Hour 2: ‘What’s More Likely,’ Cignetti Trolls the SEC, plus ESPN’s Jason McCourty

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1:00Rich Eisen: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. Missed 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. If you've waited this long This is the Rich Eisen Show To take care of your franchise quarterback That's too bad Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles Earlier on the show Senior writer for the MMQB Albert Breer Coming up ESPN NFL analyst Jason McCourty WWE superstar Seth Rollins And now It's Rich Eisen Our number two of the Rich Eisen show is on the air.

2:01Rich Eisen:It's a what's more likely Friday and it's a what's more likely hour. We'll get to that later on in our number two. Albert Breer is departing right now, heading off to Rams training camp where the Rams are practicing without Aaron Donald for the moment. We just had the initial running of our new segment that we came up with just merely spitballing on the air yesterday. is he back right now is he back yet so funny that's it it's just called is he back yet here coach albert thinks we're going to have this segment for at least the next two to three weeks which means we're going to keep we're just going to run this into the ground essentially is he back yet um albert also added something interesting to say about lamar jackson the reason why he's not signed is not because the ravens aren't willing to give him what he's looking for it's that he's unwilling to potentially sign it to see how things are going to go in the jesse minter era in baltimore because he has a no tag clause in 2028 meaning that's uh that's called free agency all right did you pick up on that one from burt i did i mean that was a nugget he dropped going out the door i like that smart move by omar speaking of dirty laundry with no No agents, right?

3:25Rich Eisen:All right, so 844-204-RICH is the number down. We'll give you a chance to say what you want to say. It's Seth Rollins in hour number three. Ladies and gentlemen, back on the Rich Eisen Show, Jason McCourty. Good to see you, Jason. How are you, sir? I'm doing well. Good to see you too, Richard. You're walking in the intro. It is just beautiful. It's been a while since I've seen you. It's been a while. It's been a while. Jason and I spent a couple weeks in Germany together. Nice. Yeah. Eating all the pretzels, right? You bet. You didn't, though. You didn't. You didn't. Maybe one of them. I didn't go in every single time.

4:00It was two weeks there. You don't want to show up looking a lot different than when you left off. The wife's not going to welcome you back the same if you have too many pretzels, Rich.

4:10Rich Eisen:You should have told me that at the outset of our two-week trip, Jason. Not two years later. It's called timing, man. Next time. Great to see you. All right. So what do you think? How long is our new segment, Is He Back Yet, going to last, do you think? If he's smart, it'll be another three weeks. Wait for training camp to be completely over, then come back. But no, to be honest, I think if he's going to come back, maybe a week, week and a half at most, just from watching how dominant Aaron Donald is and watching the clips we see since he's retired, how he works out, I would imagine that if he is going to come back this year, he's going to want to be in training camp.

4:50He's going to want to get hit. He's going to want to hit people and test it out, preseason games and different things of that nature, just to see exactly where he is. Because when you're as dominant of a player as he was, like Aaron Donald's not coming back to just be an OK player. He wants to be back, I think, in a realm in which he's in there on third downs and he is completely impacting the game, even if it's diminished play time. But when he's out there, he's going to want to have that same impact he had when he was playing two years ago.

5:18Rich Eisen:So what do you think? I just find it hard to believe again it's it's not you know understandable to me because he's damn near uh an avenger you know what I mean like that that so that's difficult for me since I've already established I had too many pretzels in Germany two years ago um but what what what is it going to be like how is he going to be able to figure out I can do this at the level that I'm used to doing it at like walk me through that process do you think Jason I think a lot of it has to do with personally for him. We're talking about, and obviously I know how good Aaron Donald was, but to not play football for two years, you have to consciously decide that I want to go back to being punched in the face every single play that I'm out there on the field.

6:05So for Aaron Donald, yes, the thought of being back in an L.A. Rams jersey, lining up next to Miles Garrett, getting an opportunity to get another Super Bowl ring is awesome, but do I want to go through the process in which it takes to get there? That to me is the hard part and only he can answer it, obviously. But when I retired from the game and the further I got away, two years removed, like I'm good. Like I don't want any parts of this. So I think he has to decide that because he knows exactly what he needs to do on a week to week basis to be good. And there's a lot of sacrifices that comes along with that.

6:43And is he willing to pay that price to potentially get another Super Bowl ring?

6:47Rich Eisen:So obviously we're beating this down into the ground and for good reason, to be honest with you, not just because I'm beating it down to the ground and I'm trying to find a, an excuse to keep doing it. I mean, we are talking about Aaron Donald first ballot hall of famer and ability to play next to miles Garrett first ballot hall of famer for a team that almost made the super bowl last year. That does have the returning MVP yada, yada, yada, which team though, are we not talking about enough at the outset of August? Do you think? Yeah, I'll give you, I'll give you a team. I'll say the Jacksonville Jaguars.

