Hour 2: ‘What’s More Likely,’ plus NFL Insider Tom Pelissero Talks Rodgers, Giants & Schedule Release

10:18Rich Eisen:Thank you.

10:19Tom Pelissero:Talking about the Thanksgiving night game. Who's more likely to get back to the AFC Championship game, the Bills or the Chiefs?

10:37Rich Eisen:I'll go Chiefs. yeah I don't think that's a shock to anyone why? The Bills are the ones that almost made the AFC championship game last year the Bills are the ones that are probably improving the Bills are the ones that are going to have a new home there and I have no idea if the train whistles there are actually going to be more intense we have no idea that's the cool thing about the Bills X factor this year is this new stadium I imagine they have created it to make it louder I bet you the design of this stadium is to make it louder. And we have no idea what that's going to look like. And Josh Allen is now a daddy.

11:22Rich Eisen:The power of fatherhood. But I'm still going to Chiefs, man. I still think they have a very talented roster, and Mahomes coming back with a chip on his shoulder and a new knee. I kind of dig it. Now you pissed off the producer. I know I did, but Hoskins is sweet, and he's got his playoff beard, which makes him look more intimidating than ever. It does. He looks great. I like the beard. You know, it's his Buffalo Sabres playoff beard.

11:47Tom Pelissero:He looks great. I went down on that one to show that I really mean it. Okay, very good. They play on Thanksgiving Eve, these two teams, who are more likely to win their division this season, the Packers or your Rams? Why are you saying my Rams?

12:03Rich Eisen:We're a very passionate Rams fan. That's what Cooper keeps saying to me. Well, he would know. The Rams are an easy team to root for.

12:11Tom Pelissero:Rich, you love the Rams. You love Matthew Stafford.

12:13Rich Eisen:I do indeed. I voted him for MVP.

12:16Tom Pelissero:You love less.

12:17Rich Eisen:You are a passionate Ram fan. Okay.

12:25Rich Eisen:What's more like the division this year? Packers or Rams? I will go Rams. They're number one on my power rankings. I'm going to keep doubling and tripling down. I'm going to keep doubling and tripling. I'm going to go Rams. What else you got over there, Suze?

12:43Tom Pelissero:Rich, who's the quarterback to have the better 2026? Is it Bo Nix or Aaron Rodgers?

12:49Rich Eisen:Oh, I'll go Bo Nix. I'll say Bo Nix. I'm eager to see what's going on with Jalen Waddell, man, and him. I think that's going to be really good. And R.J. Harvey, I think, is going to take a step forward. And I think this offense is going to be better. Obviously, the X factor here is how Nix comes back from that ankle surgery. And then, of course, how does it look with Sean Payton apparently not calling the plays? But, yeah, I will do that. I'll go with the young buck rather than the OG of Pittsburgh, who's still not there. What else?

13:30Tom Pelissero:You've been talking about these international games with the Bengals and the Falcons. I have confirmed that I'm talking about it. What's more likely? Who's going to finish top five in MVP voting this year? Joe Burrow or Bajon Robinson?

13:46Tom Pelissero:That's a good one.

13:49Rich Eisen:Boy, Bajon Robinson. Top five in MVP voting. I'll go Burrow. I'm going to go with the quarterback. Clearly, I'll go with the quarterback. I'll go with Burrow. Joe Burr. I'm going to go Joe Burr. Yeah. I'm going to go Joe Burr and the Bengals. And this is obviously an international game. This will be a matchup that the folks in Madrid will see. But haven't we spoken about you thinking... I'll go with Jose Burrow. What? Haven't we spoken about you thinking Bajon's going to take that next level step? I do think so, but to go ahead and crack the MVP top five? I mean, yeah. That's a tall order for a running back.

14:31Rich Eisen:I still say we should just call it the most valuable quarterback. I understand that. Right. As you know, the quarterbacks get the MVPs and the running backs or receivers get the offensive players of the year. That's the way it is definitely shaping up. So the quarterbacks get the cheerleaders and the MVPs. I mean, that's not fair. What else you got over there, Susan?

