In short
Gerald McCoy (NFL Network analyst) discusses preseason/early-season QB decisions, then plays a division-by-division “Super Bowl contenders” rapid-fire game, plus Overreaction Monday takes.
Guests/backgrounds
Gerald McCoy, six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle; host/analyst on Pro Football Talk and NFL Network’s NFL Game Day Morning. Mike Florio is mentioned as joining later (Pro Football Talk host). Rich Eisen hosts.
Key claims
- Browns: Joe Flacco is week 1 starter; QB battle is for QB2. McCoy favors Shadour (more patient, less interception-prone) over Dylan Gabriel (more “antsy”).
- Caleb Williams preseason growth: more decisive, quicker reads/throws; fewer “dynamic” improvisations.
- Micah Parsons advice: get paid, don’t take contract talk personally; “no substitution for experience.”
- Super Bowl contenders: Bills (AFC East); Ravens and Steelers (AFC North); Texans (AFC South); Chiefs and Chargers (AFC West, with Bo Nix not fully trusted); NFC: Lions (NFC North), 49ers (NFC West, “window closing”/health-dependent), Saints (NFC South), Bucs as “1B” threat to Eagles.
Notable examples
Browns booing narrative tied to Shadour; Steelers needing a downfield passer (Rodgers); Texans defense “front” strength; Bucs kryptonite vs Jalen Hurts via Todd Bowles; Rams contender depends on Matthew Stafford back tightness.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOGerald McCoy on Traveling and Family
0:30 to 0:54
Gerald shares his love for traveling and the importance of family.
“Right now, get up to 15 % off select storage solutions.”
Gerald McCoy on Traveling and Family
1:35 to 2:38
Gerald shares his love for traveling and the importance of family.
“He's sitting right here to kick off our number two of the Rich Eisen Show here on the Monday after the bulk of week two preseason action 2025 right in the middle of August.”
Joe Flacco Named Starting QB
2:38 to 4:25
Discussion on Joe Flacco being named the starting quarterback for the Browns.
“Against the Cincinnati Bengals in week number one.”
Shadour Sanders' Performance and Growth
4:25 to 6:40
Gerald discusses Shadour Sanders' preseason performance and his grooming for success.
“Whether it's right or wrong, that's what that accomplished.”
Advice for Micah Parsons
6:40 to 12:10
Gerald shares sage advice for Micah Parsons regarding contracts and business.
“So imagine what comes with being Coach Prime.”
Rapid Fire: Super Bowl Contenders
12:10 to 14:00
Gerald McCoy and Rich Eisen discuss Super Bowl contenders division by division.
“Sage words, although just to cape for Prime as if he doesn't need it.”
Analyzing Super Bowl Contenders
14:00 to 22:20
Discussion on various NFL teams' chances of contending for the Super Bowl.
“He's not going to be able to drive the bus this time.”
Closing Remarks and Audience Interaction
27:33 to 28:07
Final thoughts and transitioning to audience phone calls.
“On my shows, we talk a lot about what happens in the spotlight, the games, the highlights, and the moments that get replayed and debated.”
Fantasy Football Keeper Dilemmas
29:28 to 31:42
Ben discusses his fantasy football keeper choices and drafting strategy.
“So I'm calling because I've got some fantasy frustrations, drafting difficulties, and keeper conundrums.”
Draft Strategy Insights
31:43 to 34:06
The hosts discuss draft strategies and player choices, focusing on Saquon vs. McCaffrey.
“That's the Rich Eisen show bump right there.”
Show all 13 chapters
Injury History and Player Performance
34:07 to 36:28
The conversation continues with analysis of injury risks for key players.
“I want you to remember you say that something's never been done and you have history.”
Overreaction Monday Discussion
37:36 to 42:00
The team discusses various overreactions from the weekend's football games.
“Rich was back to posting food pics on Instagram.”
NFL Analysis: Rookie Predictions and Trade Talks
42:00 to 46:26
Explore insights on rookie performances, particularly Ashton Gentty, and trade implications for NFL teams.
“say that if this was jackson dart is given the giants hope giants fans hope i would agree but that's not the concept of this segment it's not saying something like this oh is and i will push back and say, it's an insult.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rich Eisen:Hey Chicago, class it up with Crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast. So why wait to find your new fave footwear? Step into a local Crocs store and step into your new look. Try it. Style it. Make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up, it shows off. First day fits, handled. Walk out ready for whatever's next. Visit your nearest Crocs store today. Right 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.
0:46Rich Eisen: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. This is the Rich Eisen Show. So please, welcome the greatest performer ever to have graced this earth. Rich Eisen. You know, there's entertainers and there's competitors. And I totally understand that. And my job is to compete. Live from the Rich Eisen Show studio in Los Angeles. Throws Zacchaeus Park. Touchdown Bears. I kind of set the tone for the team, the season and everything. Today's gasps. Six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
1:28Rich Eisen:Host of Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio. Over Reaction Monday and more. And now, it's Rich Eisen. Wow. How many Pro Bowls? Six. Six Pro Bowls for Joe McCoy. He's sitting right here to kick off our number two of the Rich Eisen Show here on the Monday after the bulk of week two preseason action 2025 right in the middle of August. Mike Florio is going to join us top of our number three. But my guy from NFL Game Day Morning about to spend an absurd amount of coffee drinking hours with this man on Sundays. For NFL Game Day Morning, good to see you, Gerald McCoy. It's great to be here. Thanks, Gerald.
