In short
Rich Eisen Show hour with guest host WWE superstar Seth Rollins. Discusses NFL sleeper teams draft (round 3), Bears and Cowboys outlooks, NFL quarterback/training-camp storylines, plus a segment with Stacey Dales on WNBA officiating/Caitlin Clark and a brief pro-wrestling Q&A.
Guests
Stacey Dales, NFL Network reporter (in-studio). Seth Rollins as guest host (WWE superstar). Other voices include TJ, Deltufo/Brockman (co-hosts/participants) and callers (e.g., Josh from Wisconsin).
Key claims
Bears are a sleeper due to Caleb Williams’ growth with Ben Johnson, improved defense, and better game management (less “playing from behind”). Cowboys are a sleeper turnaround driven by defense improvements (Christian Parker) after giving up ~30 points/game. Packers/Green Bay defense concerns: Jeff Halfley leaving for Miami; Micah Parsons’ availability uncertainty.
Notable examples
Bears beating Packers twice and multiple blown 4th-quarter leads by Green Bay; Cowboys defense stat since 1996 (last playoff win) and 30 PPG allowed; Seahawks defense praised for pressuring Drake Maye; WNBA: discussion of Caitlin Clark’s technicals and officiating consistency (replay center, full-time officials).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOSeth Rollins Takes the Stage
0:00 to 0:25
WWE superstar Seth Rollins fills in as host and engages with the crew.
“Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions.”
Seth Rollins Takes the Stage
0:34 to 0:56
WWE superstar Seth Rollins fills in as host and engages with the crew.
“It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.”
Seth Rollins Takes the Stage
1:23 to 2:15
WWE superstar Seth Rollins fills in as host and engages with the crew.
“and you'd be kicked out of our team meeting.”
Seth Rollins Discusses Italy
2:15 to 3:21
Seth shares his recent experiences in Italy, highlighting food and culture.
“Seth, it's been, it has been butchered over the years.”
Pizza from Italy: A Controversial Take
3:21 to 4:50
A debate arises over the quality of pizza in Italy, sparking passionate opinions.
“Do you find that the pizza in Italy isn't that great?”
NFL Talk: Bears and Expectations
4:50 to 5:42
A caller from Wisconsin discusses the Chicago Bears' upcoming season predictions.
“We got Josh from Wisconsin wants to talk bears.”
Defensive Concerns and Team Analysis
5:42 to 8:10
The hosts analyze the Bears' and Packers' defenses and share thoughts on their performance.
“So I did the win-loss game a couple months ago when Tom Pelissero was filling in, and I had him at 10-7.”
Sleeper Team Draft Discussion
8:10 to 9:16
The hosts begin discussing sleeper teams for the upcoming NFL season.
“Earlier in my sleeper draft, I talked about Jeff Halfley leaving Green Bay.”
Round Three of the Sleeper Team Draft
9:16 to 14:00
The hosts continue with the sleeper team draft, discussing various teams and their potential.
“But I do think we should finish up the sleeper draft, the sleeper team draft.”
NFL Sleeper Teams Discussion
14:00 to 17:43
A lively discussion about potential sleeper teams in the NFL, focusing on the Dallas Cowboys.
“Hey, I'm just going to throw a number out at you guys.”
Show all 19 chapters
Recap of Sleeper Team Draft
17:44 to 18:56
Hosts recap their sleeper team draft, sharing excitement about their picks and the upcoming season.
“I'm excited to see where things mid-season, when we kind of revisit this bad boy and see where everybody's at here.”
Analysis of the Chicago Bears
20:34 to 28:00
Stacey Dales shares insights on the Chicago Bears, focusing on player development and expectations for the upcoming season.
“Stacey Dale talking Miami Dolphins, talking about how they are absolutely a sleeper team this year.”
Building Trust in Quarterback Relationships
28:00 to 28:50
Learn how trust between quarterbacks can influence game strategy.
“Alright, so as much as it pains me, we'll drift off the Bears topic for a little bit.”
Training Camp and Quarterback Competitions
28:50 to 30:50
Explore the significance of training camps and quarterback competitions across the NFL.
“But Kevin O 'Connell went through a carousel of QBs last year.”
Team Dynamics and Player Development
30:50 to 34:10
Discussion on how team dynamics affect player growth and performance.
“And Kirk Cousins, what a great guy to learn from in the pocket.”
WNBA and Officiating Challenges
34:10 to 36:10
A deep dive into WNBA officiating issues and the impact on players like Caitlin Clark.
“And the WNBA is super polarizing right now.”
The Competitive Spirit in Women’s Sports
36:10 to 37:50
Examine the competitive nature of WNBA players and the implications of officiating.
“Are they just not allowed to talk to each other in the game?”
Food Preferences and Favorites
42:00 to 43:30
The hosts share their favorite junk food options and preferences.
“And like I would, you, I can't consider like a sushi or steak really like a proper junk food.”
Wrestling Insights and Experiences
43:30 to 46:20
Discussion about professional wrestling, its physicality, and personal experiences in the ring.
