In short
Episode topic: Rich Eisen Show Hour 3 covers NFL Annual Meeting news, especially San Francisco 49ers offseason drama and roster outlook, plus Hard Knocks selections (Seahawks, Patriots), NFL Network’s “new era,” and other sports/entertainment updates.
Guests (backgrounds)
Matt Maiocco (NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers reporter/insider) joins from the NFL Annual Meeting. Other voices are referenced earlier in the show (Matt Miller, Mike Garofalo), but this hour’s main guest is Maiocco.
Key claims
49ers Brandon Aiyuk situation is effectively over; Jed York’s message to other teams is “come get him now” for compensation. Maiocco expects Aiyuk to be traded or cut, with “anything” as a bonus. 49ers remade the WR room: Mike Evans and Christian Kirk added; Debo Samuel traded; Juwan Jennings unsigned; Ricky Pearsall health issues. George Kittle’s Achilles return “week one” is optimistic given age and travel to Melbourne.
Notable examples
Aiyuk’s reserve list placement after December; 49ers’ 16-hour flights for Week 1 vs Rams; 49ers locker room construction and hydro/medical upgrades; Seahawks celebrating in the 49ers locker room after a Super Bowl. Hard Knocks: Seahawks in 2025, Patriots in 2026.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOUpcoming Guests and News Update
1:15 to 1:54
Rich previews the show and introduces upcoming guests and a news update.
“Michigan makes the final four by curb stomping Tennessee.”
Matt Maiocco Joins the Show
1:54 to 2:40
Rich welcomes 49ers insider Matt Maiocco to discuss the NFL annual meeting.
“We go right down the line of some of the news stories coming out of the NFL annual meeting.”
Brandon Aiyuk's Situation with the 49ers
2:40 to 8:10
Matt discusses Brandon Aiyuk's contract situation and future with the 49ers.
“I'm just enjoying the sun here in Arizona.”
49ers' Wide Receiver Room Changes
8:10 to 11:49
Exploration of the changes in the 49ers' wide receiver lineup and their impact.
“So I just I honestly think anything they get for him at this point would be a bonus.”
Optimism for the 49ers' Upcoming Season
11:49 to 14:00
Discussion on the 49ers' outlook for the upcoming season based on recent changes.
“How are the Niners viewing this upcoming season based through the prism of last year's surprisingly exciting one, Matt?”
49ers Injury Concerns and Facility Updates
14:00 to 18:21
Learn about the 49ers' injury concerns and updates to their facilities.
“And he even went so far as to say that he feels like they're on the precipice of getting something done.”
Discussion on Locker Room Changes
18:21 to 18:53
Hear about potential changes to the 49ers locker room after the Seahawks' Super Bowl celebration.
“Gentlemen, it was a pleasure chatting with him.”
Superstitions and Injury Beliefs
18:53 to 20:46
Explore beliefs regarding injuries related to electrical substations and superstitions in the NFL.
“Just every fresh coat of paint, remodel everything.”
Light-Hearted Banter About Roger Goodell
20:46 to 21:42
Enjoy a humorous exchange about pranking Roger Goodell after the NFL owners meeting.
“Heard there's some construction going on anyway.”
Fan Interaction and Opinions
24:03 to 26:24
Listen to fans calling in to share their thoughts on the NFL and favorite moments.
“But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back.”
Show all 17 chapters
News Update on Upcoming Super Bowls
26:24 to 28:04
Get the latest news on the Super Bowl schedule, including future locations.
“I mean, take your heart pills and buckle up.”
Excitement for Upcoming Super Bowls
28:04 to 29:48
The hosts discuss the future locations and excitement surrounding upcoming Super Bowls.
“You know the Super Bowl 61 is here in Los Angeles?”
Hard Knocks Revealed: Seahawks and Patriots
29:48 to 31:00
Discussion on the announcement of the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots being featured in the upcoming seasons of Hard Knocks.
“The progress on the baseball stadium looks good.”
Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers Speculation
31:00 to 35:18
The hosts speculate on Aaron Rodgers' future and potential legacy with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We showed Mike McCarthy missing a button in the team photo.”
Tiger Woods' DUI Incident
35:18 to 39:37
A news update regarding Tiger Woods' recent car accident and DUI charge, discussing the implications for his career.
“Okay, so remember the flag football game that got us all talking about Tom Brady and the Olympics and all that fun stuff?”
Reflecting on NFL Network Launch
41:46 to 42:00
Rich Eisen shares his emotions and thoughts about the launch of the NFL Network and his career transition.
“All right, actually what we really mean is this 24-7, 365 network dedicated entirely to the National Football League.”
Rich Eisen Reflects on His NFL Journey
42:14 to 46:34
Rich shares emotional insights about leaving NFL Network after 23 years and his journey from ESPN.
“We've got quite a bit in our launch rundown, so let's get right into it.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:01Chris Brockman:The world moves fast. Your workday? Even faster. Pitching products, drafting reports, analyzing data. Microsoft 365 Copilot is your AI assistant for work. Built into Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 apps you use. Helping you quickly write, analyze, create, and summarize. So you can cut through clutter and clear a path to your best work. Learn more at Microsoft.com slash m365copilot. Protein is now at Starbucks, and it's never tasted so good. You can add protein cold foam to your favorite drink or try one of our new protein lattes or matcha. Try it today at Starbucks.
