Tag: Rich Eisen

Bucs RB Rachaad White talks Baker Mayfield, new offense and more

Hear what Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White had to say during his recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show”

For the second year in a row, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be breaking in a new offensive coordinator, as Liam Coen replaces Dave Canales, who left to be the head coach of the division-rival Carolina Panthers.

One thing that won’t be changing is the QB-RB battery of Baker Mayfield and Rachaad White, who are back and primed for even bigger things after solid performances in 2023.

White recently appeared on “The Rich Eisen Show” to give his take on Mayfield, Coen’s new offense, and more.

Watch the video above to see what White had to say.

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Commanders head coach Dan Quinn or the Chargers Jim Harbaugh?

Which head coach is most likely to help his team the most in 2024?

Which head coach in a new spot is most likely to prop up their new team?

That was the question Rich Eisen asked on the “Rich Eisen Show” a couple of days ago. His two choices were Jim Harbaugh (L.A. Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders).

Eisen: “How dare you? How dare you even give me a question like that.”

Co-host T.J. Jefferson, in the background, was heard to say, “I know what Rich is going to say. He’s going to say, ‘Dan Quinn’.”

Eisen: “No, I am not. Come on, one guy has a history of plus and up. I don’t know what the Falcons were in Dan Quinn’s first year. I doubt it was plus seven.”

Co-host Chris Brockman chided in, “I mean, they were up 28-3 in the Super Bowl.”

Eisen: “Whatever. One guy has Justin Herbert, and the other guy has a rookie quarterback. Just that alone (pause). He’s got a rookie quarterback. And you (Brockman) already said they (Commanders) are only 31 in your power rankings. Jim Harbaugh, please. What else?”

Now, on the surface, Commanders fans may view our relaying this to you as a negative dumping of Dan Quinn.

Not at all. Commanders Wire notices that Dan Quinn has already been mentioned in this type of conversation this offseason.

You see, doesn’t this convey that seeing how bad the Commanders were in 2023, losing their last eight straight, losing 13 of their last 15, while getting absolutely blown out and embarrassed several times, NFL media is thinking much higher for 2024?

Doesn’t this reveal another example of NFL media realizing that with Dan Snyder and the Ron Rivera era now in the rearview mirror, Josh Harris, Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and Jayden Daniels are being believed in to turn things around in 2024?

Outsiders are looking at the Commanders much more positively for 2024.

 

Former NFL player says Chargers Jim Harbaugh could ‘punch Chiefs in the mouth’

Former NFL player says #Chargers Jim Harbaugh could ‘punch #Chiefs in the mouth’ | @EdEastonJr

The target is firmly on the Kansas City Chiefs as they enter the 2024 season. The possibility that they can make NFL history has added an extra layer of excitement, with training camp only weeks away.

Former Raiders defensive end Akbar Gbajabiamila recently appeared on ‘The Rich Eisen Show’ to discuss the NFL and the Chiefs’ chances of a third consecutive Super Bowl victory.

“I’m gonna go three-peat. It’s very likely that these guys got it; they just drafted speed again. We didn’t see that a lot last season with, you know, with what they had going now that they got this deep threat, of course, he’s a rookie. We’ll see what that looks like down the road, but Patrick Mahomes just makes me excited.” said Gbajabiamila. “I’m not trying to be weird, but think about what he’s done in just a short span in the NFL. I mean, we’re witnessing greatness. And then, of course, Andy Reid as well. They’re going to go for a three-peat.”

Gbajabiamila is currently a host on NBC’s America Ninja Warrior, and he shared his pick of which team could dethrone Kansas City.

“Okay, I will tell you, though, there’s one team that has the ability to maybe punch them (Chiefs) in the mouth and stop them from a three-peat,” said Gbajabiamila. “I like (Jim) Harbaugh, man. I really do…I mean, he wins everywhere.”

The Chargers are seemingly in a rebuild around quarterback Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh taking over as head coach. The upcoming season could be a preview of big games to come, but many critics like Gbajabiamila still believe the Chiefs are in the driver’s seat for a three-peat.

NFL analyst rips former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett for forcing his way out of Pittsburgh

Kenny Pickett made himself a hostage according to Rich Eisen.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers spent a first-round pick on quarterback Kenny Pickett, we were all cautiously optimistic that the Steelers saw something we didn’t. But fast forward to the 2024 offseason and Pittsburgh has moved on after just two years, trading Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the trade was not to make room for new quarterback Russell Wilson. Not at all. The Steelers were willing to keep Pickett as Wilson’s backup and give him an opportunity to learn behind a future Hall of Famer. Something he never got in his previous two seasons.

