PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
The NFL Report: The NFL is Kicking Off + Bucky Brooks & Mike Giardi Join the Show
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
34 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 10, 2026
Published
Thu, September 10, 2026
15
Player insights
12
Players mentioned
Topics
A.J. BrownHunter HenryRomeo DoubsBrock BowersDerrick HenryDrake MayeJa'Marr ChaseJadarian PriceJahmyr GibbsTee HigginsTravis HunterTua Tagovailoa
Player analysis
Player insights
A.J. Brown
PositiveRole5:20
A.J. Brown is expected to serve as the Patriots' true number one X receiver, tasked with winning one-on-one matchups against press coverage. Bucky Brooks notes Brown's elite efficiency against press (3.4 yards per route) and historical production, suggesting he will be a focal point for Drake May.
Insight pagePositiveUsage22:29
The Patriots plan to utilize A.J. Brown in the slot more frequently this season to allow him more time to release and work underneath, a role he was underutilized in during his time in Philadelphia.
Insight pageBrock Bowers
NegativeInjury1:58
Brock Bowers is dealing with an injury that will cause him to miss at least one or two games, a development that surprised many as head coach Clint Kubiak had previously suggested all Raiders were healthy for Week 1.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
NegativeProjection29:43
Derrick Henry, at 32 years old, remains committed to playing until he wins a Super Bowl, expressing frustration with watching the playoffs from home.
Insight pageDrake Maye
PositiveProjection23:33
Drake Maye enters year two with increased comfort, confidence, and control of the offense. He is being given more responsibility at the line of scrimmage and is viewed as a top-five MVP candidate.
Insight pageHunter Henry
NegativeRole22:41
Hunter Henry is no longer the primary focal point of the Patriots' passing attack, but he remains a key contributor who will benefit from the attention drawn by A.J. Brown.
Insight pageNegativeRole36:41
Hunter Henry is no longer the primary focal point of the Patriots' offense following the addition of A.J. Brown, though Mike Giardi notes he remains a quality player who may benefit from less defensive attention.
Insight pageJa'Marr Chase
PositiveInjury18:57
Jamar Chase is on pace to play in the Bengals' Week 1 game, according to head coach Zach Taylor.
Insight pageJadarian Price
NegativeUsage8:54
Jadarion Price is taking over the Seahawks' run game, but Bucky Brooks expects a committee approach early in the season. While Price will shoulder some load, Brooks does not expect him to be a full-blown RB1 until midseason, with George Helani, Emmanuel Wilson, and Zach Charbonnet also involved.
Insight pageJahmyr Gibbs
PositiveValue29:56
Jahmyr Gibbs expressed confidence in his own fantasy value, stating he would draft himself number one overall in fantasy leagues.
Insight pageRomeo Doubs
PositiveBreakout22:23
Romeo Doubs has shown significant progress during training camp, potentially developing chemistry with Drake Maye faster than A.J. Brown, and is positioned to benefit from the defensive attention drawn by Brown.
Insight pagePositiveRole35:43
Mike Giardi suggests that Romeo Doubs developed chemistry with Drake May faster than A.J. Brown during training camp, and could benefit from the defensive attention Brown draws.
Insight pageTee Higgins
PositiveInjury18:57
Tee Higgins is on pace to play in the Bengals' Week 1 game, according to head coach Zach Taylor.
Insight pageTravis Hunter
PositiveInjury27:03
Travis Hunter is returning to the field against the Browns following an early November knee injury; he is expected to contribute as both a wide receiver and defensive back.
Insight pageTua Tagovailoa
NegativeRole14:56
Tua Tagovailoa has been named the Falcons' starting quarterback, though he describes the situation as day-to-day rather than a long-term guarantee, focusing on his own preparation and performance.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. The NFL season is here and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 61.
0:09It is in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed every day all season long.
0:16That game winning drive. Maybe it's Herbert. Maybe it's Gino.
0:19Maybe it's Mahomes. We'll have the highlights. If Fernando Mendoza or any of the rookies are balling out, we'll break down the tape.
0:26Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and an all star cast of co-hosts as we preview and recap every game.