14:50Tom Pelissero:And Joe Burrow is going to always bring his fashion sense. So will he dress as a matador coming in?

14:55Rich Eisen:I like it. Look at you. I would like that.

14:57Tom Pelissero:Try to be a factor. All right. What's more likely to be the highest number? OKC losses this playoff or Rory McIlroy major wins this year?

15:07Rich Eisen:Oh, gosh. Higher number will be Oklahoma City losses in the playoffs. Hmm. I mean, seriously. It's a good question. As you know, Rory's going for back-to-back majors this very week. PGA Championship. Friends at ESPN checking it out. Lots to talk about. It's happening. Round number one as we speak. so yeah I'll go Oklahoma City losses in the playoffs I think don't you think that the Spurs are going to give them a series and then the Knicks could be able to take a couple games from them I think any one of the teams left has a great probability don't you think? yeah okay even Cleveland? I tell you I said this about two weeks ago oh high register

15:48Tom Pelissero:no I admit I didn't watch a whole lot of Cleveland games this year but as the playoffs have gone and I've watched this team play I mean, it wouldn't surprise me, man. It's a Harden factor, right? Yes. He's got to do it in one of these next two games for his legacy. Legacy. To get everybody off of his back.

16:06Rich Eisen:Well, then he'll be in Madison Square Garden for an Eastern Conference Finals as the road team in the entire series. Yeah, but I think James Harden is looked at as one of the top greatest scorers,

16:19Tom Pelissero:obviously, and players. but he has this thing that when the moment's there, he does not step up. He's got a chance to rewrite his own history. I was going to say, how many times has he let you down that you're still like even a— Yeah, I know. Oh, I'm not necessarily—like, I've been beat down too much. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm hurt. Right. Because I had it with the Clippers and the Sixers. Yeah. I'm just saying for James Harden, like, he needs to come through in a huge way.

16:46Rich Eisen:Yeah. Speaking—I mean, you would know, again, being a Clipper and a Sixer fan and a man who also has the same beard. It's true. You got one more over there, Suze?

16:55Tom Pelissero:I mean, I've got a bunch more. I mean, I can go in different directions here. Just keep going. Do we have time? We've got time. Who's the team down? What's more likely the team down 3-2 to force a game 7? Wolves or Pistons?

17:07Rich Eisen:Pistons. Yeah. What else? You said that real quick. I did.

17:12Tom Pelissero:Who's more likely to win the National League Cy Young? Paul Skeens or Shohei Otani?

17:20Rich Eisen:I don't understand. He thinks he should start giving up pitching, and he's saying he's in Cy Young. I'll go Skeens. I'll go Paul Skeens. Skeens is unbelievable. Although his ERA at 1.97 or 9.8 right now is a full run more than Otani's. But...

17:37Tom Pelissero:17 strikeouts, zero runs in men.

17:40Rich Eisen:What if Otani doesn't win MVP this year, but wins Cy Young instead? Can you imagine? By the way, it's so stupid how it's a real thing that's happening right now. And he wants it to be discontinued because it affects his hitting. Get out of here.

17:56Tom Pelissero:He's a Maynard. Come on. He's got to be contrarian.

17:59Rich Eisen:Okay, very good. I like it. You have any more? Is that it? That's it. Oh. Well, I mean, it's time for me to do the read then. That's it. What's more likely is brought to you by Pella Windows and Doors. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always have the winning game plan. That's why your neighbors trust them. visit Pella.com slash Eisen all right before we get to uh Tommy P Jimmy in San Antonio wants to chime in right here Jimmy G here I took the road team to be more likely to force a game seven Detroit in Cleveland rather than the T-Wolves at home against your Spurs did you hear that Jim

18:35Tom Pelissero:that's because you're a you're a Michigan man thank you sir thank you sir appreciate that

18:39Rich Eisen:What's up, Jimmy?