“So it's real in the sense that there's a lot of physicality that goes on, and a lot of it is very painful.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions. Put heavy-duty HDX totes to good use, protecting what's important to you. The solid, impact-resistant design prevents cracking, and the clear base and sides make items easy to find even when the totes are stacked. Find select shelving and tote storage up to 15 % off at the Home Depot to organize every room in your home, from your garage to your attic. Visit homedepot.com. How doers get more done.
0:31Brockman:This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required, compatibility and availability varies 18+. This is the Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show? You're in luck. You can find us everywhere.
1:05Watch 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. and you'd be kicked out of our team meeting. This is the Rich Eisen Show. You're lucky I'm not going to throw this freaking podium. With guest host, WWE superstar Seth Rollins. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Today's guests, NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales. Seth's top five, plus latest news and more. And now, sitting in for Rich, it's Seth Rollins.
1:56We are back on the Rich Eisen Show. I am WWE superstar Seth freaking Rollins. Woo! Filling in for Rich today with the boys, TJ and Deltufo and Brockman. I'm going to, I'm just, I love the name. Thanks, Seth. Deltufo. Seth, it's been, it has been butchered over the years. you say larry king couldn't say your name no idea i don't how do you mess that up trust me email because it's got space yeah i get things at tufo dell it's at ups it's tufo so i go there i got showing my license they're like you don't have a package i'm like check tufo they go back yes i see yeah it is a great name delt ufo it's actually a wine i believe in italy too wait really Yes.
2:51Del Tufo Wine? Yes. What? Yes. Amazing. Let's see. Yeah, check this out. Oh, yeah. No, it is. Del Tufo Farmhouse and Wines in Dogliani. See? Oh, wow. Okay. All right. It's a full, like, winery. Yeah, Del Tufo Winery in Dogliani, Italy. Beautiful. Next time I go to Italy. I wish I got paid for the plug. I mean, you were just in Italy. I was just in Italy. I was there for a few weeks. I was on vacation-ish for a month. Yeah. That was so nice in June. I had so much pizza, so much pasta. It was the best.
3:25Brockman:Do you find that the pizza in Italy isn't that great? Because that's what I found. Whoa. Whoa. TJ. That's a hot take. Maybe it's just where I was. Whoa. But the one time I had pizza in Italy, I was very. Where'd you go? Oh, man. I'd have to look up the city real quick. I'll tell you what city it is. If you're in Naples or anywhere around Naples. It wasn't like that. Anything. You're right. oh my god yeah i know is it was a it was a restaurant it was right on the ocean or lake or wherever it was on water except you i got offended at that i'm so i'm so offended in the wrong part of the country exactly because it is cheap and i mean that not in like a quality way it is inexpensive the dough is so fresh yeah so light neapolitan style unbelievable like i mean you can get a p like a full-on delicious perfect margarita pizza for like 10 euros there yep and and you don't feel like crap the next day you just feel like you just i could eat three of them i ate so much pizza when i was there so much fresh pasta it was incredible i can't believe you said that okay wow i'll send the picture home wow what city was i yeah please let us know yeah i mean i just hit a cupcake uh that's kind of the same thing it's thing.
4:45I mean, it's a high-quality cupcake. Yeah, high-quality cupcake. I feel great. Alright, okay. Well, we are here. Rich Eisen Show. We got a hotline. Give us a call. 844-204-RICH. And we got some people on that. We got some people on that. So let's, uh, let me take a look here. Let's do Wisconsin. We got Josh from Wisconsin wants to talk bears. I'm skeptical about this. Josh, what kind of bears talk do you want to get into from Wisconsin?
5:15Brockman:uh well don't be skeptical i'm a true diehard bears fan i bleed navy blue and orange thank goodness i was concerned a little red when i got my tattoo of the bears logo oh wow okay he's real with it uh i also have the blackhawks bulls and cubs tattoos as well all on my my arms so nice i am a diehard fan all right well let's talk bears baby what do you want what do you want it's on your mind. So I did the win-loss game a couple months ago when Tom Pelissero was filling in, and I had him at 10-7. Do you think that's realistic? What was my win-loss for them? I feel like you said 11-6, right? 11-6, 12-5, or something like that.
5:59I think I had them winning the division. You were pretty reasonable. Yeah, I was reasonable. Yeah, I think it's absolutely, that 10-7 I think is more than reasonable for sure okay i get it's a tough division but i think you know all signs point to progress on the offensive side of the ball dennis allen has moved some pieces around on defense to get some players that he thinks are going to fit that scheme better and make that defense i mean i know they had a lot of turnovers last year um but i think at the end of the day they were not a very good defense especially getting off the field on third down and so you get kind of dennis allen okay here who here's who i want let's go out and make some plays and get some guys that I want in here to fit that system, fit that scheme, do what he wants to do.
6:40And I think they're going to be a much better team defensively overall. And I think they have no reason to believe the offense isn't going to take the next step. So that's how I feel. I feel good about it. What about you? Are you having second guesses?
6:52Brockman:My only concern is the defense. The lack of a real significant pass rush and no real moves to improve that. I was really hoping they would get Max Crosby, even though he had the knee issue. I still think that would have been a huge benefit to getting a guy like that, especially because the Packers made that move for Micah Parsons, which, TJ, I should throw some strays at you for that. Why? Because the Cowboys, like, what are we doing here? You guys had a generational talent, and you let them go to the Packers of all teams. Yeah, I didn't like that, but I feel what we got from him or for him is going to make it worthwhile.
