The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

The NFC South remains the little brother of the league, coming into the season as the only division without an obvious Super Bowl contender. The Buccaneers have held sway over this division for most of the 2020s, but it was the Panthers last year who broke through and won the division, albeit with an 8-9 record. How do the Buccaneers get back to the top of the division this season? What must the Saints do to rollover the optimism they built up over the second half of last season into this year? How do the Panthers prove that last year wasn't a fluke? And is this the season that the Falcons can finally put it all together on offense, given their wealth of skill position talent? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And with that, Robert Mays' 2026 training camp tour has reached its end. The final two stops on the tour were Green Bay and Chicago, where he spoke with Packers writer Matt Schneidman and Bears writer Kevin Fishbain. And just to wrap things up nicely, he checked in with Broncos writer Nick Kosmider and Chiefs writer Jesse Newell. Host: Robert Mays With: Matt Schneidman, Kevin Fishbain, Nick Kosmider, Jesse Newell Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the Sept 1st live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ We flip over to the NFC for the first time in this season's division preview series, with the NFC East taking center stage. The division runs through Philadelphia until further notice, but the Eagles are far from an overwhelming favorite to win their third straight NFC East crown. How will the Eagles weather the losses of A.J. Brown and Jeff Stoutland? Is the unbounded optimism surrounding the Cowboys justified? Can the Commanders put a forgettable 2025 behind them and get back to being a team that has the promise inherent to one with a superstar quarterback on a rookie deal? Will this finally be the season the Giants break free from the doldrums and get back on a winning trajectory? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets to the Sept 1 live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ The AFC North is up next in our division preview series. Last year, this division featured two of the most disappointing teams in the league in the Ravens and Bengals, yet those two teams are expected to be right back at the top of the division, and potentially the entire conference, if they can once again find their respective fastballs. What will Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle bring to the Ravens in year one? Is this the year the Bengals defense finally lives up to its end of the bargain? Can the Steelers find a way out of Wild Card weekend purgatory? Will the Browns young core give their fans enough to be excited about in a season that appears likely to be defined by dreadful quarterback play? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the Sept 1st live show in Chicago! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ We kick off our annual round of division previews with the AFC West. This division sent two teams to the playoffs last year, yet neither of those teams is favored to win the division. That's what happens when Patrick Mahomes calls the division home. How do the Chiefs bounce back this year? Can Mike McDaniel be the offensive coordinator to get the absolute most out of Justin Herbert? Are the Broncos truly the Super Bowl contender they appeared to be last season? And how should the Raiders define success in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets to the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ C.J. Stroud went down to the crossroads, fell down on his knees. Bryce Young went down to the crossroads, tried to flag a ride. Justin Herbert will see you at the crossroads, so you won't be lonely. Yup, that's right, it's time for QBs at a crossroads. In addition to Stroud, Young and Herbert, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman discuss the pivotal seasons facing Jalen Hurts, Michael Penix and Malik Willis on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for our September 1st live show: https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Let's face it: you can only learn so much about the season ahead from preseason football. So, we've turned to an alternate method of learning...Ryan Paganetti. Ryan chats with Robert Mays about the most interesting trends, rule changes, and what they tell us about what we could see in the 2026 NFL season. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A full week in the Midwest? Robert Mays must be coming to the end of his training camp tour. This week saw Robert visit Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Detroit and Minneapolis, which means conversations with Bengals writer Paul Dehner Jr., Colts writer James Boyd, Lions writer Colton Pouncy and Vikings writer Alec Lewis on this episode of The Athletic Football Show Host: Robert Mays With: Paul Dehner Jr., James Boyd, Colton Pouncy, Alec Lewis Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for our LIVE show at Lincoln Hall: https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ King Arthur's Table. Table Mountain. Mesa Verde. Teufelstisch. These are just four famous tables known the world over. Could the TAFS Contender's Table join their ranks? Likely not, but that won't stop us from asking the question. And it certainly won't stop us from bringing back our favorite bit from 2025 with improvements for the 2026 season. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman introduce the initial batch of legitimate Super Bowl contenders on this episode of The Athletic Football show by giving 10 teams a Seat at the Table. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Accompanied reading: Arch Manning's potential, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7510943/2026/08/18/arch-manning-nfl-draft-film-study/ The full set of preseason ranking articles, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/dane-brugler/ The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and Building the Beast is BACK! Dane Brugler joins Dave Helman to dig into the top prospects at every position for the 2026 season. Arch Manning, Leonard Moore, Xavier Atkins, and so much more. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Co-Hosts: Dane Brugler and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrulger Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have an astounding 25 new playcallers on either side of the ball in 2026. Mike McDaniel with the Chargers. Jim Leonhard with the Bills. Those two are expected to be among the most important acquisitions of the offseason, players and head coaches included. But they aren't the only ones grabbing our attention. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight the playcallers in new places they can't wait to watch on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:45 Mike Rutenberg & Cleveland Browns 11:44 Christian Parker & Dallas Cowboys 23:59 Chris O'Leary & Los Angeles Chargers 32:10 Sean Mannion & Philadelphia Eagles 43:52 Tyler Biadasz injury 45:01 Mike McDaniel & Chargers 53:41 Drew Petzing & Detroit Lions 1:04:47 Brian Daboll & Tennessee Titans 1:09:27 Brian Fleury & Seattle Seahawks Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Sure, we could rank the NFL's best offenses from 1 to 15 and then tell you the rankings of each host. But then we wouldn't hear Robert call himself a "spineless piece of shit," we wouldn't hear Dave talk about making an offense out of a "ham bone and a moldy shoe," and we certainly wouldn't hear Derrik agonize over picking another NFC North team. So we're doing it this way. Join Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen as they draft the NFL's best offenses for 2026. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:05 Bills 7:44 Cowboys 13:59 Rams 17:17 Patriots 22:25 Lions 26:31 Bears 34:04 Ravens 40:49 Chargers 45:50 Bengals 52:21 49ers 56:13 Packers 59:47 Jaguars 1:04:07 Chiefs 1:06:21 Vikings 1:09:14 Broncos 1:11:25 Honorable mentions 1:18:37 TAFS live show! Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Good news! All of the good stuff you saw from the players you like and all the bad stuff from players you don't like in preseason is real. But the things that don't affirm your existing opinion? Fake. Not going to happen again. Robert Mays and Dave Helman have a mix of both those opinions and more reactions to the first preseason action of 2026. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:54 Arizona Cardinals-Las Vegas Raiders 4:30 Jeremiyah Love injury 8:29 Fernando Mendoza 9:52 Jeremiyah Love pre-injury 14:24 Chase Bisontis 15:25 Ty Simpson 16:39 Stetson Bennett 21:16 R Mason Thomas 21:42 Drew Allar 23:50 Jager Burton & Aaron Banks 28:24 Caleb Douglas 28:49 Kadyn Proctor 29:49 De'zhaun Stribling 30:33 Jakobi Lane 32:49 Jack Bech 34:46 Matthew Hibner 37:35 Marlin Klein 39:55 Cincinnati Bengals-Detroit Lions 45:06 Cleveland Browns quarterbacks 52:20 Browns receivers 54:21 Carolina Panthers-Buffalo Bills 56:07 Seattle Seahawks-Dallas Cowboys 56:46 Jamal Adams 57:51 Tennessee Titans-San Francisco 49ers 59:46 Other positive performances Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays slowly but surely made his way back to the Midwest from the mid-Atlantic on his training camp tour this week, kicking things off with the Eagles and wrapping it up with the Browns. In between, he made stops in Pittsburgh and Buffalo. As such, you'll hear from Eagles beat writer Zach Berman, Steelers beat writer Mike DeFabo, Bills beat writer Joe Buscaglia, and Browns beat writer Zac Jackson on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:06 Eagles 31:00 Steelers 1:00:03 Bills 1:25:15 Browns Host: Robert Mays With: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Between starter announcements, preseason game statuses, and late-camp signings...we couldn't possibly cover all of the big NFL training camp news in one show. So we didn't! Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen run it back for part two of training camp storylines. Accompanied reading: Bo Nix's area of improvement, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7503885/2026/08/11/broncos-bo-nix-quarterback-improvement-progressions/ 2:43 Kyler Murray & Minnesota Vikings 7:40 What's next for JJ McCarthy 13:19 Bo Nix & Denver Broncos 18:06 Michael Penix Jr & Atlanta Falcons 19:07 Penix vs Tua Tagovailoa 20:14 Caleb Williams/Ben Johnson & Chicago Bears 25:01 Deebo Samuel & San Francisco 49ers 30:41 Elandon Roberts & Pittsburgh Steelers 33:40 Devin White & Detroit Lions 34:39 Darren Waller & Carolina Panthers 37:47 Jonathon Brooks 40:11 Marlon Humphrey/Nate Wiggins & Baltimore Ravens 41:50 Cade Mays 46:18 Jadeveon Clowney & Houston Texans 50:05 Emmanuel Ogbah & Kansas City Chiefs Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Tired: Ranking. Wired: Drafting. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman draft who they think will be the best defenses in the NFL. Three drafters, five teams apiece, whoever's quintet ends the season with the best EPA per play wins. Derrik is on the clock... 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:35 Houston Texans 10:14 Seattle Seahawks 16:02 Los Angeles Rams 22:01 Philadelphia Eagles 27:21 Denver Broncos 33:00 Cleveland Browns 42:23 Pittsburgh Steelers 49:18 Baltimore Ravens 53:30 Minnesota Vikings 59:09 Jacksonville Jaguars 1:06:01 Buffalo Bills 1:12:36 Kansas City Chiefs 1:15:44 New York Giants 1:20:20 New England Patriots 1:20:45 New Orleans Saints 1:20:57 Dallas Cowboys 1:25:50 Los Angeles Chargers 1:29:11 Indianapolis Colts 1:31:39 Recap 1:33:09 LIVE SHOW! Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your tickets for the live show! https://lh-st.com/shows/09-01-2026-the-athletic-football-show-with-robert-mays/ Nick Emmanwori. Parker Washington. Darnell Wright. All of these guys weren't necessarily getting a ton of attention at this time last year, and then they went on to completely swing how good their teams were. Who could do the same in 2026. Allow Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman to bring you the players who could swing the 2026 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Accompanied watching: Texans training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/dW-SINQBEiU), Seahawks training camp notebook (https://youtu.be/2C5ZH-Qm-wE). 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:46 Marlon Humphrey 10:53 Nnamdi Madubike 17:01 Garrett Bradbury 20:32 Bears left tackles 24:15 Ed Oliver 31:35 Rashan Gary 34:43 Cobie Durant 38:35 Derrick Brown 48:48 Jadarian Price 55:40 Josh Jobe 1:01:25 Keylan Rutledge 1:06:12 Jayden Higgins 1:10:00 AJ Brown 1:20:51 TAFS live show! Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No matter how well you know the NFL, a handful of teams every year are going to throw you for a loop on the doorstep of the season beginning. That doesn't mean they'll be bad, or even that you think they'll be bad. It just means you can't quite put a finger on what they're going to be and how they're going to play. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman name the teams they can't quite figure out in 2026 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:41 Packers 18:42 Saints 28:41 Chargers 38:11 Vikings 44:41 Cardinals 52:59 Patriots 1:05:28 Commanders 1:08:35 Chiefs Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays wrapped up his west coast swing at the end of last week, before heading down to the southeast and mid-Atlantic on his training camp travels. That means you get Michael-Shawn Dugar on the Seahawks; Josh Kendall on the Falcons; Nicki Jhabvala on the Commanders; and Jeff Zrebiec on the Ravens on this episode of The Athletic Football Show Rundown (timestamps are approximate) Seahawks 4:52 Falcons 36:22 Commanders 54:25 Ravens 1:20:09 Host: Robert Mays With: Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall, Nicki Jhabvala, Jeff Zrebiec Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August comes with salt air, the rust on your door, and a whole bunch of hollow training camp storylines. But how many of those storylines are actually worth believing? Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the running back market, the Vikings QB competition, Aaron Donald, and more of the trendy storylines coming out of training camp. Accompanied reading: Alec Lewis on Vikings run game, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7494772/2026/08/06/minnesota-vikings-run-game-training-camp/ 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:53 Jahmyr Gibbs contract and disclaimer 2:48 Bijan Robinson/Jonathan Taylor contracts 8:46 Aaron Donald & Los Angeles Rams official workout 14:32 Jakobi Lane & Baltimore Ravens 18:33 Tylan Wallace nostalgia 19:26 JJ McCarthy vs Kyler Murray 23:56 Frank Smith & Minnesota Vikings run game 27:59 Bud Clark & Seattle Seahawks 32:38 Philadelphia Eagles receivers 35:53 KC Concepcion/Denzel Boston & Cleveland Browns 37:33 Browns trade for Spencer Rattler? 43:00 New Orleans Saints optimism 44:20 Darnell Wright & Chicago Bears contract 48:37 MarShawn Lloyd & Green Bay Packers 50:26 Packers offensive line 52:40 Max Iheanachor & Pittsburgh Steelers 56:18 Dexter Lawrence & Cincinnati Bengals Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Long before Ted Lasso was a smash hit TV show, professional sports teams had been willing themselves to "BELIEVE." Sometimes, that works out wonderfully, as in the case of the Bears believing that Ben Johnson was just what the doctor ordered for Caleb Williams. Other times, it doesn't quite work out, like when the Giants told themselves they only had a Daniel Jones problem. So, what are the stories that NFL teams must believe about themselves this season? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman crack open the storybook on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 5:11 Jaguars 13:20 Giants 25:30 Commanders 25:45 Stefon Diggs news 39:50 Eagles 51:27 Colts 57:16 Bills 1:02:45 Chiefs 1:05:43 Bengals/Cowboys 1:08:30 Broncos 1:10:30 Titans Accompanied reading: Sando's QB tiers, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nfl-quarterback-tiers-insider-rankings-2026/ Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every season, a handful of players on new teams completely change the way their unit plays. Think of what Talanoa Hufanga did for the Broncos defense and what George Pickens did for the Cowboys offense last year. Those players are DNA changers. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen do their best Crick and Watson and pick out nine potential DNA changers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:44 Bijan Robinson & Atlanta Falcons 2:12 Zay Flowers & Baltimore Ravens 10:27 Jauan Jennings & Minnesota Vikings 17:09 Riq Woolen & Philadelphia Eagles 22:57 Osa Odighizuwa & San Francisco 49ers 27:50 Sauce Gardner & Indianapolis Colts 32:12 Kenny Moore & Colts 33:16 Dre’Mont Jones & New England Patriots 38:42 Jaylen Waddle & Denver Broncos 43:38 Reggie Gilliam & Patriots 49:36 Carnell Tate & Tennessee Titans 54:03 T’Vondre Sweat & New York Jets Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here’s a simple recipe for baking a take: 1. Have a thought or feeling. 2. Look up facts, stats, etc to support or disprove that thought or feeling. 3. Ponder the scope of the thought or feeling (a day, a season, a decade). 4. Mix in some outside opinions. 5. Enjoy your take. For this episode, we’re stopping about halfway through step two. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman share their half-baked takes for the 2026 season. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:52 Coby Bryant injury 7:10 Baltimore Ravens & Maxx Crosby/Trey Hendrickson 13:56 DaVonta Smith 19:31 San Francisco 49ers & Ricky Pearsall 27:55 Washington Commanders & Jayden Daniels 31:29 Mike McDaniel 34:12 Houston Texans 42:17 Field goals 47:47 Los Angeles Rams 54:10 Natural grass fields 57:46 Picking playoff teams 1:03:17 New Orleans Saints 1:06:21 Dak Prescott Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays kicked off his annual training camp tour last week, and as always, he'll be speaking with every Athletic beat writer he crosses paths with to get the on-the-ground expertise from people who are with these teams every day. In the first installment of this year's Beat Writer Notebook, Robert speaks with Joe Person on the Panthers, Nate Atkins on the Rams, Daniel Popper on the Chargers on Jon Machota on the Cowboys. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:30 Panthers 32:03 Rams 58:59 Chargers 1:23:00 Cowboys Host: Robert Mays With: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Past may not be prologue, but it can give us an idea of what to look for when considering what might come next. For example, Byron Murphy's ascent was critical to the Seahawks' defense turning into a dominant unit. Could another player follow a similar script this year? It's in that spirit that Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen hunt for 2026 versions of 2025 things on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know it's not very humble to say, "I told you so." But...we told you so! At this time last year, we highlighted Cole Bishop and Kris Jenkins—among others—as potential X-factors. And for better or worse, both Bishop and Jenkins were X-factors during the 2025 season. So, we're running it back. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen bring you 15 more players that are X-factors for their teams in 2026. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:21 Vita Vea & Jalen Carter news 15:00 Jared Wilson 18:30 Will Campbell 21:21 Barrett Carter & Demetrius Knight 28:52 Anthony Belton 34:54 Terrance Ferguson 40:35 Matthew Golden 47:11 Travis Hunter 51:25 Tyleik Williams 55:05 Tate Ratledge 59:45 TJ Sanders 1:00:12 Pat Bryant 1:00:38 Lathan Ransom 1:02:50 Donovan Ezeiruaku 1:03:32 Several 49ers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every single person in the NFL—players, head coaches, coordinators, position coaches, executives, you name it—has something at stake every season. But some people have more at stake in one individual season than most everyone else. So who has the most at stake in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:27 Zac Taylor 10:40 Todd Bowles 14:59 Baker Mayfield 21:48 Kyler Murray 28:46 Kevin O'Connell 34:53 Monti Ossenfort 44:23 Brian Daboll 49:13 Chris Ballard 54:00 Quentin Johnston 58:26 George Pickens 1:00:39 Jermaine Johnson 1:01:21 Tariq Woolen 1:03:05 Pick your Ram 1:03:22 2024 receivers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

*GENERIC TRUMPET BLASTS SOUNDING A CALL TO ARMS* That's right, training camp is here and the 2026 NFL season is basically underway. We have plenty of questions around the league as all 32 teams open camp across the next few days, so many that we can't possibly get into all of them. This episode of The Athletic Football Show is reserved for our biggest questions as training camp begins. Robert Mays and Dave Helman find themsleves wondering about topics such as the Texans offensive line, the Raiders' development plan for Fernando Mendoza, the new-look Bills defense, and plenty more. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:12 Patrick Mahomes 3:55 Chiefs offense 5:53 Jaguars skill positions 9:45 Seahawks running backs 14:45 Ravens offense & Bills defense 21:27 Vikings QB competition 24:26 Vikings run game 26:24 Falcons QBs 30:44 Fernando Mendoza sitting 40:14Year 2 of Cam Ward 42:25 Eagles & Commanders offenses 42:56 Texans offensive line 46:22 Nic Scourton injury 47:47 Eagles receiving core 49:50 Mike McDaniel transformation 51:43 Late camp signings Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 Cowboys offense ranked fifth in EPA/play and eighth in DVOA. The man at the head of that was first-year offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who arrived in Dallas after a two-year run as the Cardinals offensive line coach. The Cardinals were a top-10 rushing offense by EPA/rush and DVOA in both of Adams' seasons there. In other words, he certainly appears to have a strong grip on how to put together a successful, multi-faceted offense in today's NFL. He dove into his process, and a whole lot more, with Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have long understood wide receiver as a premium position in the NFL, but the natural evolution of offenses and schemes has influenced everything—including the way you want to build out and balance your wide receiver corps. So what's the ideal way to put the pieces together in today's NFL? Matt Harmon from Yahoo Sports joins Robert Mays to fit it all into place on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:09 What should your receiver group look like? 9:43 First piece of a receiver room 13:53 Building around a WR1 25:51 Impact on offense as a whole 32:31 What to surround a WR1 with 43:12 Impact of heavy personnel 48:35 Ideal skill sets for receivers in heavy personnel 56:09 Underrated skill sets for receivers 59:45 How to project a WR success in NFL 1:03:07 Changing landscape of slot receivers 1:07:43 Examples of properly-built receiver groups 1:11:42 Deploying pure speed Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes all a player needs to break through is a new coach or a change of scenery. A new scheme can unlock something can unlock something in any number of players, and those guys can go on to dramatically affect the landscape of the league. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman highlight potential Scheme Change All-Stars on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:29 Live show announcement 5:19 Ashton Jeanty & Las Vegas Raiders 10:07 Jack Bech & Raiders 15:59 Mike Evans & San Francisco 49ers 23:44 Jalen Thompson & Dallas Cowboys 31:23 Marvin Harrison Jr & Arizona Cardinals 36:57 Chris Rodriguez & Jacksonville Jaguars 43:57 Jalen Ramsey & Pittsburgh Steelers 49:04 Logan Hall & Houston Texans 54:09 A'Shawn Robinson & Tampa Bay Buccaneers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you remember the chart your teacher used in health class to show that 50% of your food should be fruits and vegetables? Maybe you also remember that little tiny sliver showing fatty or sugary foods. Well, think of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's four-year, $168.6 million contract as a bowl of ice cream and Bo Nix's four-year, $18.6 million rookie contract as a plate of broccoli. The ice cream tastes great, but you'd feel pretty sluggish if you didn't have a whole bunch of broccoli to go with it. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen discuss which NFL teams are best balancing indulgent superstar extensions with vitamin-packed rookie contracts. 0:00 Welcome to the show 5:05 Los Angeles Rams 10:51 Philadelphia Eagles 15:55 New England Patriots 21:15 Chicago Bears 26:55 Seattle Seahawks 31:25 Detroit Lions 35:22 Los Angeles Chargers 38:52 Cleveland Browns 42:10 Houston Texans 43:39 Green Bay Packers 47:20 Dallas Cowboys 48:35 Jacksonville Jaguars 50:37 Denver Broncos 55:16 Carolina Panthers 58:44 Tennessee Titans 1:03:18 Buffalo Bills 1:07:11 Washington Commanders Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dear TAFS friends, we have reached the end of the line for the summer mailbag this year. You guys brought it week after week, and you certainly sent us off with a bang. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer questions on the influence of the Doug Pederson Eagles, the best way to be a bad team, the potential return of Aaron Donald, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:45 Eagles/Doug Pederson influence 12:46 Titans new offense 23:05 Ideal way to be a bad team 33:00 Evaluating cornerbacks 39:47 Aaron Donald return 48:24 Third-place game? Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Believe it or not, we're just about at the end of the true NFL offseason. The two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game—the Panthers and Cardinals—open training camp next week. We at The Athletic Football Show think we do a comprehensive job covering every team during this stretch on the calendar, but we have to admit that a few teams become a bit fainter on our radar. So why didn't we talk much about teams like the Falcons, Vikings, Bills and Eagles? Why did the Broncos, Patriots, Panthers and Ravens spend most of these last two months out of the TAFS studio? And, what should we have been talking about related to those eight teams during the offseason? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman finally give those teams some attention on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:26 Falcons 10:36 Panthers 20:32 Vikings 28:47 Bills 36:08 Ravens 43:40 Eagles 50:10 Broncos 55:36 Patriots Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Breakout seasons from Azeez Al-Shaair, Byron Young and Tuli Tuipulotu helped define the 2025 season. Who might be those players this year? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman introduce the Breakout Player Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:14 The rules 6:30 Paris Johnson 12:04 Omarion Hampton 15:40 Walter Nolen 19:34 Luther Burden 25:12 Amarius Mims 27:43 Nohl Williams 32:25 Malaki Starks 35:12 Yaya Diaby 37:19 Josh Simmons 40:09 Dallas Turner 44:02 Jonas Sanker 45:49 Craig Woodson 48:58 Warren McClendon 53:05 Nic Scourton 56:18 Dylan Fairchild 59:10 Patrick Paul 1:02:31 Tykee Smith 1:03:57 Ricky Pearsall 1:09:23 Rome Odunze 1:13:06 Cedric Gray 1:18:40 Austin Booker 1:20:55 Upton Stout 1:21:54 Billy Bowman 1:24:05 Jalen Travis Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last season marked the third-straight year in which a team driven by its defense won the Super Bowl. What can the success of last year's Seahawks—not to mention the Texans, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos—teach us about the NFL in 2026? Cody Alexander from Match Quarters joins Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen to share the lessons learned from last season's best defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:43 Run defense 4:00 Run defense on first down 19:44 Edge-linebacker hybrid 28:17 Base defense 30:00 Nickel defense 38:38 Zone coverage 45:35 Weaponizing dime 50:34 Blitz efficiency 58:52 Split-field coverages Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're approaching the end of mailbag season but we aren't quite there yet, so Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen opened up the mail and found eight great questions in there. The guys tackle questions on linebacker tiers, outlier statistics, the Lions' 2023 draft, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:35 Linebacker tiers 18:47 Outlier stats for QBs 26:36 Favorite odd records 31:50 Teams that disappeared when stakes were high 43:30 Saving past RBs 49:22 Reversing Matthew Stafford’s career 57:05 Lions 2023 Draft: Witherspoon or Gibbs? Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've reached the end of our Lingering Questions series for the 2026 offseason, and we close it out with a trio of questions that loom large over the year to come. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep into critical questions about Caleb Williams, the Bengals offense, and the Steelers defense on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:58 What was Caleb Williams' 2025 season? 30:19 Is the Bengals offense really Super Bowl ready? 50:20 How should we feel about Patrick Graham (and the Steelers defense)? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Name your favorite unicorn quarterback. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, you name it. They're all done. Done! The era of a mystical quarterback leading your NFL team to a Super Bowl is over...maybe. The era of Seahawks-adjacent defensive domination is here...maybe. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen are diving into why the NFL has felt so different lately, what the defining factors of this new (kind of) era are, and how long it will last. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:58 Are we in a new era? 6:30 Well, what was the last era? 17:28 And why has the NFL felt so different recently? 28:24 What exactly has changed since the previous era? 41:12 And what do these changes mean for the future? 48:51 Okay, what are the answers? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure, you learn something new every day. But today? Today you're learning ELEVEN new things...straight from the NFL's best offenses from the 2025-26 season. What do we know now about tight end usage? What role does play action serve in an efficient offense? And what should you actually do on first downs? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and old friend Nate Tice dig into all of the best lessons from last season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:18 Twin tight ends 8:40 Adding layers to your offense 15:44 Creativity in motion players 23:34 “You can’t take penalties!” 28:18 Holding the quarterback’s hand 36:29 Play action is f***ing back, baby 38:39 Giving defense information pre-snap 47:00 Utilizing first downs 57:01 “Get back on track” situations 1:00:59 Respecting the deep throw Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you, TAFS fans, for once again bringing the goods for another mailbag episode. You all are truly on an all-time run. And speaking of that, what are the best Linsanity-style runs in NFL history? What sorts of trades from yesteryear—think Champ Bailey and a second-round pick for Clinton Portis—would you never see in today's NFL? Where do offensive line coaches develop? Robert Mays and Dave Helman answer those questions, and more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FTN Football Almanac is as close as we have to religious text in the NFL analytics world. The 2026 version is set to drop shortly, so Robert Mays welcomed the founder of the Almanac, FTN's director of analytics Aaron Schatz, to this episode of The Athletic Football Show to highlight the most surprising nuggets from this year's edition. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:01 Texans Super Bowl threat 12:30 2026 Super Bowl was almost impossible 18:50 Gap between Bears offense and defense 25:38 Patriots ease of schedule 32:10 Bengals, Cowboys playoff chances 38:34 Rams 13 personnel 41:36 Best/worst overside coverage corners 46:20 Jets defensive improvement 49:35 Steelers offense oddity 54:03 Jordan Love with vs without pressure Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nine questions answered, six more to go. On this edition of our Lingering Questions series, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the following: The Lions are the betting favorite to win the NFC North...should they be? Can the Colts' second-half woes be explained away by Daniel Jones' injuries? Do the Chiefs really still deserve the benefit of the doubt? 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:01 Lions release Terrion Arnold 3:55 Are the Lions deserving of the optimism they're getting? 