0:32Listen to NFL Daily on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:38Hey, I'm Mike Yam. And I'm Trevor Sykema. And together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show.
0:44Are you ready to dominate your fantasy league this season?
0:47Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind.
0:53Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count.
1:02Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:09We've got a game tonight coming up on the NFL Report.
1:13Everything you need to know about night number one and a Super Bowl rematch in Seattle.
1:18Wait a minute. Brock Bowers isn't playing Sunday? What?
1:21We have the latest from Vegas on Wednesday. Stunning news on the league's number one tight end.
1:26And Joe Burrow says, I'm not going anywhere. Neither should you, by the way.
1:31Because the NFL Report is right now. And we're back.
1:34Welcome back. Welcome to the NFL Report. Football is back.
1:38We're presented to you by Nationwide. My name is Andrew Siciliano.
1:41This is the kickoff edition. We are 90 minutes away from kickoff in Seattle.
1:46Coming up, the latest on that Brock Bowers injury, which came out of nowhere today.
1:51But first, what is news to me? Let's get our latest headlines in here to start it off with the fact that, well, we've got a game tonight.
2:00For the first time in 14 years, the NFL is kicking off a new season on a Wednesday.
2:06And it is a Super Bowl rematch to kick it off.
2:10The first time we have had that in a decade.
2:13272 regular season games and then 12 more in the playoffs to get you to SoFi Stadium, the building right across the
2:20street from where we stand now in Super Bowl 61.
2:24The NFL member did the poster. Well, they do the poster every year.
2:28But last year, you could kind of look at the poster and did it come true?
2:33Is this scripted? Can you figure out who's going to play in Super Bowl 61?
2:38No, you can't because it's the world's greatest reality show.
2:42It is not scripted. We can tell you, however, that somewhat, well, as expected, Nikki Manwari is inactive.
2:48The guy that came in second to the defensive rookie of the year voting a year ago, still coming back from that ankle injury.
2:55He is not ready to go. Travion Henderson also not ready to go, but we kind of sort of knew that already.
3:03He is out for the Patriots. Bucky Brooks is in, however.
3:06Bucky, happy football to you and yours as well.
3:09Here we go, buddy. When last we saw these two teams, they were playing in Santa Clara six months ago, and the
3:17Patriots were getting shut out in the first half.
3:20They have since added A.J. Brown. How does A.J.
3:23Brown, Bucky, change the math tonight? He gives them a true number one receiver.
3:27We think about that version of the Patriots offense that showed up in Super Bowl.
3:32They didn't have anyone that could win the one-on-one matchups on the outside.
3:37Well, in A.J. Brown, they now have someone that can win those one-on-ones.
3:41And think about this. He's going to be positioned at the X receiver.
3:45That's the big physical receiver that has to win against press coverage at the line of scrimmage.
3:51With the Eagles, those four years he was there, he was number one in yards per route versus press at 3.4 yards per route, according to NextGenStats.
4:00But not only that, he's one of only four receivers in NFL history to average 75 receiving yards and 15 yards per catch.
4:07This is a big-time playmaker, someone that Josh McDaniels likened to Rob Gronkowski.
4:12And we saw what Rob Gronkowski did in this offense.
4:15Look for a lot of isolations for A.J. Brown.
4:18They're going to trust him to win his matchup, and Drake May is going to get him the ball early and often.
4:25You see A.J. Brown there on the field warming up, Lumen Field in Seattle.
4:30Beautiful weather, 75 degrees as we speak right now.
4:33Seattle has a different feel offensively, and this is significant.
4:36Clint Kubiak is now in Vegas as the Raiders head coach, and Brian Fleury is the new offensive coordinator.
4:42He was at one point a college quarterback at Maryland, then a defensive assistant.
4:47Totally different view on the game. How is the Seahawks' offense different tonight?
4:51They want to keep the same system. Fleury comes from San Francisco.
4:55They want to run the Shanahan wide zone system, so they're going to keep that intact.
5:01But every time a new play caller takes over, they can put their own spin on it.
5:06The challenge that Fleury has is, how can he take an offense that was really good with Sam Darnold and JSN, who is offensive player of the year?
