Hour 3: Rich’s Top 5 NFL Surprise Players, plus Comedian Adam Ray Talks Seahawks In-Studio

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0:22Rich Eisen:Compatibility and availability varies 18+. This episode is brought to you by Nordstrom. For 125 years, Nordstrom has been part of your story. The stylist who found the perfect outfit for your big interview. The first pair of walking shoes for your one-year-old. The tomato soup you shared with your sister at the cafe. These are the moments that make Nordstrom, Nordstrom. Big or small, we're here for all of it. Celebrating 125 years with new moments still add. Discover it all in Nordstrom stores and at Nordstrom.com. This is The Rich Eisen Show. Hey, everybody. Can't get enough of the Rich Eisen Show?

1:02Rich Eisen:You're in luck. You can find us everywhere. Watch us weekdays on Disney Plus from noon to 3 Eastern. Miss the show? We've got a podcast so you can listen anytime. But here's the best part. Our YouTube channel. Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show. Here you come again. This is the Rich Eisen Show. It's real with the Cowboys. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. There's something real going on. It takes time. We'll see what happens when home meets mom with the Cowboys. Earlier on the show, legendary broadcaster Bob Costas.

1:45Coming up, comedian Adam Ray. Plus, your phone calls, latest news, and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen.

1:56Rich Eisen:our number three of the rich eisen show is on the air disney plus espn app espn radio sirius xm channel 80 call us 844-204 rich adam ray's about to stop by in studio to have a chat with us um and always a fun funny time with him uh we'll take some phone calls in just a couple of seconds just to let everybody know there's our youtube channel if uh you you care to hang out with us Be careful. There's an algorithm that can get you. YouTube.com slash RichEyes and Show for that. We're closing in on 1.2 million followers on that or subscribers, whatever they want to call it. There's our Instagram, TikTok, Facebook.

2:40Rich Eisen:All of the socials are available for us. RichEyesandShop.com. Somebody called in earlier today and said, hey, I got a Mendoza Mania T-shirt, hats, mugs, various other T-shirts that rep the show and other things that we say into this microphone that might be kind of silly. And it's all there, richeisenshop.com. For all those out there, we greatly appreciate anybody who connects with us that way. And let's take some phone calls here on the program. Michael in Louisiana here on the Rich Eisen Show. Michael, are you the judge that's letting everybody come back? Michael? I am not the judge. I am just a lifelong LSU fan.

3:24I've been on your show with you twice and Susie twice. I'm the one that Brockman didn't like the fact that I let my Yorkie sleep in the bed with me, which we're not even getting on that.

3:36Rich Eisen:Good for you, Michael. You do that, man. You do that. This Lane Kiffin deal, you hit the nail on the head when you said, yeah, we expected a fair amount. I don't know if we expected this. But, you know, he hadn't broken any rules yet. No. You know, we're kind of liberal with our morals down here. But, you know, if you look at the coaching situation in Baton Rouge, Lane Kiffin's not even the best story. Will Wade, we fired him for NTA sanctions, and the guy that he replaced was Johnny Jones. Well, we hire him back, and he hires Johnny Jones back as an assistant. And now he's just trying to get everybody.

4:40We've got four players on the basketball team now.

4:45Rich Eisen:Well, here's the deal, Michael, is that there's going to be lawsuits. Certainly, if the SEC is coming down and saying the kids that Lane has in the portal all teed up to join his team now can't, I'm reading that there are some exceptions potentially where they can, and if they can't, then there's going to be lawsuits filed and all of that business. And again, it just speaks to what Bob Costas also said moments ago. I did listen. You know, where he basically said that this is, you know, this is not what NIL is for and what it has wrought has now wrought a whole bunch of legal avenues for players to gain eligibility or go to the pros and come back, which is nuts, Michael.

