In short
The Rich Eisen Show Hour 3 covers: (1) Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz’s background and his views on college football’s growing imbalance driven by NIL and spending disparities; (2) NFL quarterback injury/roster updates, focusing on Tua Tagovailoa’s possible back injury, and J.J. McCarthy’s demotion to QB3 behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz; (3) Josh Jacobs’ legal/personal-conduct status and likely suspension impact; (4) a Jets win-loss prediction call.
Guests/backgrounds
Kirk Ferentz (Iowa head coach, year 28, four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year; previously coached under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban). Other referenced analysts/hosts earlier include Albert Breer and Alex Smith, but the main guest in this hour is Ferentz.
Key claims/examples
Ferentz says Big Ten clock operations will follow the scoreboard; he argues NIL/revenue changes created an “imbalance” and calls for a salary-cap-like framework. He cites past lopsided games (e.g., Nebraska vs Army 77-0) and says NFL parity is healthier. He describes the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry’s hostile intensity. McCarthy is QB3 week one; O’Connell keeps Wentz as backup for Kyler’s comfort. Tua’s back spasms history raises uncertainty; Cooper Rush could start if needed. Jacobs pled guilty/no contest to misdemeanor criminal damage and battery; still under NFL review and likely won’t play.
Notable examples
Ferentz’s Belichick interview story; Iowa’s early 1-10 season turnaround; Ferentz’s Kittle recruiting anecdote; McCarthy’s knee injury timeline; Wentz’s “almost 100 career starts”; Jacobs’ community work and Ed Block Courage Award nominee mention.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VORecap of Previous Discussions
1:37 to 2:25
Rich recaps discussions from earlier in the show regarding NFL season openers.
“Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles.”
Interview with Kirk Ferentz
2:25 to 3:06
Kirk Ferentz discusses adapting to new technology as a long-time coach.
“We are getting ready for game two in Melbourne, Australia, between the Niners and the Rams as well.”
Ferentz Reflects on Coaching Journey
3:06 to 4:25
Kirk shares his experiences coaching under Bill Belichick and his early career.
“zooming into this streaming show on Disney Plus and the ESPN app.”
Transitioning to Iowa Coaching
4:25 to 7:24
Kirk discusses his transition to coaching at Iowa and its challenges early on.
“and had an opportunity to interview with Coach Belichick.”
Iowa State Rivalry Insights
7:24 to 10:04
Kirk shares insights on the rivalry with Iowa State and its significance.
“Yeah, and obviously you are where you are now, 28th season in Iowa.”
Discussion on NCAA Imbalances
10:04 to 14:01
Kirk addresses current issues in NCAA football, focusing on NIL and fairness.
“I think, you know, the last six games, it's about four and a half points difference between the two teams.”
Concerns Over College Football Parity
14:01 to 18:03
Discussing the need for a salary cap in college football and the risks of imbalances.
“But, you know, spending six years in the NFL, there are things I don't miss about that.”
Kirk Ferentz on Iowa Football and Player Recruitment
18:04 to 20:00
Kirk Ferentz shares insights on recruiting challenges and player development at Iowa.
“You know, and I tease Dallas Clark, you know, what a loser he was.”
Memorable Stories from Kirk Ferentz
20:01 to 21:44
Kirk shares anecdotes about players like George Kittle and their impacts at Iowa.
“Well, I got to tell you, I got to enlighten.”
Transition to NFL Updates
21:45 to 22:22
Shifting focus to NFL news and updates on players and teams.
“and she's like, gotta say hi to coach for me.”
Show all 16 chapters
NFL Injury Updates and Player Insights
25:32 to 28:01
Discussion of Tua Tagovailoa's back injury and implications for the NFL teams involved.
“Back with more on the Rich Eisen Show, the latest from Josh Jacobs' world and what's going on in the Vikings' front as well.”
Tua's Opportunity in Atlanta and J.J. McCarthy's Demotion
28:01 to 33:12
Discussing Tua's chances in Atlanta and J.J. McCarthy's new role in Minnesota.
“Again, this kind of dovetails into everything.”
Josh Jacobs Legal Situation and NFL Implications
34:34 to 42:00
Analyzing Josh Jacobs' recent legal issues and their impact on his NFL career.
“We just saw last night what happens if your starting quarterback suddenly goes down out of the blue five snaps and you want a steady hand out there.”
Discussion on Josh Jacobs' Legal Issues
42:00 to 43:30
Learn about Josh Jacobs' plea agreement and the implications for his NFL career.
“And there's a whole paragraph here about how he was an Ed Block Courage Award nominee in 2022, voted by his Raiders teammates.”
Win-Loss Predictions for the New York Jets
43:30 to 46:10
Join Lex as he discusses the New York Jets' season predictions and performance outlook.
“So I know everyone looks at this in football terms.”
Closing Thoughts on Jets' Prospects
46:10 to 46:56
Reflect on the implications of the Jets' potential record and playoff hopes.
“Would you be back on the horse after that?”
Transcript
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1:20Miss 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.
1:44Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. I just stopped being patient.
