Tag: Kay Adams

Former Saints HC gives his opinion on Saints’ leading candidate

Sean Payton shared his opinion on Kellen Moore’s fit with the Saints, and the traits needed to succeed. He adds “there’s a standard here” for the next coach to uphold:

The New Orleans Saints are the only team left with a coaching vacancy. The expectation is the Saints are waiting on Super Bowl LIX to wrap up so they can officially hire Kellen Moore away from the Philadelphia Eagles. That didn’t stop Sean Payton from getting his jokes off.

“Are they announcing that this year or next year?” Payton asked Kay Adams in jest, joining Mark Ingram II and Cameron Jordan on set. Arguably Adams’ biggest inquiry was if Moore a good fit for New Orleans. There aren’t many, if any, people who can answer that question better than Payton. He led the Saints for over a decade to high degrees of success. Payton doesn’t run from the shadow he casts, either.

“I don’t know Kellen,” Payton remarked. “I think he’s real sharp, but there’s a standard here.” He’s obviously referencing the standard set by Payton over his tenure.

That standard has been lost recently. After three years of Dennis Allen at the helm, there are pieces of culture that are gone in addition to the lack of success.

Jordan alluded to that missing part of culture when the conversation shifted to what makes a good coach. Jordan believes a good coach can’t be “afraid to make uncomfortable situations.”

Payton shook his head with pride and replied, “That’s right. We’d make it uncomfortable every once in a while,” as he and Ingram shared a laugh. The two definitely shared tense moments, but that’s Payton’s “love language.”

There’s a growing emphasis on getting an offensive coach. Payton doesn’t subscribe to this thought process: “I don’t think it has to be offense, defense or special teams. Find someone who can lead everyone, someone who is authentic, creative.”

Creativity can come in many forms, but when you pair it with the other aspects discussed, creativity in leadership may be the most important form.

Being your authentic self allows players to believe in what’s in front of them. It’s an impassioned game. If you shy away from uncomfortable situations, you’ll struggle to lead your team through them when they inevitably arise.

For Payton, it all comes down to leading an entire team. That’s one of the biggest changes from coordinator to head coach.

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Watch Sean Payton’s pre-Super Bowl interview with Kay Adams

Sean Payton did an interview with Kay Adams at Super Bowl radio row in New Orleans earlier this week. Watch the full interview here.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton returned to New Orleans this week to visit Super Bowl radio row ahead of Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday.

Payton did a nearly-19-minute interview with Kay Adams on the Up and Adams Show on Wednesday. You can watch the full interview below:

Of note from the interview, Payton said the Broncos will “be a problem” for opposing teams in 2025. Payton also confirmed that wide receiver is a “need,” and he hinted that the team will target a “Joker” player this offseason.

The coach also touched on the evolution of Marvin Mims, and he weighed in on the controversy of how Kansas City Chiefs games have been officiated.

The Chiefs will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9. The game will be nationally televised on Fox at 6:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. MT). The Super Bowl will also be available to stream on FuboTV (try it free).

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Cameron Jordan won’t go looking for a trade: ‘I’m black and gold forever’

Cameron Jordan won’t request a trade to chase a Super Bowl ring — and doesn’t feel he needs to. He wants to remain a New Orleans Saints lifer:

Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns, but don’t expect Cameron Jordan to follow suit. Garrett and Jordan are at two different points of their careers, but Kay Adams told the New Orleans Saints defensive end he was the first person Adams thought about when she heard the news.

Jordan questioned why, but didn’t let her answer before affirming: “I’m not asking for a trade from anywhere. I’m black and gold forever.”

This is a common sentiment from Jordan, so it may not seem out of the ordinary. However, he did consider forcing his way out during the regular season, so it was refreshing to hear him express this.

So why did Adams think about Jordan in relation to Garrett’s trade request. Adams said the reasons for wanting out would be the same, and she has a point. Garret is in his prime, while Jordan has more time behind him than in front of him.

Players in both categories would want to be in best position to win a ring now, due to an understanding their window could close soon in different ways.

If you ask Jordan, he is in the best place to win a ring. Injuries were costly in 2024. New Orleans lost their entire interior offensive line. By the time Spencer Rattler was leading the team, he was dealing with makeshift weapons and a pieced-together offensive line. 

Without these injuries, Jordan still sees the Saints as a championship team. With a healthy roster, they’re better than 5-12, but it’s hard to say championships are on the horizons when they’ve missed the playoffs four years in a row.

Jordan has always been an optimist. That optimism was on full display with Adams, and if he has his way he’ll continue to be the optimist in the New Orleans locker room as his career draws to a close.

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George Kittle extension with 49ers would give him rare opportunity

10-year Wall for George Kittle?

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is slated to enter the final year of his contract in the 2025 season. If he gets beyond 2025, he’ll be in line to do something that has become exceedingly rare in 49ers history.