5:32Rich Eisen:That's crazy. But y 'all saw it coming, though. I remember with you, Dan Patrick, all were saying, once you open up this can of worms, it's going to – that's where, unfortunately, we're headed. I don't understand how a district judge can do it, which is a smaller judge here in Louisiana, or even with Chambliss at Ole Miss. I don't know, but thanks for the call, Michael. Ole Miss graduate. I appreciate the call. Call back and enjoy your Yorkie sleep time.

6:13Rich Eisen:There will be more lawsuits. End of story. Many, many more. I mean, you're reading right now. Like, what's happening? The SEC is like, 50 % of the football budget, you're going to get fined. And the coach half the season? Well, just think about it. I mean, LSU might wind up with the most expensive roster in college football, which is probably over 50 million dollars crazy man this world is nuts all right so coming up with a top five for everybody here i crowdsource i speak to you guys right yep all the time i try to part of a crowd no bad ideas from anywhere well i mean sometimes i just might not agree right so i mentioned to coop the other day i got to do a top five and he goes how about you come up with a top five most surprising players of the upcoming nfl season you try and predict it so i sat with him and we chose one from every team okay who would be the most surprising and then i started we weeding this out and winnowing down the list a number of times i'm like should i do this and he would look at me goes it's your list oh it's your list i'm like would it be different with your list he goes it just it's this is your list ed okay this is your list and so interestingly enough i've come up with my list the five top five who i believe will be the most surprising players of the 2026 nfl season and brought to you by Hyundai.

7:52Rich Eisen:High five. One, two, three, four, five. Riches top five. All right. I chose Coop approved, unless he's just like, no, it's your list, Dad. Here we go. I had to put a quarterback here. I thought about Malik Willis, but I just don't know. I thought about Geno, and then I just couldn't. So I'm going to go with number five most surprising players of 2026. I'm going to go Jacoby Brissett. Oh, wow. I'm going to say he's going to wing it. Year 11, okay? Ten years in, he's got Marvin Harrison Jr. there, Michael Wilson there, Trey McBride there, Jeremiah Love here, Tyler Algier there, James Conner coming back there.

8:49Rich Eisen:He's got a lot in front of him. And Mike LaFleur dialing it up. I'm going to say he has a surprising year. And one of the most surprising things is you're not going to see Carson Beck. Oh, wow. He's going to keep Carson Beck off the field. Dang. Might not be pretty sometimes, but it is going to be like Big 12 action nuts. You know what I mean? Okay. I'm going Jacoby Brissett five. Fun. Next up. Number four, I'm going with a defender. Second year player. His first year, he didn't light it up. And we found out he had a shoulder problem, which required a cleanup. I don't know why I feel this way, because everybody thinks that Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

9:39Rich Eisen:is the better player there in Philadelphia at this position. but I'm going Jihad Campbell at four. You know, like Howie getting another kid from Alabama, an SEC kid, right? And he's getting another kid just to start balling out. I don't know why I feel this way. Anybody in Philadelphia will tell you the preseason action really hasn't shown it, but then there's other times you see him flashing in practice, and you see it would be the most Philadelphia Eagle thing that this kid is now like what? So Zach Bond's got the green dot, and then this kid's going to go loose. I kind of feel it. Number three.

10:21Rich Eisen:Another defender. Same division. You know where I'm going. You know where I'm going, sir. I told you. Draft night. You did. Cowboys take them, and I texted you on the spot. During live NFL Network action. This is the facts. Jay Sean Barham from the University of Michigan. You love that guy. He was the Wolverines best defensive player, fastest as well. I saw things out of him. I'm like, he is really fast, and he is playing with bad intentions. He looks mean out there, too. And I think he is going to ball out for your Cowboys. And people are going to be like, wait a minute. From your lips? Defensive player of the year for the rookies.