2:11What's up, man? I love traveling. I love working. I hate being away from my immediate circle of family. But it's always great when you can travel and be around your extended family. That's right. That's us. It makes you feel comfortable when you travel. That's right.
2:27Rich Eisen:So I love being here. Thank you. So you were sitting in the chair just as news is breaking. The Browns just named Joe Flacco their week one starting quarterback. Your two cents on that would be what? Joe Flacco is going to be the starter? Oh, my gosh. Against the Cincinnati Bengals in week number one. Yeah, I get it. I mean, I think we knew that. You know, Joe's been taking most of the first team snaps. I think the QB battle has been for number two this entire time. Who would you make it? Because Kenny Pickett hasn't played a lick and you got two rookies. You can't go with Kenny Pickett because he hasn't played.
3:05So we don't know what he's doing in this offense. So right now, the battles between Shadour and Dylan Gabriel, they both did really good things, but they both did some boneheaded rookie things. However, if I'm picking, I'm going with Shador because he doesn't have that antsiness that you've seen from Dylan Gabriel. Like that interception he threw on the sideline was just kind of like an antsy, like I just got to do something. Whereas Shador is more like if it's not there, just throw the ball away. Or I might just take the sack. But I'm not just going to force it. So if I need a number two that's more patient that I can trust when chaos ensues, if I'm the coach, I'm going with Shador.
3:50Rich Eisen:Well, and again, as you pointed out, not a surprise that Flacco is the week one starter. I said in hour one that the one thing that I think that Shador accomplished was to prove that he can block it all out. Yes. And get it done. Yes. That he proved that. And if you want to tack on another aspect of his start against Carolina in week one of the preseason. Yes. is that no matter who is the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns, they will be booed until Shadour is the starting quarterback of the Cleveland Browns. I think that has been accomplished. Absolutely. Whether it's right or wrong, that's what that accomplished.
4:34Rich Eisen:Let's see it. Let's use this season as that laboratory. Certainly if, A, Watson will be healthy for next year, and B, there's more quarterbacks to potentially go check out in the draft next year, which they have a second first-round selection to use because they went ahead and let the Jaguars draft Travis Hunter. So that's what I think Shadour's one to this point preseason start is accomplished. Yeah, for sure. And I think what people didn't think about is how he's been groomed his entire life at this moment. You worked with his dad. We've all seen who his dad is for years upon years. And I know the way I raise my son is because of me, you're going to be put into uncomfortable positions and situations that are unfair to you simply because of what your name is.
5:38When I show up with my son, who's 11 years old, he's a defensive tackle, He has my face. He has locks just like me. They're going to automatically expect him to be exceptional. But because I understand that, I've raised my son for these situations. So we train for that with how my son talks. You see, my son was on NFL Network. I brought him with me. He traveled with me this preseason to all the different training camps because I'm grooming him right now for when these situations happen to be prepared for them. We went to Philadelphia. He got to see what the champs look like. We went to Tampa. He got to see my old stomping grounds.
6:20We went to Kansas City. He got to see what it looks like for people who made it to the championship wanting to get back. He got to be around Andy Reid. He got to talk to Nick Sirianni. He's got to be around all of this. Then I sat him down in the chair, and he got interviewed on the spot. I'm grooming him for all of these moments that may come about, and I'm me. I'm not prime. So imagine what comes with being Coach Prime. So he's groomed Shador for these moments. And Shador, before the game that week, they asked him, what can we expect from you? He said, have you watched me play college football?
6:56It's going to be the same thing. I'm still me. Just because I got drafted in the fifth round or I might not be playing the starters, I'm still me. So I think people underestimated how long he's been being groomed for this moment. but because of that and he went and performed now you put pressure on the browns to every time joe flacco have an incompletion that stadium is going to light up with booze that's what i'm saying that's what i think should do an accomplishment and it's an interesting uh point that you make
7:27Rich Eisen:right there i i wouldn't know my dad was a french teacher would love judy garland so it's different for me and the way i grew up um i've got gerald mccoy here on the rich eyes and show your takeaway way of Caleb's start, his first one that we saw with Ben Johnson and his new digs and his new tight end and his new offensive line. I mean, again, what can we glean from a preseason start? What do you take away from that, Joe? When I was asked on NFL Network what I wanted to see from Caleb, first thing I said is he was the most sad quarterback when holding the ball for four plus seconds. Get rid of it.