Kittle in 2020 inked a five-year, $75 million extension with the 49ers and he’s on track to play out the entirety of that deal. He told FanDuel’s Kay Adams he wants to spend his entire career in San Francisco, and assuming he has more than one year of football left, a new contract would be in order to help him fulfill that wish.

Adams asked Kittle if there were any extension talks happening and Kittle looked at his watch before answering.

“Waiting on them,” Kittle said. “I think there’s been talking. We’re mildly on the same page.”

When pressed on why there’s a delay on a new contract, Kittle responded “I have no idea. I just work here. My agent does that stuff.”

If Kittle does get an extension, he would get to the 10-year mark with the 49ers and earn a spot on the franchise’s 10-Year Wall. That’s an area reserved only for players who spend at least 10 years with the franchise.

It would make sense that the 49ers would want to keep Kittle in red and gold for the foreseeable future. While he turns 32 in October, he’s revived his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. The 49ers also don’t have anyone waiting in the wings to take over as their starting TE.

Only 51 players all-time have earned a spot in that exclusive club. The last player to get on the wall was left tackle Joe Staley, who was drafted in 2007. Vernon Davis (2006 draft) and Frank Gore (2005 draft) also made it to the 10-year mark. Kittle has an excellent shot at joining them with Year 9 coming up and a potential contract extension looming.

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Panthers QB Bryce Young is asked which WR he wants team to add

Panthers QB Bryce Young wasn’t going to fall into Kay Adams’ trap.

Even when he’s not on the field, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young remains poised in the face of pressure.

Young, who has been making the rounds at Super Bowl LIX’s “Radio Row,” joined Thursday’s episode of Up & Adams. And with quite a few big-name wide receivers possibly on the move this offseason, host Kay Adams asked the soon-to-be third-year passer who he’d like to recruit to the Panthers.

But Young, as he always has in his chats with the media, avoided the trap.

“It’s not my call,” he replied with a smile. “I trust Dan [Morgan] and I trust the front office to make those calls. There’s a lot of people, for sure, that I have a lot of respect for . . . and I’ll talk to probably more privately.

“I trust in Dan, though. He’s gonna get it right one way or another.”

One specific name that has popped up for Carolina is Garrett Wilson, who could be at a crossroads with the New York Jets. The wheels started to turn on a potential union when Wilson endorsed Young in a tweet last month.

That, however, is all speculation.

So, like Young said—we may just have to trust in Dan, and not the rumor and innuendo, on this one.

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Mark Ingram II lobbies for Saints to get Alvin Kamara some help in the NFL draft

Legendary New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II made the case for his team to pair Alvin Kamara with Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft:

Some New Orleans Saints fans have balked at the idea of picking a running back at ninth overall in this year’s 2025 NFL draft, but don’t count Mark Ingram II in that number. The team’s former leader in touchdown runs and rushing yards is a big fan of Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty. And he sees a scenario where Jeanty could not just coexist with Alvin Kamara, but help the Saints offense get back where it belongs among league leaders.

Ingram made the case for Jeanty when he sat down with Kay Adams this week.

“Man, I think you’re seeing how pivotal the running back position is. And, given my guy AK is getting up there in nine years, you know, give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. Maybe you go running back. Maybe you go pair with him Ashton Jeanty. Whatchu you think about that?” Ingram asked.

Kamara’s most effective seasons as a runner by Pro Football Reference’s stats for Success Rate came in 2018 and 2020, when he had a capable partner to split carries with. In those years Kamara had 12.9 and 12.5 rushing attempts per game, respectively, while Ingram and Latavius Murray each had 11.5 and 9.7. Those are also the years Kamara scored the most touchdowns and gained the most yards from scrimmage, both as a runner and receiver. There’s absolutely room for another talent in the New Orleans backfield.

As for what Jeanty can add to the offense? Ingram says the Heisman Trophy runner-up can do just about everything: “Ashton Jeanty’s just a beast, man, he has juice, he can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out the backfield and he catches it. Why not have another two-headed monster so my guy AK can be thriving again, in New Orleans?”

Those are some good points, but the financials should be considered, too. Kamara is under contract for 2025 and 2026 but could very well enter retirement in 2027. If the Saints draft someone like Jeanty now, they could get through the first two years of their contract as his tag-team partner before taking on the lead role in Year 3. And if the Saints take Ingram’s advice to pick Jeanty at No. 9? They would get a fifth-year option in his contract that ties him to the team through 2029. He turned 21 in December and wouldn’t be in line for a big-money extension until a few months after his 25th birthday, when he’d be hitting his athletic prime.

It isn’t the same as getting a star quarterback on a low-cost rookie contract, but these are the kind of competitive edges the Saints should be chasing when their new head coach begins to remodel the team. If they believe Jeanty can help Kamara finish his career strong before getting promoted to the offensive focal point, he’d be well worth the pick at No. 9.