11:14Rich Eisen:Defensive rookie of the year type stuff, man. Let's go. Maybe I'm overextending it. Number two, running back. He was the first running back taken in 2024. Had three games, blew out his knee, and we've hardly seen him since. I don't know why I'm thinking Jonathan Brooks for the Carolina Panthers. I like that one. Is going to just show people what's up. Really good in college. just hasn't gotten the breaks. Rico Dottle's gone. He's in. I know Chuba's still there, but I kind of feel like Jonathan Brooks is going to have a nice run of it here, literally and figuratively. And number one, my most surprising player of the year.

11:56Rich Eisen:He's in a position, and I think he's going to wind up giving his college teammate a run for his offensive rookie of the year money. Jadarian Price. I'm going with him. he has got the opportunity Zach Charbonnet isn't ready to go yet he's been under the radar in college he's under the radar in a draft and he's on the defending Super Bowl champs who everybody is from what I hear they're going to throw it to the backs more and I think he's going to just show up and it's going to be like oh man that's why they let Kenneth Walker walk and I know they let him walk way before they drafted him. I get it.

12:42Rich Eisen:It'll be an one would think irrational thing to say. Oh, they let him walk because they knew they were going to get this kid in the draft. You never know you can get anybody in the draft, but it was such a no-brainer to get him in the draft. And I think he's going to have a really stupendous year. Give me my son. One more. I did not know this. I don't know if he's making the team. I'm hoping he is, and I think he will.

13:11Rich Eisen:because Calvin Austin blew out his knee for the Giants. And I'll just say this here within my four downs, I mean, my top five most surprising players of the year. He showed up at St. Jude, by the way, for my run this year, Calvin Austin. Good dude, doesn't deserve this. He has put great karma into the world. And he took time out of his off season to show up at St. Jude and help raise money for that incredible place in Memphis, Tennessee, giving me tips that I knew, that he knew, that wasn't going to actually be useful to me to run my 40. But he's now out. Odell Beckham Jr. It would be cool. How great would this be?

14:04Rich Eisen:I might be just trying to speak it. but Odell coming back for the Giants and having a really nice season. Wouldn't that be surprising to you? It would be. Okay, so I'm putting it out there. I don't know if I'm right here. Clearly, this whole damn thing is a dart throw. And talk about random. Every single person in my top five, one through five, starts with the letter J. So if Sesame Street wants to sponsor my top five, it's sponsored by Jacoby, Jihad, Jayshawn, Jonathan, and Jadarian. did you do that on purpose i did not okay this is over i looked at cooper i'm like they're all start with jay does that's your list dad he did it hypothetically hypothetically

14:51Rich Eisen:yeah hypothetically it is there it is for you right there i love it my top five most surprising players of 2026 is brought to you by hyundai get into the hyundai getaway sales event and get away with a deal so right it almost feels wrong. Visit HyundaiUSA.com for details. The delightfully funny, energetic, nonstop, diehard Seattle sports fan Adam Ray is joining us next right here on the Rich Eisen Show. But before we jump, I just want to tell you about my friends. Right? Are we doing this read right now? My friends at Pella Windows and Doors. When it comes to your home, our friends at Pella Windows and Doors are the experts in taking care of you and your home.

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16:13Rich Eisen:They are everywhere and they are ready for you. Make life brighter with Pella Windows and Doors. Adam Ray, everybody. Let's go. Is he as himself? Yeah, I think so. Okay, very good. The Rich Eisen Show Podcast.

16:33Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here. We talk a lot about battles in sports. Teams battling through adversity. Athletes fighting for every yard. The toughest warriors I've ever seen, though, aren't on the field. They're kids fighting cancer. They're families standing beside them. Doctors, nurses, caregivers. That's why I'm proud to support Hyundai Hope on Wheels. For over 28 years, they've helped fund pediatric cancer research, raising more than$303 million and supporting over 40 ,000 children. Learn more and donate at HyundaiUSA.com backslash hope on wheels. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters.

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17:42Rich Eisen: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 funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play. This is about to return here. Adam Ray is on the Rich Eisen show back here. We just saw a clip of the Adam Ray show. Friday is exclusively on Netflix. and you were the head coach, Ron Donnelly, interviewing Mike McDonald and John Schneider of the Seahawks.