5:16How can he continue to advance that? Well, he has to take some of the concepts that Sam Darnold really loves and add his own spice to it.
5:25Look for more passes to the running backs out of the backfield.
5:29Look for more targets for the tight ends in the intermediate range of the field.
5:34And then look for them to continue the run game with Jadarion Price taking over.
5:39It will look the same, but other guys will be targeted more, and maybe the diversity will make the Seahawks a more dangerous team.
5:47As we get to it, teams won't be able to key on JSN.
5:51They'll have to defend the entire field in a running game that is just as potent, as explosive, as it was with
5:58the Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker, being the bell cow.
6:02Jadarion Price never had more than 15 carries in a game in Notre Dame, which blows my mind.
6:08Bucky, do you think he is ready for a heavy workload, whether it's tonight or at any point this season?
6:14I think down the line he'll be ready for that.
6:17But remember, this league is about running backs by committee.
6:21He will shoulder some of the load, but they'll sprinkle it amongst their other running backs.
6:26Don't expect him to beat RB1 fully until about midseason.
6:29George Helani is there. Emmanuel Wilson is there. And they're still waiting for Zach Charbonnet to be there as well.
6:36Bucky Brooks is always here with you. Bucky, we appreciate it.
6:40Let's move on to the Rams, if we could, because the Rams, as we stand here today, have touched down in Melbourne, Australia.
6:47They landed roughly 28 hours before kickoff with the 49ers coming up tomorrow.
6:52Matter of fact, they're going to be on the ground in Australia roughly right around the same amount of time they were
6:59in the air to get to Australia. So there's that.
7:02Sean McVay is 3-0 in international games. Meantime, as you probably heard by now, Aaron Donald was not on that plane, didn't
7:09make the trip after coming out of retirement last week.
7:13Kyle Shanahan thought he was going to play, so do not think he's disappointed.
7:17Very excited. I told you guys last time I talked to you guys, he was definitely playing, so I've never been more excited to be wrong about something.
7:27So we're good. Can you give us the exact reaction of that this morning?
7:31What did he stand up and then you were fine?
7:35I just smiled and said, that's good. So we're going to have to see him eventually.
7:40We play them twice. But I was hoping he won it.
7:44I was preparing for the worst. And I'm glad that we don't have to see him this week.
7:49All right, that's Shanahan tongue-in-cheek. He is not excited about this news.
7:53This is real. Alfred Collins is out for the year.
7:57Torn patellar tendon at practice in Melbourne. Collins was a second-round pick last year.
8:01Actually played a huge part in the 49ers, beating the Rams on that TNF in Los Angeles back in week number five.
8:09Let's move on to the Raiders. As mentioned, this one caught a lot of people by surprise today.
8:15Brock Bowers is going to miss a game or two.
8:18Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter had that news earlier on Wednesday.
8:22Just a few hours before this, Clint Kubiak, the Raiders head coach, suggested that every Raider was good to go for week number one.
8:30Evidently, Brock Bowers is not good to go for week number one.
8:34Ashton Gentey, though, is trending in that direction. Gentey on the practice field Wednesday for the very first time since an ankle injury back on August 23rd.
8:42He was a full participant in Wednesday's practice. Yes, it is that time of the year.
8:48It's the Raiders and the Dolphins coming up Sunday, week number one.
8:52How about a former Dolphins quarterback? He is now a Falcons quarterback.
8:56It is Tua Tunga by Lola, and we heard from him today for the very first time since being named the Atlanta starting QB.
9:04It's the Falcons and the Steelers Sunday. I don't think I, for myself and what I believe, I don't have anything to
9:11prove to anyone outside, but it's to prove to my own self that I can continue to play at a high level.
9:18Well, you kind of told them that, you know, you're going to be starting quarterback.
9:23Is it more of a week-to-week thing for you, or did they say it's your job until further notice?
9:29That's how they describe it. Yeah. Kev didn't say any of that.
9:33How I'm taking it is I got to go with this day-to-day, and, you know, that's out of my control.
9:40What I can control is how I prepare, how I go out there, how I play, how I perform, and that's all I can do.