18:42Tom Pelissero:Well, obviously I have to say hello to Suze. Let's not be rude, Rich. Hi, Jimmy. Hi, Suze. How are you? I'm great. How are you, Jimmy? I'm doing well. I'm packing up for four days at the lake house with my dog, Bex. We're going camping. That sounds so nice. What kind of dog is Bex, Jimmy? Half pit, half boxer. Yeah, perfect. Have a great weekend. That sounds delightful. By the way, those aren't great camping breed dogs. That's why we're practicing at the lake house. Because she'll run off and she gets distracted easy. We've got to focus here, Bex. Come on.

19:20Rich Eisen:Is Bex named after David Beckham?

19:23Tom Pelissero:And Becky Hammond. I combined both of their nicknames. Oh, Jimmy.

19:28Rich Eisen:I like that so much. Look at us tracking it down. What's on your mind?

19:31Tom Pelissero:Well, obviously, Suze, I have to give a shout out to Fernando Mendoza because we obviously have cohered.

19:38Rich Eisen:Nice.

19:39Tom Pelissero:And I don't want Rich jealous of our cohering or whatever Fernando Mendoza said with his diverse vocabulary.

19:47Rich Eisen:Yeah, I know. I didn't even know that was a word until he's used it. It's impressive. He's the first quarterback to teach me a word in my 23 years being with NFL Network. Extensive.

19:57Tom Pelissero:Are we talking Wemby or what?

19:59Rich Eisen:Yeah, man.

20:00Tom Pelissero:Right? Okay. Here's what I've learned about this kid watching him and growing up in our city because he is growing up in our city. Do not piss him off. He plays, and he can go to another level, and do not hope that he does not feel like he let his teammates down, because when he comes back from that, it's on. And he takes it to another level for a 22-year-old. It's amazing to watch the progression of this guy and his maturity within his first playoff room.

20:34Rich Eisen:Jimmy, I am so with you. He is exactly what this league needs, this association needs, which is international star, okay? Yeah. Fan curiosity. Just to see him when he comes into town, you've got to just see him. Like, what does he look like in person?

20:55Tom Pelissero:We've already had, Rich, fans from Japan, France, France, all over the world coming to San Antonio just to see Wimby for like a two-game stretch over the weekend or something like that.

21:06Rich Eisen:I bet. You also want to see him bring the ball up the floor. You want to see him dunk it from the free throw line without taking more than one step. You want to see him shoot threes. You want to see him do all of that. And then he cares about every regular season game in a world in which we're talking about tanking and anti-tanking rules and how many ping-pong balls and relegation zones. This guy, when he loses game 56, treats it like he has lost a game six in the playoffs.

21:35Tom Pelissero:Yeah, I guess a lot of young players coming into the league, to be honest, are like, well, damn it, now I have to step it up because this guy who can dominate all of us cares every night.

21:46Rich Eisen:And he doesn't flop. He doesn't flop. He doesn't tank. He's unbelievable. He's exactly what the doctor ordered for the moment, Jimmy.

21:54Tom Pelissero:Well, it's hard to flop because it takes so far to fall. Good one. He shouldn't do that.

22:00Rich Eisen:Enjoy your weekend with Bex, sir.

22:03Tom Pelissero:I will. Susie, you have a great weekend, too. Thanks. Don't forget to watch women's sports now, Jimmy. You can watch it at the Lake House, right? 6 p.m. Eastern. That's it. Yes, please.

22:13Rich Eisen:That's it. Thanks, Jimmy. Jimmy and San Antonio.

22:16Tom Pelissero:Nailed it.

22:16Rich Eisen:They did. Nailed it. Very good. Good job. Wow, Jimmy didn't say highlights. Completely ignoring the other half of the room. Thanks, Jimmy. Now that the draft is in the books, teams are focused on developing future franchise players, fresh starts and fine tuning their final rosters. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors is a choice you can trust with experts who find the right products for your needs and then install them with care. Discover why Pella Windows and Doors is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen today. That's Pella.com slash Eisen. Make life brighter with Pella Windows and Doors.