7:34Brockman:And plus, Mike is, we don't even know when his season's starting this year. That's right. So that's true. That's true. We got a nice little haul for him. Be a wrecker for him. What was that? He was on pace to be a real game wrecker for them, though. Yeah. Look, it took me a long time, Josh, in Wisconsin to be okay with this trade. Let's not revisit it. I feel we did. We got a great return in that investment, so we'll see. But we got Caleb down, so. No. Oh. We will tell you. He's going to be a stud. I have concerns about the Green Bay defense this season. I really do. Earlier in my sleeper draft, I talked about Jeff Halfley leaving Green Bay.
8:16I think he is a very, very good defensive coordinator. You know, we mentioned Micah Parsons. We don't know when he's going to return and when he's actually going to play this year. I do have concerns about Green Bay this year. I do. I mean, I know they're well coached. I like LeFleur. I think he's awesome. but I do have concerns that their defense might not be quite as good as it has been in past years with Halfley as a coordinator now in Miami as a head coach. So we'll see. TBD. Josh, thanks for calling in. I love talking Bears, so I appreciate you calling in and getting me on my bear wagon, baby.
8:54Yeah, I think Green Bay, they're a good squad, and that division is going to be really, really difficult, guys, but I do have concerns defensively that they're not going to be. They put a lot of eggs in the Michael Parsons basket for him to be hurt, and then they lose their D coordinator. I mean, there's a lot of questions there. We'll see how it goes. But I do think we should finish up the sleeper draft, the sleeper team draft. Are you guys ready for it? Doing it right now? Are you ready for the third round? All right, well, first of all, let's look at the first two rounds, see where we're at.
9:30These are great pictures. We all look fantastic. All of our hair is immaculate. My picture is kind of. Yeah, so first round, I went Dolphins. Brockman goes Titans. TJ goes Nolens and the Saints and Tyler Shuck. Then we went in reverse order, and TJ went with the Vikings, which I'm disgusted by, and I hope they lose every single game. Brockman goes to Atlanta, where the quarterback controversy is unsettled, but he seems to think Tua is going to be the guy there, and I punch myself in the face. and said Aaron Rodgers is going to have a better season than people think he is. So let's switch up the order, and we'll start round three with...
10:14Brockman. Hey. All right, here's the deal. My final sleeper team for 2026. And here's the deal. Last year, this team overachieved. A lot of people said it was big because of the schedule. you didn't really have a lot of players on this team from this team in your fantasy league most likely in fact their number one receiver from last year isn't even on the team anymore so you know expectations are kind of parred in this team they didn't look great in the playoffs and you know they didn't end the season on a high note so there's the expectations are super low for this team heading into this season they're not even the favorites to win their own division Seth Rollins Can you believe that?
10:59I have a feeling I know where this is going. Can you believe that? My final sleeper team of this draft are your defending AFC champion, New England Patriots. Wow, Brockman. Nobody thinks they're going to be good this year, okay? All the offseason stuff that's going on, I don't even want to bring it up. I won't even dignify it with a response. But they improved. Have you heard of A.J. Brown, Seth Rollins? I know that name. You've heard of that guy. TJ, you know. You've heard about AJ. I've heard of him. They should have had the MVP of the whole dang league last year. Got better on defense. Got better on offense.
11:37Oh, we're back. We got a chip on our shoulder. We are angry. Get ready. The New England Patriots are an underdog this year. We're wearing that. Let's go. Ah, all right. Okay, okay. All right. Respect, respect, respect. You know, I saw where you were going with that. And I got to be honest with you, I'm a little upset with you. I'm a little upset with you because you stole my play, man. Of course. Of course the Chicago Bears. Of course the Chicago Bears are a sleeper team. Look at this. They're not even predicted. They're like predicted to finish third in the North this season. Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind?
12:18Are you lunatics? You don't think that Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams in year two together are going to be absolutely unstoppable. All right, Roma Dunze back to full health. Colston Loveland in his second season, who's going to be, if not is, one of the top five tight ends in the league coming up here shortly. You've got Luther Burden, who's a sleeper in fantasy and a baller when he gets into open space. And guess who is? Like the number one schemer of getting wide receivers open? Ben Johnson. This man is unreal. And you've got two running backs coming back. Swift, who had his best season in years, and Manongai in his second year.
13:03This team is going to be better. The defense, I talked about it when we were talking with Josh from Wisconsin. They're going to be better. You can't imagine that Jalen Johnson is going to be hurt as much as he was. Kyler Gordon can't be as hurt as he was. You bring in Kobe Bryant in the safety position. You draft Tiananmen. I mean, the secondary is going to be better, which is going to give more time for these front four to get after the quarterback with Montez Sweat and Deo. This team is going to be better than last year. And, yes, I see you over there, Brockman. I see you. It's freezing cold in here.
13:35No, it's not. You're doing the Iceman, the Madden cover athlete. This squad is going to be better than last year. They are going to win this division, and they are going to get to the NFC title game, if not the Super Bowl. Son. Hoof. Hoof. Hoof. Hoof. Hoof. Let's go. Give it to me now. Fired up. Ha! Third in their own division. It's ridiculous. Get out of it. Tyler Murray, come on now. Come on. I'm rooting for him, but come on, man.