0:45Chris Brockman:This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. This is the Rich Eisen Show.
1:17Rich Eisen:And I'm living my best life right now.
1:19Chris Brockman:Rich Eisen.
1:20Rich Eisen:Michigan makes the final four by curb stomping Tennessee.
1:23Chris Brockman:From the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.
1:26Rich Eisen:Duke gets Leitner'd in front of the whole country.
1:28Chris Brockman:Earlier on the show. ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller. NFL network reporter Mike Garofalo. Coming up. NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers reporter Matt Maioco. And now it's Rich Eisen.
1:45Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen's show is on the air. Your phone call's coming up in this hour. We got a whole bunch to get through. We'll get there. A news update from Chris Brockman. We haven't done one of those in a while. Let's go. We go right down the line of some of the news stories coming out of the NFL annual meeting. We talked about it with Mike Garofalo on hour number two. On hour number one, Matt Miller gave us his latest mock draft. If you missed any of it, there's our YouTube channel, youtube.com slash RichEyes and show closing in on 1.1 million followers there. We appreciate all that. There's also our socials.
2:15Rich Eisen:um a great new reel is out with our chat with uh Antoine Fuqua the uh director of training day back in the day here in support of his new movie the Michael Jackson film that's coming out later on next month um check out all of our socials we appreciate that our podcast all three hours available every single day wherever you get your podcast joining us now from the NFL annual meeting to talk about the San Francisco 49ers there's a lot of you fans of that team out there Matt Mayoko of NBC Sports Bay Area. Good to see you, Matt. How are you? I'm doing great. I'm just enjoying the sun here in Arizona.
2:49Having a good time. I enjoyed the intro. Very well done. Oh, thank you, Matt. I feel very good joining that group, that esteemed guest lineup that you have today.
2:59Rich Eisen:We appreciate you saying all that, and I appreciate the backdrop you got behind you there. Look at that. That's very nice. I ran these people off behind me. Get out of here. leave your leave your cacti and go i gotta go on the rich eyes and show all right uh let's just jump into the brandon iuke of it all uh because i i don't blame jed york for saying let's put humpty dumpty back together again i mean they're paying for him uh and this is also the team that once upon a time had jimmy garoppolo 19th on the death chart and wound up signing him by the end of training camp and and needing him right um is that the philosophy here at play matt i i think his comments probably caught John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan a little bit off guard.
3:42I mean, the Brandon Iuke 49ers union, it came to an end. It was building. And then last year, in the middle of December, they placed him on the reserve left squad list. So if they couldn't get him to come to the team last year when he was at risk of basically voiding a$27 million guarantee for this year, I don't think that there's any chance of that union staying together. Now, from Jed York's standpoint, you know, the 49ers do have him under contract, and they don't want to just cut him free and let him go wherever he wants to go to a team that wants him. They want to be able to get something for him.
4:23So the best way of doing that would probably be for the owner of the 49ers to put the word out that, you know what, we're just fine keeping him here. So if some team wants him, if you want him now, come get him now. The 49ers aren't in any hurry whatsoever to get rid of him and just allow him to control his own path. So I think that that was probably the message that Jed York was sending to the 31 other teams. And if you're interested at all, you'd have to really wait a long time for him. So if you want him, come get him now and give the 49ers something in return. Why is this difference so irreconcilable?
5:04I have no idea. And I don't even think the 49ers really have an idea. I think the only one who can really answer that is Brandon Ayuk. You know, the contract negotiations for that deal that he signed before the 2024 season, it did get contentious. But usually when something like that happens, you know, through a contentious negotiation, once the deal is signed, it's basically both sides kind of kiss and make up and they move on. And for Brandon Ayuk, it was a rocky offseason that year during the contract negotiations. He finally signed the deal and then he wasn't productive when he got on the field.
5:43He missed all the training camp and all the offseason program. And right around the time where it started to look like he might be playing the kind of football that the 49ers signed up for, that's when he got injured. And then the rehab kind of went sideways with him not fulfilling the terms of the contract to show up and be under team supervision. So it's kind of a tough one to put your finger on. And, you know, I think even his close friends on the team weren't at all sure, you know, what was going on, what the impetus was for him to have such a fractured relationship with the 49ers. I think generally speaking, you know, when you have a guy like John Lynch, who knows what it's like to be an NFL player, he knows how players want to be treated.
6:29He's a Hall of Famer. They've tried to do all the right things as far as just, you know, treating these guys with respect and dignity. But something became amiss with the whole Brandon Aiyuk situation. I don't think anybody really knows what happened.
6:45Rich Eisen:So in your reporting or in the conversations, what do you think would be the acceptable compensation from another team for the Niners to basically say this ends now? I mean, I would think just something. You know, I don't think that I'm right. I mean, I think it's a seventh-round draft pick. Really? Yeah. I mean, I just don't know that any team, based on how last year went, would be willing to pay more than that. And for the 49ers, I think they just want something in return. They did sign him to the contract. Jed York said, I guess, kind of tongue in cheek a little bit, that they paid him more millions of dollars than actual snaps that he played once he signed that contract.