9:48Baker Mayfield performed, and now Baker Mayfield has himself a new contract.
9:52After saying he would not negotiate once he showed up for training camp, Baker evidently let his agent behind the scenes negotiate,
10:00and he now has a three-year contract worth $165 million.
10:03I haven't updated that thing in a long time.
10:06There was a time and point where he used a lot of that negative stuff to fuel me, but, you know, found
10:13the fire within, and, yeah, go from there. I still have so much to prove.
10:18This isn't, I've made it. You know, this is life-changing money.
10:22This is stuff that for us is unbelievable, but it's an opportunity to help the community and to continue to progress and move forward.
10:30And the main goal is still the Super Bowl, and I don't have one of those.
10:35I took on a new role this year, too, besides my current role.
10:39My role is to piss him off every week, so.
10:43He's pretty good at it. That's Baker with one-third of the GM there, Jason Light picture on the screen.
10:49That list he's referring to is his old-school list, those against whom he still had grievances.
10:54Joe Burrow has no grievances and also has this to say in a piece on Bengals.com, quote, I'm here for the long haul.
11:02I'm not going anywhere. Yeah, it was never a question in my mind.
11:06I didn't necessarily think about, you know, stamping that in that moment.
11:10That's just, that's how I feel. I don't, you know, I am where my feet are, and I try to attack every
11:17day with champions that I'm on, like I said before, and, you know, I love it here.
11:23I love everything about this place, so we're going to make it work.
11:27Baker and Burrow have had their battles. They actually go head-to-head coming up in week number one, and Burrow should have both his wide receivers on the field.
11:37Zach Taylor says both Jamar Chase and T. Higgins are on pace.
11:41That was the verbiage used by the reporter. On pace to play Sunday.
11:45Baker 3-0 lifetime against Joe Burrow if you are keeping score.
11:49Baker is out of Cleveland. Deshaun Watson is in Cleveland.
11:52Deshaun has never lost to the Jaguars if you're keeping score.
11:55Watson 7-0 against his former AFC South nemesis. And Watson gets another shot to be QB1 for Cleveland Sunday.
12:02Um, I mean, that's one thing you got to control.
12:05I think I'm super excited. I'm super happy. I'm super, you know, blessed for the opportunity that this organization gave me, and
12:12I just want to be able to capitalize on it.
12:16So, you know, me being on my last year of my deal and, you know, being year 10, I feel like this
12:23is my opportunity to be able to go and showcase that I can still play in this league, and I want to continue to play in this league.
12:32So, this is my opportunity to do that. Jaguars, Browns, coming up Sunday, 1 o'clock Eastern time in Jacksonville, coming up in
12:40a matter of moments, Sam Darnold and the Seahawks.
12:43The baseball pick against Drake May and the Patriots.
12:45Coming up next, our old friend Mike Giardi tells you how the Christian Gonzalez deal went down.
12:51That's next on the NFL Report. Drake points with his right hand to set the protection.
12:56Mike Six! Takes the snap. He stands for the quarterback draw.
13:00Touchdown five. Touchdown! Touchdown! Patriots! The Italians! Great job, man.
13:03Great job. Come on. You know the feeling. You make a pick in your fantasy draft and the entire room groans because they wanted that player.
13:12Or you grab a small school rookie off waivers and you start him right before he goes off in primetime.
13:19There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league.
13:22I'm JJ Zacharyson, host of the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast.
13:26Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off.
13:33We've got data-driven analysis, historical trends, and the strategies that separate winners from the rest.
13:38And your dominance doesn't stop with the draft. All season long, we have our 15 transactions, 10 trends, sleepers, and the mailbag.
13:45Data-driven, quick-hitting episodes to help bring home that league trophy.
13:49Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
13:55I'm Brett Coleman. And I'm Trevor Sikama. Have you ever watched a game and wondered what really made the difference beyond the final score?
14:03That's exactly why we created NFL Pro. Got a man wide open!
14:07Seahawks! Every week, we use exclusive next-gen stats insights and NFL content to break down the biggest stories, matchups, and moments from around the league.
14:16We go beyond the box score to uncover the numbers, the tendencies, and details that help explain what actually happened on the field.