14:01Brockman:TJ, do it. Hey, I'm just going to throw a number out at you guys. Do it. Give it to me. 11 ,134. And I'm going to just keep that in mind because I'll come back to it. You know, the thing about the NFL, guys, it does seem like this is the league that it's easiest to go from worst to first. It seems like you can have a more impactful turnaround in the NFL than you can in the NBA, and especially in baseball. If your team stinks in baseball, Chris, it's going to stink forever. It's going to be rough. So this team I'm thinking of, they didn't make the playoffs last year. Had a pretty atrocious defense.
14:38Brockman:But on the other side of the ball, things look kind of cool. You know, it looked like, you know, if only they could do something about this defense, then maybe they could win some more games. Maybe they could make the playoff run. So 11 ,134. That's the number of days it's been since the Dallas Cowboys last one. January 28th, 1996. And I say this because I'm going to give you a number, another number. That's 30. That's how many points a game that the Dallas Cowboys defense gave up last year. Guys, you know this. You can't win football games giving up 30 points a game. Now enter stage left Christian Parker, this savant that I've been hearing about.
15:17Brockman:He's going to turn the defense around Seth Rollins. He's going to make me happy instead of being sad every Monday. Great draft picks with Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, and the richest guy, Jay Sean Barham. Rich Eisen is doing the draft. He's texting me during the draft live while he's on there telling me how big of a deal it is that the Cowboys got Jay Sean Barham. And did I mention we got Caleb Downs? look all 11 starters are back on the offense guys we got the best kicker in football he's a guy i pay five bucks for every year in fantasy because we're in an auction and they got to know i'm gonna get those 60 yarders i'm gonna get all those points my sleeper team and what you wouldn't expect anything less oh of course not i have to do it whether i even believe it or not but the sleeper team the team that will hoist the lombardi trophy this year oh back by popular demand And you're mine, our Dallas Cowboys.
16:10Brockman:Wow. God, guys, we are awful, aren't we? We really did it. We're so disgusting. We're so basic. We're so predictable. Yeah, I'm going to pick the Rams, everybody. We are a sleeper because no one thinks we can do it. Every year you hear people go, oh, Cowboy fans, every year is our year. Well, look, we're fans. If you don't think that your team is going to win every year, then why are you even spending time watching the games? Football and sports take up way too much of our time, take up way too much of our emotional capacity. Like, I can't watch two and a half hours of terrible Met baseball, Seth, because I want to have a good summer.
16:48Brockman:I don't got a lot of summers left. You don't know who I am, but I can tell you there's a lot less left than I had in the previous. I'm not going to let the Mets ruin my summer. All right? So, yeah, if you're not a fan, you got to have some type of, you know, realization. I realize my baseball team's going to stink. But I'm always going to ride for the start because I feel like this is our year. You know what? I love this for us, guys. I love this for us. And you're right, though. You know what I mean? You're right. The thing is, we should believe in our squads. That's what we should do. That's right.
17:18And the fact that all of us feel like we got a chip on our shoulder going into the season, that's good. So there it is. There is the, if you're watching at home, there is the final, final sleeper draft. And I would say a pretty good draft to you, guys. I think so, too.
17:32Brockman:By the way, the fact that we didn't discuss this, we came up with this right before we went on air, and yet all of us at the very end picked our own teams is just amazing. It was pretty good. I'm excited to see where things mid-season, when we kind of revisit this bad boy and see where everybody's at here. I mean, hopefully I'm not going to be mad, but sometimes I'm mad around this. You're going to get mad. All three of your teams are making the playoffs. Oh, wow. I'd like that. I'd take that right now. All three of them I'd bet on right now. All right, Del Tufo, I'm with that. All three of them are making it.
18:04Let's see. And I think you're definitely in the NFC Championship. Whoa. Ooh, I love it. You won't make it. Feed it.
18:11Brockman:He may make it again because they're only going to get better. But you could do it. You could win. Somebody on YouTube. They're winning the East. I'm picking them to win the East. Somebody on YouTube when I picked us to go 14-3 was like, yeah, all that just to lose to the Bears in the first one. That's the problem. And I thought it was you. I had to, like, check. That's my burner, dog. That's my burner. If you two play, oh, that's great. That's a hot burner. Love it. And again, I don't want any part of the Seth and the Bears because as we've noted, I tried that last year. It didn't go well for you last year.
18:42Brockman:It went awful. No more group chats for that. Yeah, yeah, it was not good. But that sleeper team draft was good. That was awesome. I thought we did really good. I loved all your guys' picks. That was great. We got Stacey Dales coming up here. So let's get to it right after this. We'll be back on the Rich Eisen Show with Seth Rollins.
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20:40The Rich Eisen Show Podcast. This is amazing. Stacey Dale talking Miami Dolphins, talking about how they are absolutely a sleeper team this year. just like Seth Rollins said in the first hour of the show we are back on ESPN radio we are back Disney Plus ESPN app Stacey again thank you so much for being in here but if we're talking football can we talk Bears? Can we talk Bears? Tell me about the Chicago Bears what do you think about the Chicago Bears right now? I need to know give it to me put it in my bloodstream well it all starts with Caleb and Ben and Caleb is just so special he's so special I mean, when you, if you were Ryan Poles, the GM sitting there and saying, I get the first pick and I, I get to get this, this player.