7:30So, you know, that's an exaggeration, but it kind of points to where the team felt about not getting any bang for their buck. Now, they are able to get out of that contract. No more guaranteed money left on the deal. That was money voided and that Brandon Ayuk did not fight. There was no grievance filed or anything of that nature. But I just think at this point, it's just anything that they can get for him would be a plus because I don't see him being on the team. I don't think there's any chance of him being on the team. And so, you know, at some point, they'll be prepared to cut ties with him and then he can go seek another team.
8:10So I just I honestly think anything they get for him at this point would be a bonus.
8:15Rich Eisen:Matt Maioco joining us from the NFL annual meeting, talking some Niners football with the insider from Bay Area, NBC Sports Bay Area. Matt Maioco here. If it wasn't for the Max Crosby trade, no trade, the Mike Evans signing would have been at the top of my list of surprises, plot twists, excitement. And so walk me through what the receiver room is going to look like for Purdy and the rest of the squad at the end of the day here, Matt. Yeah, I mean, you know, think about where the 49ers were just a couple years ago. I mean, they had a really good wide receiver room with Debo Samuel being kind of a game-changing type of player and a player that, you know, guys coming out in the draft were like patterning themselves after to be the next Debo Samuel.
8:59You had Brandon Ayuk, who had a 1 ,300-yard season in the 49ers Super Bowl year of 2023. He was, you know, one of the top wide receivers in the game. And then Juwan Jennings, who's a third receiver, third and Juwan, the guy who came up with the money catches and could have easily been the Super Bowl MVP. And now, just a couple of years later, none of those guys are around. You know, Debo Samuel was traded. Brandon Ayuk on his way out. And Juwan Jennings remains unsigned as a free agent. So the 49ers did select Ricky Pearsall a couple of years ago. He's had difficulty staying healthy. And so they needed to do something to that wide receiver room.
9:36And not only did they get Mike Evans, which, you know, was basically trading places with Juwan Jennings as far as Evans stepping into that role, but being more of a dynamic threat, I think. And obviously a guy who's reliable and who's done it a long time and is seen as a really good professional. But they also added Christian Kirk. And so that kind of fulfills a need that the 49ers have had for a while, a slot receiver. So they've totally remade that wide receiver room, and it already looked significantly better than it was a year ago, when even then the 49ers had the number five passing game in the NFL.
10:14Rich Eisen:John Lynch certainly raised my eyebrows hearing the two words week one in relation to George Kittle's potential return from an Achilles injury. You hearing the same thing? Yeah, I mean, you know, whenever you put that out there, it kind of drives up the pressure a little bit. Because now if he's not ready for week one, people will be going, well, what happened? You know, was there a setback? But I do know that at the time of the injury, it was considered, you know, you can never have a good Achilles injury, quite obviously. But it was on the better side because the tear was higher up on the leg.
10:48It didn't have to be drilled into the bone, you know, the heel or anything like that. So there was optimism that the recovery would be on the shorter end of it. But, yeah, week one seems very ambitious. But, you know, George Kittle, you know, there's a couple of complications here, Rich, that I'm a little bit skeptical about in that, you know, his age, he's up there. He's on the other side of 30. And also the way the 49ers open this season, you know, a 16-hour flight to Melbourne to open against the Rams and then a 16-hour flight back after that game for week one. And so it kind of it doesn't seem conducive to an older player returning off of a major injury for him returning and playing in that game.
11:32But for John Lynch to put it out there, it at least tells you that everything is moving in a very positive direction. I think George is up in Oregon right now playing golf without a boot on. So it tells you that that rehab is going very much according to plan, if not ahead of schedule.
11:49Rich Eisen:What a first-week game, right, against the Rams, who came so close to making the Super Bowl and then did not because the eventual Super Bowl winner was the winner of the division that the Niners had in their house in Week 18 with the right to be the one seed at the end of the day. How are the Niners viewing this upcoming season based through the prism of last year's surprisingly exciting one, Matt? Yeah, you know, a year ago, you know, we were talking about all the players the 49ers lost, whether it was trading guys, releasing guys for salary cap purposes, or just really not being competitive on the free agent market and letting those guys walk.
12:29And now this year we're talking about the guys that they've added. And, you know, we talk about Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and Osa Digizua coming in from the Cowboys. But not only that, it's the guys who were injured last year and the fans were able to find ways to compensate for their losses. You know, Brock Purdy misses, what, eight games and Mac Jones steps in. You know, Kittle missing the games he did early in the season. It was the season-ending injuries to Nick Bosa, to Mikel Williams, to Fred Warner. So I think there's a lot of optimism from the 49ers right now about, you know, keeping the roster together and adding all of those game-changing players who really didn't have the kind of impact that they wanted to have last year because they're on the sidelines.
13:15So, you know, this time with this nucleus, we all know at some point, you know, it'll be coming to an end. I'm not saying all those guys will be leaving at once, but, you know, there will be a trickle of all these recognizable names to this 49ers period where they've been so competitive. There will be a time when those guys start leaving the building. In a lot of ways, it does feel like they're gearing up with all those guys coming back with the pieces they've added. It does feel like they're gearing up for maybe a last run with this band being together. Which means getting Trent Williams done again?