7:17And Liam Cohen just kind of made that announcement in an interview. He was talking during training camp and said it's been easy to motivate his guys because you just turn to any channel or you pull up any website, no one is talking about a team that won 13 games a season ago with a brand-new head coach that won their division, that played extremely well for Trevor Lawrence in his first year in a brand-new system. So, to me, they would be the team in the AFC, which I think is a little bit more open than the NFC, that if Trevor Lawrence now in year two takes another, I mean, he doesn't have to take a giant step, but if he takes another step now in his second year in their defense under Anthony Campanelli, if they take another step, where is this team going to be in that AFC picture?

8:01Because no one has mentioned them as AFC contenders, and they played extremely well in that game and lost in Buffalo, due part of, I think, being young and being the first times really in those moments since a few years ago beating the Chargers in the playoffs but to me

8:16Rich Eisen:Jacksonville is a team that can make some noise in the AFC give me the NFC team that uh we're not talking about enough then what do you have for me on that front I'm gonna go with a team that I don't see as a contender but a team that can win their division that no one's talking about and that's the New Orleans Saints I think with Tyler Shuck how he finished the season uh a year ago adding um Another receiver in the game was Jordan Tyson in the draft. Chris Olave just got paid, added another running back, Travis Etienne. So now you have weapons to surround your quarterback, and that defense under Brandon Staley by the end of the season was absolutely rolling.

8:53So to me, the New Orleans Saints is a team that, in that division, it's anybody's. Now, I know all the talk has been about Baker Mayfield not getting his contract in Tampa Bay, and they've been the ones that have led the division over the last few years, of those that three-way tie at the end, which was insane. But I think New Orleans is a team that could shock a lot of people and end up winning that division and have a playoff berth.

9:15Rich Eisen:Jason McCourty here on the Rich Eisen Show. Later on, I have my top five list of top five sleeper teams in the NFL. I thought about making the Chiefs number one just to piss my guys off here in the studio, you know? How would you have liked that to just finish up the Chiefs? Because, listen, I understand that's Mahomes, that's Kelsey, that's Reed, that's Chris Jones, et cetera. but nobody's nobody's talking about him are you talking they're the favorites to win the division yeah people are talking about him really they're the favorites to win the division yeah yeah i see non-stop my homes 11 on 11 clips on my timeline so i should have done it i mean i still there's still time i have about an hour i could redo it what what what do you what do you think though about the chiefs 2026 season jason so my heart and my mind are struggling because in my heart i I want to say if Mahomes is going to be out there and he's going to be healthy, this team has to be a contender.

10:08But then with my mind, I'm looking down the roster and I'm looking at the improvements from last year to this year, which was last year was a six-win team. Mahomes got hurt at the end of the season. Yes, they added Kenneth Walker III. They drafted guys on the defensive side of the ball. They didn't add another weapon on the outside for Mahomes to be able to get the ball on an offense that has lacked any type of explosive nature really since Tyreek Hill has left. I think Mahomes' air yards was at eight yards and it steadily has gone down now in six and some change since Tyreek Hill has left that team.

10:40So for me, it's like as much as I love Patrick Mahomes and think he is the best quarterback that's played our game in a long time since Brady and it's all the accolades he has achieved and everything he's done, I don't know that this team got that much better than what they were a year ago to say, all right, now I'm picking him over the Denver Broncos to win this division, and I'm picking him over the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots, the Baltimore Ravens to represent the AFC. Right now, I don't see it because this is also Mahomes with a chunky knee brace on who is going to play differently early on in the season because he has to.

11:14He can't scramble the way he's done in the past, and he has to stay healthy. So as much as I like him, this team, to me, they got older in certain positions, and I don't really know that they've retooled in the nature that they need to

11:26Rich Eisen:to be able to beat contenders in the AFC. So then maybe are the Patriots a sleeper team? Because I don't think anybody thinks that last year's season is going to be followed up upon to get back to the Super Bowl, if not win it. I don't think anybody's thinking that, even with A.J. Brown added there, Jason. I guess people have to see it again. Or am I saying, Chris, you're more attuned to this sort of New England thing? I would say those expectations are not as high. Jason, what do you think? They would be the prove everybody wrong team because I think to your point, Rich, everyone is coming up with every excuse of why they were good last year.