21:29And now I've got the coach. Like what Ben did with him last year was extraordinary. His growth from week one until all the way down to their playoff loss against the Rams. I mean, this team could have been in the NFC championship. They were very close. You know, Dennis Allen comes back on the defensive side of things. They lost a lot in terms of some of their personnel with the top takeaway defense in the league, but Ben wants to outscore you and outscore you badly. They're going to have to score earlier in games. That's right. Like put all this six comeback victories last season. We don't want to see that.
22:05I mean, you were sitting there, Seth. What were you doing? How did you watch those games last year? You must have been just on the edge of the desk. It was one of those things as a Bears fan where you're so accustomed to losing those games over the years. You've just been beaten down. You've been conditioned to know that they're going to have that final drive and they're going to fail. And so the first couple games, you're like, whoa, whoa. But by the time we got to like two-thirds of the way through the season, I wasn't even concerned anymore. I was like, oh, he's going to come back. Yeah. Caleb is going to bring this team back, and on the final drive, they're going to get the job done, and they're going to win.
22:50And so even in those crazy Green Bay games where the Packers went out to a huge lead, I was like, how much time is left on the clock? You know what I mean? Like there's plenty of time. He can get this done. They're going to figure out a way. And as many turnovers as they were forcing, I'm like, something's going to happen. So it was a crazy, jarring experience as a Chicago Bears fan to expect to win when you were playing from behind. And you said something interesting. They beat the Packers twice. Twice. Okay. And Green Bay had three games in which they had a lead in the fourth quarter and they blew those leads.
23:27Was that all three of them? Their week three game in Cleveland that Delpit had, I think, the pick six, if I'm not mistaken. I can't remember. Grant Delpit for Cleveland. And then those two games were against Chicago, those other two games. To your point. Oh, those games were. but you won against the color you're wearing. And that in itself, for a team that hasn't beat up on the Packers all that much, I think there is this juice in the city of Chicago that good, better, best is here to stay for a good minute. Because even when I sat down with Cole Komet a couple weeks ago, I was out at the facility, I was out at Hallis Hall, and he said the good, better, best thing was a little cheesy at first.
24:15Like we were like, well, but then when you start winning, when you start winning and you start what you're talking about, Seth, like we got this quarterback and how many times Kevin Byard told me last year, you know, we've, we've got the quarterback. He's the ice man. He is, he is who he is. But his, his growth, just in terms of his pocket, mirroring his footwork with the concepts offensively has been the biggest thing that I've seen. Whether it's a three-step drop, a five-step drop, he's really starting to marry up not only the cadence, but his footwork with the concepts that Ben is asking him to do.
Read the full transcript
24:55Whether it's, you know, anything from a bunch formation or a jumbo package or a 12 personnel, 13 personnel, where that ball's going, where his first and second and third looks are. That is that processing ability and the footwork matching to it is where Caleb has made really substantial improvements. and should have you excited because then you still have like, he's going to hit a fadeaway. You know, he's going to hit that. He's going to dunk it on somebody. When it's time to be Superman, he can put the cape on for sure. I think that's the thing that I think is very interesting is the style that Ben Johnson asks him to play at quarterback is not what he did at all at USC.
25:35He played out of the shotgun. He wasn't doing a lot of play action. He wasn't playing with his back to the defense very often. and you saw a lot of their big plays ended up coming off play action this season. Like some of the comebacks, yeah, they're just spreading it out and letting them ride. But a lot of the big plays where it was designed, you look at the deep bomb to DJ, you know, to win in the overtime in week 16, 17, whatever it is, off play action. You know, and so a lot of those things that they're still kind of new to him, you know, especially in a pro setting. So I'm looking forward in his second season with Ben Johnson.
26:07what do you think what do you what do you want to see out of him what is the next step in the evolution of him as a quarterback crucify with the chain game crucify because you know in hoops you're only as good your inside game's only as good as your outside game your outside game's only as good as your inside game when you have both and you can defend i mean that's basketball on the football field you know i'm a huge i love josh allen i i think he's he's so dynamic he had 39 total touchdowns i think last season a ton of them were on the ground with his legs design runs that one play that sits in my mind when this team loses in the playoffs is he launches it downfield on a huge prayer and like then i watched matthew stafford play the chain game in the playoffs against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
27:06Remember that outside route he threw to Devontae Adams, that toe tapper on the sideline? Broke my heart. And Devontae catches that. I wasn't even mad. That's just, that is a standard, perfect throw. And listen, I'm not, Matthew was the MVP. Josh Allen is always going to have a chance to be the MVP. He's brilliant. I think when you get to a point in this league where you're playing, you're in overtime and you're playing the chain game to that level you're going to the nfc championship or the afc championship and i think i want to see caleb do that like um it might be boring but being able to manipulate the defense and play at every level whether it's you know the intermediate game or the long game because then those long shots open up yeah but hey check that thing down to colston in space check that down to luther in space luther burden's a dog man yes um let those guys go and i think like he's gonna get super comfortable doing that to where now you go forward on fourth down and the trust is there yeah the trust that was forged between ben and and caleb and now it's like ben can say yeah go ahead and throw that go ahead and throw it or he sends in a call to caleb williams and caleb's like yeah ben's called that for me before or we we worked on this in practice how many times i heard that, Seth, last season.