1:50Rich Eisen:Earlier on the show, senior writer for the MMQB, Albert Breer. ESPN NFL analyst, Alex Smith. Coming up, Iowa head coach, Kirk Ferentz. And now, it's Rich Eisen.
2:15Rich Eisen:Welcome to this edition of the Rich Eisen Show, Hour 3. The first two hours, Alex Smith and hour two, hour one, Albert Breer talking about last night's season opener, the National Football League season. We are getting ready for game two in Melbourne, Australia, between the Niners and the Rams as well. 844-204-RICH is the number to dial on the program. As you know, I'm an old school guy. I'm an old school guy. When I was at the University of Michigan, I saw some old school coaches, my own being Bo, right? if basically I had told, say, Hayden Fry of Iowa, would you like to zoom into a streaming show?
2:52Rich Eisen:He'd be like thinking I was asking him to break the speed limit to go fishing. But it's a different day and age. It's a different day and age, even though this man is now in year 28 after the Hayden Fry administration in Iowa, zooming into this streaming show on Disney Plus and the ESPN app. Once again, Kirk Ferentz of Iowa football. Good to see you, Coach. How are you? All right. Doing well. Thank you. Good to see you, Rich. Do you think Hayden would have thought that, hey, coach, you want to zoom into my streaming show? He'd be like, what are you talking about? Coach Fry never met a camera he didn't like.
3:27Oh, is that right? No kidding. Oh, no, he loved it. He loved the media, loved anything that gave him some exposure.
3:36Rich Eisen:I love it. Well, while we're kind of in the way back machine here, because, you know, I come prepared when I speak with you, sir, that so you is it true you were on Belichick staff in Cleveland as they moved to Baltimore correct yeah I went there in 1993 I'm still not sure how it all happened quite frankly I do know seven if not eight people turned the job down before they got to me I do know that so I was the first guy to put my hand up and said I'll take it it was just it was really unusual So I'd gone to left the staff here. Had been here during the 80s, 81 through 89. Took the head coaching job at the University of Maine.
4:20Seemed like a good idea. And, you know, a couple years later, I got the phone call from Cleveland and had an opportunity to interview with Coach Belichick. And then they sent me home with my tail between my legs. And I remember Scott Peely driving me back to the airport. And his pep talk was, well, you know, it wasn't that bad, he said to me. about my interview. So anyway, I got on the plane, went back to Maine, and a couple days later I got called back down and got beat up for about five more hours and then was offered the job.
4:51Rich Eisen:What's a job interview with Bill Belichick like? Taxing. It just was exhausting. And the contrast, the only other time I'd interviewed was with Coach Fry. And when you sit down with Hayden Fry, it was like you knew him for 20 years after sitting there for five. It just made you feel really comfortable at ease. and had his Texas Ains, all those kinds of things that you had to try to decode. Coach Belichick, just the opposite. It was all business, and it was pretty intense, and a lot of awkward pauses, awkward signs. It was tough. I died a million deaths during that whole thing, but how fortunate I was to work with him and be on his staff for three years.
5:33It was a great experience. Was Saban there, too, at the time? Sure was, yeah. We were together for two years. What was that like? Oh, great. I mean, you know, we had a bunch of tremendous people in the room, just outstanding coaches and a lot of young personnel guys. I mentioned Scott Peely, Phil Savage, guys that were really just outstanding young people. And, you know, so it's been fun to keep in touch with a lot of the guys over the years.
5:56Rich Eisen:So when the team moves, you went, March Abroda gave you a gig in Baltimore? Is that what happened as well? Yeah, yes and no. I'd put a thing in my contract. We went to the playoffs in 94. Yeah. And I really had two fears, quite frankly. I enjoyed my time in the NFL, but I had two fears. One was if a coaching change took place internally, I wouldn't have an option. The NFL, you really don't have options if you're under contract. Right. So I was worried about, you know, maybe getting stuck with somebody I didn't really respect or appreciate working for. And then the other, ironically, the other concern I had was the summer before 94, there were some whisperings that the Browns might move to Los Angeles.
6:42And with all due respect to California, I just didn't have any interest. I had a young family. The last thing I'd want to do is move out to the West Coast with young kids and away from our extended family. So I didn't have the guts to ask for both, but I did ask for a provision of my contract to make it permissible for me to break my contract if something would happen to the head coach. Never dreaming what would happen would happen. A year later, they announced a move. The team basically just quit playing, and the whole thing fell apart. So I became a free agent at the end of the whole thing, long story short.
7:22The only thing I was sure of, I wasn't going to go to Baltimore. But that's where I ended up going.
7:27Rich Eisen:Yeah, and obviously you are where you are now, 28th season in Iowa. How does that hit you, just hearing that out loud? Yeah, it still kind of blows your mind. You know, you take it one year at a time, you really do. And it's, yeah, I'm not sure how it all happened. And a lot more good days than bad, but I've thoroughly enjoyed it. You know, a lot more than I haven't enjoyed it. and been with great people, and that kind of was one of the things that attracted me. I really wasn't necessarily looking to go back into college football at any time. But the one place I felt like would be a good fit for me as a coach and also for our family was Iowa.