14:23Fires it out in the flat to Barkley, who beats one man, spins past another, leaps over a third.
14:29And don't worry, this isn't just a show for stats experts.
14:33We use advanced analytics to help tell the story behind the game, turning the numbers into insights that every fan can understand and enjoy.
14:41So whether you're a casual fan learning more about football, or a hardcore fan who can't get enough analysis, our goal is
14:48to help you see the game in a whole new way.
14:52If you've ever wanted to know why a play worked, how a matchup was won, or what most fans missed on Sunday,
14:59NFL Pro delivers insights you simply can't get anywhere else.
15:03Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
15:08The new NFL season is here, and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 61.
15:15Last year, we had Mike McDonald, Sam Darnold on the field after the game, but that was last year.
15:21If you're a football sicko like me, NFL Daily is your kind of show.
15:26It is in the name, NFL Daily, fresh content in your feed every day, all season long.
15:32Matthew Stafford coming off his MVP season. On a dazzling dart from Matthew Stafford.
15:36Big time trades that shake up the NFL. AJ Brown is loose.
15:40And of course, those Seahawks trying to run it back and win another Lombardi trophy.
15:45The Seahawks win Super Bowl 60. They are bringing the Lombardi back to the Northwest.
15:50If it's happening on a football field, NFL Daily will cover it.
15:54Listen to NFL Daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
15:59Hey everyone, I'm Mike Yam. And I'm Trevor Sikama, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Show.
16:05Fantasy season is upon us. Are you ready to dominate your league?
16:09Because if you aren't locked in with us on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, you're already playing from behind.
16:16Every episode, we're going to dive into the biggest fantasy headlines.
16:19Injury updates that you'll need before kickoff. The best starts and sits across every position.
16:24And matchups you can exploit to destroy your league mates.
16:28We're talking sleepers, breakout stars, and the guys you cannot afford to bench.
16:32From rookies on the rise to longtime stars still at it, we cover it all.
16:37Whether you're a first-time player or a grizzled vet chasing another championship, we give you the advantage and the confidence you need to make every move count.
16:46Weekly analysis, hot takes, and unique insider knowledge all in one place.
16:50Does fantasy dominance sound appealing to you? Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
16:58They split, he reads man, and the tide is turned.
17:02We watch it. Out of the eye. Fake by May.
17:05He's going to run it to the left. He's being chased.
17:09Tries to get outside. He does! He's got the first down.
17:12That's how you do that! That's how you do that!
17:16That's how you do that! That's how you do that!
17:19That's how you do that! Oh, what is old is new again.
17:23From the Boston Sports Journal. Covers the Patriots day in, day out.
17:27No one does it better than Mike Giardi. Getting ready for the kickoff opener.
17:32Good to see you, sir. Andrew, I feel like we've done this a few hundred, two hundred, three hundred times.
17:38Thousand times. Good. Let's do it again. It's a new season.
17:42I love it. So we'll turn over a new leaf.
17:45And it's a new season that's going to have Christian Gonzalez tonight, night number one.
17:50They got the deal done yesterday. Four years, 135, 102 guaranteed.
17:54That is million, 102 million guaranteed. Mike, if they had not got it done, do you think he's playing tonight?
18:00I do not. I do not. I think, you know, he was very evasive during the lead up to this situation when we asked him specifically about that.
18:10I asked him specifically about it and he's like, I'm just worried about today.
18:14But in talking to some people, I think that was really on the table and really what he felt like was his last leverage point, Andrew.
18:23So you think about it. If you roll out there and you play for 2.259 million or whatever the number was for
18:30year four for Christian Gonzalez, and then something happens to you, you've left a lot of money on the table.
18:37You put yourself at great risk. And by withholding your services, you put their feet to the fire.
18:43National television, everybody talking about this game. The Seahawks paid all their guys.
18:47The Patriots had one guy to pay and they didn't pay him.
18:51So I think it was a real consideration for him.
18:54There's connective tissue here. Obviously, they're playing the Seahawks and Devin Witherspoon who had the same agent or the same agency.
19:01And that deal got done months ago. What took so long to get this one done?