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Chiefs WR Nikko Remigio was motivated by Pro Bowl teammate: ‘Make something happen’

Kansas City #Chiefs wide receiver Nikko Remigio was motivated by Travis Kelce: ‘Make something happen’ | @EdEastonJr

On Wednesday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams, host Kay Adams spoke to Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver and kick returner Nikko Remigio about a pivotal moment in the AFC Championship Game. He reflected on a moment during the game when Travis Kelce pushed him to be great.

“Trav (Travis Kelce) had came up to me earlier in the game, and I had fair caught that first punt coming out the gates, and he was like, ‘That’s not being great, bro,” Said Remigio, “So I knew going into this next opportunity that I had to make something happen. So I took a peek down the field and saw that the guys were, it was going to be tight, and it was going to be a quick play, and you know, just made it happen.”

Remigio took Kelce’s message to heart and used it as motivation to return his next punt for 41 yards. The Chiefs capitalized on six plays after Patrick Mahomes punched it into the endzone. It was the fourth-longest postseason punt return in franchise history. His 41 total punt return yards in the game ranked fifth-most in a postseason game in team history.

Key free-agent-to-be wants to remain with Chargers

The Chargers should prioritize bringing back this key offensive player from this past season.

The Chargers have a big decision to make regarding running back J.K. Dobbins, who will be a free agent this offseason.

It remains to be seen whether they will bring him back, but it’s clear that Dobbins would like to stay in Los Angeles.

“Hopefully, maybe, I can be a Charger for the rest of the time playing … we’ll see here pretty soon,” Dobbins said on an episode of Up & Adams.

Dobbins was signed by the Bolts last offseason after spending four seasons with the Ravens, where he flashed his talent but was also derailed by injuries that kept him sidelined for most of his time in Baltimore.

Silencing the doubters who believed he couldn’t stay healthy, Dobbins set career highs in rushing yards (905) and tied his personal best with nine rushing touchdowns.

“It definitely feels good. And I love the Chargers fans,” Dobbins said. “It was a great year. It was a special year. [The fans] believed in me. When they really saw that I was healthy, they embraced me.”

As a result of his bounce-back campaign, Dobbins is a finalist for the Associated Press’ Comeback Player of the Year Award.

“Yes, I do. I love the Chargers. Hopefully, everything will work out,” Dobbins added, confirming that he wants to remain in the powder blue and gold.

Davante Adams comments on Marshon Lattimore vs. Mike Evans’ rivalry

Davante Adams says ‘both of them boys are crazy’ ahead of Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore and Bucs WR Mike Evans’ rivalry game in the playoffs:

Marshon Lattimore versus Mike Evans provided every New Orleans Saints versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers showdown with a little extra intensity. The Saints traded Lattimore away to the Washington Commanders this year, and he will take on Evans again for the first time in a different uniform in the wild card round of the NFL playoffs.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Evans and Lattimore arch-rivals. New York Jets receiver Davante Adams spoke with Kay Adams on the rivalry between the two players, saying: “I know both of them boys are crazy.”

You see how far the rivals go and how frequently they go there, and it’s hard to disagree. Scuffles are regular, and punches never seem to far away when Evans and Lattimore are sharing the field. With this being a playoff game, the extracurricular activities should be at a minimum. The intensity will be present, though.

Adams says he never had a rival to this degree and is “too old to be doing that now.” If there was one cornerback he had a rivalry with, it would Richard Sherman, but “it wasn’t something that lasted as long as their’s have.”

There aren’t many rivalries like Evans versus Lattimore. We get to see them battle in the playoffs one more time.

Luke Kuechly on Panthers after 2024 season: ‘Vibes are high’

Franchise great (and maybe soon-to-be Hall of Famer) Luke Kuechly is feeling pretty good about the current state of the Panthers.

Luke Kuechly seems to be vibing with the current state of the Carolina Panthers.

The franchise great hopped on Thursday’s edition of Up & Adams and discussed the direction of his old team. Kuechly told host Kay Adams that there’s plenty for the organization to be hopeful for as we head out of the 2024 season . . .

Kuechly’s biggest takeaway, of course, is the emergence of second-year quarterback Bryce Young.

After a disappointing rookie campaign and a disastrous two-game start to this one, the former No. 1 overall pick was benched for veteran Andy Dalton at the beginning of Week 3. He’d return to the starting lineup in Week 8 and proceeded to play like the University of Alabama star the Panthers drafted in 2023—finishing out the season completing 197 of his 319 passing attempts (61.8 percent) for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions while leading the Panthers to a respectable 4-6 record.

The cherry on top for Young was his history-making performance in the victorious regular-season finale against the Atlanta Falcons. Young, in the 44-38 win, became the first Panthers quarterback to ever record three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game.

Hopefully for Young and the Panthers, Kuechly will have some more history to talk about in 2025.

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