28:29We drew that up in practice. Like, it's good stuff. I'm getting goosebumps. You got goosebumps? Yeah, I'm getting excited about it. It's quiet over here. I know, but we're in it. You know what I mean? We're locked in. Alright, alright, alright. We got laser focus. Alright, so as much as it pains me, we'll drift off the Bears topic for a little bit. Training camp right around the corner. A lot of teams already reported. Some reporting soon. I mean, Hall of Fame game in two weeks is there a training camp in the nfl that you're most looking forward to just to see what comes out of it uh certainly uh all of them as a junk as a junkie i mean a few that you're like anytime there are quarterback competitions right i'm interested what's the first one that jumps off your head um well obviously in minnesota with kyler murray to me is going to be the starter they bring him in on a one-year deal for a reason and all of that experience he brings he's played in the playoffs, hasn't won.
29:27But he's been injured. J.J. McCarthy's been injured. But Kevin O 'Connell went through a carousel of QBs last year. He had three of them. And I think this is a unique spot for Kyler. He's not used to being put to the test. Are you going to be our starter? Yeah. And they led the league in turnovers. They had 30 giveaways offensively last year. So who has the best chemistry with Justin Jefferson through this thing? is going to be critical. He had career lows in his numbers, all of his numbers last season. And he's going to, one day he's going to put on a gold jacket when it's all said and done. He's just that good.
30:03And then of course you have Atlanta, you know, the two guys there, Penix and Tua Tungo-Vailoa, like Kevin Stefanski's new to the mix. Both have been embattled from an injury standpoint. Penix coming back from the ACL, Tua, fresh start, quick game, play action, get the ball out quickly, all the things Kevin likes to do. so you you kind of think it'll be him um anxious to see how mendoza continues to follow kurt cousins in in vegas you know mendoza is going to be one of these caleb williams special kind of specialties like he's he's really brilliant when it comes to football and then tom brady's peeking over his shoulder too that helps um or maybe it hurts i don't know do you think that's that that's helpful or is that a lot of pressure i think that's very very helpful for a player who sat behind Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady.
30:52Touche. Totally pumped about that for him. And Kirk Cousins, what a great guy to learn from in the pocket. And then in Cleveland, you have the competition there with – Deshaun Watson is an interesting one because he could become, in some respects, the comeback player of the year. Oh, wow. You think he has – I mean, Todd Munkin's there with him now. And Todd was a quarterback. He's the head coach. He was brought there to fix their offense. They've had 13 starting quarterbacks since 2020 in Cleveland, which blows away the league. So, you know, for whatever you think about Deshaun Watson, look at him as a football player right now.
31:33I think he's had a really good offseason. I think you've seen signs of his legs again. Back-to-back Achilles ruptures to the same foot. He hasn't played since January 25. so those are some storylines I'm always going to look at when it ever comes to the quarterbacks oh man that's so fascinating Seahawks Niners are going to be a hell of a good team why you know what we talked I was talking with some friends about this the other day on good morning football we were talking about the Seahawks and why they're are they being overlooked this season like they're kind of not being talked about even in their own division it's the 49ers with Mike Evans and it's the Rams with Miles Garrett and like Seahawks are just sort of sitting there defending Super Bowl champions returning a good chunk of their roster like why why are they being overlooked do they like that is that is that a part of their identity you know what's going on yeah I think I think so I I their defense blew me away last year I mean they Super Bowl 19 unaccounted for pressures on Drake May.
32:38On 19? I think they sacked him six times. If I'm not mistaken, I'd have to double check. But they look different. Anytime a team wins a Super Bowl, you're going to question them because their team, the roster looks entirely different. So like, for instance, Kenneth Walker, the Super Bowl MVP is now a chief and their starting running back is going to be a rookie in Jadarian Price, the golden domer. That's true. Zach Charbonnet is starting the season on PUP. but they still have JSN. Still got JSN. And that defense is a hell of a defense, and Mike McDonald's a hell of a coach. Yeah. I think Brian Flory's the new offensive coordinator, so there's just a lot of continuity.
33:19He comes from San Francisco. I think they're going to be just fine in Seattle. I think you're right. I think you're right. You are going to be on Women's Sports Now. Yeah. Later today. Yay. 6 p.m. Eastern. There it is. Yeah. What do we have in store there? Talk to us about that. Who we got? Yeah, so I'll be with Colleen Wolfe today, who I'm going to say will try to avoid giggling through the entire show. Because Colleen is hysterical. We're going to talk a lot of W, though, WNBA, just because the All-Star game is coming up. We're going to talk about WNBA officiating, certainly the stars of the game coming up this weekend in Chicago.