8:05Get the ball out of your hands. If you think back to last year's preseason when we seen Kayla Williams, everybody was, oh, this is what he can do. He ran around, spun back around, made a dynamic throw. He made an amazing play. And we said, this is why he's the number one pick. Look at how amazing these plays he can make. That's cool, but that's few and far between. At this level, you have to take the snap, get your feet set, get the ball out your hand. This year, when he was out there, that's what we got to see. He wasn't running around. He wasn't trying to make any dynamic throws. He took the snap, dropped back, got his feet set, and delivered the pass.
8:47He was decisive with his throws, and you could see the growth or you could see the maturity that he's had over the last year and what Ben Johnson can do with him in this offense. He threw some guys open, but these guys were wide open. But these are looks and reads he might have missed last year. It was a lot of improvising. You know, we'll read as we go. You could tell this offense is very decisive. And he drew it up and said, these are going to be your looks. If it's there, you throw it. There was one where Greg Olson was talking about the outside linebacker, how that was Caleb's read. And if he sat down, okay, you throw it over the top.
9:30If he drops, you go to the next guy. The linebacker sat down. Caleb threw it over the top. We got a first down. That's what you want to see from Caleb. That's the growth you want to see, and that's what we did see. We did see that.
9:40Rich Eisen:That is for sure. Gerald McCoy here on the Rich Eisen Show. Okay, your two cents for Micah Parsons right now would be what? If you could get number 11 on the phone and have a few minutes with him, let's move it this way. The question you would ask him and the advice you would give him. what are you really looking for? Do you want to be here? And my advice would be this. When I was asked this off air and I told somebody, there is no substitution for experience. And if I had a chance to talk to these guys now, this is what I would tell them. I went through this in Tampa, not trying to get paid. I had a contract where I was trying to get a new contract.
10:29I ended up getting mine. It wasn't like this. Mine was my reasoning for leaving Tampa. I took offense and took something personal when I know that everything's business. So this is what I would tell Micah. Ignore Jerry. Ignore the words he's saying. Jerry's going to be Jerry. We've seen that. Nobody in the history of football has changed Jerry from being Jerry. He's going to say and do what he wants. Stick to your guns and get your money. However you got to go about that. Get your money. What if it means holding out into the season? Whatever you got to do. Get your money because we only get one shot at this.
11:11Once it's gone, it's gone. We don't get this back. Our bodies as athletes, we don't get this opportunity again. We can't get our athleticism back. Deion's arguably the greatest athlete we've ever seen. We've seen all the things he's went through with his body. He can't go back to being prime anymore. So why while you can strike get your money. Don't take what he's saying personal because everything's business. You're not special. We've seen you before. We'll see you again. Get your money. Don't take what's happening personal. Don't act on, oh, Jerry said this and I've been this for the Cowboys and so what?
11:56Ignore him. Whatever you got to do to get your money, get your money, whether that's as a cowboy, whether that's as an eagle, whatever. Stand your ground and get your money, but don't take anything that's happening personally. It's all business.
12:11Rich Eisen:Sage words, although just to cape for Prime as if he doesn't need it. Did you not see him put up 285? Did you see him benching? Prime? Yeah, that's not strength. You see these muscle heads walk around the gym that can lift 500 pounds with a kid running 40 in 7 seconds. Let's have a little bit of fun, Joe McCoy, because I love doing rapid fire stuff with you. We've done this with a handful of guests, right? We did this with Schlereth. We did this with Brent Musburger, right? We did this with a handful of guests. I need to know. We're going to go one by one here. Yes. Division by division. Yes. Super Bowl contenders.
12:54Rich Eisen:Real true contenders to lift the trophy in Santa Clara, California next February. Okay. Okay. You ready? You ready to go? Yes. Okay. Starting with the AFC East, how many true Super Bowl contenders are there in the American Football Conference Eastern Division? Gerald McCoy. One. And that is? The Buffalo Bills. Okay. No concerns? No. Okay. In the AFC North, how many Super Bowl contenders are there amongst the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers? Joe McCoy. Two. And they are? Ravens and Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh. All right. Now, let's chew on that one. Why do you believe the Steelers are a Super Bowl contender?
13:38The Steelers have been in a situation where they've been good enough to win, but they haven't had a guy that could push the ball down the field. And you think Rodgers will be able to do that? And they will only go as far as Aaron Rodgers is willing to sit back on the bus. How far back on the bus are you willing to sit? You can't drive the bus anymore. You remember you sat next to me when I told you that I believe he should go to the Steelers because he can't transcend Mike Tomlin. He's not going to be able to drive the bus this time. And if he's willing to sit back a few seats in the back of the bus and just ride the bus and do what we need you to do, Pittsburgh is definitely a contender.
14:13Rich Eisen:Well, so far, he has shown he can absolutely be comfortable doing that. I mean, that's all he's been face forward and all his teammates saying, you know, behind closed doors. Yeah. Absolutely. And that's what I've been saying as well is like last two years, Jets were like, please show us how to do this. Yes. Okay. We got the young guys who need to be shown how to do it from somebody in the locker room. Yeah. We need an offensive mind, neck up. As a quarterback, please show us how to do all of this. And that didn't work very well. No, and I don't think. But now he doesn't have, that's not it for him.
