. The information you're getting and gleaning and being told how much of it is absolute, complete lying right now. Do you think? Don't call anybody out by name because anybody who has texted you that you're about to somewhat call out without naming is part of a massive influx of people who are texting you. So no one knows who you're referring to. But I want a percentage of information that you're getting that you think is a complete lie. Yeah.
3:11Tom Pelissero:I would say it's not so much that it's a complete lie. I would say over half the information may be people who are honestly saying what they're hearing, but that is based on what they heard from someone else who got lied to. So I'm like three degrees of separation from a lot of the lies. And so you're trying to piece things together, especially when it comes to who's drafting, what player, even projecting the top 10 of the draft. You hear a variety of different scenarios. I do think, though, Rich, one thing that's not a lie is the number of GMs, especially outside the top half of round one, who are like, we don't know what's going to happen.
3:52Tom Pelissero:Because you do have such a short list of the true blue chip players, the true first round players. If you've got a pick in the 20s somewhere, 5, 10, 15 picks ahead of you, there could be some guys that you've got second round greats on. It's just, it's going to be a really unique draft. And a lot of times those phone calls with things like trades, yes, there's speculation within the league. There's obviously teams that have a proclivity for trading based upon their history. But a lot of times those calls really start to heat up on Monday, and those three, four days before the draft begins are really long days as everybody in the league tries to figure out what's going on.
4:29Rich Eisen:First likely spot for a trade is where?
4:33Tom Pelissero:I would look at number three with the Cardinals. We know, again, Monte Austin Fort has a history. If he doesn't feel like he's getting value, there's no reason to bail out because he's well within the area. I mean, at one, we all anticipate it's Fernando Mendoza. At two, for the Jets, I would be surprised at this point. Again, Rich, plenty of lies out there, but I would be surprised if it's not David Bailey, the Texas Tech edge rusher, which then would bring up the Cardinals, who you could see them going with Arvel Reese. You could see them go in offensive line with Francis Marinoa. and certainly there'd be a scenario where you know we all know that the Cowboys potentially are a trade-up candidate the Browns they could go up down sideways they've got a history of doing those things I would just say the Cardinals have plenty of needs you're not going to pass up if you feel like there's a generational player but if there's a way to manipulate it and move back a couple spots and pick up another pick we've seen Monty do it before including when he dealt with the Texans in the draft where they got Stroud and Will Anderson Jr.
5:32Tom Pelissero:and he ended up with an extra
5:33Rich Eisen:one okay so what is the market for jeremiah love right now as you can peg the highest i've had
5:40Tom Pelissero:people bring up the possibility of jeremiah love to arizona at three that seems like it's it's probably pushing it just if you're evaluating needs but he's on that really short list of you know depending who you talk to six to ten truly blue chip difference maker types of players here i wouldn't rule anything out certainly there's been a lot of focus on the titans at four It makes a ton of sense. They've been trying to take the pressure off of Cam Ward, build up the wide receiver group around him, build up the defense. They still have Tony Pollard under contract. They still have Tajay Spears, but adding Jeremiah Love would be a difference maker.
6:17Tom Pelissero:You also could see, you know, potentially Tennessee continuing to build up that defense. I would say that might be the ceiling on Sonny Stiles. There's been a lot of talk about, you know, where exactly Sonny Stiles goes after he blew up the combine. We've seen Robert Sala in the past have big, rangy inside linebackers. They were trying to get something done in free agency at that spot. You know, could Stiles, that would be a surprise pick, but you could see potentially where that potentially might fit in.
6:45Rich Eisen:What do you think the Giants thinking? I've heard so many rumors with them sitting right in the middle of that first 10. What's the Giants thinking right now at five, Tom?
6:57Tom Pelissero:There's a lot of voices in that building right now. And I think that everybody's trying to figure out just kind of what the power dynamic is. Now the draft is going to play out. Joe Shane is heavily involved. He runs the scouting operation. But John Harbaugh's got a ton of juice. And he's got some of his own people like Don Aponte in the building. I think that's part of why there are as many rumors as there are about the Giants. Certainly Caleb Downs, if you take positional value out of it, would be a sensible pick. at number five. He's one of the cleanest players in the draft. I had a scout tell me the other day it's his number one player because he's the safest pick in the entire draft.