13:50Yeah, absolutely. And one of the interesting things that John Lynch said was that he expressed a great deal of optimism about getting that deal done, making sure that it's a deal that works for the 49ers that also works for Trent Williams. And he even went so far as to say that he feels like they're on the precipice of getting something done. So I know the 49ers fully expect a deal done before the draft. So it certainly sounds like, you know, they're running it back with all the guys that they expect to have on the team. And Trent Williams being first and foremost on that as far as what they have to accomplish next leading into the draft.
14:30Rich Eisen:The hotel is not near any power station locally, is it, Matt? Is that where you've been able to? Well, I haven't stood up from my chair here. If my Achilles snaps, I'll be able to tell you. But no, I think everything's just fine. You know that the 49ers and John Lynch revealed that they brought in. They really did it. They really did it, huh? They really did look into it? They did. We'll take their word for it. I know that they had a fact sheet from this independent scientist who came in with lab-grade equipment. And apparently, he looked like something from, you know, like out of Central Casting.
15:09Doc Brown? Was it Doc Brown? Is that what it looked like? Apparently, he was a lookalike. He had the white coat and everything and was taking the readings. And the 49ers say they're clear. I don't think that for a large portion of the people who believe in that theory, I don't think that that will satisfy them. But the 49ers, you know, they're putting it out there that everything's clear. Here's an interesting thing. John Lynch said that not one free agent that they talked to even brought up the electrical substation next door. So I found that interesting. But the 49ers are saying everything's fine.
15:48And, you know, they've had that facility there since 1988. And the substation has been there. It predates that. Now, I know the wattage or voltage or whatever was amped up when Levi's Stadium was built. But, you know, the foreigners look back on the Super Bowls that they won while they've been in that building and say, well, you know, I don't think there's any correlation. So we'll see if the public, general public buys it. But the foreigners are spreading that word.
16:16Rich Eisen:Hey, the thing that might be the most dangerous to the Niners players is the fact they're going back to MetLife again in 2026. They're playing the Giants at the Giants. So, you know, that one, Nick Bosa's got to have his ankles on a swivel. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah, that stadium has not been good to them through the years. No, not at all. But in all seriousness, though, before I let you go, are the Niners planning on doing anything to their locker room to like rip out the carpeting or anything like change it around? Because the Seahawks did, in fact, celebrate a Super Bowl win in there, Matt, like fumigate it, do something like literally change something in that locker room.
16:58Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with this, but they are. The locker room, oddly enough, Rich, is a construction zone right now. They've ripped out a portion of the locker room. But this goes back to the health and safety of the team. The NFL PA survey, the 49ers scored pretty good across the board, except for training staff and training room. So Jed York is putting up$9 million of his money there for them to bring in new hydro facilities, pool. They're hiring more PT staff. So even though they're, I'm sure they're ripping up the carpet too, right? Thank God.
17:43Rich Eisen:There's champagne stains on there, Matt, from the Seahawks. That is completely unacceptable, isn't it? It is. Just have a seance or something like this house is clean. You know what I mean? Like do something here. Yeah. And you know what? In Seattle, remember now, you mentioned it week 18 when they wrapped up to number one seed. They're in the visiting locker room and they're smoking cigars. They're leaving their ashes all over the place. And then they move into the 49ers locker room and they're celebrating a Super Bowl title. Yeah. Ain't nothing sacred anymore. Nothing. Nothing. Thanks for the time.
18:18Rich Eisen:Enjoy the rest of your time at the annual meeting. We'll chat against you. All right, Rich. Thanks for having me. Matt Milker, everybody. Gentlemen, it was a pleasure chatting with him. I'm being serious, by the way. Wouldn't you do that? A priest come in. If you're already spending money to redo portions of anything associated with that locker room and space, get me some new carpets. Yeah. New carpets, new veneer, changes on the locker room wood or whatever the hell it is. Someone come in and smudge it. All of it. This house is clean. I have exorcised the demons. Don't we have that? I think we got it as a drop, Jay.
18:51Rich Eisen:We did. We did. We had Del Tufo do it. It didn't survive it? No. Didn't make the cut. Didn't stay like before? No. Yeah. I would do that. Oh, yeah. Just every fresh coat of paint, remodel everything. Could you imagine Mike Evans? You know, I went back to the Bucs because at the end of the day, I didn't want to go to a team with an electrical substation next door. i mean just look at me every year i've got i've got a soft tissue injury every year one year it's that then the football gods get me on the ground i'm breaking a collarbone here hamstring there i'm not going to that electrical substation place and or screw it that's exactly where i'm going you believe in that don't you you believe in that is what you're saying over there come on man i think i don't personally i think a lot of people do believe i know they believe it But what, the Niners are the only ones that get rashes of injuries every year?
19:49Rich Eisen:Look at the Lions. They're not next to a substation. And their defensive secondary is down to like the fifth man up every time, every year. The Lions are a perfect example. Do we know what they're next to, though? We don't know. But it's all of the 49ers star players are all getting hurt. The MetLife stuff, I believe. Oh, so the star players have, or their soft tissue is the only ones affected by some electromagnetic field? Is that what it is? I mean, it's happening. It's just the typical thing. Let's come up with it. There's no explanation. So let's come up with the most bizarre one and say, let's hang our hat on that one.