14:50You don't have to do that with this group. And everybody's not that, there's different types of leaders. That's why when the back and forth, when people made a big deal of Baker and Tom Brady, talking about the types of leaders, everybody leads differently. That, I'm getting all these young guys to do this. And now we've seen in Green Bay, his last year at Green Bay, that's just not, he needs vets that know how to play the game, that can get on the same page, and they can. So I believe this group has an opportunity to really do something special.
15:20Rich Eisen:Steelers have that. No doubt about that. And the Bengals aren't on this list because of what? It's the Bengals. Okay. We see this every year. Is Trey Hendrickson in uniform? No. And he was the whole defense. Okay. And that defense wasn't all that. No. He was he. The AFC South has how many Super Bowl contenders in it? Come on now. You don't think the Texans are Super Bowl contenders? Houston? Yeah. Yeah, let's go Houston. Okay. I mean, I don't want to twist your arm. No, Houston. Make him force you in the back. You're bigger than he is. Come on now. Houston's defense is no joke. That front is no joke.
16:06That front can go. And the back end, too. And if CJ can shake back from last year and get back to form. Even with the, I understand what you're saying.
16:16Rich Eisen:Even with that, they won a playoff game. They were in the final four of the AFC again. Oh, yeah. No, Houston's a definitely contender. Okay, sure. All right. The AFC West has how many Super Bowl contenders in it? Joe McCoy. I feel like we should play some sort of game show music. Well, the Chiefs are one, right? Are the Chiefs not one? The Chiefs are one. Okay. The Chiefs. I'm trying to – I want to be fair. Oh, my goodness. Two. Two. And the other team is? The L.A. Chargers. You're not on the Broncos bandwagon, are you? Not yet. Why is that? Not yet. I love Sean Payton. He's one of my favorite coaches of all time because I compete against him.
16:58I know what he can do with a team. Yeah. I don't trust Bo Nix yet. You don't trust Bo Nix yet? Okay. Not yet. All right. Not yet. He had a good rookie year, but he didn't show me like, whoo, he could take that next step rookie year. Like Jay Daniels, he had one of those years where you're like, okay.
17:17Rich Eisen:Well, if not for Jayden, though, Bo would have been an offensive rookie of the year. No? Him and Bach Bowers would have had more of a neck and neck battle. Yeah, him or Bucky Irvin, too. Oh, okay. I don't know why. Somehow I threw a Buccaneers reference in there. When we get to the NFC South, that division will have at least one Super Bowl contender in it. I'm just going to give you all that heads up. You got to be a homer. All right, so the Chargers' Rashawn Slater's injury doesn't concern you. What do you think? No, I look at it. But you think they're a Super Bowl contender? Yeah, for sure. I look at it like moving Joe Alt to left tackle.
17:57If I'm a basketball player, I'm very explosive and I can dunk. Like I can windmill. Yes. But I just spray my ankle. Probably can't win me no more, but I can still dunk. Okay. Right?
18:08Rich Eisen:You know what I'm saying? I mean, you don't have to win, though, as long as the ball goes in the net. And that's what the offensive line is, moving Joe off to left tackle. Play left tackle in college. He can do it. Yeah. He did. Okay. The AFC has one, two, three, four, five, six, seven Super Bowl contenders in it, according to Gerald McCoy, moving to the National Football Conference. Yes. Starting with the Eastern Division. How many Super Bowl contenders reside there, Gerald McCoy? One. One. And it's the defending champs. Why don't you have the commanders there? Because McLaurin's out?
18:43Rich Eisen:I mean, you talked about it. Jaden Daniels could take the next steps. We're assuming he's going to do that. Yeah, but they have a weakness. If they trade, this is what I said. Okay. They need to go get Trey Hendrickson. Okay. Go get Trey Hendrickson. And then they become, like, really dangerous. Really dangerous. But I'm going one. Okay. So you got the Eagles. You got six, by the way. Throw the commanders in there. Okay. Let's throw them in there. Yeah, let's throw them in there. Let's throw them in there. Hey, he's throwing his finger on the chest piece. Yeah, let's throw the commanders in there.
19:21Yeah.
19:22Rich Eisen:All right. No Cowboys. Okay. Moving on. The NFC North has how many Super Bowl contending teams within it? One. That is? The Lions. Oh. The Vikings went 14-3 last year. Come on now. Sam Donald ain't there no more. Okay, so Sam Donald, you don't think J.J. McCarthy can be Sam Donald-like? We haven't even seen him play. Well, I have. That was glorified high school football. Wow. Yeah. What was glorified high school football? Gerald, that's the Harvard of the West you're talking about. We're talking about, excuse me. I loved you. I'm just saying. You want to talk college football? You're only in J.J.