8:05You know, the quality of life here is really good, education, all the things for young kids that you'd hope for. And I was wild enough to think, you know, maybe there'd be a chance for stability. Coach Fry had been here, you know, 20 years. Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez were on our staff in the 80s. Both those guys went off and had lives that had some coaching stability, if you will. So I thought, you know, hey, maybe we'd have a chance to do that. And it seemed like a good idea to where about, you know, we were 2-18 our first 20 games. So I had a house that we were building and, you know, bad, bad records.
8:41I'm not sure how good things were looking at that point.
8:43Rich Eisen:Yeah. 1-10 is a long way away in your rearview mirror from your first season. and now you're 21st ranked getting ready for Iowa State this weekend. Pretty big game, obviously, in terms of your development as a program in 2026 and your team against an in-state rival that is looking to put your pelt on the wall for a third straight year. What's going through your mind as you get ready for this weekend's game on Saturday night under the lights? I didn't know much about the Big Ten when I got here in 1981, growing up in Pittsburgh. And for me, everything was east of that. So didn't know much about that.
9:20Certainly didn't know much about Iowa State. In my first year here, I learned real quickly about the series. We upset Nebraska in our opener in 81, then went up to Ames and just got beaten in every category, thoroughly beaten. And the crowd was really hostile. It was very intense. And so that was my introduction to the series. And my point there is I think, you know, I still think people outside of our state probably don't appreciate the intensity of the rivalry. And it's really unusual. You think about a state of Iowa, three and a half million people. You've got two par four schools that have done very, very well.
9:55The programs have been good. So, you know, it's always a tough game, tough contest. And the situation, the circumstances are always a little bit different. But I expect more of the same here. I think, you know, the last six games, it's about four and a half points difference between the two teams. and I would expect kind of the same type of game Saturday night.
10:15Rich Eisen:Kirk Ferentz here, four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year and coach again of the 21st-ranked Hawkeyes at present right here on the Rich Eisen Show. This is a new world in which we live and I want to kind of unpack it a little bit here. First things first, have you and your staff gotten a full accounting from the Big Ten about how game clock operations happen in the final tenths of seconds of regulation based on what happened on Saturday night in the big house, Coach. Yeah, I've got it. It's kind of specific, but the system that we are on or are on is different than the other, as I understand, other conferences in the country.
10:54And it's the same system that the NFL uses. So it sounds like there was a little bit of a discrepancy between what was on the board and then also the official time. And, you know, I really haven't dug into the details of that, really not interested other than what came out yesterday about the system that everybody's going to adapt here. And, you know, so we'll abide by that. I'm sure there was no malintent the other night. And, you know, what happened happened. You know, I'm sure it's a hard, hard circumstance for all those that were involved in it.
11:29Rich Eisen:Yeah, that's why, again, I know that's not your, you know, your pew, but it is kind of the same church here. right? And the fact that you got a Big Ten scenario that played out on Saturday night. And that's why I was wondering if you reached out, they reached out to you just to walk you through absolutely everything that I thought was kind of settled until that moment on Saturday night. Yeah, my understanding is as we move forward, whatever's on the scoreboard in the stadium will be what they go by. That'll be the judgment. So which which makes perfect sense. you would like to think the people on the field watching fans, but more importantly, probably the teams and coaches, whatever they're seeing is lifetime, you know, and going to go from there.
12:15So I'm not sure, again, all the details, the minutia, the whole thing, but, you know, again, it's a tough circumstance, certainly for everybody involved.
12:24Rich Eisen:And prior to the season, prior to your 40-0 season opening victory leading into this week against Iowa State, You at the Big Ten media days warned about a growing imbalance, you pointed out, in the college game. I'd love for you to kind of unpack that for me here about what your thoughts are on the current situation and the imbalance that you're seeing here. I guess, you know, when NIL kind of kicked in a couple of years ago, my first takeaway was that it's going to open the door for, you know, what we experienced, in my mind, in the 60s and 70s. I can't go back much further than that, but I'm old enough to remember.
13:05I think it was in high school, senior, junior year, when Nebraska beat Army 77-0. I think it was 77-0. To me, my first takeaway was that's a game that's really not good for anybody. First of all, it's on patriotic, and then secondly, neither team really benefits in a game like that. But back in those days, you had games like that more frequently, I think. And, you know, so in the simplest terms, you know, when NIL began, it just looked like it opened the door for more of those types of circumstances. And I think now as we've moved forward and we've changed our model through revenue share, which I'm all for.
13:44First of all, I'm all for the players being rewarded. College football has changed so much in the benefits and financial rewards are so different than they were 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So, you know, that needs to be redistributed to the people that are generating the revenue. So I'm all for that. But, you know, spending six years in the NFL, there are things I don't miss about that. But the things I do miss are the fact that, you know, everything was regulated. You know, you had a salary cap. Everybody had the same contractual opportunities, obligations. And contracts meant something. And, you know, player contracts meant something.
14:22And, you know, deals were done. but there was a framework to do it. And we clearly don't have that right now. There's a real imbalance. So I'm not suggesting I know what the number is, what the CAF number is, but there needs to be one, in my opinion. And it's kind of twofold. You know, if you have a bigger war chest than the next guy, it gives you a better opportunity to be successful, certainly. And then I would also suggest I think there's probably less responsibility. You know, if you've got money to waste or burn, you know, You can be a little bit more reckless or haphazard with your decision-making.