12:05The easy schedule, shocked everybody with new offensive coordinator, not going to be able to replicate what they did a season ago. Will Campbell forgot how to play, left tackle now for the remainder of his career. There's a lot of things being said of why they can't go back out and repeat. Now, to a certain extent, getting back to the Super Bowl in that second year is extremely hard. It's very rare, and it's darn near impossible to do when you look at the numbers throughout the history of the NFL. But what I look at in New England is they got better than what they were a year ago. They added A.J.

12:38Brown. They brought over Elijah Fierre Tucker on the offensive line. They drafted Caleb Lomo, another offensive tackle out of Utah. So they got better in areas that they needed to get better in. Their secondary is coming back. They're going to have to pay Christian Gonzalez. Those three corners were unbelievable last year. They brought in Draymond Jones, probably could still use a little bit of help on the edge at that linebacker spot. But Drake may now, in his second year in his system with Josh McDaniels, and the addition of a true number one wide receiver on the outside, and an A.J. Brown, yes, that makes them better.

13:12Now, the schedule is going to be a lot harder, and they go from being the hunters to the hunted. How they respond to that will dictate

13:18Rich Eisen:how good this team can be. Jason McCourty here on the Rich Eisen Show. um kyler or jj mccarthy in minnesota jason you gotta get you gotta give kyler a shot do you really jason do you really have to give kyler a shot did you did you see the quarterback play last year oh come on now did you see the quarterback play last year i thought nine was banged up nine was banged up jason nine was banged up see the the nine jj mccarthy was banged up you got you got to do a little bit more for us to just refer to you as nine and When Buffalo, they referred to their quarterback at 17, I'm okay with that. He's done quite a bit.

13:57But right now, J.J. is just J.J. And that's no disrespect to him. I think he's a good player, good dude. Wish him the best. But I think of what we saw last year from them from the quarterback position, you've got to at least see what you have in Kyler Murray. The tough thing of it is, for training camp right now, when you're splitting reps and one guy knows the system and has been there for two years in J.J. McCarthy, chances are there's a good chance he's going to look better than Kyler Murray in practice. And if he does, then how do you figure out if you're going to give him the shot that you may feel that he's necessary?

14:31The other part of this is the other J.J., Justin Jefferson. He went an entire season last year and watched whoever was under center struggle to get him the football. I feel like if you go back to J.J. McCarthy and it doesn't happen, what's going to be his feelings? I think at least if Kyler Murray gets out there and you give him a chance and J.J. McCarthy's growing, getting better, and if he's the guy and he proves it and Kyler's a failure, you can always go back to J.J. McCarthy. So I don't know. This is a tough one for me, but you brought Kyler Murray there for a reason. Carson Wentz is there for a reason.

15:05If you believed in J.J. McCarthy that much, I don't know that they would be adding this much competition to the quarterback room. Speaking of going back, do you want to go back to waking up

15:14Rich Eisen:and doing good morning football, Jason? Because everybody, hey, the folks at ESPN have got everybody, all four of you under contract right now. I'm going in that direction here. I don't know if you do talk about it. I know Schrager's got an afternoon slot reportedly on his plate. I don't know. Like we can get the breakfast table back together here. What do you think? Rich is about to be breaking news now. Rich, with everything going on at the Worldwide Leader of Sports, wherever they tell me to go is where i will be going they say go on this show this morning that morning i will be there go and get up tomorrow do good morning football when you finish run over and do some first take hey just let me know what time i'm gonna be there there is no i in jason or mccourty ladies and gentlemen the team player um all right before i let you go when when do you have your super bowl um prediction it's 40 days you got 40 more days if you want yeah i haven't i haven't thought of who my Super Bowl picks are yet.

16:15I'm still working on my playoff team, so you've got to give me a little bit of time, Rich. I'll have all 14 of my playoff slots and who I have going to the Super Bowl. By the time we're kicking off here. Are TJ's Cowboys one of your playoff teams? I can let you know that the star will not be in my Super Bowl pick. We'll see if they make the playoffs. New teams got to make the playoffs. Everybody doesn't run it back each year, so new teams gotta make it. So the fact they didn't make it last year, they'll be high on my priority list to see where they fall into

16:47Rich Eisen:the equation. Okay, so you're saying TJ should enjoy LeBron on his Sixers while he has that. That part. Enjoy that. Okay. Yeah, so we got this. TJ Jefferson, ladies and gentlemen. Look at that. Is that Theo Ratliff? Theo Ratliff! It's Elton Brand, yeah? Close. By the way, close. Close in terms of the era. New Yorker. So, you know, I'm ready. It's going to be a good year for me. I got a feeling. That's a heck of a combination. Yes. Sixers and Cowboys. Oh, wait. Jason, Jason, Jason. Well, you add the Clippers and the Mets to that combination, too. Oh, my goodness. Were you an Army child? That sounds like a lot of confusion.