20:26Rich Eisen:You got to fill in the holes. Okay. Now.
Read the full transcript
20:30Chris Brockman:Thank you.
20:31Rich Eisen:I knew you had it. It just took me a second. Attaboy, Jack. That I believe. That I believe. I would 1 million percent use my portion of my billions if I'm Jed York ripping up the carpets. New carpets.
20:46Chris Brockman:Why don't you text him and ask him? Okay. Hey, Jed. Yeah. Are you ripping up the carpet? Yeah. Heard there's some construction going on anyway. Yeah. Are we swapping out some stuff? At least the carpeting. Yeah. Because the Seahawks celebrated in there. Done. They got water damage from the champagne and mold.
21:05Rich Eisen:Gotta go. He's sitting in the owner's meeting right now, locked in on the business of football. Billions going on. It's the last day where he's one of my 33 bosses. You bet I'm going to use that. What's he going to do? What's he going to do? Kick me out of NFL media? That's happening at midnight tonight anyway.
21:26Rich Eisen:Who's your boss now? Mickey Mouse, bro. Yes, sir. Are you kidding me? By tonight, not yet. Roger Goodell is still. 12-0-1.
21:36Chris Brockman:rg1 is still that guy so at 1201 hold on a second yeah so at 1201 can we start like prank calling
21:43Rich Eisen:roger is that what this that was going to happen um no i will be asleep oh i don't know i'm just saying yeah yeah let's just yeah let's just start doing that like billy madison style you're gonna leave some flaming poop hey roger is your fridge running here go chase it i'm now suddenly massively uncomfortable with the conversation. Hey, jerky. I don't need to talk to you. Hey, Roger, get my glasses and shoes. I got a snake, man. Okay. How'd you like a kick? Commissioners sizzle chest. That's what I mean. Okay. 1201. Take a break. Okay. I can't believe you're my newsman, and you want to be called my newsman next.
22:22Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.
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24:33Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show, 844-204-RICH-NUMBER-DELL. Jeffrey in Detroit. What's up, Jeff in Detroit? What's up, Jeff in Detroit?
24:40Chris Brockman:What's up? Hey, what's going on, cousins? Getting ready to pick somebody up here at the airport.
24:44Rich Eisen:But I wanted to tell you, Uncle Rich, I've enjoyed you on the NFL Network. Thank you. I've always been there when you transfer over, and I'm going to continue to listen. Thank you. I want to tell you also, that Michigan game, we were all in the same, we were all pretty much thinking the same thing. Watching Michigan beat Tennessee like that, and then watching Duke go out the way they did brought me so much pleasure. It wasn't even funny. Oh, yeah. Freeze that day, Jeff. Just freeze it in time. It was, you know, and again, the way that Duke went out getting late nerd like that. And everyone's wondering what they were thinking, what they were doing, how they made mistakes.
25:27Rich Eisen:And there it goes. Jeff in Detroit. All right. There it goes. Oh, yeah. Jeffrey in San Francisco. What's up, Jeffrey? Confusing. All Jeffs and Jeffries. What's up?
25:38Chris Brockman:G'day, Governor. Oh, OK.
25:40Rich Eisen:Hello. I'll take it.
25:41Chris Brockman:Oh, sorry. You got me. Sorry. What's going on?
25:45Rich Eisen:Rich, two quick points. I have thoughts on the coaching picture. Ah, okay. Yeah. Okay. The first thing is they need to be dressed up in old Western out there, like you see in those amusement parks. Okay. Yeah. All right, Jeffrey. Yeah, Blake McCarthy is bad bark. There you go. Straight out of central casting. I like it. I like it.
26:07Chris Brockman:The second thing, you need to group those dudes by coaching tree. That way, Brable will be out in left field by himself.
26:15Rich Eisen:Okay. okay all right very good jeffrey jeffrey in san francisco everybody there he goes good stuff appreciate it uh what if hoskins just got in my ear what did you say mike mccarthy's missing a button oh my gosh oh wow i didn't notice that um canales is missing a
26:39Chris Brockman:button but she just wants to show it off that's a tough two shot for mccarthy next to canales you think so i mean can alice is like a super bottle yeah we need an eisenklaas photo i still can't
26:50Rich Eisen:get over it halfley it looks like he is concocting the greatest caper of all time he looks like a movie villain he does he's kind of like what's he thinking i don't know what's going on there yeah and frable's like you bet okay halfley i'm telling one i won the division you're new to the division you tell me you tell me that you you you don't have any space because I'm spreading my man spreading here. You tell me. You tell me. That's why he's uncomfortable. Okay. I mean, take your heart pills and buckle up. I'm sitting where I'm at. All mammals.
27:22Chris Brockman:Lift the shirt.
27:24Rich Eisen:He makes anyone feel less than. Which is why when he pinky waved at me at last year's American Century Championship, it was fantastic. Phenomenal. Take it. Phenomenal. We haven't done this in a while. Let's do this. A news update. Chris Brockman, you've got the floor hitting. Hey.