22:52Rich Eisen:We take a break. This man makes our life brighter. Tommy. Look at him with the mug and everything. Tommy P coming up. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

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24:19Rich Eisen:a million bucks the nfl schedule dropped and it is time to settle up people there's road trips to plan hotels to book tickets to split tailgates to cover scores to settle all the things for the season but now when you send ten dollars or more to a friend with paypal by may 28th you could win two tickets to every home game of your favorite team yep the whole season visit paypal.com slash p2p sweeps no purchase necessary see website for details including how to enter by mail brought to you by paypal official peer-to-peer payment sponsor of the nfl

24:54Rich Eisen:tom pellicero back here on the rich eisen show our radio audience has returned um so what's the story oh let's go let's start with malik neighbors he had a cleanup of his knee Tom, what's going on?

25:07Tom Pelissero:So Malik Nabors, from my understanding, the original injury was a torn ACL as well as a meniscus. So that's not an uncommon, crazy type of an injury, but it can have an extended type of a recovery. At some point in the process, there were just some hurdles in his rehab. He was experiencing stiffness in the knee. What they did, and this was not like yesterday. This was three or four weeks ago, I'm told. They did a procedure to clean up the scar tissue just to try to get some better mobility into that knee. It does not sound like that has set him back a significant amount. The hope is still that he's ready to roll in week one.

25:43Tom Pelissero:You never want to hear about one of your young star players having one knee surgery, much less multiple procedures on the knee. But it does not sound like this is cause for great concern, given the fact that we're still about four months away from playing football.

25:56Rich Eisen:So you think week one, no big deal. Let's clean it up. he'll be out there that's what you're hearing on that front well if the procedure was again i was

26:04Tom Pelissero:told three to four weeks ago so you're talking about five months from that to early september when the season is beginning here it seems like everything's on track that's what i have been told here certainly worth monitoring just in terms of how they bring him along what his reps look like what his explosion looks like when he gets back out there uh doing football drills but i

26:21Rich Eisen:wouldn't push the panic button on malik neighbors all right then let's not push any panic buttons What else is happening in this world we should be talking about or knowing about?

26:29Tom Pelissero:We got schedule release, Rich. This is now. Look at us. It is finally the fourth day of the holiday. You're lighting the candles so you can get the final one.

26:40Rich Eisen:I have no idea. Because I was saying the drip, drip, drip is similar to a movie trailer that you see and you're like, I've seen the movie. Why do I need to now? I just saw the trailer pretty much, and it's the movie, so why do I need to see the movie now? You're saying it's the Hanukkah of sports.

27:01Tom Pelissero:That's right, and the biggest present, if I am familiar with the culture, would come tonight, and that is the other 257 games that have not yet been announced. Here's one interesting thing, and I've heard this more this year than ever before. There is, let's just say, some frustration among some teams about the international slate and specifically when teams learn they have to go and play overseas. This time of year has to be the most frustrating week for football operations people around the NFL because the announcements on the home teams for some of these games, for instance, the Saints knew they were playing the first ever Paris game.

27:45Tom Pelissero:They found out in like January. The 49ers found out they were going to Mexico City Super Bowl week. in late January, early February. But their opponents did not. The Steelers found out on Tuesday, hey, remember last year you went to Ireland to play the first game there? This year we're saying you to play the first game in Paris. So good luck. We're announcing it tomorrow morning. Do you want to make a comment on this? The Vikings, who last year became the first team ever to play back-to-back international games in two different countries, found out on Tuesday, hey, we're announcing tomorrow morning you're going to Mexico City and play the 49ers.

28:19Tom Pelissero:And that's not to say these teams or the Colts find out after they played overseas, I think in Germany last year, now you're going to London. They found that out on Tuesday. It's not that teams don't want to go on these trips. If you're the Vikings, for instance, Mexico City is basically the same distance as San Francisco. You actually don't even have to leave your time zone. It's still a road game because the 49ers are huge in Mexico. But it's not that different. It's more just the matter of, OK, it's all the operational things are going back to a city. Yes, the NFL has been to, but that team hasn't been to before.