34:01It's ironic that I'm here, and that's taking place in Chicago. I think we've got a feature coming on, but it's going to be fun. We're going to break down some different elements. And the WNBA is super polarizing right now. Is it the WNBA or is it just Caitlin Clark? Which part is polarizing? Caitlin's at the forefront of a lot of it because she's an extraordinary basketball player. And I think social media, it's a hell of a beast. and
34:37the way things have gone this season it's worthy of discussion and so that's what we're going to be doing we want to play some sound let's tee this up speaking of tease Caitlin got her 7th last night she's one away from a one game suspension and she was obviously asked about it last night and here's what she had to say I'm never going to back down I think it was the same thing with the way Kelsey was in the first half too. Like, you know, she got one in the eye. Like she's never going to back down from a moment. And I think just like continue to try to control your emotions the best you can. And that intensity and that fire is what makes me me.
35:11But also like knowing my team needs me and finding a good balance of that. But, you know, I don't think like I'm going to be playing like with that in the back of my head. I don't think I think that might hinder my play a little bit. So I think just continue to be myself and then just try to refocus to, you know, focusing on my teammates and how I can help them.
35:29Brockman:Your reaction? Great. Great. So that technical was like, I'm not allowed to swear on here. Please don't. It was a joke. Okay. I think, I forget who the player, who was the player? Sanaya? I can't remember. But she said to Caitlin, basically, I'm locking you down. Okay. Caitlin had 27. They had their big three, had 123 points. And all Caitlin said was scoreboard. That's why she got a technical. Scoreboard. Scoreboard. Sanaya Rivers. The last one, what? Yeah, Sanaya Rivers. I love watching. She's a feisty player. I love watching her. Are they just not allowed to talk to each other in the game? You get eight technicals and as Brockman just said, you're suspended for a game.
36:28It was a game, right? So she's on her last, like, she's got one more card. Like, she's about to hit a red card here. We're halfway through the season. It feels like it's inevitable that she's going to get suspended. And this is the thing, actually, because you have the all-star break. The Fever are just hitting their stride, and now you need to be playing your best basketball because you're on the cusp of the playoffs. And now she's potentially going to do something else. Like, she might blow a kiss. i'm blowing i'm i'm blowing you a kiss if she blows a kiss at the next team she plays against she just got issued her last yellow card okay i see so she's going to be in a suspension what are we doing so let me ask you this so and i look at this i don't care what player this is seth yeah that's what i mean that's what i want to know do we feel are the women officiated in this manner differently than the men in the nba i don't know if it's that i i know is it this player specifically the wnba needs a better system the officials are not bad they're not bad people but the league needs to elevate the officiating in the wnba for instance we're going to talk about this on the show yeah they need to be full-time salaried employees the nba has such okay secondly um they need a replay center the nba uses a replay center in secaucus new jersey that has helped the game immensely these are the best players in the world like i said the officials aren't bad people they don't want to make bad calls but in order to have more consistency you have to invest more they need more confidence The players need more confidence in them.
38:15And then the messaging, the responsiveness from the league. When there are controversial moments, how responsive and how quickly and timely do messages get out to support the players and the referees? But Caitlin talks a lot. She's one of the most competitive players I've ever seen. Like, there's so many competitive. Asia Wilson is an absolute beast when you watch her play for Vegas. she's a monster she can hit you with the inside the outside the sigma um she's she's incredible she's probably gonna be the mvp again this year she is a competitor now she she's she is very you know body language um she shows you how she feels you have to let athletes do that and i don't know if it's some of like the officials are sick of some of caitlin's you know she's competitive.
39:11Like some of her gestures or whatever I don't know if it's that. You probably have to go but it's a long conversation but the officiating needs to be improved and we're going to again just touch on now we're going to go over those in our show. It's very fascinating and we can't wait to hear you talk more about it later on. I wanted to talk wrestling but forget about it. Wait. Forget about it. Well you can stay. We still got 20 minutes. Yeah. Stay around and we can talk wrestling. I just want to know I know how real it is. Oh, I can give you all the information you need. If you want to stick around, we can talk wrestling after this and I will sell you on it.
39:47And you're going to be a fan for the rest of your life. Okay. Deal. Deal. All right. She's in Stacey Dales. Everybody's going to stick around for one more segment. You can check her on ESPN. Woman's now later tonight. Women's sports now. And we'll be back with more in a minute.
40:07Rich Eisen here. running a small business means every hire matters a bad hire costs time and money but the right one helps your business grow the challenge finding that person without sorting through resumes that's where linkedin hiring pro comes in it screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent with hiring pro you can hire with confidence and build the team you need join the 2.7 million small businesses using linkedin to hire get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen terms and conditions apply rich eisen here for gusto after all these years talking to athletes coaches entertainers and people at the top of what they do one thing is pretty clear success usually depends on getting the details right for small business owners that includes payroll hiring onboarding benefits you know the work that keeps everything moving even if it's not the reason you started the business in the first place that's why there's Gusto.
41:01Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It's all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use, so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere. Automatic payroll tax filing, simple direct deposits, health benefits, commuter benefits, workers' comp, 401k, you name it. Gusto makes it simple and has options for nearly every budget, and it's all built to save you time with built-in automated tools for offer letters, onboarding docs, direct deposit, and more. Plus, you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No hidden fees, no surprises.