7:34Tom Pelissero:But, you know, 5 '11 safety who doesn't have dominant traits, are you taking that at number five? Certainly, there'd be a case to be made for Sonny Stiles. You could also make a case for them going wide receiver at that spot. I don't know that any of the wide receivers, as much as there's a lot of talent, I don't know that any of these guys is a slam dunk top five, top ten type of a wide receiver. I would anticipate Carnell Tate as well as, you know, the wide receiver Jordan Tyson, who's working out today at Arizona State. If things check out medically, those are probably the top two for a lot of people.
8:07Tom Pelissero:Are you taking one of those guys at five? I don't know. But, you know, continuing to add the weaponry around their young quarterback, Jackson Dartwood, certainly if you're not going defense, that would make some sense.
8:17Rich Eisen:All right. I got to kick another tire on this. So the folks don't know who's the last word in the draft room right now for the Giants? Is it John Harbaugh at the end of the day, Tom?
8:29Tom Pelissero:John Harbaugh contractually has a great deal of say over the roster. Joe Shane is still running the personnel department and running the draft. I think that a lot of the final say kind of gets overblown. It's more a matter of the dynamics and the conversations that lead up to it. I mean, I've asked GMs that before. There's not a lot of occasions, if any, especially in the functional places where somebody ultimately is pulling rank and making a pick and the other person gets ticked off you see it occasionally we've seen a few people walk out of draft rooms over the years because they're mad about something happening I don't anticipate it's that I think that there's a you know right now those two are working together with Harbaugh and with Joe Shane but anytime you've got a new head coach coming in with an existing GM you know you're sorting through some of those things and from you know the outside looking in teams that have dealt with the Giants on trades on contracts on everything else.
9:20Tom Pelissero:Yeah, there's just a little bit of a question right now, just in terms of who ultimately, you know, is is truly in charge of the organization and everything that we know about how much money John Harbaugh makes, the type of contract he got, the things that are in the contract would suggest that John Harbaugh has a strong voice over all aspects of the operation.
9:39Rich Eisen:Yeah, man. I mean. OK, I mean, it's entirely possible that this is a moot point and that he and Joe Shane are totally lockstep.
9:47Tom Pelissero:Do you think Joe Shane's going to pick a player that John Harbaugh doesn't want?
9:50Rich Eisen:No way.
9:52Tom Pelissero:That's like, let's just cut all the other stuff about the speculative part. Is he going to pick a player and John Harbaugh's like, I don't want that guy and he does it anyway? There's no chance of that happening. They're navigating this thing together so you can go through the track record of Baltimore when John Harbaugh was the coach there for the last 18 years, the types of players that he drafted. Then you can also certainly look at Joe Shane's draft history as well. I think there's clear needs on that team. I mean, I even had somebody suggest to me, Jeremiah Love could be a spot there. If somehow he doesn't go three or four, could he be five to the Giants and combine with Cam Scadaboo in the backfield?
10:27Tom Pelissero:That makes less sense to me. But, you know, when you're drafting that high, you're not drafting for need. You're drafting the best football player available. Jeremiah Love is absolutely a top ten, if not top five, player in this entire draft.
10:38Rich Eisen:Right. So the pick six through ten, where's the surprise spot there, do you think, Tom? What do you think?
10:47Tom Pelissero:I mean, there's going to be, if we're pulling up, you know, just the order again here, you've got, obviously, we talked through three and four and five. Cleveland at six. Again, they can move up. They can move down. It's Andrew Barry has shown that he's nimble during the course of the draft. If they stand in for as much as they've invested in the offensive line, I still would not be surprised if they're drafting an offensive lineman. If Maui Noah's off the board, is that Spencer Fano? Is that Caden Proctor, who might be the most talented one in this entire draft, but has had some weight fluctuation issues.
11:20Tom Pelissero:We've seen other guys get drafted high, and that's been a struggle for him. Andre Smith, Mekhi Becton, but he's done well. Proctor's done well in his interviews. That's helped himself in the process. Washington at seven. Potentially a wide receiver there would make a ton of sense just upon where they are in their program and trying to surround Jaden Daniels. could that be Jordan Tyson? You certainly could see it, again, because the tape is so good. The good is so good on tape. It's just a matter of getting comfortable with a guy with a very long injury history who, again, is going to work out in front of clubs in a couple hours here out there in Arizona.
11:59Tom Pelissero:Again, I think we talked about this last week. Just because there is such a drop-off after those elite players, Rich, I think that right around 10 is where things start to get really interesting because people are going to run out of true first round grades on their boards before we get to the 15th pick. And so if your guys get swept up, you're going to be trying to bail out of there. If you're down to one guy on your board, you might be trying to go up.