28:49Tom Pelissero:And hey, didn't we earn a little something last year when we played those two games overseas? You wouldn't anticipate you have another one. Yet here it is. The Vikings find out on Tuesday you're going to play a Week 11 against the 49ers in Mexico City. This is going to become, Rich, the norm for years to come. We know Roger Goodell has said repeatedly the ultimate goal is to have every team playing one game overseas. right now under the collective bargaining agreement that would require some horse trading of course they'll be back at the table uh sometime later my belief just me no one has told me this but my belief is ultimately teams may be playing two games per year overseas just because if you're playing that many it makes sense to have pods reduce the travel establish those markets with multiple games instead of one but this is going to be a core part you know of the next um the next collective bargaining uh negotiation which is going to be coming up in the coming years if going to go to 18 games is it one international game is it two right now where it's the only thing that players get if they play multiple international games in a single year is a five thousand dollar stipend that's your bonus for going and playing the second international

29:55Rich Eisen:game you get five thousand bucks hey it's better than zero okay a thousand bucks you know but i i hear what you're saying um and and and it is for teams a logistical question in the world of controllables, control what you can control. You just, you know, you play them where you're playing, what have you. But the scenes there, when you get there, when you get to these places and the games, they are lit. Like that, that, that will be, you know, Steelers and Saints in Paris is going to be significant. And, you know, obviously you never know what the games are going to be until you get there with it in terms of the record and what they're going to be.

30:37um thanksgiving also same way but the you you could clearly see that the nfl feels

30:44Rich Eisen:like they got a nice taste of putting a huge game on on thanksgiving last year and a rating broke smashed everything you get the sense they want to break every record in the books they're going for 60 million when they put the eagles and the cowboys on fox in the middle of Thanksgiving Day, Tom. That's for sure.

31:07Tom Pelissero:There's no doubt. And I believe it's Lions-Bears that are going to be in the early game that day. So you're talking about two huge divisional matchups. Not to mention, the night before, you've got the Packers-Rams game now on Thanksgiving Eve, the national biggest day for bars across America, now will also be packed with NFL fans watching those games. So you want to talk about lit, there will be some people getting lit while watching the Packers and the Rams. It's all part of the broader strategy for the NFL. They've never espoused the idea of, well, we need to be playing seven nights a week. It's not the NBA where they've got seven different partners, and hey, you're priming games on this day and NBC Peacock games on this day.

31:47Tom Pelissero:But they are taking some parts of that model, which is any other places they can find, to put a game where they feel like it's going to be advantageous, where you can draw a big audience with a big game. You don't know. I mean, you could be putting the Chiefs, Rich, on Christmas like you do every year, And then last year, all of a sudden, hey, they're eliminated. And, you know, this game doesn't mean anything. Those are the chances that you take that some of the unknowns. I was scheduling those games late in the calendar. But when it hits, it has the, you know, the potential to be something really big.

32:15Rich Eisen:All right. So what else jumps out at you from the schedule release, Tom? I'll give you the open floor on that.

32:21Tom Pelissero:Well, clearly, you know, the fact that you're opening up in Melbourne, we've known that for a while with a divisional game between the 49ers and the Rams. That's a pretty, you know, substantial type of a thing. The fact that you have a Chiefs-Broncos game in primetime in week one, not to say, I think that it's overstated sometimes the NFL has inside information on who's playing and what guy's going to sign with what team, but you certainly wouldn't think the NFL would want to be putting a Justin Fields versus Jarrett Stidham game in week one. it would seem to suggest they're pretty confident about Patrick Mahomes, whose goal has been to be out there in week one, and Bo Nix, who, again, another guy who had a second procedure in the offseason, but it sounds like everything is going in the right direction.

33:07Tom Pelissero:You know, Sean Payton sometimes can be liberal with the truth, but in this case, it sounds like everything he said at his podium session the other day was true, that Bo Nix should be ready to roll. They'll be delicate with him through OTAs, but he should be ready to go for the season. Sometimes you get those little types of indications that help. There's so many storylines, Rich, in this offseason. So many quarterbacks and stark players coming back from injuries. You've got the opening of Highmark Stadium, which is going to be the first game on Thursday night. Prime in Week 2 against the Lions and all the history with those teams.