27:43Chris Brockman:And now, with a report of the day's news from the world of sports and entertainment, someone who is not a journalist or newsman by any definition of the word whatsoever.
27:54Rich Eisen:It's Chris Brockman. Again, I still can't believe NBC News emeritus Tom Brokaw was the one who actually laid down the tracks for that.
28:04Chris Brockman:I got to stretch. It's Chris Brockman. What do you got, Chris? It's been a while. Hey, guys. Hey. You know the Super Bowl 61 is here in Los Angeles? Yes, sir. We just had 60 up in the Bay. 62 is in Atlanta, even though there's no dates yet. But Super Bowl 63 has been announced, TJ. Yes. And we're going back. Las Vegas. 2029. Let's go.
28:29Rich Eisen:I love it. I love it. That means it's now officially in a rotation. Yeah, buddy. As it should be. Can't wait six years. We need to get a little quicker. I agree. That's a long time. A little quicker. One of the best cities to ever have a Super Bowl. Every other year. The best cities to have a Super Bowl are the ones that you can walk around in, although it is spread out a little bit. Vegas is spread out. But you could technically stay in some hotels where you can walk to the game. Yeah. Okay? Although it's not. It's not like Indian walkable. Let's put it this way. It's not recommended. But if you're at Mandalay or MGM.
29:00Rich Eisen:But the reason why. But convenience. It absorbs the event. It doesn't. The event doesn't consume the city. it's expensive um it's a listen but there are there's there are some hotel there are some um intersections of the strip where there are more hotels on that intersection on every quadrant of the intersection than there are in some other cities in the united states of america yeah okay and then you can get food you can get some the reservations at some of the best anything food spots anything you want and then the entertainment then in the game in the stadium awesome love it and now we got to get nashville into the draft rotation again we're going to go back to nashville for the draft i know they want to spread it around a little bit more before they start revisiting places uh he thinks nashville's going to get a super bowl at some point why that that well they got to build the stadium finish the stadium yeah i mean so but that's the idea if you build it it will come and i'm just so i can't believe it that vegas is you know we talked about how vegas is going to get an NBA team coming up next and it's a city that deserves to have every North American major sport have a spot, have a team there.
30:09Rich Eisen:The progress on the baseball stadium looks good. Kudos. Couldn't be happier. Can't wait to go back. And now I won't be an NFL employee at the time. I'll be able to hit a table. We can partake. We missed you. A whole new world. Getting a drink at the table. We went on a run last time. The NFL was like Fredo, blocking it for 23 years. Unless Walt says you can't do it. I don't know about that. Walt has loose. I need to. I should look at about, you know, to make sure. Yeah, I should. I think Walt is a fan. I'm excited to go back to Vegas is what I'm saying for the Super Bowl.
30:42Chris Brockman:Normally this type of year, we're just speculating on what the hard knocks is going to be heading into the new season. Yes, but it's already been announced. And next year, too, guys. And there's no more rules. Seattle Seahawks, the champs are going to be on hard knocks this year. And the Patriots the year after. Thoughts?
31:00Rich Eisen:thoughts i mean i'm excited it's great i love the fact that the nfl um is um oh and the quarterback is pushing on it i think it's great awesome i think it's awesome nfl films you know how i feel about them they're the best um they are the best and they are also not intrusive they're not and that's the thing about hard knocks like you're gonna just mess up my my world my system you know it's great fans love it but the patriots are going to be giving you the access i mean that hard knocks is going to be more redacted than the epstein files that's i literally just said that not the same people in charge dude as before come on man wow i i i push back on all right push back on i hope so i'd love to see great i would love to see everything mike vrabel i want a full everything i want to see i want to be in the kitchen with the maize yeah i want to bake my episode right you know what i mean i want all of it yeah but really okay that'll be great cool let's patriots access i'm all in let's do the jets again because that went no i don't want to do that again all the other time no when nobody cares about them i understand that yeah so we're getting teams so when arch manning shows up for the jets we won't be we won't be going inside training we won't be going inside with them yeah okay i i don't wish that but the patriots as you know have not been known for for a long time as being all access well they've been doing their own they've been doing their own forge in foxborough the last couple years on youtube by the way one of the best broadcasting divisions ever created by any team they they were way ahead of their time on that so they've been doing their own for a couple years now i just i i when i do When I see this, I do hope to see the access that fans have come to appreciate.
32:51Rich Eisen:What else have we got over there? We showed Mike McCarthy missing a button in the team photo. Boy, on my last day of being an NFL employee, I'm just letting my freak flag fly.
33:02Chris Brockman:McCarthy has said, though, Rich, we're wondering who the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to be. He has talked to Aaron Rodgers on and off throughout the entire offseason. Every few days, he said, and as recently as Monday, yesterday. their conversations have been quote very positive regarding the future and mccarthy did add he's confident that rogers is going to play one more yeah i i i'm listen so what is the holdup i don't
33:27Rich Eisen:just because aaron doesn't want to let you know about it yet or he's got something going on in his life or i don't know where is a a-ron right now you know how it is and it's working on a short game you know he doesn't want to walk away that like that you know that but i think he really did like the city i think he likes the franchise i think he knows that's the biggest surprise is that i guess you should everyone should never assume when it comes to aaron but there was that remember that bleacher report article when we were on br live and we were had we were we were all over that so was the rest of the media that he and he he was calling his own plays because mccarthy was checked out yeah i don't you know and that that was kind of the beginning gave you the idea that he and McCarthy would never work together again.