12:22Rich Eisen:All right. And then lastly for you, Tom, before we get to Pittsburgh, you recall the 2021 NFL draft in Cleveland. And it was a lot of excitement because COVID did not prevent us from convening in person. and there was a lot to talk about. But right before it broke the news that Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to return to Green Bay, and he basically said, I'm out, I'm never going to play there again, which he did eventually, but it was the beginning of the end. And so do you think the first name we talk about on Thursday night is Aaron Rodgers because he does announce that he's coming back to a crowd that's a rumor that's pretty damn hot right now, Tom?
13:06Rich Eisen:What do you think?
13:06Tom Pelissero:I would say I have no anticipation right now that Aaron Rodgers is going to announce anything prior to the draft. I know that Art Rooney had indicated that they hoped it would be around then. I have not been told that. I don't think that that's really a deadline from the Steelers perspective. You know, really, the important thing for Pittsburgh is having Rodgers there by the time OTAs kick off in mid-May. So he's out there on the grass actually practicing with the team. Now, it's Rodgers. We all know that he does unexpected things sometimes. I would say attending the NFL draft is probably not high on Aaron Rodgers' bucket list.
13:46Tom Pelissero:It would certainly save us a lot of words and a lot of speculation for weeks to come if he did show up and do that. But as much as we've talked about the draft being that time, I have not gotten that indication. I don't think that the Steelers have really been told to expect an answer prior to the start of the draft. It would be good if they got one by mid-May, by the time they're actually out there on the practice field. Will it come next week? It'd be great for all of us. But right now, I have no reason to believe that that's coming.
14:12Rich Eisen:All right, so then what's more likely for you on this Friday? What's more likely show before we send you off to your weekend, and then we'll see you in Pittsburgh next week, is the likely, what's more likely, Thursday night, no current players in the NFL get traded at all, or somebody does. And if so, who's the most likely name on that list? Tom?
14:35Tom Pelissero:I would say not likely on Thursday.
14:39Rich Eisen:OK.
14:41Tom Pelissero:You know, there's certainly some of those names hanging out there. A.J. Brown. But that's in all likelihood a post-June 1 transaction because of the cap consequences. We've had, you know, speculation, obviously, in a deal that was done at one time involving Max Crosby that could get kicked up again, whether that's this week or in June or in August. But right now it's been very quiet on that front. Same with Miles Garrett. Again, not impossible. Somebody could call with a type of monster offer. I know that everybody in the organization all the way up to ownership has downplayed the idea that Miles Garrett is available.
Read the full transcript
15:15Tom Pelissero:But Andrew Barry, who last year said, we are not trading Miles Garrett, has softened that language a little bit. And so we'll see. You know, this is, it's a wild league, Rich. There's a lot of different things that happen, but I would say a lot of the front burner types of things, I don't anticipate the draft being that deadline. You know, you could have something. If somebody offers three first-round picks for any player, obviously things can change. I think it'll be more interesting Friday and Saturday. Some of these former highly drafted quarterbacks, could Anthony Richardson get moved? Could Will Levis get moved?
15:48Tom Pelissero:There are some other players, you know, Dexter Lawrence. What happens in that situation? That would maybe be the one if he's going to get traded on Thursday. I just don't get the sense that the Giants are really eager for that to happen. They're paying him$20 million this year. He had a half a sack last season. He's clearly trying to get a new deal and willing to pull out all the stops, including a public trade request. It's possible. But as I sit here right now, I would not say anything is far enough down the line to make me believe we get that type of a bombshell like we did years ago when A.J.
16:20Tom Pelissero:Brown and Hollywood Brown were traded inside the first round on the clock in the same draft out in Vegas.
16:27Rich Eisen:All right, Tom, thanks for the time. We'll see you in Pittsburgh. Can't wait. All right, very good. Tom Pellicero, everybody, sending us off to our weekend before the draft right here on the Rich Eisen Show. One person asked about Aaron Rodgers. He's our next guest. His name's Cam Hayward. Hey. What? I'm just like, hey, I'm excited. I like seeing Cam. Cam Hayward, everybody. He is next. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
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17:52Rich Eisen:Hotels fill up fast. Energy builds. Everyone wants to be part of it. Now imagine that on a global scale. The FIFA World Cup is coming this summer, people, and with it, thousands of fans traveling to host cities across the country. If you happen to live in one of those cities and you're planning to be away, maybe you've got your own summer trip lined up. this could be a practical opportunity while you're gone you could list your space on airbnb and welcome traveling fans who want to experience the fifa world cup in person you're not changing your routine you're not committing to anything year round you're simply making the most of a moment when your city is in the global spotlight i know when i'm on the road for a huge event having a comfortable home base makes all the difference and that's what fans will be searching for.