33:42Tom Pelissero:There's a ton of fun stuff on the schedule. And again, let me remind you, it may feel like we know the whole schedule. And if you're following the unofficial leaks, you may have half of it at this point. We do officially have 257 more games that will be announced tonight on ESPN NFL Network and the family of ESPN Network.

33:58Rich Eisen:Look at you, Tom. Something extra in the paycheck right there. Look at you. Look at us.

34:03Tom Pelissero:Not for me, but, you know, somebody somewhere.

34:07Rich Eisen:Look at us in our brave new world right here. So look just over the steering wheel here. When do we start hearing A.J. Brown rumors? Like, when does that hit, Tom?

34:18Tom Pelissero:It'll be right around the June 1st date at which the cap consequences change substantially here. I would tell you as of a couple of days ago when I checked in, doesn't sound like there's been any communication, much less negotiation, on A.J. Brown since before the draft. Everybody knows what the timeline is. There's really no reason to re-engage at this point. The Patriots had an offer that they made months ago for A.J. Brown. Again, it didn't make sense for the Eagles to do anything at that point because they would have been slapped with a$40 million dead cap charge in 2026. Now the question is, all right, if you're not talking about a 2026 pick, you're talking about a 2027 pick in a draft that is stronger.

34:57Tom Pelissero:You know, what does that compensation look like? Howie Rosen was looking originally for a similar type of price that he paid to get A.J. Brown four years ago from the Titans. He doesn't have, he did not at that time have an offer that was comparable to that. You know, again, 2027 draft pick, there's a reason those were not really moved in this past draft rates because this is a really good draft but one of the teams the team that got the highest 2027 pick just so happened to have been the Eagles who have already additional capital in that draft that's what they're going to be trying to move A.J.

35:29Tom Pelissero:Brown for is it a one that's hard to imagine is it a two they you know they could have had a two in this year's draft there's still some moving parts but it does still sound like the Patriots are the most likely team if not the only team how we certainly could open it up and speak to others if somebody let's say has a need arise And there's nothing to say, well, you have to take the best offer you have on June 2nd. This is how he he is going to make every phone call and get the most out of every deal. If he doesn't like what the Patriots offer is, whether that's today or in three weeks or in August, you know, he can also wait on this thing.

36:04Tom Pelissero:But it does seem like we're headed toward resolution in the not too distant future. And it sounds like that resolution is going to be with AJ Brown putting on a different uniform in 2027.

36:12Rich Eisen:all right i did what's more likely today you know that's a friday staple as you will be sitting in this chair uh monday and tuesday next week and then the following tuesday wednesday cissy will be sitting in this chair um so you i got the next couple of guest hosts um sitting right here on the show together so just to wrap this up tom a what's more likely for you okay um a what's more likely for you who um shows up first rogers in pittsburgh aj brown in new england aaron rogers in pittsburgh

36:48Tom Pelissero:is more likely to show up sooner because and i've said this rich for months on this show and elsewhere the target date was never the draft it was not the start of free agency it was really may 18th for aaron rogers it was first day of otas you want to max out the reps that you get on the field. This portion of the offseason, it's geared toward Will Howard and more recently Drew Aller in terms of the fundamental work that you get in phase one and phase two. Phase three is where you have a little bit more of a competitive environment where a lot more of the players are present, though it sounds like they've had really good attendance so far in Pittsburgh.

37:22Tom Pelissero:That's where ideally, knowing how Mike McCarthy thinks, you'd want your starting quarterback to be there. You go all the way back to McCarthy's early days in Green Bay, 2006, and even more so in 2007, Brett Favre, who had spent off seasons on the tractor down in Mississippi for the better part of a decade, he showed up in 2007, not for all the OTAs, but for some of them. And that was part of a conversation that Mike McCarthy had with Brett Favre about, Hey, we need to get everybody together. It's important. I can't force you. It's voluntary and it remains voluntary, but it would be really good if you came.