41:35Try Gusto today at gusto.com slash rich and get three months free when you run your first payroll. That's three months of free payroll at gusto.com slash rich. One more time, gusto.com slash rich. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast. What's your go-to junk food, though? Like, in all seriousness. Well, we are back here, and we're talking junk food with Stacey Dales. And my go-to is pizza. Okay. Pizza's my number one. I love a pizza. I love an ice cream. Okay. And I love beer. Okay. I'm a simple man. Let's go. Very simple. I'm a simple man. And like I would, you, I can't consider like a sushi or steak really like a proper junk food.
42:25No. You know what I mean? Cause the sushi is just fish and rice and I'm a, I'm a classic sushi guy. I'm not like a roll where I want all the stuff on it. I just want a little omakase with a little rice and a little. Sugar fish. There you go. Oh, great. Yeah. I like that. And then like steak is steak, you know, it's just red meat. Like I don't need it all crazy. I don't need butter all over it. Nothing like that. I just need a nice, good, medium rare piece of red meat. So yeah. Yeah, so I'm more of the pizza guy. Okay. Just fried cheese. I'm a Five Guys. Oh, burgers and fries? Yeah, I get about three.
42:55After, like, the Combine, for instance, or the Super Bowl, I'll get, like, three cheeseburgers and French fries and crush them. They have the best fries. Yeah. There's a Five Guys five minutes away from here. There's also a place called Hi-Ho that if you want a burger anyway, get you a Hi-Ho. Everybody's salivating. Is that in Marina del Rey? It's in Marina, yeah. Yeah, it's very good. So you're going to have a match with, hit the ring with Roman Reigns? Roman Reigns and I, yes, going toe-to-toe. The heavyweight title. You had some questions about wrestling. I'll try to answer them in the few minutes we have left.
43:31So what do you got for me? Yeah, how real is it? That's an interesting question. So it's real in the sense that there's a lot of physicality that goes on, and a lot of it is very painful. and every time I fall on my back or come flying off the top rope and fall on my stomach, bad things can happen. And those bumps, as we call them, do accumulate over time. And it's like getting hit by a car. Like the mat is literally steel. It's plywood. And it's about this much padding and then canvas over top. And that's it. There's no like magic. So how many fractures have you sustained over the years? Because you're one of the best to ever do it.
44:07Yeah. So I mean, some guys go their whole career not getting hurt. But I've had some bad ones. I've torn my whole right knee, so MCL, meniscus, ACL. I've done my meniscus on my left knee as well. I had rotator cuff surgery last October. I've broken my jaw. I've separated both my shoulders multiple times. I've had my fair share of concussions as well. So what brings you back? Oh, my God. You're obsessed with it. I'm obsessed with it. I've loved it since I was a little kid. Is there ever a moment where you're looking across the ring at Roman, for instance, and you're like, dude, you just crossed the line.
44:42Like, is that, none of it's rehearsed. So some of it is rehearsed, yeah, yeah. It is. Some of it, it's like an improv comedy set a little bit where like, oh, we've talked about what we might go over. Here are the set pieces, you know what I'm saying? And we speak a common language when we're out there. So we all kind of know where we're going, at least if we're good at what we do. And usually there's someone in there who's a leader, you know, someone that can like kind of take, like I could take you and get you through the paces, you know what I'm saying, with enough training. and so then it's vibe with the crowd it's this live audience interaction because you don't know what kind of ride they're going to take you on you have a design, you're saying oh this is the story we want to tell, this is what we want to get done in there but sometimes the crowd takes you in a direction that you're not ready for and you've got to be able to pivot to get it done What's your favorite wrestling move?
45:27My favorite wrestling move is one that I'm delivering and it's my finishing move and it's called the stomp and it's just where I put somebody's head directly into the mat and then I pin them that's my favorite one that's my favorite one it's the easiest one it's the simplest one it's the one where I win but yeah wrestling is a wild Andre the Giant was my favorite Andre my favorite wrestler of all time what a king there you go Stacey look at that picture unbelievable that's the stomping there it is there I am that is amazing giving it to Penta look at how athletic you are dude like that's just still got it it's sick man and it is like it looks painful when I watch yeah How much rehearsal does go into it for this match coming up?
46:11It's more of a conversation. Just a conversation right before? It's just more of a conversation. That's it. Thank you for asking about professional wrestling. Thanks for enlightening me. Daisy Gales, everybody. She won. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to the Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
46:43You know when you're locked in, focused and fearless. Welcome to the WNBA. Your vision narrows. You can't look away. Every assist, every stop, every logo three. From beyond the logo. Every did you see that moment. You bet. What records are going to be broken this season? All of it right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN. All season long.
From the publisher
Guest host Seth Rollins, Brockman and TJ wrap up their 3-round NFL sleeper teams draft.
NFL Network Reporter/former OU basketball All-American Stacey Dales joins Seth in-studio where she breaks down the Bears’ 2026 season outlook, what Chicago QB Caleb Williams must do to level up his already impressive game, weighs in on the top QB competitions on the Browns, Vikings, Falcons and Raiders, why the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are getting overlooked to repeat, weighs in on the latest controversy surrounding how WNBA refs treat Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, and asks WWE Superstar Seth the million dollar question: just how real is professional wrestling.
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