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Steelers 2025 Offseason · Steelers Country Weekly

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Today on Steelers Country Weekly. It finally happened, and we're
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: gonna talk about it. The Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers. He
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: has reported to mini camp. We are finally here. In
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: addition to that, though we do have some holdout news
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: from star TJ.
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  Speaker 2: Watt.
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  Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about it all right now. I'm Nick
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  Speaker 1: de Tulo, and as always I am joined by the
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  Speaker 1: world famous accountant Eric Vaminshaw.
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  Speaker 2: And Eric, how's it going tonight?
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  Speaker 3: Oh? Not too shabby.
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  Speaker 4: I don't know about you, but I'm watching some of
• 0:34
  Speaker 4: the NBA playoffs kind of take the mind off of
• 0:38
  Speaker 4: the off season level.
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  Speaker 3: But well, things have been happening, I guess.
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  Speaker 4: In our off season around this time, so not as
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  Speaker 4: much of a low as usual.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, we talked about it briefly before we hit the
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  Speaker 1: record button. I'm still getting used to these off seasons
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: where we have trades happening in free agent signings. It's
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: still feels very out of character for us. But the
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: big news was, of course, Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers.
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  Speaker 2: Finally.
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  Speaker 1: He showed up to mini camp, the first day of
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: which was today.
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  Speaker 2: And things seem.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, relatively normal, at least as far as they
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  Speaker 1: can go, given all of the extenuating circumstances that got
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: us to this point.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 1: So the other bad news though, is that TJ. Watt
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  Speaker 1: has decided to hold out for a new contract. I
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: don't necessarily think there's much drama there, but we'll talk
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: about that too as we get into it. But let's
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: focus on Aaron Rodgers for now. Let's go over some
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: contract details too, just to make sure we have the
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: full picture here. It is a one year deal, It
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: is thirteen point sixty five ten million, is a signing bonus,
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  Speaker 1: fully guaranteed maximum total value of nineteen.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: And a half million with incentives.
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  Speaker 1: So I would argue that for him to get all
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  Speaker 1: of those incentives, it would definitely be worth it. But
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  Speaker 1: looking at what he got versus what Russell Wilson and
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: Justin Field's got, definitely the cheaper of the three. And
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  Speaker 1: this is of course going to lead to speculation though,
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  Speaker 1: like we have talked about as well, that.
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  Speaker 2: He's not the long term answer.
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  Speaker 1: So what is the Steelers long term plan? But at
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  Speaker 1: least for now, it seems like they're ready to roll
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  Speaker 1: with him as the starter for the twenty twenty five season.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, and you know, I would say universally of the
• 2:43
  Speaker 4: media is very favorable to it.
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  Speaker 3: So I was just kind of curious, what's your thoughts
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  Speaker 3: on it.
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  Speaker 1: I was kind of ambivalent to it, to be honest
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  Speaker 1: with you, and I think we talked about it a lot.
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  Speaker 3: What a big word.
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  Speaker 1: I know, I'm okay day, I'm busting out that the
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: source today. You know, we talked about it a lot
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: the last time too. I think that this year, with
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  Speaker 1: the team that Steelers currently have, I still think super
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: Bowl contender is a bit of a stretch. So knowing
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  Speaker 1: that the Steelers are never going to openly tank like
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  Speaker 1: some organizations, I think that they just got to the
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: point where they said, you know, hey, we tried to
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: get some other quarterbacks. We tried to trade for Stafford,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: we tried to resign Fields. Didn't quite work out. So Aaron,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: if you want to come to us for a year,
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: that's fine.
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  Speaker 2: We'll wait.
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  Speaker 1: Otherwise, we're going to roll out with Mason and whatever
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: happens happens. If Mason plays great, then that's a shocking surprise,
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: but still a welcome one. And if he doesn't, then we'll,
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  Speaker 1: you know, we'll have a high draft pick, and frankly
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  Speaker 1: even if if Aaron Rodgers or whoever comes in and
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  Speaker 1: plays lights out, the Steelers still have enough draft picks
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  Speaker 1: next year that they can make a move if they
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  Speaker 1: want to. So I think that this year, I don't
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  Speaker 1: want to say it didn't matter, but knowing that the
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty six draft, at least, this is what I'm speculating.