14:57NFL, you can't do that. You lose your job if you're too reckless too often. So you just can't do that. So it's a little – I'm not sure it's a healthy framework. And the last thing I'll just interject, I'll go back to my first year. We ended up being co-champs in the Big Ten, went to the Rose Bowl. It was the first time in 13 years that somebody other than two schools had been there. And I guess I would suggest I think the conference has been healthier since other people have gone besides two schools. And, you know, all due respect to those schools, but, you know, I just think it's better. The NFL, there is true parity.
15:34Everybody's got an equal opportunity. It really gets down to the guys playing and the guys coaching. Certainly having good ownership and management helps, but it really gets down to the guys on the field, you know, what they do. So, you know, I just I'm a little concerned that we may drift away from that. And to me, the last 20 plus years have been great to compete in college football. But, you know, you worry about the, you know, the field slant a little bit too far.
15:59Rich Eisen:Well, the two ways to go off of that, if you don't mind, I've got two sort of follow ups here. First one is the NFL way of doing things, as you point out, uniform, commissioner, schedules, uniform, everything. We all know what it is, right? Everyone knows when a new league year begins. And everyone knows that a contract is a contract. And also coaches can't just skip, you know, for another spot because they've been bought out by somebody who's got the money to pay for it. So the question is, why not go the full way, right? Why not just go the full way? Because it feels like it's professionalized already, coach.
16:37Rich Eisen:And so how do we do that unless you think that that is a problem? You know, we don't want to say that, but that is the reality. players are getting paid. And I think what you bring up, you know, it'd be very different, but I think in a lot of ways it would be healthy. College football is very different. It's very different than, you know, my first year in major college coaching. I was 1980 as a grad assistant at Pitt. And then obviously 1981 when I came here, it's a totally different world, yet it's amazingly similar to in that the quality of the athletes we get to work with and the kind of people they are and the things they're dealing with in real life are very similar to them.
17:16You know, these guys are still going to school. All the things you hear about in the media, it's a really small percentage. And, you know, the majority of our guys are going to school, getting their degrees and, you know, have girlfriends and all that kind of stuff. And most of them aren't playing in the NFL when they get done. Or if they are, they're not going to be there long term. It's just not the nature of the game. So, you know, that's all the good stuff about it. It makes it enjoyable. But I think, to your point, the way we look at it now has to change a little bit because it has changed.
17:45It's just the reality. And if we're not careful, I'll go back to that imbalance thing. I think, you know, the door is wide open for that right now. I'm not sure that's that's good for anybody. I'm not sure it's what everybody wants.
17:57Rich Eisen:Yeah. And the imbalance thing, that was my other follow up question, because when I heard you say that, I also was wondering, are you potentially concerned about an imbalance between your program and others in the Big Ten that might be getting ready to start spending$50 million a year on rosters, which might not be something in your avenue in Iowa? Are you concerned about that? Oh, absolutely. You know, and I tease Dallas Clark, you know, what a loser he was. You know, he was a great football player at the Colts and, you know, world champion, all pro, all that stuff. you know you're not a billionaire so like you know i'd rather you be a billionaire uh than a great nfl player a great college player for us and i say that jokingly uh but that is the reality like you just uh you know if you have one or two people that can help fund your program that's a great thing um but you know the bottom line is it just it just i think parity with within reason is a good thing i just think you know having competitive balance It's healthy for competition.
19:01And, you know, it's just I don't know how many players there are, really. I think when it all comes to fruition, there's probably whatever, 10, 12, 15 schools that have a major decided advantage over everybody else. And it just makes the challenge a little bit tougher, you know. It's always been that way in college football anyway, and that's fine. That's the nature of it. But if you're not in a population or near population, it's a disadvantage recruiting-wise. all those kinds of challenges and things. But this is just one more thing that makes a degree of difficulty potentially a little bit safer.
19:34Rich Eisen:I don't know, Coach. I think Kittle's your best bet at the billionaire club, right? Like if we had to pick somebody right now, Kittle might be that guy. Well, actually, at 1981, I'm dating myself. Captain on that first team. Wow. What a great player he was. But, yeah, if George is not a billionaire money-wise, he is personality-wise. I love it. That's my last one for you. Give me your favorite Kittle story, if you don't mind, before I send you back into your game prep. Dad or son? Son. I need the son. Well, I got to tell you, I got to enlighten. You know, he was a really good player for us. I don't know if you knew this, but he was, his article, at least his scholarship choices were us and Weber State.
20:12And we offered him very, very late. And it really wasn't because of his dad. It was more so his mom. She was a great player at Drake, a basketball player. So we were banking on that athletic gene. You know, dad had the competitive gene. Not that Jan doesn't, but we were banking on that athletic gene that Jan had. So I'd say it's turned out pretty well for him.