19:07Well, my belief is Christian wanted to trump Witherspoon's numbers by all accounts.
19:11And whether we're talking about the total value, the total guarantees.
19:15But the big number to me, and what was the real sticking point in this whole scenario, was the 59 million that
19:22Witherspoon got over the first two years of his deal.
19:25Because we could talk about all the guarantees. I don't know why we call them guarantees.
19:30Because Witherspoon has to be on the roster on such and such a date in 2028 to get the next 25 million.
19:38And Gonzalez wanted to make sure that he was north of 59 million.
19:42And the Patriots were like, look, you were drafted later than he was.
19:46His resume is a little bit longer than yours in terms of some of the accolades that he's gotten, the number of games that he's played.
19:55And obviously, unlike you, he's a Super Bowl winner.
19:58Not that Gonzalez was at fault for what happened in the Super Bowl.
20:02But they just didn't want to go there. And so I think that was a point where the two sides stopped talking, basically.
20:10Like, well, we're not going to get to that number.
20:13And we're not going to come to your number.
20:16So what are we going to do? We're just not going to talk.
20:20And then it feels like, obviously, on Monday on that flight to Seattle, things changed and some calmer heads prevailed.
20:27And he gets 53, 54 million in the first two years, which isn't what he wanted, but still plenty good enough.
20:34And now he is protected and his family is protected for years and years to come.
20:39Absolutely. It is good American money if you can get it.
20:43Talking to Mike Giardi ahead of tonight's kickoff opener.
20:46Enough about the contracts. Let's actually talk about the football.
20:49When last we saw the Patriots offense, they were pretty bad.
20:53To be candid, in the first half, especially against the Seahawks, they got a couple of points on the board in the second half.
21:01You add A.J. Brown, Mike, in the offseason. How much different does their offense look this evening now that they have an alpha at wide receiver?
21:09Well, for as good as Stefan Diggs was last year, he didn't pull coverage in the way that the Patriots think that A.J.
21:17Brown can. And by the way, when A.J. has had moments during training camp to stand out, including day one of the
21:24joint practices against Philadelphia, his old teammates, he did just that.
21:28Like, he has come as advertised. In fact, maybe for those that were knocking him down a peg, maybe he has trumped
21:35that advertisement, quite frankly, with the way he's played.
21:38The chemistry is still building with them. I don't think it's perfect yet.
21:43I actually think Romeo Dobbs came along over the last few weeks of training camp with May, maybe faster than A.J.
21:49has. But I still think that it's all going to revolve around A.J.
21:54And if he is bringing bodies with him, then it's going to open things up for guys like Romeo Dobbs, for Pop
22:01Douglas, or for Hunter Henry, who, quite frankly, in the last couple of years, Andrew, has been the guy that basically it's had to go through.
22:10And now he's sort of a, I don't want to say a forgotten guy, because I think he's still really good.
22:17But like, he's not the focal point. And that's probably good for him.
22:21Yeah, certainly. We had Devin McCourty on the show yesterday.
22:24Wow, it's one day in. I'm already forgetting things.
22:27Devin on the show yesterday, he says that they could use A.J.
22:31a lot in the slot tonight. What do you think of that?
22:35Yeah, I think Josh McDaniels loves to move his receivers around.
22:39And I think at points last year, he was a little bit trapped is not the greatest word to use, but it's
22:46the only one I can think of right now in terms of the personnel that he had.
22:52Kayshawn Booty was an ex and he had to stay outside.
22:55And Stefan Diggs didn't have the juice anymore outside.
22:58So you got to put him inside. And I felt like they were sort of pigeonholed into some of those positions with A.J.
23:06moving him into slot, giving him a little bit more time to release, work the underneath stuff.
23:12Like, I think they feel like they can unlock that part of his game, which over the last couple of years in
23:19Philadelphia, for whatever reason, quarterback, relationships, offense, structure, period, they didn't lean on as much.
23:24I think you're going to see a little bit more of that, certainly with A.J.
23:29Brown. All right. We'll circle back to contracts, but in a different way.
23:33Huge year for Drake May. Year two was pretty darn special.