20:07Rich Eisen:McCarthy's year, the year he won it all. You're a college team. I understand that. But what percentage of college players go to NFL? One percent. So that's glorified high school football. I love it. And then you take the best of that, and then they come play at the NFL. Some of those guys don't even make it in the league. All right, so why do you think the Lions are Super Bowl contenders then? I just don't see them getting any worse. I know Ben Johnson's not there. Neither is Aaron Glenn. I know Aaron Glenn's not there. But I love the culture they built, and I don't see that culture changing. And in that division, the Lions are going to be hard to beat.
20:46Arguably the best offensive line in football still. They still have their core intact. Aiden Hutchinson is back. I just believe the Lions can give anybody problems. Okay. And Aiden Hutchinson also played glorified high school football? Yeah, of course. Okay.
21:02Rich Eisen:I played glorified high school football. He's the 1 % who made it. Okay. I made it out of glorified high school football. Because we're going to save the best for a big finish. NFC West has how many Super Bowl contending teams within it?
21:21Rich Eisen:That's a good one. One. And that is? He wanted to say zero. San Francisco. Okay. You were choosing the San Francisco 49ers over the Los Angeles Rams right here, just down the street. Well, I have to go off what I'm seeing right now. Which is what? The quarterback's back. My best friend in this world had a plate issue, and he couldn't even walk for dang near a year. This is a quarterback in the National Football League. At any moment, that could be an issue. And if we don't know what's happening, they're saying he's not getting worse, but he's not improving. So how long is this going to last? I believe we have the latest.
22:04We do. This is the latest. This is from today.
22:06Rich Eisen:From today. Let's take a look. We always like to do this on NFL game day morning. We have Matthew Stafford practice video. Is that what we have? Okay, there he is. Number nine. It's not. Okay. I mean, he's not showing us much. I thought there was a lot.
Read the full transcript
22:28Rich Eisen:Well, the first one, he looked like Fred G. Samford. But he also didn't know this is going to be on the Rich Eisen show. I need to. That first Uncle Rico throw was ridiculous. Come on, darling. Uncle Rico throw. Matthew Stafford is here. He's walking. Hey, listen. Come on, now. Matthew Stafford is helping the Rams in there for sure. He's got to be fine. Look at that guy. No, his back is tight. You can tell us what I'm talking about. My back is tight walk. My back is tight walk. Do you want to put a Rams with an asterisk then? I've been 300 pounds for a lot of years. I know what it looks like when your back is tight.
23:06So Rams are a Super Bowl contender. Dependent on him. So the Niners are a Super Bowl contender.
23:12Rich Eisen:Why? Why? I mean, they're... I just don't think the window... This is the... Like, the window is closing. It's like there's a little air right there. but this is the last of the air of that window. Of being a Super Bowl contender just coming into the season. Yes. Okay, so do we put the Rams on this list? Yes. With an asterisk. With an asterisk, yes. A back asterisk. By the way, you need to enunciate those words. Late contender. If you say them in succession. Okay. How many Super Bowl contenders are there in the NFC South? What? And that would be the Saints. That's an amazing call. Yes. Who would have thought?
23:55Who dat?
23:57Rich Eisen:The Bucs are Super Bowl contenders. Why? They are the biggest threat to the Philadelphia Eagles. He's not even saying they're Super Bowl contenders. He's saying they're 1B. Yeah. And I'll stop talking about you like you're not sitting here. NFC Championship. Why are they the best? It's a matchup problem. And that is what? And we've seen Todd Bowles is the Jalen Hurts kryptonite. You just can't figure him out. It doesn't matter what happens. He just can't figure him out. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but they're like one in seven over the last tries playing the Bucs since 2015. You sounded like Sap.
24:39We shut down the vet and we opened up the link. Okay, so what? Seriously, hear me out. Hear me out. There is some bias in this, but there's also a lot of truth. We have the offense that's explosive enough to be as explosive as their offense. Our defense, if we were to play the Philadelphia Eagles, and you had to pick one person on our team who may possibly have a vendetta against the Philadelphia Eagles, it might be a sign ready. Oh, God.
25:14Rich Eisen:Our issue was going... The Jet fan in me right now is like, give me a break. I know. But our issue was going... He's got a one-two and he's got to show it. But our issue was going out and rushing with four. So you go out and get a Hassan Reddick. You got Vita Veya. You got Kalijah Kansi. You can't argue with the defense and the guy who's calling the plays and all that bits. I get it. And then we drafted two man corners in the second and third rounds because we like to blitz. So at some point, we're going to have to play man. We are just a match-up problem. Okay. So the grand total is 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
25:55Rich Eisen:11 asterisk, 12 total. Joel McCoy, in terms of Super Bowl contenders. I will see you next, I believe, two weeks from tomorrow for the NFL Game Day morning season preview show. Yes, sir. And are you there Friday night? Are you on set Friday night? I am. Okay, so I'll see you there. I think it's Kurt, you and yours truly for Friday night preseason. So that's when I'll see you next on NFL Network. And I will seek out the NFL Game Day morning producers and get in right now on who's in, who's out on the playoffs because I will not be stuck with, well, Kurt chose them already. Gerald chose them already.