20:34Rich Eisen:Hey, listen, I got to tell you, you know, everything's coming up Iowa. Ben McCollum had a heck of a season on the hoop side of things. And you got your team 21st overall. I always love watching what you're up to. And I truly appreciate you taking the time just to come on and hang out for a bit. It's good to be with you. I appreciate that and appreciate your thoughtful questions. I appreciate you giving me the answers as well. Coach, have a great Saturday, and we'll chat again shortly. Thanks, Rick. That's Kirk Ferentz, everybody, right here. You're 28 here on the Rich Eisen Show as he gets set to take on Iowa State and potentially teach the new coach there what the rivalry is all about.
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21:13Rich Eisen:As you know, Matt Campbell is in a spot you used to root for, TJ. He used to root for her. You want to ask him for a pair of shoes? and he might send you a pair of shoes like Dan Lanning and now you'll suddenly root for Iowa and ditch Penn State. Yeah, but then I'd have to give those to my friend who's from Iowa. I didn't want to do that to you. A legendary coach like that. Oh, I got a pair right here. I mean, what if he did, though? That was great. And by the way, Susie loves Kirk Ferens because when Susie would be doing sideline reporting for ABC and she would be working the sidelines in Iowa, he was great to her.
21:48Rich Eisen:He's as professional as they come. and she's like, gotta say hi to coach for me. Rich 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.
22:21Rich Eisen:Terms and conditions apply. Did you know every 36 minutes a child in the U.S. is diagnosed with cancer? Which means some of the bravest warriors you'll ever meet aren't professional athletes or superheroes. They're the kids in this fight. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For the past 28 years, with support from Hyundai, their dealers, and every new Hyundai sold, Hope on Wheels has contributed over$300 million to childhood cancer research, helping save more than 40 ,000 kids. Join our fight at HyundaiWarriors.com. Replace your worn-out wiper blades during O 'Rewards Member Appreciation Month at O 'Reilly Auto Parts.
22:58Rich Eisen:Receive two times O 'Rewards points and save$10 when you purchase a pair of Rain-X Latitude wiper blades. They will even install them for free at O 'Reilly Auto Parts. Which I guess neglected to do. I was about to say, I didn't hear you say. I know. I was asking, you know, football questions. He's still listening, so I think you kind of just did it. Yeah, of course. Is he still there? Is he still there? Is he still there? Oh, okay. Oh, he's still there. Fantastic. Susie says hello, coach. My wife says hello, coach. All right. Thank you. There we go. See, you did it. Now we should say goodbye. Now we can go home tonight, coach.
23:33Rich Eisen:Closure. See? But don't ask him for shoes, man. I'll take a pair. Okay, stop it. I told you. If I did that, I'd have to give him the Kutcher. That's the way it goes. Now I can go home. We can go home. We can go home now. That would be good. By the way, did you hear Sean McVay told a story about Jokic at his press conference this week? That he was in a, I guess, because as you know, the Cronkies own the Nuggets. Right. So I imagine that's how he got to be in the Nuggets locker room. I'd imagine. and Jokic saw him and asked him about the get-back coach he used to have. Oh, yeah, I did see that. No, I didn't see that.
24:16Rich Eisen:I did see that. Yeah. That was what his question was. You remember how McVay, there was a famous NFL Films moment where they had his camera on, the big burly-looking dude who would have to keep Sean from being – Yeah, kept pulling him by the waist to keep pulling him back from stepping on the field and getting a 15-yard penalty. And that's what Jokic asked about. Yeah. What happened to that guy? It was great. Do you think he was like going, hey, if you need new one? No, and McVay was like, this is what the MVP is that knows about me. I am a failure. That's right. He was self-scouting over Jokic saying that's how he recognized him.
24:50Rich Eisen:I'm saying, do you think Joker was kind of like asking? Auditioning kind of? Maybe he might want the job during football. Or one of his brothers? McVay referred to him as a dip-ess. He's like, I'm not that dip-ess anymore. That's funny. When it comes to you and your home, Pella Windows and Doors are the experts at taking care of you in your home. At Pella, they find the products that meet your needs, and their experts install them. That means working with a company that builds and installs a quality product with real pricing, real simple, really beautiful. And when a trusted name like Pella chooses to partner with The Rich Eisen Show, that says a lot.
25:22Rich Eisen:0 % financing options are available. Certain restrictions apply. Find your local Pella Windows and Doors showroom today at Pella.com slash Eisen for details. make life brighter with Pella windows and doors. Back with more on the Rich Eisen Show, the latest from Josh Jacobs' world and what's going on in the Vikings' front as well.
25:46Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show podcast.
25:53Rich Eisen:You're on the Rich Eisen Show. So the Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the Atlanta Falcons. Michael Pennick's not physically ready to get there under center, so it's going to be Tua unless his back just gave way in practice. Mark Ramondi, who covers the Falcons for ESPN, during the open media portion of practice, Tua touched his back and sat down on the grass briefly during individual drills Thursday. It was unclear exactly what had happened. Well, how happened? Sorry, that's the steward. I don't know. He got me. He didn't seem to throw again after, but media only gets to watch a small portion of practice, and others who are watching practice took note of that as well.
26:39We were talking about Cooper Rush earlier about backup quarterbacks. Wow.