23:37MVP votes and a road to the Super Bowl and all that.
23:41Year three, when he also can get paid at the end, you know, next offseason here as well.
23:47What's the thought on Drake May heading into the season?
23:50That he is so much calmer and confident and in control of this offense than he was last year.
23:56And again, we're talking about someone who finished second in the MVP voting and lost by just a whisker through for whatever
24:04it was, 4,500 yards, had 72% completion percentage. Like, he broke some of Tom Brady's records.
24:09And if you go into the nerd numbers, you know, some of the EPA things.
24:14The nerd numbers. I love it. Yeah. He had one of the best seasons that quarterbacks had in the last 15 years.
24:21So, Andrew, the guy that I'm seeing this summer looks better than that one.
24:26So, that should tell you all you need to know about his comfort in the offense.
24:31They've opened it up for him even more. You know, you're one year in the system.
24:36Now, you're two with the same offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels.
24:40They're giving him more responsibility at the line of scrimmage, something they didn't give him a ton of last year.
24:47And I think that may have proved costly in the postseason, even though, again, they got to the Super Bowl with the
24:54offense sort of ground to a halt in the playoffs.
24:57And I think those sorts of things have me believing that he is a top five MVP candidate again this year and beyond, quite frankly.
25:05No, totally with you. Finally here, Mike. It's been an odd offseason for the Patriots.
25:10Let's put it that way. They take the field tonight, however, as I don't want to call it a disrespected AFC champion,
25:18but this is one of the weird Super Bowl rematches.
25:21This is the first one where we've had a true rematch in week number one, in which it seems like both teams have a chip on their shoulder.
25:30The Seahawks seem forgotten with all the Rams hype.
25:33And the Patriots, people still a year later say, eh, you got there, but you really weren't that good.
25:40Big picture for the Patriots and their road ahead as they take the field tonight.
25:45Yeah, I think Mike Vrabel has issued that message to them more than once about like, hey, you know, people didn't think
25:52what you did was real last year. And look, it's a new year.
25:56We have to start all over. But like, we know what it takes to get there.
26:01And now we have to figure out the way to take that next step and win that final game.
26:08I also think there is a matter of we didn't play the way we were capable of in the Super Bowl.
26:15We didn't show the world what we were all about.
26:18And now we have an opportunity to open the entire NFL season with all eyes on us and show everybody against that
26:25very team that has pretty much the same roster that we were a lot better than that.
26:31They're healthy, obviously. Not too many injuries to speak of coming into this thing.
26:36So I think there is a real sense of urgency to just put our stamp on this season right away and show
26:43everybody that the last memory of them wasn't the right one.
26:46It is the first of a scheduled 272 of these things.
26:50The Patriots, the Seahawks, a Super Bowl rematch to kick off a brand new season.
26:55Mike Giardi, great to talk to you, sir. Always a pleasure, Andrew.
26:59Everybody wants to give Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Donald a comeback player of the year.
27:04Why aren't we talking about Travis Hunter, people? Can we talk about him?
27:08He's a wide receiver. He's a DB, probably more of a DB this year, whatever.
27:13He's going to be on the field Sunday against the Browns for the first time since an early November knee injury.
27:20He's been doing this for a very long time at a high level and he's played in big games.
27:27He understands, you know, he's had to come back from some injuries, obviously not as large as this one, but, you know,
27:34I do trust that, you know, he may have some jitters or whatever it may be, but I'm sure a lot of
27:41guys will have similar ones being game one. You know, and I just, I'm happy for him.
27:47You know, I'm happy to get him back on the grass doing something that he loves to do and that he's passionate
27:54about doing and energetic about doing on a daily basis.
27:57So excited about that for him. Sanders in the same building together coming up on Sunday.
28:03The Ravens will be in Indianapolis to face the Colts coming up next on the NFL report.
28:08What Derrick Henry says about the couch, different couch than the couch you're going to be watching on Sunday.
28:15The season is here, so go get NFL Plus.
28:17Will you please get 20% off an NFL Plus annual plan with NFL Plus?
28:22You could stream live local and primetime games on mobile with NFL Plus premium.
28:27You get NFL Red Zone. You get game replays.