34:11Rich Eisen:And this just goes to show you a lot of people don't know what the hell they're talking about when it comes to Aaron Rodgers. Let me ask you this. Because he'll let you know what he thinks when he wants to.
34:19Chris Brockman:Do you think that Aaron wishes and maybe his legacy would be looked upon a little bit better if he had just went right to Pittsburgh after Green Bay? Yeah, that wasn't an option, though. Skip the Jets part? Dude, the Jets part?
34:31Rich Eisen:Don't get me started on this. The Jets part was set up for massive success. Was it? Yeah, it was. we'll just never know that that team was set up to win man i don't i mean he brought a lot of his own guys who were washed or they weren't going to be washed that year they were washed with zach wilson there's a reason why they brought harran in they won seven games that year there's a reason why they brought harran in i think because they won seven games with zach wilson who clearly still wasn't ready for them he would have just went right to pittsburgh we'd all look I don't know if that was off the top of my head.
35:07Rich Eisen:It just wasn't in those cards. But had he done that, had that been more available to him, yeah, it would be different. It would definitely be different. What else you got over there?
35:20Chris Brockman:Okay, so remember the flag football game that got us all talking about Tom Brady and the Olympics and all that fun stuff? Well, Sean Payton was coaching in that, obviously. And, you know, the NFL players got kind of worked by Hush and company. And Sean Payton was asked and answered what he learned from that experience.
35:39Rich Eisen:That was humbling. I think this, you remember the Home Alone series and Macaulay Culkin was inside. Well, Macaulay Culkin was the international team. And I felt like Coach Harbaugh and I were the two guys outside getting hit in the head with the iron and tripping over the garden hose.
35:59Chris Brockman:it's an entirely different game I don't think but I listen it was it was kind of cool to be around those guys like that was a big deal
36:08Rich Eisen:and I I think when this first was announced there was this feeling there would be 10 NFL players on that roster and I'll be surprised if there's one wow that's a pretty well good for him for saying that he'll be surprised if there's one because it's a different game. Is he saying that the rules of flag football are so different from the NFL, it's like a tricked-up Chicago household? Right? Yeah, pretty much. And the Team USA was Kevin, and he was Pesci, and David Stern. I mean, Daniel Stern. Daniel Stern, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Feels that way. But I mean, hey, listen, I got the sense, too.
36:50Rich Eisen:It's just, it's a different game.
36:51Chris Brockman:Yeah, you can see it watching it. The moves, the physicality. I mean, who's just 5 '7"? you know tom brady's 6 '4 it's it's different you're referring to the quarterback of team usa
37:03Rich Eisen:and and we had him on the show everyone should seek that interview out on our youtube channel we had him on the day after he was great he was great it was a great chat a couple more things
37:12Chris Brockman:uh sham shams bomb here the uh basketball hall of fame tj announced its newest class amari stoudemire doc it made it all right alana deladan and doc rivers and as parker among the
37:24Rich Eisen:2026 class okay very cool i have two things in god i have a couple things in common well doc i just love him man uh two things in common uh one with amari one with candace parker i know you know exactly where i'm going exactly what they are i don't know what should i go with first please uh
37:40Chris Brockman:go with the funny one first well they're both kind of funny well the first one a little more maybe when people wouldn't expect the one amari and i have both been bar mitzvah there you go okay and candace parker got worked on fuel fortune by you that is correct you said it not me you're
37:56Rich Eisen:the newsman you're just stating facts right you're just stating facts uh i once went to a party at candace parker's house there we go who's never been in my kitchen all four of them i once actually that's not true doc's been in my kitchen has been in your house yeah two both two my two houses in the long that i've i've lived in here for the last 23 years who'd you challenge for
38:16Chris Brockman:Amari. To what? To a game of three on three. Okay. At Playboy Mansion. How'd that work out for you? What? He just laughed us off. But AJ was like, you and me, you're two security guards. I'm a boys. Okay. And he just walked away. Definitely not on the Sabbath. You got anything else over there? Yeah. Lastly, let's talk about this little series for a second. Friday afternoon after we left, there was news that Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover car accident in Florida. And then you see the images, and then later that day, it's revealed that he was booked for DUI and later released that night.
38:52Chris Brockman:Well, more of the police report is coming out today. Cause for the accident, Tiger told authorities he was looking down at his cell phone and changing the radio station while in his SUV, which caused him not to see the truck that he was attempting to pass slowing down and clipped him, which caused a rollover. the sheriff department wrote in the arrest affidavit that woods was sweating profusely and that his movement was lethargic and slow and that his pupils were dilated once his sunglasses were removed later found that woods had two pills with him in his pocket and he admitted to taking prescription medication earlier that day this is now the fourth such auto incident for tiger woods and it's you know it's facing the golf world kind of with some tough questions regarding this guy that we've held so highly you know i mean the questions aren't so tough unfortunately it seems like um the surgeries of his entire life are catching up to him and it seems like um he needs to take a break again you know and i i i obviously only wish the best and it's
39:55Rich Eisen:just another shocker but then not so shocking and then so thoroughly disappointing um but concerning how's that for an answer you know on all that front yeah it's made i appreciate your news update right there christopher get into the hyundai getaway sales event and get away with the deal so right it almost feels wrong because right now you can get great deals on our most popular models including our adventure-ready suvs like the hyundai santa fe or santa fe hybrid and the tucson or tucson hybrid plus there's our bold and stylish elantra loaded with the latest tech the ionic 5 and the ion or ionic 9 are there for you if you want to go all electric so get down to your local Hyundai dealer and get away with a deal you'll love during the Hyundai getaway sales event.