18:36Rich Eisen:If you've ever thought about listing your space, this summer is a great time as we welcome FIFA World Cup fans. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
18:50Tom Pelissero:For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbors, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so
19:14Rich Eisen:much more. Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com.
19:30Rich Eisen:the rich eisen show podcast i'm still learning the business very good uh we're back here on the rich eisen show ladies and gentlemen um we've already had a nice chat in our disney plus espn television only segment and i'm thrilled to have here back on the program is somebody who at this point last year was going all in on a certain guy who refused to say if he was going to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And here we are again. So it's a perfect time to bring this subject matter up again to Cam Hayward, ladies and gentlemen, back here on the program. Let's go, baby. How are you? Thank you for letting me return after those chaotic moments.
20:04Rich Eisen:No, that was great last year. And you're basically like, hey, if Aaron Rodgers is one play for us, you know, just we're the Pittsburgh Steelers. What's, you know, essentially that your subtext was like, what's his malfunction? You know, and now here we are again. It's the same thing, Cam. You want to say the same thing, pretty much? I don't want to say the same thing. He's worn the black and gold. Just return, baby. That's all we need. You know, I think he had a fun time being a part of this crew, and we really enjoyed his company, but I'd like to be able to, you know, run it back with him. Okay, so if I just want to keep stirring it up and ascribing a belief system to you that you might not actually verbalize, let me just continue doing this.
20:42Rich Eisen:um you you're you're hosting a draft party at tequila cowboy on april 23rd on draft night in pittsburgh uh you're also going to be conducting interviews for your terrific podcast on which i have appeared not just football podcasts wherever you get your podcasts you listed off on the tv side of things a whole bunch of uh terrific name uh guests um and you mentioned aaron donald right I've heard of him. I did. There was another Aaron in there, too. Aaron. Aaron Smith. Aaron Smith. Yes. It looks like you got room for a third Aaron, but he's not appearing on the pod. That was very crappy of you, I have to admit.
21:25Thank you. There's always a spot open for Aaron. For a third. Which Aaron? For Thursday, Aaron Rodgers. Okay. Okay. I got two. I got two out of three. I need to go and make it a full, complete set. So where is he right now? Damn. Where is he? Oh, man. He might be on a darkness retreat. Might be shooting season two of Enigma. Okay. I like it. Could be doing that. Or he might just be getting ready for Jeopardy. He could be. My guy can do a lot of different things. He can.
21:56Rich Eisen:But he'll be ready for the season, hopefully. Okay. So, all right. I'll take one last crack at this. When do you think you're going to get an answer on this front? Oh, man. I don't know. I don't know. But, you know, I think everybody is all all in on him. Right. And I think that's just from what we got to see this this season. And we were pleasantly surprised how great he was, you know, coming off of being in the Jets to him just being a breath of fresh air of how he went about his business, was accountable, held others accountable, loves the game and just studies his ass off. Like I haven't seen many guys to that level of just knowing the insides and outs of, you know, football, whether it was Ben or him, those two, they just operate on a different scale.
22:57Rich Eisen:So I guess a lot of folks are wondering as well, going into this draft, if you don't mind me turning you into a little bit of the paparazzi here about, you know, the Steelers and what Rogers is intending to do. the 21st overall pick there's ty simpson of alabama should the steelers want to go in that direction but there's also another guest of yours at your draft party next thursday night that you're having on your your pod and will howard what can you tell me about his readiness future um i know he's a champion quarterback at the collegiate level and brings that sort of dog uh to the to the hunt here yeah so what what can you tell me what about about him and the future here in Pittsburgh for him so the one thing I've loved is Aaron's been a big fan of Will's uh and watched him from from afar and watched him grow this year uh and you know Will is always going to compete Will has always had you know um you know the chips stacked against him and now you know he's going to a year where there's a little uncertainty.
24:01Obviously, everybody wants Aaron back, but if you do go in a direction where you have Will, you feel pretty confident. And I think when you look at the 21st pick, why not insulate? Why not have some other guys that build out your roster? That way you can look at and say, whoever takes over this job is going to have weapons, is going to have more pieces around him.