37:58Tom Pelissero:And I think Brett attended like nine out of 12 sessions or something that offseason. They got on the same page with a new group, a bunch of young wide receivers. It was Greg Jennings and James Jones and guys like that, in addition to Donald Driver, that were in the room at that time. And they made a surprise run to the NFC Championship game. Rodgers is in a similar part of his career, where for years now, there's been an aspect of when is he going to show? Is he going to show? More recently, what team is he going to be on? If Aaron Rodgers is not there next week, that would be the first time to me that the Dauber would begin to go up on, is Aaron Rodgers potentially not going to show up?

38:37Tom Pelissero:I still believe that he is. I still believe he's going to sign. There is nothing that I have been told that makes me believe the contract is going to be an issue with Aaron Rodgers. It's going to be a one-year deal. It's going to have a two in front of it, I believe. It's a pretty straightforward type of thing because this is not about money for a player who's made close to$400 million in his career. At some point, the patience is going to run out. It certainly seems like the patience for Steelers fans, just based on the feedback I get every time I talk about Aaron Rodgers, may already be running out for some people.

39:11Tom Pelissero:For Art Rooney, for Mike McCarthy, who's trying to get the team ready on the field, that patience may be tested. I don't believe that that has happened yet. If they don't have something in place by the start of next week, I think that we get there. I know Rodgers was reported to be in town last week. There was never a meeting or a visit set up, at least from the Steelers' end, for him to come in. He wasn't in the building. Nobody talked to him. Does that change? Keep an eye on it over the next, let's say, 72 hours here. See if Aaron Rodgers ends up moving forward and giving the commitment to the Steelers, which is the one thing left.

39:44Tom Pelissero:It's not the contract. It's not about any conspiracy theories. It's about Aaron Rodgers deciding, yes, I 100 % am committed to playing football in 2026. And I'm going to put in the time to make sure that I and everybody around me is ready to roll.

39:57Rich Eisen:Tom, you're the man. Thank you for the time. We'll see you here next week. Thanks again. Be there on Monday. Can't wait. That's the day that you and Rodgers showing up at the same time. How about that? Who now are you, Tommy? Bay 18th, important.

40:09Tom Pelissero:But will he bring you breakfast? I'm just saying. he probably won't probably not probably not he won't all right but me he might be me and tom

40:18Rich Eisen:we might go have lunch later yeah all types of things by the way this is not a competition

40:23Tom Pelissero:honey everything is not everything is a competition tom this even tom is like what's up with that he's got granola to spare you know for me i feel for you because rich doesn't pay attention to me either you know there are just times where I feel like I am a mere supporting character in his universe. I even, after our discussion last week, when I was encouraged to wear the Canadian tuxedo for this, not one comment. Didn't even notice that I delivered and remembered to show up looking good in my finest denim. Nothing. He just tried to get his attention, Tom. He just wanted him to shower with a little love and affection.

41:03Tom Pelissero:I mean, I get it. I get it. Because everyone knows

41:06Rich Eisen:everyone knows how We're in croissants on Monday, Tom. We're up against it. We're out of time. Croissants. Take care, Tom. Safe travel. That's Tom Pellissera, everybody. Looking great in his denim. Is that better? Yeah. Just tell Tom how handsome he is, Rich. He just wants to hear from you. Oh, his hair and his, I don't have donuts. I show up in denim. Double denim. I'm sick of your knowledge. Canadian tux.

41:26Tom Pelissero:Tom, I'm Canadian tux on you, Rich. All right.

41:28Rich Eisen:Let's take a break right here on the Rich Eisen Show. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial.

41:37Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.

41:45Tom Pelissero:Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly.

41:48Rich Eisen:Check engine, ABS, or maintenance light on. Take the guesswork out of your warning lights with O 'Reilly Veriscan. The service is free and provides a report with solutions verified by ASE certified master technicians. And if you need help, we could recommend to shop for you. Ask for O 'Reilly Veriscan today.

42:08Tom Pelissero:Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly. Auto Parts.