26:38Rich Eisen:You've got to choose something else and look like a fool. Yeah, yeah. Rich, you do a great job picking games, though. Well, I mean. You do really do picking games. Thanks, Joe. I appreciate that. I'm a seer. Yeah. I'm a seer. Sure. I'm a seer. And an entertainer. And a competitor. And a competitor. So I'll see you Friday night on NFL Network. Yes, sir. That's Joe McCoy right here on the show. Phone calls when we come back. 844-204-RICH. Number to dial.
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28:37Rich Eisen:Plus, you get unlimited payroll runs for one monthly price. No hidden fees, no surprises. Try 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. 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.
29:18Rich Eisen: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. Ben in Austin, Texas has been waiting patiently to chat with us. What's up, Benjamin? Hey, Rich. Hey, guys. What's up, Ben? What's up, Ben? Good, thanks. So I'm calling because I've got some fantasy frustrations, drafting difficulties, and keeper conundrums. Oh, wow. That's very alliterative. I just came up with that. What can I say? Well done. So basically, here's my issue. I'm in a 14-team TPR league. By the way, you did not have me at Hello with 14 teams.
30:02Rich Eisen:Rich, that's a man's league. We got hoodwinked into that this year, Rich. Okay, sorry, Ben. It's a 14-team PPR league, and I'm picking 14th, and it's a snake draft. So I'll have one 14 and then two 1. Right, right, right. So we each get three keepers, and each year that you keep someone, the round goes up. So if they were a third-round pick last year, they'll be a second-round pick this year. Okay, got it. So I've got two out of my three chosen. I'm going to be keeping Drake May in the 16th round, and I'm going to be keeping Puka Nakua in the 15th round. My third spot is where I have the trouble.
30:43Rich Eisen:So I could pick Rishi Rice in the third round. He would be the 14th pick in that round. I could keep Jaden Reed in the 10th round. He'd be the 10.1. Or I can keep Ricky Pearsall. He'd be the 14.1. Which one out of those three? I would choose Pearsall. Same. I agree. Because I think he's going to have a ton of volume. Is that what we should say? Volume, yes. And Rasheed Rice, we don't know when he's going to get suspended, except that he will, I think. Yeah, his disciplinary hearing is after week four. So I think he's good for the first four weeks. And I believe Florio's coming on in hour number three to say that that was done.
31:23Rich Eisen:So he won't be missing games like, say, the YouTube game and the Super Bowl rematch. Right. Exactly. For television purposes. At any rate, I shouldn't put words in Mike Florio's mouth. But I would choose Pearsall. Yeah. And you're welcome, Ben. Congratulations on your victory. Thank you so much. That's the Rich Eisen show bump right there. Oh, absolutely. I mean, Pearsall had three catches in the one drive he played last night. The fantasy footballers, the highly popular group of podcasters who have come on this program in the last couple of years and invited us into their league, which we won last year.
32:01Rich Eisen:Oh, right. I have not received an invitation for a repeat title defense. You just kicked the champs out? Is that what happened? Is that? I don't know. I mean, I have reached out to someone waiting to hear back. Waiting to hear back. I mean, I would think we get a chance to defend. I mean, we didn't do anything otherwise. I don't think we I think we would prefer to defend rather than offend. Well, I guess the only thing we did offend was the ass kicking we gave everyone in the playoffs. That is true. Perhaps the butt hurtness still lingers. I haven't heard that yet. We did have Jaden Daniels at Saquon last year.
32:39Rich Eisen:By the way, if we get kicked out of this league, too. We're running out of celebrity names to join. Does that make us the Ted McGinley of fantasy football? With all due respect to one of our favorite guests, do we have to have back for shrinking? Yeah. Perhaps. I mean, what's going on? We just dominate. That's all. You know, we wake up every morning rich and PX. You know, the 10-team league that I'm in with my poker buddies, I have pick nine. Okay. Will I have a chance at Saquon with pick nine? No. No, not a chance. It's not PPR? No. don't forget. You don't think, well, I have McCaffrey. Well, I have McCaffrey.
33:21Rich Eisen:Yeah. Yeah. You'll have McCaffrey. Well, I mean, you imagine, I mean, look, here's a list that has Saquon nine. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. You know, kind of depends. You don't think I'll get Saquon at nine. I think you'll have your choice between Saquon and McCaffrey. If I, oh, please. I mean, which is, well, one guy had 500 carries last year and one guy didn't in terms of freshness. You would choose McCaffrey over Saquon. I think people are sleeping on McCaffrey for this year. That's all. Okay. And you know I love Christian McCaffrey. And I don't think, I mean, realistically, let's be honest, Saquon's not going to have 2 ,000 yards rushing again.
33:53Rich Eisen:Why would you say something like that? Well, one, it's never been done. I have history on my side. Okay. And two, that type of volume and that type of activity in a year, it doesn't happen again for the next year. There's always a regression. I want you to remember you say that something's never been done and you have history. when we talk about the Steelers having a losing record or the Chiefs not making the divisional championship. Well, I don't think any of those things are happening. So, yeah, I'm good. So we have history on our side to say that these things will happen. I think all three of them don't happen.