26:46 Can the Colts' woes be blamed on Daniel Jones' injury? 44:05 Do the Chiefs deserve the benefit of the doubt? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the first time in three years, Canton Court is back in session. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman each picked two players and made Hall of Fame cases on their behalves. Who, if any, of them made it in? Find out on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:00 Reggie Wayne 12:07 Steve Smith Sr 24:26 Darren Woodson 34:29 Eric Berry 42:55 Marshal Yanda 51:33 Fred Taylor 1:01:19 Russell Wilson Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You read that right, TAFS listener, we’re talking special teams on today’s episode. Also, running back age vs wear and tear, what we would do as NFL Commissioner for a day, our favorite teams with losing records, the “Kyle Orton” tier of quarterbacks, and much more. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dive into the mailbag again on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the immortal words of John C. McGinley, “What would you say you do here?” We judge general managers and executives on free agency signings, contract negotiations, and draft classes…but what are they actually doing behind the scenes? Former Philadelphia Eagles executive Jake Rosenberg sits down with Robert Mays to discuss what a GM candidate should look like, the role of analytics in front offices, and what some NFL organizations are doing wrong with their executive structures. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:46 Jake Rosenberg joins 4:30 What GM candidates should look like 8:48 Role of ownership 13:41 What does a GM do? 18:32 Ideal NFL team structure  24:19 GM/owner involvement in game plans 26:11 Where should you find new GMs/execs? 30:13 How to figure out a candidate’s experience 34:50 What do you ask candidates? 40:50 Most important hires for a GM 46:50 Process of hiring coaches 50:54 Analytics vs scouting background Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Giants have spent a ton of resources along the defensive line in recent years, and made a splash this offseason by bringing in head coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. So, what exactly is this defense? The Texans had a Super Bowl caliber defense last season, but were ultimately let down by their previously up-and-coming quarterback. So, what happened to C.J. Stroud in 2025? The Jaguars had one of the best offenses in the NFL in the second half of last season. Was that real? Can they carry that over to 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep on those three questions on this Lingering Questions episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 7:09 What is the New York Giants defense? 25:32 Wtf happened to CJ Stroud? 54:19 Was the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive ascension for real? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're firmly in the Remember Some Guys period of the NFL calendar, and what better way to do so than with the Hall of Very Good? You kinda-sorta know a Hall of Very Good player when you see one, but we followed two loose rules when putting this episode together. First, if a player ever advanced to the semifinalist stage in Hall of Fame voting, he was too good to be in the Hall of Very Good. Second, he had to immediately conjure memories of legitimate peaks. Check both those boxes, and you're a Hall of Very Good candidate. So who made the 2026 class? Allow Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman to walk you down memory lane on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 6:29 Ryan Kerrigan 11:39 Tamba Hali 16:02 Matt Forte 19:19 Warrick Dunn 24:43 Thomas Davis 29:38 Michael Bennett 35:16 Stephen Davis 40:28 Mike Iupati 43:27 Snacks Harrison 48:03 D'Brickashaw Ferguson 51:12 Sean Lee 57:35 Jordy Nelson 1:03:07 Reggie Nelson 1:04:49 Rapid fire additions Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some topics are evergreen in the NFL. And some are so perfect for mid-June that it would be a crime not to discuss them. That’s where this week’s Mailbag Monday episode takes us…what are the best 3-year player peaks you’ve ever seen? What are the best single-season teams to never win a Super Bowl? What aspects of player performance still can’t be measured by stats? Robert Mays and Dave Helman discuss that and much more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:56 Teams with the best weak link 7:58 Value of mythically elite kicker/punter 13:29 Defensive players that scheme relies on 19:45 Best 3-year player peaks 31:29 Best teams not to win a Super Bowl 36:42 Value of veteran qb vs churn of new ones 44:12 Myles Garrett vs Jared Verse 49:32 Statistics we still need 54:46 Choosing OC over head coach Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The various sagas roiling college football typically fall outside our purview here on The Athletic Football Show, but nothing about the Brendan Sorsby saga is typical. Sorsby was one of the biggest prizes in the transfer portal this offseason. Instead of potentially leading Texas Tech back to the playoff this year, he'll make the NFL Supplemental Draft an actual event for the first time in seemingly forever. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Dane Brugler detail what type of prospect Sorsby is, the value he'll have in the supplemental draft, and which teams might be interested in him on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Dave Helman and Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The success of coaches like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay has created a group of coaches that, at one time in the recent past, were quite rare...non-playcalling offensive coordinators. Fully half the league will have offensive coordinators who don't call plays on gameday this season. So, what exactly do they do? Bengals OC Dan Pitcher, who works under head coach and playcaller Zac Taylor, takes us through it all on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:10 Background reporting on OCs 29:22 Dan Pitcher joins Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL, as always, is in good hands going forward with all the young talent across the league. Just how good? Well, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman help lay that out by selecting the 24 best players that are 25 years old or younger, not including QBs, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:35 We’re so back 5:50 Stacking the under-25 QBs 6:05 Jayden Daniels vs Caleb Williams 9:03 Will Anderson Jr 10:27 Anderson a top-5 NFL player? 11:13 Puka Nacua 16:00 Byron Murphy II 20:03 Jaxon Smith-Njigba 22:27 Kyle Hamilton 25:26 Jared Verse 29:40 Joe Alt 31:27 Derek Stingley Jr 34:06 Darnell Wright 37:23 Abdul Carter 40:20 Brock Bowers 43:57 Drake London 46:44 Bijan Robinson 48:00 Robert has mind control powers 49:28 Jahmyr Gibbs 52:36 Jalen Carter 56:45 Quinyon Mitchell 58:27 Tyler Smith 1:00:30 Christian Gonzalez 1:00:45 “Why do you hate Christian Gonzalez?” 1:02:07 Malik Nabers 1:04:44 Carson Schwesinger 1:07:25 Devon Witherspoon 1:08:31 Colston Loveland (who is surprised?) 1:10:51 Armand Membou 1:12:55 Jeremiyah Love 1:14:15 George Pickens 1:16:38 Travis Hunter Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s mailbag yielded one of the best hypotheticals we have ever received…and a bunch of other very good questions too. Who are the NFL’s best pass blocking RBs? What are some current NFL trends that may seem archaic in the near future? And are defense-first Super Bowl champions here to stay? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer that and more. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:51 Finishing piece to a Super Bowl-losing team 5:19 Best pass blocking RBs 10:57 NFL trends that will seem archaic soon 19:17 Creating vs chasing a trend 27:59 Position groups with most potential lost to injury 30:15 Drafting QBs if all other picks were voided 42:32 Are defenses getting smaller? 45:34 Historical trend of defense-first champions 49:42 Bryce Young’s contract extension Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For every Will Anderson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there's a Robert Spillane and Parker Washington. In other words, for every superstar who clearly left his mark on a given season, there's a role player who also helped define what the league was, and were it could be going. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight the players who quietly defined the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:14 Parker Washington 11:36 Byron Murphy II 19:00 AJ Barner 20:20 Colby Parkinson 28:15 Reed Blankenship & Evan Williams 34:49 Devon Witherspoon 41:45 Robert Spillane 46:30 Kamari Lassiter Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first installment of Lingering Questions this offseason, we cheated by asking the same question about four then-rookie quarterbacks. Now, we're kicking this thing off for real. We still have questions about the Cowboys, Commanders, and 49ers. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask - and try to answer - those lingering questions in today's episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:08 Cowboys offense 23:46 Jayden Daniels & Commanders collapse 39:42 49ers young defenders Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the second and final edition of our annual Supporting Casts miniseries, we flip our attention over to the NFC where, frankly, things are a whole lot more loaded. Is it as obvious as it might seem at the top? Who was the breakthrough team from last season? How many different times will Derrik Klassen shock Robert Mays? The guys rank the 16 NFC supporting casts on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:17 Commanders 5:08 Giants 9:10 Panthers 12:27 Saints 18:27 Cardinals 23:09 Falcons 29:24 Buccaneers 34:17 Packers 42:37 Seahawks 51:06 Lions 57:00 Eagles 1:01:16 Vikings 1:05:50 Cowboys 1:09:10 49ers 1:15:57 Bears 1:19:34 Rams Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They say if you give an NFL team an inch (drafting Ty Simpson), they'll take a mile (trading the farm for Myles Garrett)...isn't that what they say? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen get to the bottom of just how aggressive is TOO aggressive in today's NFL on this mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. They also discuss the most toxic potential pairings for this upcoming season, how to build an ideal edge room, and much more. Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:47 Going “all in” 11:47 Trading stars for premium picks 19:01 Switch order of NFL Draft and free agency? 28:15 Toxic NFL pairings (via Malort infusions) 37:03 Best talent-per-dollar positions 49:44 Building an edge room 55:49 Tone around Declan Doyle vs Mike LaFleur Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tight end Charlie Kolar caught 10 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns last season. In the offseason, he signed a three-year deal with the Chargers that guaranteed him $17 million and put him inside the top-20 earners at the position based on annual average value. How does a guy who puts up in a season what Brock Bowers does in a good week end up as one of the most important players at the position? Allow him to bring you inside the tight end revolution on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:55 Why are TEs booming? 14:40 Rams impact 16:39 Seahawks impact 17:28 Bears next evolution? 23:03 Value of early downs 31:44 Importance of unpredictability 39:51 Charlie Kolar interview Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Lingering Questions series is back, and we kick it off this year with a doozy. Four rookie quarterbacks had at least 250 dropbacks last season, and at least three of them will start in 2026. So, what really were the rookie seasons for Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into all four on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:42 Cam Ward 21:19 Jaxson Dart 37:18 Tyler Shough 52:50 Shedeur Sanders Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last season's Seahawks became the latest team to prove that you don't need an elite quarterback to win the Super Bowl. An elite supporting cast can do just as much heavy lifting as a quarterback who appears headed for a gold jacket. So, which teams have the best supporting casts in the league? Which teams have the worst? We'll explore those questions over two episodes, divided between AFC and NFC. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen rank the AFC supporting casts from worst to first. Timestamps are approximate 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:29 Ranking the AFC supporting casts 3:16 Miami Dolphins 5:48 Optimism around Bobby Slowik? 8:25 Tennessee Titans 10:22 Brian Daboll's offense 13:02 Las Vegas Raiders 14:18 Raiders wide receiver group 19:16 New York Jets 24:00 Cleveland Browns 29:04 Harold Fannin Jr. and rookie tight ends 34:50 Kansas City Chiefs 35:22 Andy Reid no longer elite? 41:05 Houston Texans 45:54 Baltimore Ravens 47:55 Derrick Henry 50:26 Pittsburgh Steelers 52:55 Steelers pass catchers 54:41 New England Patriots 58:50 What version of AJ Brown will Patriots get? 1:00:56 Cincinnati Bengals 1:02:11 Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins 1:06:10 Robert wants to change his rankings 1:06:45 Jacksonville Jaguars 1:08:22 Confidence in Liam Coen 1:11:19 Los Angeles Chargers 1:12:10 Mike McDaniel changes Chargers 1:13:23 Monstrous season for Ladd McConkey? 1:15:59 Indianapolis Colts 1:20:58 Buffalo Bills 1:23:19 Robert and Derrik both have Denver Broncos at No. 1 1:26:44 Recapping AFC supporting cast rankings Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL certainly has a way of grabbing the spotlight, doesn't it? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen break down the stunning trade of Myles Garrett to the Rams on this special live edition of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You ever think about where an elite middle linebacker of yesteryear might play in today's NFL? You ever find yourself pondering who the best true utility player in the league might be? You ever wish that smart football folks had a bit more skepticism around coaching hires that look great on paper? Then this edition of The Athletic Football Show's mailbag is for you! Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into all of those ideas, and a whole lot more. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we get closer to June 1 and the true beginning of the summer, the earliest thought embers of what we think about the 2026 season are beginning to glow. However, as those beliefs take shape, we fully understand that optimism doesn't automatically translate into results. Derrik Klassen welcomes Dan Pizzuta of FTN onto this episode of The Athletic Football Show to share with one another the beliefs they hold with eyes wide open on how they could take a turn for the worse. Host: Derrik Klassen With: Dan Pizzuta Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's be honest, a lot of sixth and seventh round NFL Draft picks never come back into our consciousness after draft night...but a few are primed to actually make a difference for their teams in the 2027 season. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen discuss the picks that could see the field and make an impact on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Timestamps are approximate: 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:11 Bryce Boettcher 8:35 George Gumbs Jr 9:18 Caden Curry 11:21 Deion Burks 13:33 Demond Claiborne 17:00 Merch design contest 18:24 Kaleb Elarms-Orr 21:43 Aiden Fisher 25:45 Kamari Ramsey 31:57 Malik Benson 36:28 Joshua Josephs 40:10 Taylen Green 45:47 Kage Casey 50:37 Justin Joly & Dallen Bentley 54:51 Tanner Koziol Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cognitive dissonance in the way we talk about Mike Tomlin and Nick Sirianni? Top-five football heartbreaks? The worst QB the Raiders would've been willing to acquire in exchange for this year's number one pick? Yup, it's another edition of The Athletic Football Show's mailbag. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen tackle those questions, and more, on this episode. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Buy or Sell Their Offseasons series wraps up, as it always does, with The Contenders. You could fairly quibble with one or two of the teams we have among this octet, but you cannot argue with the idea that each of these eight teams clearly has what it takes to make a deep playoff run. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen make buy-or-sell calls on the offseasons of the 49ers, Chiefs, Chargers, Patriots, Bills, Ravens, Seahawks and Rams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From genuine interest in the Steelers offense to enduring power of the league's evolutionary instincts, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen find themselves thinking certain things in mid-May that they didn't necessarily anticipate. They dig into all those things on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Opening up the mailbag this week felt like opening up Pandora's Box. But, you know, the NFL version of Pandora's Box. In this case, it was filled with questions about Baker Mayfield, fullbacks vs tight ends in 13 personnel, Dave Canales and Brad Idzik, and a theoretical draft including NFL head coaches. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman follow in Pandora's footsteps on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OK, this is where the Buy or Sell Their Offseasons series gets really good. We've reached the portion of the proceedings where every team in an episode enters the 2026 season harboring real playoff hopes. The eight teams in this episode aren't the upper-crust Super Bowl contenders, but that doesn't mean that one of them can't punch through and put find themselves in Los Angeles next February. These teams, then, are what we're calling Playoff Fodder. As it stands in mid-May, they're teams that have every right to believe they'll be in the postseason, but remain a step or two away from the Lombardi Trophy. Those teams are the...Bears, Jaguars, Cowboys, Texans, Broncos, Lions, Packers and Eagles. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure, Dexter Lawrence got traded to the Cincinnati Bengals. Yeah, Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Okay, Mike Evans left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the San Francisco 49ers. Who the hell cares?! We’re getting into the sneaky additions that will shape the upcoming NFL season on today’s episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a league with as much turnover as the NFL, teams are always going to look different from season to season. What's striking, though, is when a team completely remakes a single position group in one offseason. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into those rooms on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Mailbag Monday, we're in May, and the questions are only getting goofier. This week, the guys discuss which divisions have the best of each position group, ask themselves how we should think about o-line prospects, whether the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets have a chance at a title, and much more. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman answer all your questions. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture this: you're in the warm air of the offseason, you're listening to players talk about how they're in the "best shape of their life," you're watching training camp highlights set to instrumental rock music. It's easy to get carried away with your NFL takes in that environment - and get carried away, we did. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen revisit their coldest takes of the 2025 NFL season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2023 Draft class is proving to be a conundrum at the fifth-year option milestone. Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and Bijan Robinson highlight some of the players with exercised options. But why did the Detroit Lions choose not to exercise Jack Campbell's option? And what can the NFL's decisions around this class tell us about the state of fifth-year options as a whole? Robert Mays and Dave Helman discuss some of the key names and teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Buy or Sell Their Offseasons series moves on to The Middle Class, which features a couple of playoff teams from last season. Those teams, the Panthers and Steelers, are outside of the top two groups of teams for understandable reasons. They're joined here by the Saints, Commanders, Colts, Vikings, Buccaneers and Bengals. Did those eight teams do well for themselves during the player-acquisition period over the last three months? Robert Mays and Dave Helman make buy-or-sell calls on all eight of them on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's May, dear TAFS listener, and you know what that means: The real NFL offseason is here. We kick it off by opening up the mailbag, and you all delivered once again. Robert Mays and Dave Helman answer questions on the durability of elite defenses, hypothetical teams built entirely of one draft class, possible trades involving non-star players that could move the needle for 2026, and a whole lot more. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every team in the NFL is going to have its own approach to the offseason, in part defined by where it sees itself fitting into the league's hierarchy. We in the media must treat their respective offseasons with that same degree of nuance. After all, the Cardinals—coming off an ugly 3-14 season with no plausible case for considering itself a serious contender in 2026—are going to think about the offseason differently than, say, the Broncos, who very well could have won the Super Bowl if Bo Nix didn't get hurt in the playoffs. It is in that spirit that we launch into an offseason staple around these parts, our Buy or Sell Their Offseason series. Four episodes, eight teams per episode, with similar teams grouped together. We kick it off with The Rebuilders, eight teams simply hoping to take a step back toward relevance in 2026. Those teams are...the Jets, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Dolphins, Giants, Cardinals and Falcons. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OK, the 2026 NFL Draft is comfortably in the rear-view mirror. We've done in-the-moment reactions, and now-that-we've-slept-on-it reactions. It's done, it's over. So now it's time to ask ourselves, 'If this is what the 32 teams are, what questions do we still have about all of them?' Robert Mays and Dave Helman pose those questions, and then work through them, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One hundred picks were made across the first two nights of the draft, with each one coming right on the heels of the one that happened before it. When you're reacting to those pick-by-pick, you don't have a ton of time to fully sit with your thoughts. By time you get into the middle of the following week, though, you have had that time to reconsider some of what you thought as the draft was unfolding. And that's exactly what Robert Mays and Fran Duffy from the ALLCITY Network do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys go back to what they thought as the picks were coming off the board, and reevaluate what they think now that they've had some time to sleep on it. Host: Robert Mays Guest: Fran Duffy Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes, a draft class is more than a draft class. Sometimes, a draft class can tell the entire NFL world what you think about your team. Robert Mays and Dave Helman zero in on the messages some teams sent with their respective 2026 draft classes on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL Draft has come and gone - or rather, it was on it's way out the door as we sat down to record this episode - and we have much to discuss. Robert Mays, Dane Brugler, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman break down why Jermod McCoy and Garrett Nussmeier slid so far down the Draft board. Plus, which NFL teams earned spots among our favorite Draft classes...and our least favorites? That and more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman, and Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Night two of the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books and, once again, we implore you to go check out our full, pick-by-pick recap on our YouTube channel. If you don't have time for that, though, allow this truncated version to be your guide. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen Dave Helman and Dane Brugler recap the second and third rounds of the draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Guests: Dane Brugler and Bruce Feldman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you miss our first-round livestream on Thursday night? Welp, go ahead and watch it on YouTube. But if you want the Reader's Digest version, we've got it here for you. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman, Dane Brugler and Bruce Feldman recap the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Guests: Dane Brugler and Bruce Feldman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft may be mere moments away, but we still have time to squeeze in a last few questions before Roger Goodell takes the stage in Pittsburgh. So come join Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman and Dane Brugler for a few final queries on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen, Dave Helman, Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL Draft is right on our doorstep, and it's looking likely that some team is going to make Jeremiyah Love a top-five pick. That's right, the running back value discussion is back. But never fear, this is the good version of it. Robert Mays and Bill Barnwell trot out the old chestnut in a new way on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Guest: Bill Barnwell Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's something soothing about finishing a mock draft...even a mock draft done by six different people. With just picks 26 through 32 remaining, EJ Snyder and Brett Kollmann join Robert Mays to discuss who might sneak into the first round. Who will the defending champ Seattle Seahawks add to their war chest? Who goes to the powerhouse Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, and...Miami Dolphins? The guys wrap our On the Clock series on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Guests: EJ Snyder & Brett Kollmann Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Monday, another time opening up the mailbag. This week, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen answer your questions about whether NFL GM's are judged on their best or worst picks, whether we should judge prospects on traits or production, the value of special teamers in the draft, and more. But first, Robert Mays interrupts his PTO to break down the Dexter Lawrence trade...why does this make sense for the Bengals and what will the Giants do with their bevy of high draft picks? Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jalon Kilgore, Riley Nowakowski, Reggie Virgil, Peter Woods...what do these guys have in common? They're OUR guys. A week ahead of the draft, we're officially planting the flags for our favorite players in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dave Helman, Dane Brugler, and Derrik Klassen call their shot on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Dave Helman Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dane Brugler put out his full, seven-round mock for the 2026 NFL Draft, and it included eight offensive linemen going in the first round. That would push the record of nine set in 2024. In other words, it's a good year to need some help in the trenches. So who better than Brandon Thorn from Trench Warfare to dig into the offensive line class with Robert Mays and Dane Brugler? No one, we say. That's exactly what the three of them do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonny Styles quickly became one of the darlings of this draft class way back in September after Ohio State's first few games. After him, the linebacker class is a mixed bag, as it so often is. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman dig deep into the position on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've reached the "Last Season's Playoff Teams" portion of the 2026 NFL Draft on The Athletic Football Show's On The Clock, though it might not feel like it. The first team up on this episode is the Carolina Panthers, a team that won its division at 8-9. They're followed by the Dallas Cowboys, a team that didn't make the playoffs but holds what would have been the Packers pick thanks to the Micah Parsons trade. We've also got the Cleveland Browns mixed in here, thanks to the Travis Hunter trade they made with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year. Mike Renner of CBS Sports joins Robert Mays on this episode to make picks for those three teams, as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears. Host: Robert Mays Guest: Michael Renner Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How big is too big, even for a dyed-in-the-wool sizeist like Derrik Klassen? How good are the Ravens at drafting, really? Which NFL jerseys must be protected at all costs, and which need to go now? That's just a smattering of the questions Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik answer on this mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look, we get it. We're wrong sometimes too. But there are at least seven NFL Draft prospects that you, draft analysts, or NFL teams are just plain wrong about. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, we're correcting those wrong narratives and incorrect evaluations. Bruce Feldman joins Dave Helman and Robert Mays to set you on the right course. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Guest: Bruce Feldman Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beast is loose, and that means we get more Dane Brugler on The Athletic Football Show. It's the ultimate win-win. Dane joins Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen to break down the 2026 defensive line draft class on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

April 8 gets the distinction of being Beast Day in 2026, and that's a day worthy of celebration. So how best do we celebrate on The Athletic Football Show? Why by thumbing through The Beast and discussing our favorite hidden gems in this year's draft, of course. That's exactly what Dane Brugler, Dave Helman and friend of the show Bryan Broaddus from 105.3 The Fan in Dallas do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Guest: Bryan Broaddus Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picks 13 through 18 will be an interesting stretch in the draft. You've got consistent contenders, such as the Rams and Ravens, as well as obvious playoff contenders, to varying degrees, in the Buccaneers, Lions and Vikings. Oh, and also the Jets. Lance Zierlein from NFL Media joins Robert Mays to make draft selections for those teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's On the Clock. Host: Robert Mays Guest: Lance Zierlein Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've got ourselves another loaded mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. Among the questions answered by Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen: Which potentially great teams from previous seasons have been forgotten due to nothing more than bad luck? How do coaches break through after spending six-plus years with one team? Can we really define team identity? And more! Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There may not be a true ace in this year's wide receiver draft class, but that doesn't mean it's short on talent or intrigue. After all, six of Dane Brugler's top-30 players, and 17 of his top 100, are wide receivers. As always. this position delivers the goods. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman do the same diving deep into the position on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of the stranger quarterback draft classes we've seen in some time. There's a legitimate top-of-the-draft prospect, a 23-year-old with limited experience who will probably be the second player at the position off the board, and a whole lot of shoulder shrugging after that. So with that in mind, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask and answer three questions about the 2026 QB class: What is Fernando Mendoza’s ceiling? Is Ty Simpson worth a first-round pick? Who among the rest of the class would you bet on being a legitimate starter during his rookie contract? Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Beast isn't out for another week or so, but we'll spoil one thing for you...you're going to see a lot of defensive backs in the top 50. Like, A LOT of defensive backs. Dave Helman and Dane Brugler dive into a loaded group of corners and safeties on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here we are for episode two of this season's On the Clock and th—whoa, wait. Jeremiyah Love is still out there? He didn't get taken by the Cardinals or Titans or Giants? Well then, this episode's guest, Jordan Reid from ESPN, is going to have quite the decision to make. He'll do that, and make five more, as well, with Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays With: Jordan Reid Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We opened up the TAFS mailbag, and ohhhh buddy did we find some great stuff in there? Like, when during a person's life is their fandom at its peak enjoyment level? Or, how can a team like the Cardinals stop being the Cardinals? Or, if you could Bill and Ted someone from the NFL's past and bring them to the present day, who would it be? Those are just three of the questions Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answered on this mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This draft class is a bit unlike most draft classes. We've got off-ball linebackers, safeties and a running back expected to come off the board toward the top of the first round. We've got short-armed edge rushers and offensive tackles. We've got a potential QB2 who made 15 starts in college. How do we make sense of all these outlier cases? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman attempt to do so on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL Draft matters to all 32 teams, all 32 GMs, all 32 head coaches and, in some form or fashion, every single player in the league. Any individual draft, however, matters more to certain teams, GMs, coaches and players. So who has the most at stake in the 2026 NFL Draft? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig deep into that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know the final courtroom scene in My Cousin Vinny when Joe Pesci says "Watch this," and then Marisa Tomei just rattles off the most obscure facts imaginable about 1955 Bel Air Chevrolets and ignition timing? OK, so Dave Helman is Joe Pesci and Dane Brugler is Marisa Tomei on this episode, and all remaining episodes this draft season, of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. The topic in question for this one? The 2026 tight end draft class. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the 2026 debut of On the Clock, The Athletic Football Show's annual draft exercise. Every week, a draft analyst will join Robert Mays to cover six or seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, considering a trio of potential decisions for each of the teams in question. By time we get to the end of it, we'll have built an entire first round mock and had some interesting discussions along the way. Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus joins Robert to make the first six picks on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Trevor Sikkema Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The TAFS Mailbag rolls along this offseason. This post-free agency episode brings questions about the Tennessee Titans draft strategy, the best coaching staffs in the NFL and...spiders vs rats? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive in on the latest episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We didn't say Robert Mays is an idiot. He said it himself! At least when it comes to the NFL Draft class at this stage of the calendar. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman help bring him up to speed on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free agency is, for all intents and purposes, over. Sure, meaningful players like Jauan Jennings and Taylor Decker are still out there, but the vast majority of the player movement for the 2026 offseason has happened. So what questions still remain now that all 32 teams have spent most of their money? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen raise some big ones on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, the Chiefs and Saints both need running backs, they could both be potential landing spots for Jeremiyah Love! Ope, guess again. Hey, the Rams need help in the secondary, surely they're going to use at least one of their first-round picks on a corner. Ope, guess not (and so long, say so long to one of those first-round picks, too). Activity in free agency always changes what we think about the upcoming draft, and this year was no different. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman discuss how the results of free agency affected what we think about the 2026 NFL Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Broncos mostly sat out the free agency frenzy last week, but they finally made their presence felt with a huge trade for Jaylen Waddle. What does he bring to the offense? How much more dynamic is this group with Waddle in the fold? And what's next in Miami? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen break it down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of this year's free agent class is now spoken for, and all 32 teams in the league have made the biggest move they'll make, outside of the draft. So how much better—or worse, as the case may be—is each team now that free agency is mostly behind us? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer that question for the 16 NFC teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most of this year's free agent class is now spoken for, and all 32 teams in the league have made the biggest move they'll make, outside of the draft. So how much better—or worse, as the case may be—is each team now that free agency is mostly behind us? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer that question for the 16 AFC teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This isn't supposed to happen. Teams aren't supposed to be able to sign a 28-year-old quarterback who was a first overall pick and previously been a legitimate part of an MVP discussion for the league minimum. Yet that's exactly where we've arrived with Kyler Murray and the Minnesota Vikings. Alec Lewis, The Athletic's Vikings beat reporter, joins Robert Mays to break down the move, what Kyler brings to the Vikings, the future of J.J. McCarthy, and more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few big names remain on the table, but most of the free agent puzzle pieces have fallen into place. So, what were our favorite signings? What signings did we not realize we needed until they happened? What positional market surprised us the most? And which unsigned players are we more intrigued by now than at the start of the week. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer those questions, and plenty more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember those couple days where Maxx Crosby was on the Ravens and the Raiders had two extra first-round picks to work with the in the next two drafts? Crazy, right? Anyway, that's done. Crosby's back with the Raiders—for now—and instead Trey Hendrickson is the newest edge rusher in Baltimore. So yeah, we've got quite a bit to talk about here on The Athletic Football Show on the third day of free agency week. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman also discuss Daniel Jones' deal with the Colts, a couple new defenders for the Commanders, and more. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day two of free agency got off to a bit of a slow start, and then the spigot opened up with a firehose attached. Geno Smith is a Jet again. The Patriots landed a receiver in Romeo Doubs. The Texans beefed up along the offensive line with Braden Smith. Add that to what happened on Monday evening—Devin Lloyd to the Panthers, Travis Kelce's return to the Chiefs, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean to the Raiders, Rashid Shaheed sticking with the Seahawks—and we've got a stew going. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NFL teams know a thing or two about tampering, and they proved that to us once again with the league's legal tampering window opening up on Monday. On part one of two of The Athletic Football Show's Free Agency Day One Bonanza, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman welcome to the show a bunch of friends and break down a bunch of signings, including Odafe Oweh to the Commanders, John Franklin-Myers to the Titans, and Boye Mafe and Bryan Cook to the Bengals and Tua Tagovailoa to the Falcons Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NFL teams know a thing or two about tampering, and they proved that to us once again with the league's legal tampering window opening up on Monday. On part one of two of The Athletic Football Show's Free Agency Day One Bonanza, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman welcome to the show a bunch of friends and break down a bunch of signings, including Jaelan Phillips to the Panthers, Tyler Linderbaum to the Raiders and Alec Pierce sticking with the Colts. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we signed off for the weekend on Friday, we said we'd come back before Monday if the news dictated our sooner return. Welp, the news dictated just that. Maxx Crosby to the Ravens for two first-round picks. Connor McGovern back to the Bills! Taylor Decker released! Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman cover everything that went down over the weekend, and get ready for free agency, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are officially on the doorstep of the legal tampering window and thus, the beginning of the 2026 free agency signing period. So, what are our favorite player/team fits? Who do we think can put a contender over the top? Who would we be wary of signing? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig deep on free agent superlatives on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sayings become sayings for a reason. A particular favorite for us here (or at least for the person writing this description)? History does not repeat, but it does rhyme. So, what free agency signings in the recent past might rhyme with, say, 2026 Jamel Dean or Alec Pierce or Trey Hendrickson. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman remember some guys and project ahead to next week on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Free agency might begin next week, but we already have plenty of player movement news to tackle. The Bears are surprisngly in th emarket for a tackle after Drew Dalman's sudden retirement. The Cardinals will be shopping for a new quarterback next week, and Kyler Murray will be looking for a new home. Daniel Jones (most likely) and Breece Hall are staying put. Thats' where Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman kick off this episode of The Athletic Football Show. After that, the guys dig into the contours of this free agent class, focusing on the positions where needy teams can find answers, and those at the opposite end of the spectrum. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're all free agency, all the time over the next two weeks on The Athletic Football Show. And what better way to kick that off than with your questions? Robert Mays and Dave Helman tackle questions on how new coaching and front office staffs handle free agency, the great spot in which Tyler Linderbaum finds himself, the idea of the importance of cap space as potentially outdated, and a whole lot more on this episode of TAFS. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another combine is in the books, and with its closing comes another set of results that will affect the upcoming NFL Draft. Among them? Hello, Sonny Styles and Kenyon Sadiq. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman go a whole lot deeper than that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our week at the combine with a look at the biggest actual news that happened while the entire NFL world was in Indianapolis. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dig into the Jermaine Johnson/T'Vondre Sweat trade, the Malik Willis market, the rest of the QB carousel, the shifting sands at wide receiver, and plenty more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We wrap up our combine beat writer series with three teams that suffered through various levels of disappointing seasons in 2025. First, Paul Dehner Jr. joins Robert Mays to break down the offseason facing the Bengals. After that, Jeff Zrebiec hops on with Robert to discuss the Ravens' transition to new coach Jesse Minter. Finally, Zach Berman and Robert dive into how a team coming off consecutive division titles, just one season removed from a Super Bowl Championship, could possibly be in as much tumult as are the Eagles. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Paul Dehner Jr., Jeff Zrebiec, Zach Berman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chiefs of recent vintage haven't been among the most interesting teams of the offseason because their offseasons have been, "Alright, Pat, let's run it back." That's not the case this year. The Vikings have a massive question at quarterback. The Colts started the season 8-2, lost Daniel Jones to injury, and then didn't win another game. Those three teams comprise part 2 of our Most Interesting Teams of the Offseason series. Jesse Newell (Chiefs), Alec Lewis (Vikings) and James Boyd (Colts) join Robert Mays to run through their respective teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:00 Kansas City Chiefs 28:48 Minnesota Vikings 48:51 Indianapolis Colts Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Jesse Newell, Alec Lewis, James Boyd Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Combine week brings together the entirety of NFL media, including The Athletic Football Show crew and The Athletic NFL beat writers. That's all the excuse we need to sit down with our beats and to talk about the most interesting teams of the offseason. On this first episode in the three-episode series, Robert Mays welcomes Daniel Popper on the Chargers, Nicki Jhabvala on the Commanders and Mike DeFabo on the Steelers. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:00 Los Angeles Chargers 33:09 Washington Commanders 52:11 Pittsburgh Steelers Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Daniel Popper, Nicki Jhabvala and Mike DeFabo Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The annual NFL Scouting Combine is part NFL convention, part week-long networking event, part exercise in backchannel communication, and part job fair. It's also the legitimate start of that year's NFL Draft season. So what matters and what doesn't at the combine generally, and the 2026 edition specifically? Dave Helman and Dane Brugler dig in on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eight or so teams enter the 2026 NFL season with an open quarterback situation, depending on your definition of "open." Which one of those is the best? Which one is the worst? How do the rest fill in between those? Dan Pizzuta joins Derrik Klassen to discuss the Vikings, Jets and all the rest on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're into the offseason, which means we're once again checking the mail. The TAFS mailbag returns with more than a few questions about what we can learn—or not—from this season's Super Bowl teams. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman tackle questions on big nickel, attacking Mike Macdonald's meta, teams that experience a one-year turnaround similar to what we just saw from the Patriots, and a whole lot more. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next season effectively begins the moment the previous season ends, and with that new season comes a whole new set of questions. Such as, what happens on the quarterback carousel? Which big-name players might get traded? How will certain teams in the news—hello, Bengals, Cowboys and Eagles—approach the offseason? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman highlight their biggest questions for the NFL offseason on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:47 The quarterback carousel 27:08 Trade candidates 42:17 What's gonna happen with the Eagles 50:52 Are people gonna lose their minds over Drake Maye? 56:42 Can the Cowboys make the most of their offense? 1:04:31 What's the Bengals pivot? 