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  Speaker 1: Knowing that the twenty twenty six draft is where I
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  Speaker 1: think they're going to get their quarterback of the future,
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  Speaker 1: one way or the other with.
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  Speaker 2: The capital they have.
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  Speaker 1: Like I said, I just think that whatever happened with
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers was going to happen, And I'm kind of
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: ambivalent to it, but I will admit that part of
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: me is got a little excited when I saw it too.
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  Speaker 1: I have to remind myself that this is twenty twenty
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  Speaker 1: five Aaron Rodgers, not twenty fifteen Aaron Rodgers.
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  Speaker 2: But you know, we all do that. Yeah, what about you?
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  Speaker 3: What are your thoughts? You know.
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  Speaker 4: I'm gonna sound like negative nance we go again, I know,
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  Speaker 4: I know.
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  Speaker 3: So I've probably been saying for the.
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  Speaker 4: Last you know, at least five years, we need to
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  Speaker 4: be planning for the future at that position, right, you know,
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  Speaker 4: he took a swing at Kenny Piketts or Kenny Pickett.
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  Speaker 4: We I thought we had a swing of the bat
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  Speaker 4: last year with Justin Fields.
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  Speaker 3: Obviously that didn't work out. But you know.
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  Speaker 4: The reason why I'm a little upset about it, it's
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  Speaker 4: a little aggressive, not as enthusiastic is because of two things.
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  Speaker 3: Aaron Rodgers is good enough to win US games.
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  Speaker 4: I still think, you know him not being twenty to fifteen,
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  Speaker 4: Aaron Rogers, He's still smart enough quarterback to make plays
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  Speaker 4: and not you know, throughout his career he's been the
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  Speaker 4: tourst for not turning the ball over those years that
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  Speaker 4: he won MVP. As impressive as forty five touchdowns might be,
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  Speaker 4: throwing six picks with as much as he throws the
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  Speaker 4: ball is probably even more impressive to me, right, So
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  Speaker 4: I think that's gonna really like. I think Tomlin's gonna
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  Speaker 4: love that. Tomlin loves playing field position ball, and Aaron
• 6:35
  Speaker 4: Rodgers is perfect for that. What I don't like, though,
• 6:39
  Speaker 4: is Aaron Rodgers has not been good and since like
• 6:45
  Speaker 4: twenty twenty one, so he tours Achilles and twenty three.
• 6:51
  Speaker 4: He had a down year last year, and people thought
• 6:54
  Speaker 4: that was the beginning of his down year. No, you
• 6:57
  Speaker 4: go back to twenty twenty two, his q R was
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  Speaker 4: twenty like fourth, twenty fifth.
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  Speaker 3: In the league. Right, so he's.
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  Speaker 4: Been borderline bottom quartile quarterback for three years. So yeah,
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  Speaker 4: I'm gonna count the injury because if you're not available,
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  Speaker 4: then you know he dropped to the bottom. You're not
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  Speaker 4: doing anything good for the team. You know, Biel Bafford
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  Speaker 4: got injured. But still that's the fact of the matter.
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  Speaker 4: So you know, the contract, fine, I think it is
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  Speaker 4: totally reasonable. You pay a guy at most twenty million
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  Speaker 4: dollars with incentives, and probably with that he would have
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  Speaker 4: to be having one heck of a year. So right,
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: you know, if we're at that point and TJ. Watt's healthy,
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  Speaker 4: who knows they could make a run. My only issue
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  Speaker 4: is that I don't think this team was a decent
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: Aaron Rodgers away from winning the Super Bowl. I think
• 8:08
  Speaker 4: we've gotten exposed in multiple different areas. I think that
• 8:13
  Speaker 4: there's we're still thin at some important areas of the team,
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  Speaker 4: and you know, I just if you're gonna compromise your
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  Speaker 4: future at the quarterback position, where twenty twenty six is
• 8:30
  Speaker 4: supposed to be a very strong year, for the quarterbacks.