18:24Rich Eisen:You roasted the team. Is that going to appear on Hard Knocks next week? So we, TBD, TMI, HPV, we don't know. There is, they were up there, and they, I think, captured it all. Okay. There you are. But we will see, you know, this is one of my favorite seasons. Obviously, I think you're biased when it's your team. The access you get is wild. We have, you know, I think it is, is it a first to have a hard knocks season on a team that just won the chip? I think the Ravens did it. Okay. There's a go, right? Isn't that the one where the Ravens won it all in 2000 and then they were the hard knocks right after that?

19:00Rich Eisen:If not, maybe the first hard knocks, right? 2001 was the first hard knocks. Right. And then because there was a famous scene where the cameras were rolling when Billick canceled the game in the vet because the seams for the turf were like there were massive gaps. Wow. I remember that. Yep. Yeah. So at any rate. Yeah, the storylines. It is rare, though. It is rare, yeah. And, you know, we have obviously a quarterback with his, you know, I guess first full two years in a row where he's the guy, Coach McDonald. I mean, the injuries, I think, from this past weekend really, I think. Bobo you're talking about?

19:38Bobo and Bud Clark. I think that really put a damper on the chance of my, I think, because the episode was pretty heavy. They featured the Rookie Talent Show, but that's so internal that maybe having somebody like me on the outside. But I do have quite a few of the roast jokes if you'd like to hear some of them. Oh, yes. And I'll make sure to sift through to.

19:56Rich Eisen:Just keep them somewhat safe for work here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. On the Rich Eisen Show. don't mind flipping me that water bottle that you have there because how about that paid for it how about that yeah and you know what as there we go adam ray everybody so these are the jokes that you used or did not use well you know what uh they're all jokes that i that i used okay but i will give roasting the seahawks roasting the um the super bowl champion seattle seahawks and uh you know So, okay, here we go. Let's see. Sam Darnold is here. Sam Darnold. You know, it always be funny to me that we won a Super Bowl with a quarterback that looks like special Ed Sheeran.

20:36Sam Darnold is the hardest working, most palest guy I've ever seen. He'll be the first quarterback in NFL history to go on the IR with a sunburn. Let's see here. JSN, boy, he's a scary.

20:46Rich Eisen:Did you call him special Ed Sheeran? Yeah. He loved it. I've known Sam for eight years. He said, bring it. And I there's I mean, there's quite a few I gave to Sammy D that that only hard knocks will hopefully air. JSN is scary, man. The only people he scares more than cornerbacks are white announcers who aren't totally sure how to pronounce his last name. Let's see. He is he is adorable, though. Look at that face. JSN looks like every 25 year old playing a high school student on the Disney Channel. What else we got? Rasheed Shahid is here looking like every power forward in the WNBA. let's see Cooper Cup is here, Cooper Cup looks like every guy who's offered to clean my windshield at a red light Cooper is a devout Christian I'd believe in miracles too if I was a white wide receiver in the NFL Devin Witherspoon is here, Devin looks like a drug dealer with a Twitch stream, he's had more impact on Seattle I haven't seen a spoon have an impact on Seattle like this since the heroin epidemic Spoon loves trash talking, which you don't know is just regular talking but with a Florida accent Spoon I'm not saying Spoon is a little off, but he's only got to enter concussion protocol after a pregame interview.

21:53Leonard Williams is here. Good to see you. Loved you in Moana. What's that? He's hanging on for dear life in the corner over there. Julian Love is here. Julian went to Notre Dame where he majored in helping white girls disappoint their parents. Let's see here. What else you got? DJ's done over there. Abe Lucas, Drake Tomatayakata, Nicky Manwari. He didn't think he enjoyed it a lot. He was Derek Hall is here looking like P. Diddy after 20 years of lifting weights in prison. OK, right. Sounded better in the car on the way over. Let's see. That's better. Yeah, let's see. Derek is an early star of Hard Knocks.