But that didn’t work out as it was reported that Pickett didn’t handle the news well and wanted to be traded. Rich Eisen talked about the situation Pickett put himself in and didn’t hold back about what he thought was a mistake by Pickett.

“You are going to get a first crack at a starter job and then the kid who was there, Kenny Pickett, made himself a hostage,” Eisen said. “They then volunteered to send him to Philly.”

Pickett’s situation only went from bad to worse if he was looking for a chance to start. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is entrenched as the franchise quarterback and isn’t going anywhere. Had Pickett stayed with the Steelers, he could have been looking at another chance to start as early as 2025. Once Pickett was traded away, the Steelers made another move to trade for former Justin Fields quarterback Justin Fields.

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Adam Thielen: Panthers players were cut for not being in shape this offseason

Panthers WR Adam Thielen had some intriguing insight on offseason workout programs.

Welcome to the new standard.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen was a guest on Wednesday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show, where host Rich Eisen brought up the prospect of restructured offseason workout programs. The 33-year-old veteran said he’d probably be in favor of a tighter schedule, with the idea of the earlier phases being closer to training camp.

He told Eisen that players have gotten to the point where they’re already working out during their time away from the team, something that may have factored into a few departures from Carolina this spring.

“The NFL has gotten so competitive that you can’t not work out,” Thielen stated. “Even right now. When guys come back to OTAs and they’re out of shape, they haven’t done anything—they’re getting cut. Like, there was a few guys that aren’t on the Panthers anymore that came back, they were out of shape, you can tell they hadn’t done anything and they’re not there anymore. That’s just the reality.”

Eisen also asked Thielen about first-year head coach Dave Canales, whom the former All-Pro has already praised for his steady vision. He’d go further on Canales’ focused approach.

“I think one of his strengths is just his confidence and his intentionality,” he replied. “He’s very intentional in everything he does. Everything has a purpose, a plan, a reason and he’s gonna explain the why. He’s not just gonna say, ‘Do this, and do it well.’ He’s gonna say, ‘This is why we need to do this and this is why we need to do it well because this is what it looks like when you do that.'”

Well, we certainly know they need to be in shape—even now.

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Kevin O’Connell confirms J.J. McCarthy has had first-team reps

The Vikings head coach confirmed J.J. McCarthy has had first-team reps this summer. O’Connell shares how McCarthy has looked for Minnesota.

The general belief around the Vikings right now is that veteran Sam Darnold will begin the season as the starting quarterback and potentially hold that for the entire season. There is also some belief that Nick Mullens will be the backup to Darnold, which would result in the tenth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft being the third quarterback on the roster.

Kevin O’Connell recently appeared on the Rich Eisen Show. Eisen, being a big Michigan fan, asked about where J.J. McCarthy stands and how he’s been doing for Minnesota. O’Connell shared that McCarthy has had good command of the Vikings’ offense and has, in fact, had some first-team reps with Minnesota.

“He’s had a great spring,” said O’Connell. “He’s off to a really good start. You know transitioning into a new offense, a bunch of new teammates, new players, he gets a ton of work throughout routes on air and even in 7-on-7, you know where we were going full speed on all that stuff with some of the first group throughout the spring”

Minnesota drafted McCarthy to be its franchise quarterback for years to come. While the Vikings might not just hand him the keys to the car on day one, McCarthy will be handed those keys when he’s ready. Whether that’s in 2023 or if he has to wait his turn.

Rich Eisen: What is the best case scenario for the 2024 Commanders?

What is the best-case scenario for the Commanders in 2024?

If you had to guess what would be the best-case scenario for the 2024 Commanders, what would it be?

What is possible as the best the Commanders could perform this upcoming season?

Well, Rich Eisen, on his “Rich Eisen Show” on Monday continued his best-case-scenario for each division. Monday, it was the NFC East.

For the Commanders fans who are only interested in what Eisen sees as the best possible success the Commanders could have in 2024, here is what Eisen foresees as the four best cases for the Commanders:

  • “Jayden Daniels is offensive rookie of the year”

“He shows up and he shows out, and he shows that everybody who said he had the best ability of anybody coming out of the draft at the quarterback position to perform and succeed in the NFL, right now out of the box at college, they were right and he is showing the way.” [That was quite the run-on sentence by Eisen, but that is what he said]

  • “Dan Quinn is coach of the year”

“That guy shows up and he brings his positivity and he shows up and the Washington Commanders perform well. And I will even say this, I think the Texans are a perfect template. No. 2 overall pick in the draft wins Offensive Rookie of the Year and has even some MVP conversation. And the coach that is new to the team has Coach of the Year conversation.”

  • “They make the divisional playoffs round”

“I think the Texans are a perfect best-case scenario for this year’s Washington Commanders. And I’ll even throw another one in.