34:26Rich Eisen:Hold on a second. Wait a minute. I want to stick with Saquon here. 1 ,800 yards? Oh. I mean, that's insane. Why? Because he's only done it once in his career. Right. And it was last year. And he had the greatest running back season maybe ever. Okay. You could make that case. In terms of yardage. Absolutely. And touches. And they won the Super Bowl. And postseason. Yeah. Correct. So, yeah, there's going to be a regression. Why? Maybe this is the guy. He's going to go back-to-back 2 ,000. So you have a... You think that? Let's just say... I don't think it. I'm saying it's more possible than what you're making it right now.
35:07So let's just say I am sitting at my draft of the league I wish to win more than any other league.
35:16Rich Eisen:And we all have those. And I've got a choice between Saquon and McCaffrey. You think I should take McCaffrey over Saquon? That's not what I said. I said people are sleeping on the McCaffrey comeback. You think Saquon's going to have a better year than McCaffrey? I think Saquon is a safer pick than Christian. Christian? Yeah, he's two years younger. But it's a lot of workload. It is. It's a lot of workload. But the guy kind of seems like he's The guy kind of has an injury history, and now he's got the biggest workload ever, and he's returning off of that. If I get Saquon in ninth overall pick, I would be very happy.
35:56Rich Eisen:You would be stoked. I would be. Also, maybe draft the handcuff. Later on. Yeah. Okay. All right. But also, you're talking about injury history. Well, then... Yeah, we're talking about both guys. McCaffrey really has an injury history. That's why he's available ninth overall, is because of what happened last year. Because otherwise, McCaffrey's like top three in a fantasy every damn time. McCaffrey's fresh, though. He barely played last year. Okay. 844-204-RICH, number to don't. When we come back, overreaction Monday. And then, Mike Florio, a pro football talk. Rich Eisen here. Running a small business means every hire matters.
36:37Rich Eisen: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. We talk a lot about battles in sports. Teams battling through adversity. Athletes fighting for every yard.
37:10Rich Eisen: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. It's a Monday and it's Overreaction Monday and it's time to hit it. Please hit it. That was terrible. That was crap. That was garbage. This place sucks. Overreaction Monday. What's up, everybody?
37:48Rich Eisen:You good? Christopher. What up? What up? Rich was back to posting food pics on Instagram. Everything is good with the world, man. You know what I mean? Life is back to normal. Croissants good, Rich. He doesn't appreciate it. I mean, did you ever think he did? The croissants did look good. I mean, the crepes look the best. Yeah, baby. Guys, you know who else looks the best? What? Oh, Caleb. Caleb's about to have the best quarterback season in Bears history. I mean, that's not saying a lot, are you? Well, here's the deal. He's had 4 ,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. You have to win the Super Bowl to have that.
38:27Rich Eisen:Whatever. McMahon and Hunky QB Are you talking about beating Jay Cutler's numbers? Or are you talking about Eric Kramer's numbers? Eric, pardon me, I don't mean to disrespect Eric Kramer. Yeah, please don't. I'm just saying. He's going to set all the records. You want me to add a playoff win? I'll add a playoff win. Okay. He was about to be awesome. I think we need to buckle up for that. I'm not denying that he has the opportunity to do it. I'll just call this an overreaction based off of two drives in a preseason game. And let's see it. Let's see it. Let's see it three weeks from tonight. Defend your turf against the Minnesota Vikings and prove that it's about having more experience at the quarterback position.
39:09Rich Eisen:And he's coming in as the veteran in that contest. Prove it. Let's see it. Week one. Don't be 0-1, be 1-0. And then let's revisit this on the first in-season edition of Overreaction Monday podcast. All right. Put a pin in it right now. Fair. fair. Thank you for agreeing at least on being fair. Yeah. You know what I mean? Thank you. This is probably not going to be fair. Let's talk about the team he played. You know, when the head coach uses words like concerned and not up to our standard, we should probably raise an eyebrow and make note BJ Novak style about the Bills blow out loss on Sunday. Okay.
39:47Rich Eisen:And just close the book. Little office jiff. Get out of here. Just make note. Let me ask you a question. Do you think Raise an eyebrow. No. Make a note. Raise an eyebrow. Oh, three had nothing. Make a note. Head coach says concerned after the game. I got it. I mean, no. Do you think there'd be a better answer when Josh Allen's coming out there? I don't know. Do you think better than Trubisky? Do you think Trubisky had like a double doink sort of flashback last night? Hard knocks. Jinx. Okay. Come on. moveon.com get out of here what year is it it's not great I mean obviously and what's the coach going to say oh it's just preseason of course not he's going to sit there and say we've got a standard here and losing 38 to nothing is not it and I'm going to basically tell these guys who want to be you know bills 40 through 53 on the roster get your head out of your ass that's the way I'm going to communicate it if I'm Sean McDermott.