17:26Rich Eisen:There's his Mets hat. Wait a minute. Here we go. Hold on a minute. Look at you. There's six different colleges. You were in the portal way before it existed. Theo Ratliff did wear number 42. too. Oh, yeah, he did. Thank you. He's got a Kawhi. We still don't know Kawhi could be on the team. We're not sure if the trade went through, you know, so yeah. It's how I'm living, Jay. It's how I'm living. Do him a favor. I love it. Put the Cowboys in just so he can be happy. You know what I mean? I may have to. Good to see you, Jason. You're the man. Always. So great. My good friend, our good friend, Jason McCourty.

18:02Rich Eisen:All right, Jason. One thing about the Chiefs before we take a break here. Oh, goodness. What? I'm going to do this all year. You'll get handled when it gets handled. What are we doing all year? I don't know. What are we doing? You know. Just go on with it. You want me to slide in like I'm... I would like you to use a specific voice when you talk about them. What do you mean a specific voice? I mean, there's a guy. We missed him. I can't believe it. We went a whole year without them. Just because I say the league is better when the Chiefs are better and that we're going to miss the Chiefs and that I'm proven correct doesn't mean you're right.

18:39Rich Eisen:Proven correct. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. There are as many haters. The haters are popping. Oh, yeah. They're popping. If you ain't got none. The haters are popping. You ain't popping. Did you see what yesterday's conversation was about the Chiefs? No. No. That Kelsey showed up and he looked a little bit big in the community to use the Dan Patrick. I mean, yeah. I mean, I saw the photos. Let me just say this. He looked like he enjoyed his honeymoon. Excuse me. oh so by the way if he did go on one we have no idea okay um that was what in the last 10 days two weeks because let me just say let me ask you this question chris because your wedding was the same weekend it was okay did you diet before your wedding or just like flat out stop eating for knowing about a week before yeah okay yeah right let me just say this too i saw that man uh cut a rug if you will there was no rug in uh in the garden but um the the amount of uh like workout that he went through that night celebrating he closed his ring that night and not just the one on his hand so he just put on all that weight in the two three weeks everybody thinks that he's done he's finished he doesn't have the same you know that's all I saw he's done he's finished he's not focused it's not about football for him anymore you're out of your gorge people okay he he technically had one of his better seasons in recent years

20:34Rich Eisen:okay okay i'm just i i know i listen i know you and others are looking for the chiefs to just trip and fall and whatever don't look at me when you say that look at him i'm not looking i'm not looking for that no what are you i watched them play last year i know that they did yeah well i I mean, Mahomes wasn't. He played 15 games. This whole thing was like, oh, comeback player of the year. No. He played the whole season, pretty much. I think they'll be better with the run game, and I think. I do think that's a huge help. If Rasheed Rice could be counted on. Well, that's a. Would be helpful. It's a big if.

21:06Rich Eisen:It would be helpful. But the narrative that Kelsey's like toast. I haven't seen that. I've seen photos of him looking. Okay. You know. Piece of toast. I did not see somebody that was letting himself go that night with my own two eyes. Well, he wasn't wearing spandex. 28 days ago. He wasn't wearing skims. 28 days ago. Well. You know what I'm saying? He's got a couple weeks to get in shape. Wasn't getting hit by people at the dance floor. He's got time to get in shape. I don't know. I mean, by the way, based on what I saw on that dance floor that night, too, Kittle's ready for week one. Sing with Mahomes.

21:45Kelsey had his fewest yards per game in his career last year.

21:48Rich Eisen:So what? But there were times where he actually showed up and was one of their best weapons still. That speaks more. I got it. All right. I know I keep digging myself a hole here, but I'm just saying anybody that looks at him on a practice field and thinks he's no longer focused and he's out. That's idiotic. Damn straight. 100%. And if anybody knows idiotic. I'm the king of it. Whoa. I keep digging myself even deeper. Truth. No, but you're right. Yeah. That's all I'm saying. Anyone that's looking at Econ. 844-204-RICH, number to dial. A couple weeks to get in shape. Speaking of what's more likely, that's coming up next.

22:28Rich Eisen:Everybody. And, oh, Kurt Zignetti. God, do I love this man even more. After what he said as a mic drop to walk off his Big Ten Media Day podium. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the show. our friends at SoFi. I want to let you know a personal loan from them is here to help you achieve something that you once thought impossible, and that's 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 by visiting SoFi.com slash trick to learn more.

23:08Rich Eisen:Terms and conditions apply. Loans originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC NMLS 696891. 844-204-RICH is our number. Phone lines are all lit. We'll take some calls too. Seth Rollins beckoning.