  • “They change the damn team name”

“That’s a best-case scenario for this franchise,” Eisen concluded.

Keep in mind, this was NOT Eisen’s prediction for the NFC East. This was Eisen asking, ‘If all goes well, what is the best possible thing each team could accomplish this season.

Rich Eisen said Caleb Williams could feasibly take the Bears to the Super Bowl as a rookie (yes, really)

Can we let Caleb Williams’ Bears be young and exciting first?

The hype around Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears is warranted. The NFL’s charter franchise seems to have legitimate hope for the future in the long run for the first time in decades. But that doesn’t mean we have to jump the gun about how good they are before the rookie Williams has played a single professional game.

This didn’t stop Rich Eisen.

During Monday’s episode of The Rich Eisen Show, the broadcaster ran through the best-case scenarios for every NFL team during the 2024 season. When it came to the Bears, Eisen painted what he thinks is a feasible reality — the rookie Williams taking Chicago to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

Uh, I mean … can we not?

Here’s a little snippet of Eisen’s thoughts on the 2024 Bears:

“I’m saying the best-case scenario for the Bears is this kid [Caleb Williams] takes them to the Super Bowl [59]. I’m saying that’s the best-case scenario, the glass couldn’t be more half-full if this happens.”

Look, I’m all for setting reasonable expectations for the Bears.

I think Williams can certainly elevate Chicago to a playoff contender who gives some of the other NFC superpowers a legitimate run for their money. There is enough talent on this roster on both sides of the ball — Williams, D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat — to expect an enjoyable Bears season. Chicago should be one of the more watchable NFL teams this fall.

But without Williams throwing a single regular-season pass, predicting a playoff berth feels like a stretch. Even when setting aside a tough and challenging NFC North division, there is no proof in the pudding quite yet. To take it further and say Williams will lead the Bears to only their third NFC title in franchise history as a rookie is absurd. It is June 3, everyone.

The 2024 NFL season is still three months away!

We can and should pull back by having more nuanced discussions about talented young NFL players. Let’s let Williams’ Bears be young, exciting, and unpredictable first before putting any Super Bowl expectations on them.

Best-case scenarios for every NFC South team in 2024

What are the best-case scenarios for every team in the NFC South heading into the 2024 NFL season?

For the last few years in the NFC South, it’s been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then everyone else.

The Bucs have won the division in each of the past three seasons, and currently hold the longest active playoff streak among NFC teams with four straight trips to the postseason.

Heading into the 2024 season, the Bucs are primed for another division title after bringing back all of their key free agents. That would obviously be the best-case scenario for Tampa Bay, as they look to make another deep playoff run.

But what about the rest of the NFC South? What would the best version of the 2024 season look like for those teams?

Here’s Rich Eisen’s take on the best-case scenario for every team in the division:

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Dennis Allen outlines the vision for Spencer Rattler’s rookie year

Saints coach Dennis Allen discussed the vision for Spencer Rattler’s rookie year during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show:

A lot of fans are excited about the New Orleans Saints picking former South Carolina and Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft, but what’s the vision for him? Is Rattler really going to push Derek Carr for the starting job, as some fans and even a few media analysts have stumped for?

That’s a question Saints head coach Dennis Allen addressed during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show. Rattler is here to compete just like the other 90 players in the building, but what roster spot he’s competing for is up to him. He’ll have to earn his opportunities just like everyone else.

“I think the plan is, is that he comes in and really, basically competes. And we’ll let the cards kind of play out as they do. I think we were excited about the fact that we got into the fifth round and he was still there. From where we had him graded on our board, we felt like this player was probably more of a second- or third-round talent.”

Allen suggested that the abundance of quarterbacks drafted early on may have pushed Rattler down the board; Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Drake Maye (New England Patriots), Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons), J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings), and Bo Nix (Denver Broncos) were all taken in the first dozen picks. At that point, Rattler went into freefall.

He continued: “So the fact he fell all the way to us to the fifth round, we were really excited about that. He’s got tremendous talent. Now it’s about getting him in here, teaching him the things we want him to know and be able to execute the things we want him to execute.”

So it doesn’t sound like Rattler is going to be taking snaps away from Carr on the first-team offense just yet. He has to unseat Jake Haener for the backup job first. And while it’s very early in the offseason, Haener has been outplaying Rattler at practice. The rookie was intercepted twice by the same defender at OTAs last week with media in attendance. He’ll need some time to figure things out.

But as for the future? Allen’s comments suggest the Saints do consider Rattler as a viable starter down the line, if he meets his developmental milestones and harnesses the talent that made them draft him. He’ll need to grow and learn from his mistakes at practice to earn those opportunities like anyone else. Once he shows he’s ready, he’ll get his shot.

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