24:22Rich Eisen:So, you see, because again, he hasn't really had much time, right? Yeah. It's so difficult. That's another subject matter entirely about about getting quarterbacks ready in the league in which reps are so rare and certainly live reps are go to the guy who's definitely going to start 100 but what what what have you seen what what can you tell stealer fans about will howard and year two cam well you know as much as he was out during the season um when he was back he was competing against us and you know he was just giddy for the opportunities uh you know mike t would love to you know pose the the threat of us going against a mobile quarterback who you know is is ready to you know pose a challenge and will did that will was definitely getting better throughout the year um completing passes and you know when you have a guy of his caliber and then um you don't get all the pieces around you you don't get the dk metcalfs um but you get some other pieces so you put him with you know dk and pat and uh now we got uh pitman as well so yeah he's gonna feel a lot more secure in taking over that spot when eventually he does and then you know congrats to you belatedly on on the contract for you and i know that's something you've been going back and forth on so you're happy right i am i'm happy right now i'm ready to just focus it on ball and you know I get a chance to keep doing what I love.
25:54And what is that?
25:56Rich Eisen:Playing football and getting the chance to talk to you. No, I'm sorry. Nice. And I know you mean playing football, but why? What do you love about it? What keeps you coming back? What is it? The competitiveness of it. Having a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. Continue to just keep trying to grow my legacy. And then give back to the younger guys. I was really fortunate to have guys like Aaron Smith, Brett Kiesel, and Casey's Hand, who just showed me the way and showed me how to be a professional. And hopefully I'm doing that for our younger guys. Okay, you sure are. I can tell you that. And Mike McCarthy in the mix now.
26:36Rich Eisen:What's your first blush reaction? Obviously, it's only been a couple days here. But what do you think? Full yinzer. Full yinzer. You know, you talk about a guy who needs to embrace, you know, Steeler tradition and, you know, the city of Pittsburgh. He embraced it before all of us. That guy, he understands ball. He understands what makes up a team. And the thing I loved about it is he's not trying to be Mike T. He's trying to be Mike McCarthy. And he's trying to build a team and he's trying to do things differently, but still the right way. and I think it's going to benefit us in the future. All right.
27:18Rich Eisen:I'm going to turn you into a media member again here because news just broke. Will Anderson just signed a three-year extension. You want to guess for how much? Let me see. Three years? Yeah. You want to guess? That's it. Well, we just put it up on the screen. Nailed it. Nailed it. Thanks. What do you think? $134 million guaranteed. Man, that edge tandem between him and Daniil, It's pretty special. So, you know, I asked that question a while ago. After you paid CJ, were you going to be able to pay Will Anderson? And they answered it. And when you have those two guys on the outside, they just create havoc.
27:59And Will Anderson is, you know, as much as Neal gets all the love, Will Anderson is a dog and he is young and you feel his presence playing and play out. So kudos to the Texans for getting that done.
28:12Rich Eisen:I know you, unfortunately for you, had a front row seat to seeing him and Hunter do their thing on Rodgers in the playoffs, you know. Yeah. And he is that talented. I just got to push back, though. They didn't pay CJ. He's not paid. Wait, I thought they did. I saw one. No, they picked up his fifth year option. Oh. And they're going to. I don't know. That's the question, Cam. You know what I mean? Like, he's not the highest paid Texan. it's the guy who's rushing the quarterback. Well, you need both. I know. I don't know. The salary cap isn't real. Everybody knows it. You can pay whoever you want and make it look like you can or you can.
28:56If you want the guy, you pay the guy.
28:59Rich Eisen:That's breaking news right there. That's pretty much it, though, right? Not real. Have you used that negotiation with the Roonies? Have you used it like, just pay me, man. The cap isn't real. Have you used that? I haven't. Uh, I, I like to rely on just the way I play. That's it. There you go. There you go. But CJ, you know, I mean, CJ looks like these going to either sign this summer, or they're going to make him prove it. That's what it looks like. If you, if you make him prove it, you're just going to have to pay more. That's the only thing you think so, huh? Cause Chris Brockman is looking for a team in the NFL.
29:34Rich Eisen:Cam Hayward. Let's go here with cam. Sure. Can't Chris Brockman is looking for a team in the NFL. who looks at a kid that they've drafted, despite how successful he may be, if he doesn't reach a championship game or a Super Bowl, throw him back into the free agent pool and start all over again rather than paying him amount of money like you paid Tua in Miami or somewhere else and you're stuck with a contract that's going to cost you your job. Cam, and you think maybe the Texans with C.J. Stroud could be it? Oh, man. That is a wild take. I'm just going to say it because it's one thing to have a quarterback.