42:18Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. Take a second and look at your city's calendar. Everywhere I go, there's always something coming up. Games, concerts, conventions, tournaments, the kind of events that bring people in from all over. And when that happens, you can feel it. more energy, more fans, and a whole lot more people looking for a place to stay. So here's something to think about. If your city has that kind of buzz, if big events are on the way, listing your space on Airbnb could be a great opportunity. If you're already planning to be out of town or you've got a trip coming up, why not make your place work for you while you're gone?

42:53Rich Eisen:You've got the space and you're not using it. It could be earning you some extra cash. I know when I travel for these big events, I'm not just looking for a place to crash. I want something comfortable and safe, a place that allows me to experience the city like a local. And that's exactly what you can do by offering to list your space. No big lifestyle change, no long-term commitment, just making smart use of the space you already have. So the next time your city draws a crowd, think about listing your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.

43:55Rich Eisen:Face matters and so does comfort. We'll be happy if the kids put the cleats on the seats. That'd be bad news. Right? Yeah. Thank you. I was just looking for confirmation. The all new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details. My New York accent just came back out there when I said interior. I heard that. Just slips out of it. Dickie Eyes from Staten Island. It just slips out. Forget about it. Sort of like James Harden's Unstoppable Game sometimes. Man. Listen, all everybody's talking about, though, Asar Thompson, he got fouled. He got fouled. And it happened right in front of Tony Brothers, and he swallowed his whistle.

44:35Rich Eisen:He did, but you could— He sure did. Jared Allen 100 % fouled Thompson. But you could also say that Thompson may have fouled Mitchell on the drive to the bucket, too. You could also say that there was one of the free throws that James Harden did make. He lane violated. When he shoots his free throws, he steps right into the lane. I guess you can do all that. Here's the deal, though, Rich. The Pistons should not have lost that. That is correct. They were up by 15 at one point. They were up by three possessions with about two and changed. Yeah, I had to rewind a little. I'm like, what just happened?

45:10Rich Eisen:How did they lose this? But that was a foul at the end. That was not called, and we go to overtime, and then they lose it in overtime.

45:16Tom Pelissero:Okay, but then we go back to this point, right?

45:17Rich Eisen:Do you want the ref to swallow the whistle at the end of the game when it's that close? The NFL has no problem doing that. Yeah. Ever.

45:26Tom Pelissero:No, but the officiating's been all over the place, both in the W and in the NBA. I mean, it's been all over the place. It usually is, yeah.

45:33Rich Eisen:Well, I mean, it's becoming just a more physical game in the W, obviously in the NBA as well. But right in front of Tony Brothers, right in front of him, swallowed it. And now the Cavs go home with a chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Knicks fans very excited about that. Not like we want Cleveland, but they want games one and two in Madison Square Garden, which would not happen if the Pistons advance. And for the Pistons to have this dream season potentially go down the tubes due to four straight losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because don't forget, Pistons up 2-0. and Cleveland is yet to lose after losing game two.

46:19Rich Eisen:A 9-0 run to end regulation. 9-0 to force overtime. And Harden getting it done. This is what he had to say afterwards about how he's performing. It's kind of crazy about, hey, you're actually performing Hall of Famer, you're performing well in the playoffs. Yeah, hit it. This is new for me. So, like, we keep talking about, you know, like, I've only been here two and a half months, you know what I mean? So, like, the things that we were going through is all new, you know? So, like, learning how to be, you know, a second option and feed and play off Donovan, you know, when to be aggressive, you know, when he has it going.

46:57Rich Eisen:Like, last game, second half, like, he did some things that we haven't seen in a very, very long time, you know what I mean? So, it's like, you know, and he's capable of doing that every single game. So, you know, finding when to be aggressive, when to be a playmaker and things like that. So and then offensively finding what works for us, you know, for me to be successful, to get guys, you know, shots and open looks. So it all comes together. And I think we're building in the right direction. And throughout that process, there's going to be some, you know, times where, you know, we don't look as great.

47:26Rich Eisen:But I think overall, we all got the right mindset of wanting to help each other be better. And, you know, I think we're finding that as of lately. 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three blocks and a steal. that'll get you a game five win on the road. We'll talk about it with Chris Weber in just a moment. The Ridge Eisen Show podcast.