40:37Rich Eisen:Visit HyundaiUSA.com for details. When we come back, my last words, I guess, as an NFL media employee into this microphone.
40:46Chris Brockman:The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
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41:15Rich Eisen:So good, so good, so good. New spring arrivals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now.
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41:45Rich Eisen:Hey there, and welcome to the NFL in Los Angeles. All right, actually what we really mean is this 24-7, 365 network dedicated entirely to the National Football League. Your dreams have indeed come true. This is the NFL Network. I am Rich Eisen, host of NFL Total Access, and this is our playground, the gathering place for the NFL fan and players, past and present. We've got quite a bit in our launch rundown, so let's get right into it. Let's get right into it is right. November 4th, 2003. That guy on the screen right there with all that hair. I was nervous. I was nervous. Yeah, I was about to say, what was going through your mind?
42:28Rich Eisen:What was going through my mind was, you know, I'm excited. I'm excited. It's, you know, NFL Network. I hope I got that copyright, that language that I use, the copy to start NFL Network. I mean, that was vetted by everybody. Okay. But I was also like, okay, it's a new venture. It's exciting, but I'm no longer with ESPN anymore. I left and now I'm living in Los Angeles with Suze and freshly married. But I was nervous. Like I had no idea what the future was going to hold. And had hoped that it would last forever. And here we are on this day. And I'm sitting here on my final day as an NFL employee.
43:13Rich Eisen:as of tonight ESPN of all places if you had told me on that day you're going to be with NFL Network for 23 years I'd be like okay but what next like why why would I leave it and the answer is now you're going to be done with the NFL but the NFL is still part of it because they've gotten 10 % of ESPN that's how valuable NFL Network is going to become and then you're going to be an ESPN employee again after i just left espn to launch nfl network on that day november 4th 2003 and here we are on march 31st 2026 and by the end today you know not to get too deep into it um nfl payday is every other friday uh i got my paycheck for this friday today hey i'm like wait a minute you better take it now we can get it because the nfl paid today they are out wow as of tonight and the day-to-day running of nfl network and i just wanted to say on behalf wow it hit me um it is it is it's an emotional day for for a lot of us because there's a lot of people at nfl network right now that is wondering what is going to happen next um but it's also the end of an era the end of 23 years of growing this network on behalf of the nfl and it's kind of feels weird that i'm not going to be employed by the shield anymore because it has been such part of my dna to to be there for the nfl and to feel like i'm the tip of their spear for a very important venture that still is very important um you're very synonymous but and i but it's not just me it's anybody that's ever worked there to this point and everyone who is still working there and the analogy that i've i've i keep using and i'll i'll i'll continue to use it i feel like we're being dropped off at college that we are we are grown we are mature we're still growing there's still lots to do it's an exciting new world and there is a way for our body of work to be expanded our minds to be expanded there's ways to explore new worlds with um obviously the leader in sports coverage television with all due respect to everyone else i know the espn is no longer known as the worldwide leader in sports but that's the way i knew it when i was there for seven years and left to go do nfl network and now here i am going back fully i believe i cannot believe it but we are all excited at nfl network to work along with our our new partners at disney and grow the nfl network and it's my pledge to everyone out there that has been kind enough to patronize nfl network with your viewership and your attention that um we're going to keep doing it and the way that we have done it and it's my job along with everybody else, all the men and women, hardworking men and women up at the NFL media group, as it's formerly been known, to continue the NFL network the way it has been intended, the way it started all those years ago.
46:34Rich Eisen:And I sign off that way.
46:37Chris Brockman:Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to three Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
46:57Rich Eisen:From 30 for 30 podcasts.
47:06Chris Brockman:Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami. Gunned down. The key to this case, it's Brian. Boy, he scrapped that. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody. This might be a hit. You want the truth. Biggest one of conviction. being placed under arrest. We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now.
From the publisher
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco and Rich discuss the contentious
relationship between WR Brandon Aiyuk and the 49ers, what All-Pro Mike Evans brings to the Niners’ WR room, the possible timeline for TE George Kittle to return from his torn Achilles, a possible deal for OT Trent Williams, and if the electrical substation next to the team’s practice facility has been the cause behind some key injuries in recent years.
Chris Brockman updates the latest sports news including updates on the
Super Bowls return to Las Vegas in 2029, the Seattle Seahawks on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks,’ the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers waiting game, the newest Basketball Hall of Fame class, Tiger Woods’ latest legal woes, and
more.
Rich gets emotional on his last official day as an NFL employee as ESPN
takes over the running of NFL Network.
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