30:14It's another thing to not. And if you don't have a quarterback in this league, you are going to be fighting uphill and you're going to be stuck in a state of uncertainty for years to come. Has CJ played the best as of late? No, but I think you've got to continue to just keep surrounding him. You've got to continue to just keep building around him. And I think to have so much success early, it'd be a shame to move off this quick. He's a guy that he's gotten the team to the playoffs multiple times.
30:49Rich Eisen:And won a game in the playoffs. Every year, all three years. to put him on Tua's level I don't think Tua has done as much as CJ's done in his time so I would push back on trying to restart that whole thing Hey Cam, before I let you go where's Mike Tomlin? Do you think we see him at the draft? I don't think we see him at the draft I think he's on a beach somewhere You think? Hopefully he's got his feet kicked up drinking a margarita the one thing I will respect that I've talked to him about is he's going to visit a lot of coaches that actually would like take part in our practices or just come visit.
31:33He's going and returning the favorite now these days, whether it's in basketball or different sports. And then he's going to see his daughter, Harley, compete in all their tournaments. So I'm just happy he gets to be, you know, him and not have the weight of the world on his shoulders. but uh you know we'll see once the the regular season starts rolling around where he's at no i
31:56Rich Eisen:hear you let me dig into that a little bit more what do you mean coaches that would come to steelers practices um and now and and want to pick his brain or he would offer uh up practices to let them see something now he's going to go there and return the favor by saying i'll come to your practices and give you two cents that way also two cents and just visit like who who like who would come by do you think give me some names you know i know he would always have like jason kid come by he had uh you know i for what you would have uh oh man i am blanking i haven't watched enough college calipari you would have come by at times and a bunch of different coaches uh and you know mike t is always the one one of those guys who wants to uh just pick everybody's brain um you know i remember talking about how you would talk to popovich all those years ago and you know So just being a student always, but then, you know, on the same time, he can be a teacher and be a supporter to that as well.
32:55Rich Eisen:Yeah, so we won't see him on the stage waving to Pittsburgh fans? You don't think so? No. Hopefully the next time you see him is on Notch's football. Okay, I like that. Well done. And, you know, it's interesting you brought this up because I was going to bring it up to you. The sport of college basketball, Cam. Yeah. Did you watch it recently? I did. I got my heart broken. I thought Duke was going to win it all, and, you know, Why would Duke break your heart? I've always been a Duke fan. You know, Jason Williams was my guy. Like, watching him and Duhan and, oh man, those were fun times. J.J. Redick, but now like he's a coach now, which is crazy to me.
33:34Always been a big fan of Coach K, but, you know, to be up four points with like 45 seconds to go in the UConn game and blow that game was you know, baffling.
33:45Rich Eisen:That's not the teams that won it though, right, Cam? Which team? I quit watching after that. Is that right? Interesting. No, I could fill you in. I could fill you in. So you're a Duke fan because Ohio State doesn't have a basketball program to root for? Is that the way it works? Oh, gosh. I've just always been a Duke fan. Ohio State, they lost to TCU in the first round. Great game, by the way. Oh, yeah. It's been a long time since Jim Jackson was there, is basically what you're saying. It's been a long time since Jimmy Jackson had them. I just thought you guys were going to call it an imaginary timeout.
34:17and have another problem.
34:20Rich Eisen:That's such a 90s joke, Cam. I'm living in the present. We're both from the 90s. Let's do that. I know. I'm living in the present. Fantastic. Well, congratulations on your new deal. And by the way, you certainly have enough money to buy a vowel, as I could see in the back there. Look what I have, too. You have one, too? Look at me. Wow. How'd you do? Oh, Chris, do you want to? Cam, he mopped the competition. I mopped the floor. Dwight Howard and Candace Parker. Not even close. I love them both. I'm big fans of them both. But they got in the way. Is basically what I'm saying. Oh, gosh. How did you do?
35:00Oh, man. I was going through contract negotiations at the time. That's all I can say. What does it mean? So you were distracted? Is that what you're saying? You were distracted? Is it an excuse? I'll just say that.