26:47Rich Eisen:Yeah, Daniel Flick covers the team for the AGC down there. Said Cooper Rush took the bulk of the throws, the remaining portion of the media section. extent to be determined until the injury report. Wow. And Tua had missed some time earlier in this camp with back spasms. Back spasms. And if he just got it again, last time you won't, next time you get back spasms, I'll tell anybody this. You get back spasms, it's real. I once one time worked on you, Mike. Yeah, Rich. I told you about the somber cream. I just started feeling better after six months. There you go. But the reason why I bring it up is I will say this.
27:27Rich Eisen:Whenever I get back spasms, I think to myself, I'm glad I'm not doing this 48 hours before I have to see TJ Watt. Yes, exactly. Or Cameron Hayward, our Tuesday guest. I'm with you on that one. Yeah, out of here. Alex Highsmith. Oh, wait a minute. I don't think Sombra's going to work on that. He can't get Deron to walk on his back down there in Atlanta. No. I love Deron, and I've never met him. Oh, you would love this guy. I've seen him. At any rate. I almost went to see the wrong. Again, this kind of dovetails into everything. So you got Tua getting a shot in Atlanta. Take the shot. With Drake London and Kyle Pitts and our Tuesday guest Bijan Robinson, just to name three, and Kevin Stefanski dialing it up.
28:17Rich Eisen:And what a great spot for him to land on his feet and get an opportunity to take the job from Michael Penix, who is from that draft famously a few years ago with Caleb and Jaden and Drake and both. And who's there? Now it's Tua. And Tua may not, who gets the shot because Penix isn't ready, Tua may not be ready. And Cooper Rush may get the answer of the bell. opportunity for Atlanta. Cooper Rush going in and beating the Steelers would be by the way, peak NFL. How about this? Unsurprising. And that's not any knock against the Steelers. No, we've seen him do it before. My goodness, we've seen him do it before.
29:08Okay, so likely, probably not.
29:12Rich Eisen:Surprising? At the end of the day, you'd be like, okay, he's a professional quarterback who with these weapons and some protection and the proper scheme, stranger things have happened. Nine and seven, career as a starter. Okay. So you've got that in Atlanta where Penix is not physically ready to play with an opportunity when he is clearly standing right there. And I think the minute that he's physically able to play, he's going to be placed in there by Kevin Stefanski. Meanwhile, there's another Kevin who's got a quarterback from that draft class. In the first round named J.J. McCarthy. And Kevin O 'Connell.
29:56Rich Eisen:Like Stefanski. The Kevin in Atlanta. Taking advantage of a highly drafted quarterback. No longer welcome in his. Previous spot where he was drafted in Kyler Murray. And the guy. In Minnesota for that Kevin. is 1 ,000 % the starting quarterback, and thankfully for Minnesota, not grabbing at his back, ready to roll to start the season for the Vikings at home against the Green Bay Packers. And this Kevin in Minnesota has J.J. McCarthy, who, like Penix, got a knee injury that wiped out his entire rookie season. The knee injury for Penix wiped out the end of year two for him and is now bleeding into year three for him.
30:55J.J.
30:56Rich Eisen:McCarthy, year one wiped out. Year two, he gets the start. He goes in and out of the lineup due to injuries himself. The offensive line is hurt, so you really can't fully evaluate him, one would think. Carson Wentz plays in the kid's place and shows some real veteran savvy before he gets hurt for the rest of the season. You got to go with J.J. McCarthy. And when he goes in and out of the lineup, it's Max Brosmer time. While Sam Darnold, who they let walk, wins the Super Bowl somewhere else. And now here we are starting year one in Minnesota for Kyler Murray, who is healthier than Tua. And it's now Murray getting the opportunity that Tua also had in Atlanta, and he is about to take full advantage of it, or best he can.
31:46Rich Eisen:While J.J. McCarthy is demoted to three on the depth chart, third. It's going to be Carson Wentz who backs up Kyler Murray on Sunday against Green Bay, and Kevin O 'Connell gave his reasoning. Carson will be the backup on Sunday, and J.J. will obviously be the third guy. And really, I'm looking at that right now, Kevin, as a week-to-week thing. And I think, you know, Carson, he's got almost 100 career starts. What he was able to do last year from a standpoint of very limited repetition, but being able to apply a career's worth of experience, that's kind of what you need to do as a backup quarterback, especially early on when so much of the emphasis is going to be on getting Kyler as comfortable as we can possibly get him.
32:38But J.J. is, you know, he's still going to get a bunch of great work, you know, as Carson will, you know, giving our defense a look. And then there's time before, there's time after the development of a player that, you know, we're really, you know, I'm just really excited to continue to get a chance to work with him and then want to make it week to week. So, you know, when we feel like we need to, you know, declare something different, we can and we will. But this gives us the best chance to win this Sunday based upon how the game goes. Wow. Damn. Taking a quick break to chat about choosing the best tool for the job.
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33:59Rich Eisen:How doers get more done. Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high-interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast Fund's terms apply at SoFi.com slash DebtPlay. Listen, I understand that Carson Wentz throwing him in, if need be, against Green Bay.