1:07:35 What's next for Nnamdi Madubuike 1:10:48 How will the teams with multiple first-round picks wield their influence Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The wildest coaching carousel any of us can remember finally stopped spinning when the Raiders officially named former Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, fresh off a win in Super Bowl LX, as their new head coach. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman cover everything that has happened since our previous ride on the carousel, including Kubiak to the Raiders, Mike LaFleur to the Cardinals, the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, filling out of various staffs across the league, and a whole lot more. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 7:34 Raiders hire Klint Kubiak 28:58 Cardinals hire Mike LaFleur 37:18 No black coaches hired despite 10 openings 54:25 Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired as Vikings GM 1:05:59 Coordinator moves Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Seahawks are Super Bowl LX Champions, that's cool. It's also old news. It's 2026 NFL Draft time! And what better way to kick off the beginning of draft season than with a freshly updated edition of Dane Brugler's Top 100. He and Dave Helman dive deep into the new big board on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Any short list of the best stories in the NFL this season would have to include the Seattle Seahawks' dominant defense, Sam Darnold's full redemption, and Seattle's ceaseless climb to the top of the league. So it was perhaps fitting that all three of those stories came together on Super Bowl Sunday, resulting in another Lombardi Trophy making its way to the Pacific Northwest. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Seahawks' 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX live from Levi's Stadium on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It all started back on September 4, 2025, with the Eagles squeaking out a 24-20 win over the Cowboys. It ends on Sunday, five months and 284 games later, when the Patriots and Seahawks meet in Super Bowl LX. What will it take for the Patriots to go from 4-13 a year ago to Super Bowl Champs? How do the Seahawks cap off their ascent to the top of the league witha Super Bowl title? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:29 Broad overview of the matchup 8:00 The lasting influence of Super Bowl LX 13:15 When did we know the Patriots could get here? 15:47 When did we know the Seahawks could get here? 23:29 Patriots offense vs. Seahawks defense 41:36 Seahawks offense vs. Patriots defense 1:01:10 Picks Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eleven years ago, the Patriots and Seahawks met in one of the most iconic Super Bowls of all-time. Those two teams seemed to define the league back then, with Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty on one side, and the Legion of Boom defense on the other. The league looks quite a bit different now, and not just in the way that things set a decade apart are bound to be different. So how has the league changed in the 11 intervening years between Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowls? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman consider that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Super Bowl is a story in so many ways. The game is, of course, a story unto itself. It also acts as a capstone for the story of the current NFL season. And within the game, we find all these characters who help define the season. So who are those characters from the Patriots and Seahawks? How do they tell us about the 2025 season, and what do they have at stake on Sunday (beyond the obvious, of course)? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman highlight those characters on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 5:30 Milton Williams 11:00 Sam Darnold 17:33 Klint Kubiak 25:14 Zak Kuhr 28:07 Mike Vrabel 33:50 Mike Macdonald 39:44 John Schneider 45:01 Drake Maye 50:47 Jaxon Smith-Njigba 57:12 DeMarcus Lawrence 59:16 Riq Woolen 1:02:07 K'Lavon Chaisson 1:04:29 Morgan Moses and Robert Spillane Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The last Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl matchup was anything but a surprise. The Seahawks were reigning Super Bowl Champions, and the Patriots were coming off an AFC title game appearance. This time, however, it's one of the more surprising matchups in Super Bowl history. The Patriots won four games last year, and the Seahawks had to completely remake their offense in the offseason. So how did we get to this point? How did we end up with a Patriots-Seahawks matchup in Super Bowl LX? Chad Graff and Michael-Shawn Dugar, The Athletic's Patriots and Seahawks beat writers, respectively, join Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show to profile the rise of the two teams and kick off Super Bowl week. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Buy our merch! http://theathletic.lnk.to/tafsmerch YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Chad Graff, Michael-Shawn Dugar Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

College football's all-star game season has come to an end, with the Senior Bowl now in the rear-view mirror. Who were the big winners from the week? How will their performances affect the 2026 NFL Draft? Dane Brugler and Dave Helman dive in on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are coaching cycles and then there are COACHING CYCLES. Somehow, Black Monday wasn't even a month ago, but it feels like it was three years ago. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman cover the latest in coaching news—Todd Monken to the Browns! Jesse Minter to the Ravens!—on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Plus, Joe Buscaglia and Zach Berman, who cover the Bills and Eagles, respectively, for The Athletic, join Robert to discuss the former's hiring of Joe Brady and the latter's unending OC search. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman With: Joe Buscaglia and Zach Berman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NFL may be a copycat league, but it's not like the 28 teams that fell short of Conference Championship weekend can just look at the Seahawks, Rams, Patriots and Broncos and say, "Oh, let's do that." After all, Mike Macdonald and Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye and the Broncos defense don't grow on trees. Still, there are lessons that we can draw from those four teams and apply to how we think about the league and each of its 32 teams. Friends of the show Nate Tice from Yahoo and Bill Barnwell from ESPN join Robert Mays to unearth those lessons on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Nate Tice and Bill Barnwell Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow the hosts of The Athletic Football Show: Robert Mays on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robertmays.bsky.social Derrik Klassen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/qbklass.bsky.social Dave Helman on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davehelman.bsky.social Robert Mays on Twitter: https://twitter.com/robertmays Derrik Klassen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/QBKlass Dave Helman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davehelman_ Subscribe to The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/footballshow Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're certainly in the heart of S. Bowl season. For most of us, that refers to the Super Bowl. For Dane Brugler, though? In that case, you're referring to the Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl. This week, Dane's travels take him to Mobile for the Senior Bowl. With practices underway, who's already catching the eye of scouts? What more is to come the rest of the week? Dane and Dave Helman get into it all on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Campbell said it best after the Lions lost to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game after the 2023 season. "This may have been our only shot." No matter how bright a future may appear, there's no guarantee that you get back to your conference championship game. After falling one step short of Super Bowl LX, where do the Rams and Broncos go in 2026 and beyond? Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen consider what's next for both teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the recent hires of Mike McCarthy and Jesse Minter. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:29 Postmortem for the 2025 Broncos 34:59 Postmortem for the 2025 Rams 1:07:28 Steelers hire Mike McCarthy 1:19:03 Ravens hire Jesse Minter Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New England Patriots. Seattle Seahawks. Super Bowl LX. Meet us in San Francisco. But before that, join Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman as they recap the the Patriots' AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos, and the Seahawks' NFC Championship Game triumph over the Los Angeles Rams, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:15 Seahawks win thriller over Rams, advance to Super Bowl LX 49:08 Patriots take down Broncos in the snow, get back to Super Bowl Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Championship Weekend is upon us. On one side, we get a matchup that feels historically familiar, but no one predicted this year when the Patriots and Broncos meet in Denver. On the other, we get the third installment of Rams-Seahawks, making it arguably the best single-season series in NFL history. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep on both games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:06 AFC Championship Game preview 36:11 NFC Championship Game preview Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly every coaching hire looks fine on paper. Many of them look good. Great, even! But we know not all of them turn out great or good or even fine. So how could each hire in this year's cycle go right, or go wrong? Robert Mays and Jourdan Rodrigue, Athletic NFL senior writer, go over all of them on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. After that, they play a game of "What this job is, and what this job ins't" with the openings still remaining, and highlight who they believe are the best candidates for each of those positions. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 5:03 Where John Harbaugh and the Giants could go right, where it could go wrong 15:26 Where Kevin Stefanski and the Falcons could go right, where it could go wrong 30:09 Where Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins could go right, where it could go wrong 36:34 Where Robert Saleh and the Titans could go right, where it could go wrong 44:17 What is, and what isn't, the Cardinals job? 50:23 What is, and what isn't, the Bills job? 58:26 What is, and what isn't, the Ravens job? 1:02:33 What is, and what isn't, the Steelers job? 1:05:18 Mike McDaniel as the Chargers OC 1:11:17 Drew Petzing as the Lions OC 1:12:52 Robert on the Browns job 1:16:17 Robert on the Raiders job Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Jourdan Rodrigue Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The end of the college football season is something of a starting bell for NFL Draft season, and the annual all-star games get everything going. It begins this week with the Shrine Bowl, a showcase event for draft prospects. Eric Galko, director of football operations and player personnel for the Shrine Bowl, joins Dave Helman and Dane Brugler on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast to preview the event. Before that, though, Dave and Dane highlight their takeaways from Indiana's thrilling 27-21 win over Miami in the CFP National Championship Game. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:00 CFP National Championship Game takeaways 31:22 Shrine Bowl preview with Eric Galko Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you're one of the last eight teams playing football in a season, that final loss is hard to swallow. No matter how bright the future appears, there's no guarantee you get another shot quite like the one you just had. And yet, there's plenty of reason for optimism in 2026 and beyond for the Bills, 49ers, Texans and Bears after their respective Divisional Round losses. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen consider what the offseason ahead looks like for each of those teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:00 Buffalo Bills 33:57 San Francisco 49ers 43:49 Houston Texans 59:05 Chicago Bears 1:17:20 Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins Connect with The Athletic Football Show Please take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26 YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Buffalo Bills were great during Sean McDermott's nine-year run as coach, but not quite great enough. As such, the team relieved him of his duties as head coach two days after its Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos. Robert Mays and Dave Helman dive into what's next for the Bills on a special live edition of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And then there were four. The Conference Championship games are set. Joining the Denver Broncos in the AFC are the New England Patriots after taking care of business against the Houston Texans on Sunday. On the NFC side of things, we get the third installment of Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, with the latter winning a thriller over the Chicago Bears in overtime on Sunday night. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Divisional Round Sunday games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:00 Rams beat Bears to advance to NFC Championship Game 37:42 Patriots cruise past Texans to AFC Championship Game Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divisional Round weekend never disappoints. The Seattle Seahawks turned in the most dominant performance of the day - maybe of the entire postseason - in a win over the San Francisco 49ers. What does the domination tell us about their path to the Super Bowl? And what's next for Kyle Shanahan and the oft-injured 49ers as they head into an early offseason? The Denver Broncos toppled the Buffalo Bills in an overtime thriller, benefiting from 4 uncharacteristic turnovers by Josh Allen. But the mood shifted quickly in Denver with the news that Bo Nix is out for the remainder of the postseason with a broken ankle. Who takes a majority of the blame for the Bills? And how much does the Broncos' ceiling change without Bo Nix? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman discuss that and more on this live episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate): 1:15 49ers-Seahawks 4:30 Seahawks defense 9:43 Brock Purdy 15:04 Lumen Field/Seahawks fans 21:27 Broncos-Bills / Bo Nix injury 29:28 Sean Payton playcalling 32:01 Josh Allen 41:24 Officiating Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four games, eight teams, all with legitimate designs on winning the Super Bowl. Friends, the best weekend of the NFL season is here. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break down the Divisional Round games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 5:34 Bills-Broncos 32:21 49ers-Seahawks 53:30 Texans-Patriots 1:18:57 Rams-Bears Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we last checked in on the coaching carousel on Black Monday, it seemed like it could actually be a relatively quiet year for coaching moves. Since then, John Harbaugh was fired and Mike Tomlin stepped down. Just like that, the two longest tenured NFL coaches were back out on the market, and two potentially premium jobs opened up. Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated and The MMQB joins Robert Mays to take a ride on the coaching carousel on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:21 Steelers 19:20 Ravens 34:44 John Harbaugh and the Giants job 42:33 Falcons 45:44 Titans 56:24 Cardinals 1:01:54 Browns 1:09:12 Raiders 1:12:00 Dolphins 1:18:46 Coordinators Host: Robert Mays With: Conor Orr Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're on the doorstep of the NFL Draft declaration deadline, and most of the big dominos have fallen. One big one, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, remains at time of the recording of this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. That's precisely where Dane Brugler and Dave Helman began their discussion. The guys also hit on the biggest decisions we do already have answers on, be they guys who are going to the draft or staying in school. Finally, they wrap up with a look at the CFP National Championship Game between Indiana and Miami. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:25 Waiting on Dante Moore 17:09 Ty Simpson headed to the NFL...for now 28:23 Guys headed to the 2026 NFL Draft 40:42 Guys staying in school one more year 52:22 Indiana/Miami CFP Championship Game preview Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 19 years as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers—a run that included one Super Bowl Championship, two AFC titles, and eight AFC North crowns—Mike Tomlin stepped down on Tuesday. Robert Mays and Dave Helman discuss what's next for Tomlin, and what's next for the Steelers, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five teams saw their seasons come to an end on Saturday and Sunday of Wild Card weekend. Where do they all stand as they start to turn the page to 2026? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the immediate future for the Panthers, Packers, Jaguars, Eagles and Chargers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:24 Carolina Panthers 19:48 Green Bay Packers 33:25 Jacksonville Jaguars 46:57 Philadelphia Eagles 54:02 Los Angeles Chargers Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been talking about the Super Bowl potential of the Houston Texans defense for months, especially in a wide open AFC. That was on full display in their dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round on Monday night. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Texans' 30-6 win on this live episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wild Card Saturday was one of the most exciting days of the season to date, and Wild Card Sunday proved to be a worthy encore. Here's a stat...Hunter Henry's fourth-quarter touchdown in the Patriots win over the Chargers marked the first time all day that any team had a multi-score lead. We went 170+ minutes of football with three games being played in a one-score window. That's a heck of a day. And it ended with the Bills, 49ers and Patriots advancing to the Divisional Round, and the Jaguars, Eagles and Chargers turning the page to the offseason. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the busy day on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:30 Patriots beat Chargers, 16-3 28:59 49ers beat Eagles, 23-19 54:18 Bills beat Jaguars, 27-24 Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the first games of the 2026 playoffs. Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears take down the Green Bay Packers after yet another improbable comeback. The Carolina Panthers gave the Los Angeles Rams a scare, forcing Matthew Stafford's squad into a close fourth quarter. What's next for the Panthers after being eliminated in Bryce Young's career postseason debut? And should Sean McVay be concerned about his team's flaws going into the divisional round? Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:05 Packers-Bears 11:30 Caleb Williams & Bears offense 13:07 Colston Loveland 14:20 Packers defense 18:00 Should Packers loss result in firings? 27:55 Bears outlook 32:00 Caleb Williams pt 2 35:36 Rams-Panthers 39:03 Panthers defense 41:21 Matthew Stafford & Rams offense 50:20 Panthers offense 53:20 How concerned should Rams be? 59:42 What's next for Panthers? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The AFC has long been the quarterback conference, and that hasn't necessarily changed just because Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow aren't in the playoffs this year. Just look at the quarterbacks in Sunday's AFC Wild Card games. Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen in one, Drake Maye and Justin Herbert in the other. Throw in a classic styles-make-fights matchup between the Steelers and Texans on Monday night, and we've got an awesome trio of AFC games coming our way. The NFC side of the bracket, meanwhile, wraps up with 49ers-Eagles in a game between two teams that are predictably in this spot, but arrived here in perhaps unpredictable ways. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into all four games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:25 Bills-Jaguars preview 24:16 49ers-Eagles preview 35:53 Chargers-Patriots preview 53:07 Texans-Steelers preview Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wild Card Weekend kicks off on Saturday with the two games that occupy opposite poles in the round. First up is Rams-Panthers, where the Rams are 10-point favorites, the biggest spread on the board. The nightcap is Packers-Bears, where the Packers are the narrowest favorites of the round as we click publish on this episode. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive deep on these two games to get the playoffs rolling on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:45 Rams-Panthers preview 22:20 Packers-Bears preview Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The regular season is over and the playoffs have yet to start. It's time to hand out some hardware. Are the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year winners as straightforward as they seem? Who emerges from a crowded Coach of the Year candidate pool? And who's the MVP, Drake Maye or Matthew Stafford? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman name their 2025 NFL season award winners on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:15 Offensive Player of the Year 15:52 Defensive Player of the Year 24:59 Offensive Rookie of the Year 31:43 Defensive Rookie of the Year 36:37 Protector of the Year 42:13 Assistant Coach of the Year 58:48 Executive of the Year 1:03:24 Coach of the Year 1:14:26 MVP Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sure, the NFL playoff field is set. Cool. You know what's really cool, though? The top 18 of the 2026 NFL Draft order being locked in place. At least that's what's really cool as far as Building the Beast is concerned. Dave Helman and Dane Brugler offer up their takeaways from the draft order on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Then, Dane and Dave debate the toughest picks on Dane's All-Rookie Team. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:00 The 2026 NFL Draft order is set 45:12 Don't forget about Trinidad Chambliss 57:00 Dane's All-Rookie Team Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Baltimore Ravens have fired head coach John Harbaugh. Robert Mays and Dave Helman break down the news and react to what's next for Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the rest of the roster. For more Athletic Football Show content: - Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow - Follow The Athletic Football Show wherever you listen to podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view - Twitter: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow - IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another Black Monday has hit the NFL, and with it came plenty of expected news. Raheem Morris out in Atlanta. Pete Carroll out in Las Vegas. Jonathan Gannon out in Arizona. It also saw the firing in Cleveland of two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, who might just be a victim of circumstance more than anything else. Six teams are now on the coaching carousel, which we can expect to spin for most of the next month. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive into all the Black Monday news on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:14 Falcons fire Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot 16:45 Browns fire Kevin Stefanski, retain Andrew Berry 30:17 Raiders fire Pete Carroll 36:21 Cardinals fire Jonathan Gannon 47:14 Titans update 49:36 Giants update 52:26 Teams not making any changes Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 18 had a little bit of everything, as far as stakes are concerned. A game for the 1-seed in the NFC? Check. Winner-take-all divisional matchups? Check. Glorified exhibition games? Oh yeah, big check. And when it all wrapped up, we got our first look at this season's playoff field. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman put a bow on the regular season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 0:01 Ravens-Steelers 17:10 Seahawks-Niners 34:11 Panthers/NFC South 52:20 Playoff picture 1:02:00 Draft order 1:03:55 How can you not be romantic about football? 1:15:10 What did we learn today? Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It'd be easy to sit here and complain about the lack of juice in Week 18. We're not going to do that. We've got Seahawks-49ers for the 1-seed in the NFC. We've got two other divisions hanging in the balance. And we've got a ton of seeding implications on the line, all of which could affect what ends up happening in the playoffs. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview Week 18 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:59 Seahawks-49ers preview 30:03 Ravens-Steelers preview 46:24 Panthers-Buccaneers preview 1:03:25 Playoff seeding 1:09:05 Stats and incentives to keep an eye on in Week 18 1:14:42 TAFS Wins Pool Update Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look, not everyone can win the Super Bowl. Or make the playoffs. Or win at least five games. But even if you're a fan of one of those bad teams, there's probably something positive you can take forward with you into 2026. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen find those silver linings for the worst teams in the league on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:34 Las Vegas Raiders 9:18 New York Giants 17:25 New York Jets 30:00 Tennessee Titans 36:00 Arizona Cardinals 43:13 Cleveland Browns 54:44 Washingon Commanders 1:01:44 New Orleans Saints Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CFP quarterfinals take place on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and the eight teams remaining are absolutely loaded with NFL talent. So, who among the draft prospects as the most at stake in the quarters? Dane Brugler and Dave Helman dive into that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:00 Miami-Ohio State 27:30 Texas Tech-Oregon 46:33 Alabama-Indiana 59:24 Georgia-Mississippi Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lions, Chiefs and Ravens entered the 2025 season among the inner-circle Super Bowl favorites. The Lions and Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention before Christmas, and while the Ravens might still win the AFC North, they clearly are nowhere near what they were expected to be. The Falcons were supposed to take a step this year. Instead, they could be handing a top-10 pick to the Rams. The Bengals, Cowboys and Vikings were mostly afterthoughts all year, and the Colts suffered a dramatic second-half collapse. Where did things go so wrong for these eight teams this season? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive deep into the octet on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Week 17 was all about the upstarts that have defined this season. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears gave us a game of the year candidate, with the 49ers coming out on top. The New England Patriots clinched the AFC East and Drake Maye made a case for MVP. The Jacksonville Jaguars took another step toward the AFC South crown. The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos inched closer to locking up the top seeds in their respective conferences. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman look back at the week that was and set the stage for the final week of the regular season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:52 Niners beat Bears in SNF thriller 21:25 Eagles take down Bills 39:00 Texans keep rolling, beat Chargers 49:44 Ravens stay alive with win over Packers 1:06:10 Browns upend Steelers 1:13:15 The NFC South remains the NFC South 1:24:20 What made us romantic about football in Week 17? 1:33:10 What did we learn in Week 17? Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eleven of 14 playoff berths have already been claimed this season, and one that remains up for grabs—the final Wild Card in the AFC—all but belongs to the Texans. And yet, there is still a ton on the line in Week 17. The 1-seed and bye in both conferences hang in the balance. Seven of the eight divisions have yet to be clinched. We might know who's going to be in the playoffs this year, but the overall playoff picture remains cloudy. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview the Week 17 games with all the stakes on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bills and Texans both appear ticketed for the playoffs, but neither exactly covered itself in glory in Week 16 wins over the Browns and Raiders, respectively. So, were those performances cause for concern? Or were they simply late-season, "do-what-we-gotta-do" wins that don't really have much, if any, bearing on their playoff prospects? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig in on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 5:00 Bills-Browns recap 24:55 Raiders-Texans recap 41:07 Monday Mourning: Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers 49:29 Monday Mourning: Is it all over for the Lions Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're just two weeks away from the end of the regular season, and exactly one team that won its division last year is in first place this year. That would be the Philadelphia Eagles, who clinched the NFC East with a win over the Washington Commanders on Saturday. Every other division, however, is looking quite possibly at a new division winner. That includes the Chicago Bears, who took firm control of the NFC North with a win over the Green Bay Packers. It includes the Jacksonville Jaguars, who went into Denver and took down the Broncos. And it includes the Carolina Panthers, who moved into first place in the NFC South with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen recap a crazy Week 16 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:28 Ravens-Patariots 15:09 Jags-Broncos 33:33 Packers-Bears  54:06 Buccaneers-Panthers 1:04:57 Chargers-Cowboys 1:12:49 Steelers-Lions 1:20:56 How could you not be romantic about football? 1:37:51 What did we learn in Week 16? Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaguars-Broncos is the Game of the Week. Patriots-Ravens is another game of the week, and it's the former that is leading its division as the latter fights for its playoff life. The defining characteristic of this NFL season—true contender turnover in largely unseen quantities—steps to the fore in Week 16. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman give it the full preview treatment on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:18 Game of the Week: Jaguars-Broncos 23:33 Game of the Week: Patriots-Ravens 42:08 One Thing From...Packers-Bears 47:18 One Thing From...Buccaneers-Panthers 57:12 One Thing From...Steelers-Lions 1:00:54 One Thing From...Cowboys-Chargers 1:06:07 Under the Hood: Texans offense 1:15:40 Jaxson Dart vs. Tyler Shough vs. JJ McCarthy...who would you take as your 2026 starter? 1:26:26 Falcons-Cardinals and the saddest Spiderman pointing meme ever 1:30:11 What do you wanna know in Week 16 Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every NFL season brings us some sort of advance in analytics and schematics, and spending some time every December looking back at this season's developments is one of our favorite things to do before we turn the page to the playoffs. Sam Schwartzstein, Amazon Prime's analytics expert, joins Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show to dive deep on this season's analytic and schematic trends, and preview the monster Week 16 TNF game between the Rams and Seahawks. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The College Football Playoffs kick off this week, and while the results on the field will understandably dominate the discussion around the games, it's the performances of the NFL Draft prospects that we care about most here at The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. Dane Brugler and Dave Helman dive into the draft-eligible players you need to be watching when you've got the CFP games on this weekend. Before that, the guys discuss the QB movement—or non-movement, as the case may be—for guys like LaNorris Sellers, Arch Manning and Brendan Sorsby. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all realize that the 49ers have 10 wins and are a near-lock for the playoffs, right? Has a double-digit-win season ever gone more overlooked? And how dangerous might the Niners be, assuming they do get into the playoffs? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen discuss that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also dig into Ravens-Bengals and Vikings-Cowboys from Week 15, and take a couple of sad voicemails from the fans. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:35 Ravens-Bengals recap 24:57 Vikings-Cowboys recap 47:06 Titans-49ers recap 1:02:57 Voicemail from a sad Cowboys fan 1:09:34 Voicemail from a sad Packers fan Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the big stories of the 2025 season is the rise of new contenders and the fall of the traditional powers. We saw the former on Sunday, with the Denver Broncos winning their 11th straight game, this time taking down the mighty Green Bay Packers. We saw the latter, as well, with the Kansas City Chiefs being officially eliminated from playoff contention after a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. And we also saw a team defy that storyline, with the Buffalo Bills clawing back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Patriots and keep the AFC East in play. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into all those games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Plus, some talk about the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, and Philadelphia Eagles. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this particuarly topsy-turvy season, there's perhaps nothing stranger than seeing the Broncos and Patriots on top of the AFC. Both of them in Week 15 have massive opportunities to prove they're not just great regular season stories, but legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman kick off the Week 15 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show by diving deep on Bills-Patriots and Packers-Broncos. They also discuss Lions-Rams, Dolphins-Steelers and Chargers-Chiefs, the return of Philip Rivers, the collapse potential of the Eagles, and the fall of the great quarterback conference. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:11 Game of the Week: Bills-Patriots 23:04 Game of the Week: Packers-Broncos 47:36 One Thing From...Lions-Rams 50:44 One Thing From...Dolphins-Steelers 55:38 One Thing From...Chargers-Chiefs 1:13:51 Sicko Street: Philip Rivers is back! 1:19:48 Sicko Street: Could it get worse for the Eagles? 1:23:08 What do you wanna know in Week 15? Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The teams heading to the playoffs and putting themselves in the Super Bowl discussion are, understandably, in the NFL spotlight right now. Before long, however, the teams at the opposite end of the spectrum will steal that spotlight for a couple of days when they hire their new head coaches. Robert Mays and Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated and The MMQB get you ready for those couple of days on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:00 Why this will be a unique carousel 7:09 The top candidates 30:02 The second rung 1:04:20 The rest Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

College Football Playoff controversy? What College Football Playoff controversy? You won't find any of that here on this episode of Building the Beast. What you will find, though, is Dane Brugler and Dave Helman digging into how the conference championship games and College Football Playoff field helped shape the state of the 2026 NFL Draft conversation as we approach the end of the year. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vikings, Commanders, Titans and Browns have dealt with varying degrees of disappointment this season, but they remain worthy of our attention as we get ready to close the book on them for 2025. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive into the Vikings' 31-0 win over the Commanders, and the Titans' surprisingly fun 31-29 win over the Browns, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Then, the guys get into a particularly illustrative edition of Monday Mourning with calls from Colts and Falcons fans. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:27 Commanders-Vikings recap 30:08 Titans-Browns recap 59:25 Monday Mourning with the Colts and Falcons Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you caught the Week 14 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show, you know we were excited about this Sunday. Bears-Packers, Colts-Jaguars, Texans-Chiefs, Steelers-Ravens and Bengals-Bills. Welp, the day lived up to the expectations, and the some. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dive deep into an awesome day of football—and consider its implications—on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:45 Texans-Chiefs 11:15 Andy Reid 20:30 Jags-Colts 20:45 Trevor Lawrence 27:00 Colts lose Daniel Jones 34:50 Packers-Bears 35:30 Caleb Williams & Bears offense 45:45 Jordan Love & Packers offense 52:30 Bills-Bengals 1:05:30 Steelers-Ravens 1:12:50 John Harbaugh’s future 1:17:00 Buccaneers-Saints 1:27:15 Romantic: Josh Allen 1:28:45 Romantic: Puka Nacua 1:30:00 Minnesota Vikings/JJ McCarthy 1:34:30 What did we learn today? Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a ton of fun anytime you get a game with first place on the line this late in the season. This week, we have three such games. And one of them is Bears-Packers. So yeah, Week 14 just might be the best week of the season. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen preview everything we’ve got to come this week on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and Lions; Chiefs, Ravens, Eagles and Lions. Look back over the last half-decade of the NFL, and you'll see those four teams at the top of the league, year in and year out. They're all such constants, in fact, that it seems we just chisel their names in stone into the playoff picture in August. But this year, the Eagles are sputtering their way into December, and the Chiefs, Ravens and Lions all could easily miss the playoffs. So, what happened to these assumed powerhouses? On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Diante Lee from The Ringer hops on with Robert Mays to cover the issues for the Ravens, Eagles and Lions, and then former Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Schwartz joins Robert to break down the problems for his old team, and whether they can come back from them this season. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 8:26 Detroit Lions 24:33 Philadelphia Eagles 36:34 Baltimore Ravens 48:06 Any overarching lessons? 59:40 Kansas City Chiefs Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays With: Diante Lee and Mitch Schwartz Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's December. The college football regular season is over. It's Mock Draft Season. Dane Brugler's end-of-season mock draft is now live at The Athletic, and he and Dave Helman dig into it on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It doesn't always have to be pretty, especially when you're stacking wins. The Broncos and Buccaneers can tell themselves that after picking up victories over the Commanders and Cardinals, respectively, in Week 13. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into both of those games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Then, they do some necessary due diligence and check in on the Saints and Dolphins. Finally, the guys wrap up the episode with sad voicemails from Lions and Colts fans. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

December has arrived, and there isn't much more separation among teams at the top of their divisions as there was back when everyone was 0-0. Three divisions—the NFC West, AFC South and AFC North—are tied. Two more—the NFC North and NFC South—have a half-game separating the top-two teams. The Cowboys now trail the Eagles by just 1.5 games in the NFC East. We're going to enjoy one helluva run to the playoffs over the next month. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap all the games that contributed to those tight standings, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow Podcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/view X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Thanksgiving Day now behind us, it's time to get to the rest of the Week 13 slate. Believe it or not, the AFC South is still very much up for grabs, and the Texans have an opportunity for a huge win when they visit the Colts on Sunday. The Bills and Steelers, meanwhile, are both coming off a loss and meet in a game that feels like neither can afford to lose. The 49ers, Jaguars, Buccaneers and Chargers are all comfortable favorites on Sunday, but there are rakes in each of their respective yards they need to make sure they avoid. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview all those matchups on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you've been a football fan for any meaningful amount of time, you know that great games on the Thanksgiving Day slate isn't a guarantee. That's what makes a Thanksgiving like this one so delightfully juicy. Packers-Lions! Chiefs-Cowboys! Bengals-Ravens, with Joe Burrow back! And then, to top it all off, Bears-Eagles on Black Friday. That's just about as good a set of games as you could hope for to kick off Thanksgiving weekend. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview those games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 1:36 Packers-Lions 14:26 Chiefs-Cowboys 27:18 bengals-ravens 39:36 Bears-Eagles Connect with The Athletic Football Show X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rivalry Week always has, and always will, mean so many things in the college football world. One of the newer elements of Rivalry Week, though, is that it's often the last time any NFL Draft prospects whose teams don't make the College Football Playoff will put something new on tape for pro teams to consider. It's on those players that Dane Brugler and Dave Helman focus their attention on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every contender needs to win a game or two on the road when they aren't necessarily at their best. That goes doubly so for surprise contenders like, say, the Seahawks and Patriots. That's exactly what they both did in wins over the Titans and Bengals, respectively. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive into those games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Included: plenty of love for Cam Ward and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. After that, the guys do what they can to console sad Vikings and Buccaneers fans. Rundown (timestamps are approximate_ 3:33 Seahawks with enough to get past Titans 31:11 Patriots get out of Cincinnati with a win 51:38 Monday Mourning with the Buccaneers and Vikings Connect with The Athletic Football Show X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're through two-thirds of the NFL regular season. Thanksgiving Week is here. The beginning of the home stretch has arrived. And yet, do we even have a definitive Super Bowl favorite? Perhaps it's the Los Angeles Rams, who crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. But this thing is wide open and that was on full display leading up to that SNF game. The Dallas Cowboys rallied from a 21-0 hold to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21. The Kansas City Chiefs came back from 20-9 to get a huge 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Baltimore Ravens moved into first place in the AFC North...but they weren't terribly impressive in the process. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions all kept pace with one another in the NFC North, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots took care of business, and the Jacksonville Jaguars won a silly one over the Arizona Cardinals. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:00 Bucs-Rams 13:41 Colts-Chiefs 33:28 Eagles-Cowboys 49:00 Steelers-Bears 1:03:27 Ravens WTF 1:11:30 Jags-Cardinals WTF 1:21:54 Vikings WTF 1:28:10 Derrik/Gibbs Romantic 1:31:02 Robert Romantic...Game will humble you 1:34:00ish Dave Romantic...George Pickens 1:35:51 What did we learn today? Connect with The Athletic Football Show X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If we told you back in August that Colts-Chiefs would be the Game of the Week in Week 12, you probably would've nodded along. "Sure," you'd say to yourself, "I can see that. The Chiefs are doing their thing as a Super Bowl favorite, and the Colts are a surprise upstart on the fringes of the playoff picture. That adds up." Instead, it's the Colts who are leading their division, and the Chiefs who are desperate for a win to stay within shouting distance of the playoffs. That's where Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman begin the Week 12 Preview episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss Buccaneers-Rams, Steelers-Bears, Eagles-Cowboys and Panthers-49ers; talk a stroll down Sicko Street with Cam Ward against the Seahawks defense and Shedeur Sanders getting his first ever start against the lowly Raiders; and wonder if it's time for a moratorium on Vikings talk until J.J. McCarthy shows us...anything. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 2:17 Game of the Week: Colts-Chiefs 22:35 Game of the Week: Buccaneers-Rams 40:24 One Thing From...Steelers-Bears 47:39 One Thing From...Panthers-49ers 52:06 One Thing From...Eagles-Cowboys 1:02:43 Sicko Street: Cam Ward vs. the Seahawks defense 1:05:07 Sicko Street: Myriad entry points for Browns-Raiders 1:08:21 Take Tribunal: It's time for a moratorium on Vikings offense talk 1:14:27 What do you wanna know after Week 12? Connect with The Athletic Football Show Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/9CwBVwManjR9froy9 X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten teams started the season with a seat at The Lombardi Table, a place where only the teams we deem legitimate Super Bowl contenders can sit. Ten teams remain, although the composition has changed. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman take away two seats and cut the membership down to eight on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/9CwBVwManjR9froy9 X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are still seven weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, but the likely composition of the top 10 in the draft order is starting to take shape. So, if you're a fan of the Titans or the Browns or the Jets, who inside the college football world should be getting you excited for 2026? Dane Brugler and Dave Helman do some team + position/player matchmaking for the worst teams in the NFL and the top prospects in the draft pool on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Connect with The Athletic Football Show Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/9CwBVwManjR9froy9 X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Dave Helman Co-Host: Dane Brugler Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @davehelman_ Follow Dane on X: @dpbrugler Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bears and Steelers are in first place after Week 11? Sure, yup, just how we all drew it up back in August. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the Bears' win over the Vikings and the Steelers' win over the Bengals on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also hit on the Texans, who won another game with Davis Mills at the helm, and take a couple of sad voicemails from fans of AFC West teams. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:20 Michael Penix likely out for season with knee injury 12:19 The Bears—yes, the Bears—move into first place after win over Vikings 38:59 The Steelers stay in first, and the Bengals are a total mess 54:41 Monday Mourning: Kansas City Chiefs are in uncharted waters 1:01:10 Monday Mourning: The Chargers and their desperate offensive line situation Connect with The Athletic Football Show Take our listener survey: https://forms.gle/9CwBVwManjR9froy9 X: https://x.com/TA_FootballShow IG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshow YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShow TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshow Discord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Call us: 847-448-0701 Email us: [email protected] Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Video Producer: Katy Duffy Audio Producer: Michael Beller Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.