35:13Rich Eisen:Okay. I'll just say that. You couldn't let your agent handle your business? Who are you on? Who are you on with Celebrity Wheel of Fortune? Oh, man. Brian Austin Green. Okay. All right. She was such a lovely lady. I don't want to. Who did you lose to, man? Oh, my God. We all lost. We all didn't win. So that's all that matters. Okay. Yeah, I just refused to lose, and I was a little too serious. Like, that's it. That was my face. like that was it man it's a cool process though wasn't it it was unbelievable um it's like it's like out of body like that's ryan seacrest that's vanna white you know and like studio she's great that's a that's a studio audience and and i'm like okay i just could not i just i said smile i had to tell myself to smile that this is a this is for charity uh it's it's it's a fun game you're you're playing the wheel of fortune it's but i just couldn't i just had a i had a i had a very serious look on my face right yeah too much so i love the look you know for me when i went i was trying to be serious and then ryan seacrest was telling us about how he was a a long snapper at one time which i was not aware from georgia as well okay ryan seacrest long snapping i didn't expect that and so he did he actually did that in the show i that i can't leak anymore but uh okay okay uh has it aired yet it hasn't oh okay so that's why i can't find i see no i'm sorry no mine's aired you can you can look it up i won 88 000 tost you children's research hospital buddy it was great what a baller thank you that's what that's called a mic drop um so the party uh draft party at tequila cowboy next thursday in pittsburgh go seek it out you'll be uh hosting also your podcast not just football podcast with a cast of thousands aaron my god aaron donald in pittsburgh that's uh that's uh that's where it all started for him right yeah do you oh so let me tell i ask you this before before i let you go you must have watched him practice right when he was in college correct yeah i used to watch him practice and then in the off season shoot even during covid when he was with the rams right we we would be on like Like the other sides of the field, we all be just training.
37:40And, you know, I've always respected Aaron a lot throughout these years for how he competed and how he worked. And, you know, it's nothing short of, you know, something special because that dude is, you know, a great competitor, a great worker, and, you know, he's one of the best to ever do it.
37:58Rich Eisen:Well, dude, you'll both be sharing a room in Ohio one day. I can say that safely. um and i don't i don't mean you know like you're going back to the dorms uh in columbus um but no but what when he was when he was practicing though as a collegiate player did he stand out when he ever got a chance to look on the field when you're on the same facility no i don't think we ever really got a chance to really look at the practices but i bet you knew it was special when he was you know spending time outside of just practice right work i i think he used to bring and one trainer that would, you know, throw knives at him.
38:36What? He was always trying to work on different things. He was always big on hands. I'll say that.
38:41Rich Eisen:Throw knives? And he had to catch the knives by the handle, otherwise it would cut him? Maybe they were just trying to, like, he was, like, trying to stab him or whatever. But, like, Aaron, that was his job. Like, his hands were pretty impressive. It would have to be if you're avoiding knives. So anyone can go to any of your socials, hit a link, and that's how they can get tickets to come see you. Correct? Yes, sir. And guess what? Everybody at the Rich Eisen Show is welcome. Heard that. Thank you, Cam. We will be there. It's tough for me to forget the initial. No, please come! I don't remember that at all.
39:15Rich Eisen:Oh, you don't? Nope. Alright, Cam. Plus 15. That's how we're coming in hot. But I'm not one of the 15 because I'll be working. Unless you yank me off the set. Not just football podcasts, wherever you get your pods. Great to see you, Cam. I hope to see you in Pittsburgh. Great to see you. Can't wait to see you. There you go. That's Cam Hayward, everybody. Every Aaron Butt Rogers will be on that podcast.
39:39Rich Eisen:That's always a blast with Cam Hayward. Let's take a break. We'll be back with your phone calls. Oh, by the way, a follow-up on one of our more popular YouTube videos that is out there on our YouTube channel right now. That'll be fun. Next.
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41:15Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, back here on the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204-RICH is in fact the number to dial right here on the program. A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible. Overcoming high interest credit card debt. Walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed rate monthly payment, no fees required, and as soon as the same day funding. That's right. Pull off your own debt defying stunt with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply.
41:53Rich Eisen:NMLS 696891. The number one video on the Rich Eisen Show YouTube channel right now. It's not from the sport of football. It's not from the sport of baseball or basketball. It's not even the pop culture. Although the Andrew McCarthy celebrity, true or false, and the Bob Odenkirk video from yesterday talking about being better, call Saul, it's off the charts. Uh-uh. It's Rick Bonas. Rick Bonas. At the time, the interim head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets who lost six straight home games to not make the playoffs. And our coverage of his outstanding coach rant at the post-game podium is front and center on our YouTube channel.
42:43Rich Eisen:Just in case you missed it, here's a taste.