34:41Rich Eisen:We just saw last night what happens if your starting quarterback suddenly goes down out of the blue five snaps and you want a steady hand out there. You don't want to throw Jalen Millero in the game. Interestingly enough, the quarterback that J.J. McCarthy beat in the Rose Bowl a couple years ago to go to the national championship game to beat Panics and win it all. In the you-can't-make-this-up category, right? So I understand if he feels Wentz is better than McCarthy right now, best chance for this team to win. Because last year, they're not going to go through that again. They're going to go through a veteran team on the defensive side of the football.
35:17Rich Eisen:That's the reason why they re-signed Harrison Smith. They think they can win it right here, right now. Let's go. and so I get it, but what about McCarthy's career now? You've got to start thinking about that, and O 'Connell was asked about this issue. I would be cautious about the depth chart and what that means and what does this mean. It's good to hear you talk about the big picture because I think with a young quarterback, there's always a big picture that's probably a larger scale and a larger mentality than the week one depth chart. But at the same time, I thought he's been incredibly professional.
35:56The conversations that him and I have had both pre, during, and post that, he's excited to continue to grow and get better. He's still a young quarterback in the NFL with 10 starts and a bunch of talent and a bunch of things that make him a guy that we want to pour into every single day. And the best part is he's going to work as hard as anybody, and that's where it's at. But I do appreciate you asking about the big picture.
36:21Rich Eisen:Mm-hmm. Wow. All right, I'll big picture it for you. Unless he gets in and plays some meaningful snaps this season and wins some games and shows what he can do as a quarterback, there's no chance that fifth-year option gets picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. Not a chance. Yeah, you're spot on. Okay, so he's basically halfway through his tenure in Minnesota. That's a fact. I don't think I'm telling any tales out of school there. and then again he can just show use this as a chip on his shoulder and show what he can do in his next spot unless he gets a chance here and by the way everybody's trying to get into kevin o 'connell's system everybody's trying to get in his building and and learn from him whatever and i'm sure it just kills him he doesn't want to the way that he wants to um mimic jordan love is not for the defense in practice as the third strength quarterback but basically right now wait and then go kill it somewhere else where Jordan Love waited and had got to kill it in the spot where he was drafted in the first round.
37:26Rich Eisen:It's got to be tough for him. It's got to be tough for him. But Baker Mayfield knocked around, just signed 55 million a year. Yeah. Sam Darnold waited five, six, seven years. This happens. Yeah, it happens. I get it. It's not the way I envisioned it at all. And I'll just say this one more time. He's used as an avatar of all the Michigan players in the national championship team stinking on ice in the NFL. So the reason why they got to the NFL is because they had the plays and Connor Stallions and all that sort of stuff. The time J.J. McCarthy beat Ohio State in the horseshoe, he was down at halftime.
38:03Rich Eisen:Worst way to cheat ever. Worst way to cheat ever is to still be down at halftime. and then he started killing it, and so did the run game.
38:18Rich Eisen:Obviously, it sticks in my craw, but I got to deal with it in the same way you deal with all the asterisk and all the draft choice that you forfeited and all that sort of thing. I get it. So listen, long story short is he's got an opportunity at some point, And if it comes this year, it would be, I think, a troublesome and a disaster for Minnesota to get to the third string quarterback. McCarthy's playing this year. It's all gone wrong. Don't you think? Yeah. Well, you're talking about injuries to Kyler, injury again to Carson Wentz. Yeah, I mean, it's worst case. What are they going to do? McCarthy's going to show something as a third stringer in practice to beat out Wentz to be the backup?
39:00Rich Eisen:It's possible, I guess. I don't know. But again, like you say time and time again, when talking to Vrabel about Will Levis, the backups don't get practice time. The head coach isn't really seeing them in action to make that evaluation. But isn't it amazing? Tua and Kyler get their chance to go somewhere else in this spot. Tua might not be able to answer the bell. Murray is ready. Okay? And the backup for week one might get in there in Atlanta, and it's Cooper Rush and the backup for week one in Minnesota leapfrogged the guy whose knee injury kept him from developing as a year one starter. And as a year three starter, the knee injury that affected the guy he beat in the national championship game who was drafted before him ruined the end of his second season, bleeding into the third season.
39:54Rich Eisen:But I think he's still going to get the chance and McCarthy won't. So interwoven. And the coaches are both named Kevin. Okay. I think we've connected dots here. Take a break. 844-204-RICH. We'll sneak in a call. Maybe a win-loss game before we get out of Dodge. Oh, yes. And the Packers update. It's important, obviously, with the Vikings. Welcome them into town. Coming up.
40:20Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show. The podcast. A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible, overcoming high-interest credit card debt. Walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed-rate monthly payment, no fees required, and as soon as the same-day funding. Pull off your own debt-defying stunt right now with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A., member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Guillotine lowest points out, right? Yeah. You do realize the radio audience just rejoined and have no idea why you're blurting that out right now.