40:56Rich Eisen:You're not concerned at all. Of course not. You have zero points. You have Blutarski concern. Dude. Come on, man. Week two is when guys play. Kenny Pickett once won the preseason. Kenny Pickett also has done something Josh Allen hasn't. Onward. What else? Come on. Now I doubt the Super Bowl. That's all. Guys, Jackson Dart is the best quarterback on the Giants roster right now.
41:25Rich Eisen:that's an insult to veterans that are in there right now there's only one yeah it's jamis in there he's better than jamis come on dude i i i think giants fans have a reason to be excited about their quarterback future and when was the last time you could say that when eli manning was drafted i'm being serious man yeah that's probably true when was the last time a giant fan could sit there and go you know what i'm excited about what's going to happen at the quarterback position over the next x number of years you're probably right okay so let's just say that if this was jackson dart is given the giants hope giants fans hope i would agree but that's not the concept of this segment it's not saying something like this oh is and i will push back and say, it's an insult.
42:19Rich Eisen:Now, insulted him. A little bit. A little bit. And the drinks are on the house. Okay. Now, the question is, will Russ or Jameis wind up in the back of somebody's car? You know, right? As Dayball pulls over at two in the morning. To have spaghetti in his mom's house. It's the hoof. The hoof. Dear. Now you're going to dig the hole. Okay. What else? I saw a really cool play over the weekend by a guy named Ashton Gentty. Offensive Rookie of the Year is Gentty's award to lose. His award to lose. Okay. Hold on a minute. Let's walk through this here. All due respect to Cam Ward. No, I got it. And I think we're calling him T-Mac now.
43:05Rich Eisen:Totoro McMillan. Okay. As you know, it's very well. It's tough for wide receivers to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. Just is. Yeah. He'd have to be a wide receiver to do that. I guess Garrett Wilson, duh. Just two years ago? Three years ago? I'll buy this one. He's really good. I'll buy it. I like it. I mean, that was truck stick to the max. Guess what? And we'll talk about it next hour. Guess what? He's got a coach who knows what to do with him, too. He's not going to be there at ninth overall for you. Are you in that draft? Yeah. I got you. That was really impressive. He looks good. And his answer about speaking it into existence as well.
43:48Rich Eisen:Yeah. I've arrived. I like it. I like all about it. Okay. So I'm trying to think. Is Travis Hunter going to have an opportunity here? You think he's going to play more defense, right? After I'm like, you know, wide receivers don't have a leg up in that. But there certainly is no quarterback that's jumping out at you. Not yet. Because even if Shuck starts, it's going to basically be, can you be more dynamic than Cam Ward? And I think Jenty has that chance. So what else you got over there? We talked about it off the top of the show. If the Bengals trade Trey Hendrickson, they're already slim. Playoff chance is good at zero.
44:30You can't say zero, but it would be difficult.
44:36Rich Eisen:You can't say zero. You just can't. Because last year, with everything, they were finished above 500, and they almost made the playoffs as the team you shouldn't let into the tournament. So you can't say zero. But they didn't make it. But they had a chance, though. You have to play off chances. They're getting rid of their best players. The best defensive player. It makes no sense for them to not get something done. Just get it done and get them off the bench. I don't get it, man. It's weird. But that's why I don't own an NFL team. It's weird. That's why I'm a competitor and not an entertainer.
45:11Rich Eisen:That and six billion other reasons. I don't even think that's enough for some. You're a little shy, Chris. You're probably right. We'll find some investors. You're a little shy. I think you need to check raise that one. We did see a little bit of practice video, although it wasn't inspiring. And I think it's time for the Rams to kick the tires on Kirk Cousins. That's not going to happen. That's not going to happen. They'd have to, Stafford would have to basically be in traction and Jimmy G would have to be injured for that to happen. Well, you'd rather have Kirk than Jimmy. I would agree on that front.
45:49Rich Eisen:That I would agree on, but they love Jimmy. They keep telling everybody they love Jimmy. But all I have to say is, let's make sure that that quarterback room is a new guy named Epidural. Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax, and let go of whatever you're carrying today. Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-CONTACTS. Oh my gosh, they're so fast. And breathe. Oh, sorry. I almost couldn't breathe when I saw the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste. Visit 1-800-CONTACTS.com today to save on your first order.
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From the publisher
NFL Network analyst Gerald McCoy and Rich discuss Joe Flacco officially being named the Cleveland Browns’ starting QB for Week 1, Caleb Williams’ first start running new Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense, what advice he has for Micah Parsons when it comes to negotiation with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and reveals which teams in the AFC and NFC are legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season.
Rich and Brockman debate if they would draft Saquon Barkley over Christian McCaffrey in fantasy football, and in ‘Overreaction Monday’ Rich weighs in on Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Ashton Jeanty, Trey Hendrickson, Matthew Stafford, Colts rookie TE Tyler Warren, and the Seahawks’ chances to win the NFC West.
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What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: http://apple.co/whatthefootball
The Jim Jackson Show: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432
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