28:30You access NFL Pro. All the cool stuff. Limited time offer.
28:33It ends September 21st. Sign up today. Plus. NFL.com slash radio plus.
28:37NFL.com slash radio. Terms and conditions do apply. Let's do some quick hit.
28:42Some other headlines. Let's just show you the schedule for Sunday because that's the most important thing.
28:47It is an eight plus four. It is an eight game early, four game late Sunday schedule.
28:53There is one Sunday night game. Cowboys and the Giants.
28:56One Monday night. Only one Monday night game this year.
29:00Patrick Mahomes makes his comeback. And Bo Nix does the same.
29:03That game is in Kansas City. Speaking of comebacks, how about these?
29:07The new Seahawks owners had their presser today in Seattle before the opener.
29:11And they said that coming in 2027, not this year, but next year, the throwback white uniforms.
29:17Yeah, buddy. Kenny Easley. Hello. Bring back those uniforms.
29:20Tyler Smith. Goodbye. At least for a month, the Cowboys put their offensive lineman on injured reserve today.
29:26It's thumb. It's a thumb injury. He had surgery yesterday.
29:29He had surgery yesterday. They signed Nick Leverett to the active roster and they signed former first round pick Lakin Tomlinson to the practice squad.
29:38Tomlinson well-traveled. This is his seventh organization. One of them, by the way, was the Baltimore Ravens.
29:43Derek Henry, when asked about retirement, said he's not going anywhere.
29:47He wants to play until he wins a Super Bowl.
29:50He's 32 years old, quote, tired of being at home on the couch watching the Super Bowl.
29:56So there's that from Derek Henry. And there's this from Jameer Gibbs.
30:00He says if he were drafting in fantasy, he would take himself number one overall.
30:05What do you want him to say? Like, I would take Derek Henry number one overall.
30:10Of course you're taking yourself number one overall. Or maybe B.
30:14John Robinson or Jamar Chase. Or if you're in a league that values the quarterback, you would take Josh Allen number one overall.
30:21But that, you know, is just me. In my league, we have to play two quarterbacks.
30:27We have 14 teams. It's a miserable league. We have 23 players on our roster.
30:32And, yeah, you have to take a quarterback in the first round.
30:36That, you know, whatever. Fantasy start them, sit thems right now on NFL.com.
30:40Go there. Check them out. NFL.com. Start. Sit. As you get ready.
30:44Remember, don't forget to set your fantasy lineup. Time for one more thing before we go.
30:49The great researcher John Todd tells me this. I think I might have used this earlier.
30:54Six eventual Super Bowl champions since 2020 have gone a combined three and three in week one.
31:00So, to put it in perspective, both the Seahawks and the Patriots lost in week one last year.
31:06They both ended up in the Super Bowl. So, there's all this hype.
31:10You have to win week one. Week one sets the season.
31:14No, it isn't. Week one is a liar. Week two is the truth teller.
31:19Because these two teams are seen tonight in a Super Bowl rematch.
31:23Both lost games that most expected them to win a year ago.
31:27Football is back, everybody. Join us tomorrow, 7 p.m.
31:30Eastern time on the NFL Report. I'm Andrew. So long, everybody.
31:33The entire draft room groans because you just took the guy they wanted.
31:37There's no better feeling than crushing your fantasy football league.
31:41I'm JJ Zachary Eason, host of the award-winning Late Round Podcast.
31:44Before your draft, our players to target and players to avoid episodes tell you exactly who to circle and who to cross off.
31:52Listen to the Late Round Fantasy Football Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
31:59I'm Brett Coleman. And I'm Trevor Sykema. If you love football and want to understand what's really happening on the field, check out our show, NFL Pro.
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32:29The new NFL season is here. And you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 61.
32:36It is in the name NFL Daily. You'll have fresh content in your feed every day, all season long.
32:43That game-winning drive. Maybe it's Herbert. Maybe it's Gino.
32:46Maybe it's Mahomes. We'll have the highlights. If Fernando Mendoza or any of those rookies are balling out, we'll break down the tape.
32:53Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and an all-star cast of co-hosts as we preview and recap every game.
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