40:59Rich Eisen:I'm sorry, T. I'm sorry, Rich. Yeah, I'm just, you guys are talking about your guillotine. Thank you, sir. It's his first day here, Rich. Leave him alone. He doesn't know a radio. It's not like we've been doing this funny. That's what he hears. The lowest is out, Mike. Yes. That's great. Hoskins is crying. Oh, my God. Okay. You guys can't hear. Yes. And me and T.J. are on the block. That's what we were talking about. Thank you. TV breaks. Okay. So Josh Jacobs had his court date set for November, moved up to September. And I think the impetus for that was when the commissioner put him on the commissioner's exempt list, which means he's sitting there until his legal situation, as we referred to it.
41:36Rich Eisen:He had a domestic violence incident that he was accused of with his girlfriend. And you could sit there until your your your legal problems are resolved. So they moved it up to today. and today according to his lawyers agreed to enter a plea of guilty or no contest to one count of misdemeanor criminal damage to property and one count of misdemeanor battery in brown county circuit court so um with this agreement josh has accepted responsibility for his conduct and resolved this matter today's resolution is set against a career-long history of josh's community work while in the NFL, which is centered on the circumstances of his early life.
42:28Rich Eisen:And there's a whole paragraph here about how he was an Ed Block Courage Award nominee in 2022, voted by his Raiders teammates. He's had a partnership with Kia Belt around his own experience of homelessness, et cetera. Bottom line, though, there is video out there, and there is still the fact that he pled guilty to this, and domestic violence leads to six-game suspension on average. The NFL says he's still on the commissioner's exempt list. They're closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. Just because he pled to this and the matter is deemed closed in the court system doesn't mean that it's closed for him.
43:18Rich Eisen:And, you know, obviously in terms of his life, it's important that he cleans that up. Certainly since the video that everyone says that anybody who's seen it says it's pretty ugly, as domestic violence tends to be. So I know everyone looks at this in football terms. And in terms of that, Josh Jacobs will not play this week, it appears. and then for maybe the first month and a half of the season, at least. We shall see. Lex in New York. Let's close this out with something I don't think we've done yet. What's up, Lex? He's up. Uh-oh. Lex, you there? Hold on, bud. Yeah, bud. You've been hanging on for almost three hours.
44:06Rich Eisen:You there, Lex? We're almost out of time. I sure have. There you go. What's going on? What's going on? Yo, man, I'm with the Jets, baby. Come on. Give me that wind loss. Okay. All right. Lex in New York wants to play win-loss for the New York Jets, which I don't believe we have done yet. First up for the Jets is a visit to see Robert Sala in Tennessee. What happened, sir? First of all, no, you did do a win-loss three weeks ago. Okay. Right before I was about to go into therapy. Okay. You know. For this? You know how, like, older Jets fans are always, like, mad? I want to speak positive. You dig what I'm saying?
44:42Rich Eisen:Yeah, I've got two minutes left, so let's go back. before we get cut off. That's a win. All right, home for the Packers. That's a win, too. Now at the Lions. Lost, lost. 2-1 and at the Bears, too? Loss? Yes, sir. 2-2, home for the Browns. That's a win. At the Patriots. That's a loss. 3-3, home for the Dolphins. That's a win. Home for the Raiders. That's a win. That's 5-3 at the Chiefs. That's a loss. 5-4 home for the Bills.
45:19Rich Eisen:That's a win. We're taking it. 6-4 at the Chargers. That's a loss. 6-5 at the Dolphins. That's a win. 7-5. They're now in the sniffing it category officially entering the middle of December. I need that in the hunt picture. 7-5. It's sniffing it here, sir. Home for the Broncos. That's a loss. 7-6 at the Cardinals. That's a win. Eight and six, home for the Patriots. That's the win. There you go. Do it. Nine and six, home for the Vikings and Kyler Murray. That's our last win of the season. Take that. Let's go. And then in losing at the Bills, 10 and seven for the Jets would maybe put them in the playoffs and be a massive W for Aaron Glenn.
46:02Rich Eisen:You are correct, Lex. Give me your wild card. Power the tongue, baby. Let's go. You're being very positive. Thanks, Lex, for hanging on and for being there. Good job, Lex. Lex Diamond. 10 and seven. See you, homie. How about that? Would you be back on the horse after that? I would be surprised if the Jets are tennis. Yeah, I would too. That would save Aaron Glenn's bacon and then get them set for what? Archibald. No, he can't get Archibald. You're out of Archibald. Exactly why the Jets are going tennis. Yeah, exactly. You're out of Archibald. You're going to not get Archibald. It was a game right over there.
46:39Rich Eisen:Cost you Trevor Lawrence. I think the only Archibald they can get with a 10-7 record is tiny. Wrong sports. And century.
46:55Rich Eisen: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.
47:15This episode is brought to you by ChatGPT.
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From the publisher
Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz and Rich discuss his 28 years as at the Hawkeyes’ helm that was predated by a stint on Bill Belichick’s Cleveland Browns staff, the game clock controversy at the end of Michigan’s last-second/extra second win over Western Michigan, how NIL is rapidly changing the landscape of college football, and more. Rich and the guys react to reports out of Atlanta about a possible back injury to Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa, and weigh in on former Vikings starter JJ McCarthy being demoted to 3rd string behind Carson Wentz for Week 1. Rich updates the latest on Packers RB Josh Jacob’s legal woes, and plays the ‘NFL Win-Loss Game’ with a New York Jets fan.
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