22:34It's the first time we've seen him on HBO since he got killed on the wire. Let's see. Look, all roast jokes. Oh, then I had a couple on Mike. did you roast the I got McDonald I said I go Mike McDonald over here looking like every ring bear at a woman's second wedding I go doesn't Mike look like a little boy who made a wish to be big and it just kind of worked yeah but he was Mike was a great sport I mean like it was all I mean Schneider was uh I walked in that's the thing too is I think there's so much footage I mean you know they mic'd me up i went the day before okay because uh this as ron donnelly yes as ron donnelly so i but i went the day before to um uh just you know get in a day early and uh and go over to the facility and kind of you know scout out where we're going to do it and mike was like come uh to the end of practice i can kind of you know say adam's gonna be here tomorrow to roast you guys and then we can set it up that like adam had to cancel you know go uh back uh to handle some uh pregnancy stuff uh oh yeah my wife is six months pregnant uh yeah yeah it works and uh and uh and so thank you bud and uh and so then he basically said adam had to cancel but i found a replacement coach ron donnelly and i was like what a brilliant way to kind of set up a little bit give a little bit more of a storyline so i was at practice they mic'd me up and i was you know chumming up with a lot of the coaches that i know and then mike from my vantage point he was like come break down practice that's not what he said but that's how i interpret it so practice ends and everyone huddles to the middle which by the way if you haven't like been on the outside of that it's terrifying i mean they are they are massive and they're all coming together around the middle and mike just goes hey you know we got a front of the team adam ray's gonna come in and you know kind of talk to you guys tomorrow and uh and then she kind of gives a two second pause and I'm like, I think that's me.

24:31So I just, I go, AJ, excuse me, bud. I go through, I go, guys, keep it going for Coach McDonald. I go, who's just about to have his second child, you know, blah, blah, blah. I go, which is wild because he still has the face of a guy who thinks girls have cooties. And then I start roasting Sam and a few other guys and I talk about how he was, you know, verbally abusing the team and I was here to kind of lighten the mood, you know, after he had that clip where he was like, turns out it's my half in practice, you know? And then I kind of go. By the way, that was an awesome. Amazing moment, right?

24:59That was with Derek Hall, right? Yes, yes. He kicked him off the floor. Because I hadn't yet seen that type of emotion from him. He's a very chill, mild-mannered dude, and he's so, you know, the same way Pete was. Like, they're so sweet on the outside that you're like, are you even capable of raising your voice? But, man. Oh, yeah. You're a football coach in the NFL. You probably, it's a prerequisite, right? No doubt. So then I just go, all right, guys, let's break it down. You guys are scary as hell and whatever. And I go, one, two, three, Hawks. And they all came in. We broke it down. I don't know.

25:29I was like, all right, well, that whole chunk is a good 45 seconds that I feel like Knox could throw in if they wanted to.

25:35Rich Eisen:You wanted to be on hard, Knox, so bad. Dude, it's one of my – I love the show. It's really – you've been there and done that. And plus on top of it, man, like you have to be pinching yourself that the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have opened their doors to you. The fact that they even welcome the opportunity. You're addressing the team. Yeah. You're entertaining the team. Yeah, it was cool. You're interviewing the general manager and the head coach for your show on Netflix. Totally. You're right. It shouldn't be great. Like, this is a mic drop. Whether they use it or not, you're right.

26:09And you have to do things, and you guys can attest to this, it's like, once you get going in this business, there are so many things out of your control. So you have to truly do it for the experience. And the fun factor of it was so great. And like there's this little bar called Dino's across from the V-Mac that John and the Hawks kind of, you know, it's their watering hole. And it's across from the facility. And it's like it's where they do deals. It's where they hang. It's just this amazing sports bar that feels like it's almost out of a cheers type show. And so we went there after in full makeup and hung out after and had some cocktails.