42:45Tom Pelissero:And you know what? All you've got to just look at the stat sheet. Three hits. 23 giveaways. I don't know if I'm back, but if I'm back, I'm changing this culture. These guys, they don't care. Losing is not important enough to them. It doesn't bother them. How can you go out and play like that? I should have done this about a month ago. But this is why we are where we are. This is why we're out of the playoffs. That kind of effort. losing you have to hate losing i don't care if it's a meaningless game i don't care show up and compete three hits 23 giveaways what else you want to know
43:30Rich Eisen:i mean that's uh one of the best drops in our in our arsenal what else you want to know oh you want to know something else well the columbus blue jackets heard it And gave him a deal to return as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Hey. Atta boy. Yeah. All I would say. Atta boy, Bonus. It was for the 26-27 season. That's it. Oh, just next year. Not much of a commitment. Okay, great. But he's back. And the team that he said, I guess they want him to break some Bonus off. I know. And here was Rick Bonus at his introductory press conference. Hit it.
44:13Tom Pelissero:After a game like that and the stretch we had, I'm not going to come in here and say, oh, we were close tonight or we battled hard. I'm not going to do that. People aren't stupid. They're watching. They see what I see, man. And the players see it, too. They're honest. They see it. So, again, you know me now. Sometimes my passion gets in my way. And it does. And it's happened before. I'm hoping it won't happen. But it's why I'm sitting here is the passion and the love of the game. So that's who I am. And, you know, there's times it goes overboard. Yeah, I know that. I probably pushed it a little bit far, and I get that.
44:52Tom Pelissero:But that's who I am.
44:54Rich Eisen:And that's why you're sitting there, though. Don't you think, like, they saw that and, like, the players are lucky that there's no practice tomorrow? Because it would be rough. And things are tough, things are hard, right? You know what I mean? That's why you're sitting there. Absolutely. What else do you want to know? All right. What else do you want to know? He should have said that at the end for fun. He might have said it in the press conference. I don't know. What else do you want to know? What else do you want to know? It's just, it's so great, man. It's one of my favorite drops in the history of this program now.
45:25Rich Eisen:So it'll be great. It's great. So Rick Bonas is back, man. Bonus, baby. Pretty cool. Pretty darn cool. Hour three, what's more likely? Yes. Right. Before that, we've got to hit on the big signing contract extension in Houston. The highest paid non-quarterback in the National Football League. What stands out to you about that? Well, I'll put a pin in it. I'll talk about it at the top of the next hour because we don't have enough runway here. Okay, great. What else are we? Oh, Peter Farrelly is in our green room. There's some Cardinals news. Oh, yes. We have an interesting holdout from a quarterback you would not expect wanting to hold out.
46:12Tom Pelissero:Interesting.
46:13Rich Eisen:That's coming up in hour number three. I would stay tuned for all of this. Phone calls, 844-204-RICH, number to dial. Head to head with TJ. There you go. What else do I want to know? Oh, that's right. TJ is going to be going up against us. Oh, the Rams just dropped a draft teaser mini movie that O'Shea is in.
46:34Tom Pelissero:Oh, really? They kind of like reenacted Friday, but called it Thursday.
46:38Rich Eisen:But O'Shea's in it? Yeah, with Chris Tucker's son. He didn't tell us. Yeah. That was cool. Jared Verse is in it, a bunch of the Rams players. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Yeah, yeah, for sure. And Cam Hayward's invited you to the party. And we are going. He doesn't really want you there. Tough. No, he doesn't want you there. It's too late. He doesn't want you there. We're making arrangements. No, you should always come. Just slide in. No, I think he was excited. I think that was like, oh, I'm sorry. I'd love you guys to come. No. Yeah. I'm going to take it. That's how I took it. That's how I took it.
47:09Rich Eisen:Yeah. Are you going to Pittsburgh? That's right. Well, two photos and do anything anymore. No, no, no, no. Except show off those chicklets and drive to Pico Boulevard. Show off the chicklets. Have we gotten one of those? The Ridge Eyes and Show Podcast.
From the publisher
NFL Insider Tom Pelissero and Rich break down the biggest questions heading into the Draft including which teams are most likely to trade up or trade back, if Head Coach John Harbaugh or GM Joe Schoen will be making the New York Giants’ draft decisions, if we can expect Aaron Rodgers to announce his return/retire decision sometime next week, and if we could see any big-name players dealt before the Raiders are on the clock next Thursday.
Steelers DT Cam Heyward tells Rich why he’s all-in on running it back with Aaron Rodgers, weighs in on the readiness of backup QB Will Howard in case Rodgers retires, why he’s returning for a 16th NFL season, new Pittsburgh Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Houston Texans LB Will Anderson Jr’s record-setting extension and if CJ Stroud is likely to get the bag too, discusses Mike Tomlin’s life after coaching, and more.
Rich reacts to the Columbus Blue Jackets re-upping their colorful head coach Rick Bowness.
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