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  Speaker 4: I think the way that they're contemplating it, it is
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  Speaker 4: like five guys might go in the in the first
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  Speaker 4: round next year. So we love picking at like eighteen
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  Speaker 4: to twenty, and that's where we're gonna pick again. And yeah,
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  Speaker 4: I texted you this too. To move into the top ten.
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  Speaker 4: I think back to that Denver Broncos tree where we
• 9:00
  Speaker 4: went up and got Devin Bush.
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  Speaker 3: We gave up a second rounder and a third rounder.
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  Speaker 4: I'd say that's equivalent to another first round pick. And
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  Speaker 4: if you're trading up to get a quarterback, it's even
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  Speaker 4: more so. If you're going to pick from eighteen and
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  Speaker 4: you want to get up to eight, you're gonna have
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  Speaker 4: to give up a first rounder, like your eighteenth pick,
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  Speaker 4: another first rounder, maybe upwards of a third first rounder.
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  Speaker 4: But I would say, like a second rounder is likely there,
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  Speaker 4: And you know, I know we just got the third
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  Speaker 4: rounder for Pickens. But is Aaron Rodgers worth like to
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  Speaker 4: me the equivalent of a first round pick.
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  Speaker 3: For a one year rental on.
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  Speaker 4: I think our with Aaron Rodgers, if he gets hot
• 10:04
  Speaker 4: and TJ Wat's healthy, is an AFC championship game. But
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  Speaker 4: we're not beating the Bills with this team. We're not
• 10:14
  Speaker 4: beating the Chiefs with this team. We're not beating the
• 10:17
  Speaker 4: Ravens with this team.
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  Speaker 1: So so it sounds like where you're going is Aaron
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  Speaker 1: Rodgers is going to be capable enough that we're still
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  Speaker 1: going to be drafting, you know, eighteen to twenty and
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  Speaker 1: then to get back up into the top tier to
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  Speaker 1: draft a quarterback, it's going to cost more because of that, Right, Yeah, I.
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  Speaker 3: Think that.
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  Speaker 4: Could Aaron Rodgers finally break the ice and win us
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  Speaker 4: a playoff game that we haven't won in nine years. Sure,
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  Speaker 4: I think that he's since been you know, blew out
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  Speaker 4: his elbow, probably the most capable quarterback that we've had
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  Speaker 4: on this roster.
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  Speaker 3: Even even now.
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  Speaker 2: But that I don't disagree with your logic.
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  Speaker 1: I guess where I'm coming from is it's gonna cost
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  Speaker 1: a lot to move up regardless of where you're at,
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  Speaker 1: and as long as you hit right, which I know
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  Speaker 1: is a big ask, as long as you as long
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  Speaker 1: as you hit right, it's not gonna matter, right because
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  Speaker 1: the finding the right guy at the quarterback position is
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  Speaker 1: gonna offset any negatives. Yeah, So I guess that's why
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: I said I'm ambivalent and you're more pessimistic, even though
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: we kind of have the same outlook on it.
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  Speaker 4: Yeah, but that I mean, Aaron Rodgers is a He's
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: still quality quarterback, I mean, and I mean he has
• 11:57
  Speaker 4: said he's recognize he had an ego issue.
• 12:02
  Speaker 3: He's saying he's gonna check it at the door, and
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  Speaker 3: you know.
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  Speaker 4: He's basically he got reinvigorated by you know, doing it
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  Speaker 4: for the right reasons. Blah blah blah, all these different things.
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  Speaker 4: But I don't know, well, I mean, I think it's
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  Speaker 4: worth swinging the back for him, especially for guys like
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  Speaker 4: Cam Hayward, TJ.
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  Speaker 3: Watt, Like.
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  Speaker 4: Those guys are deserving of at least making a run.
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  Speaker 3: So you know, I think if you're.
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  Speaker 4: Not gonna trade those guys away, then you know, go
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  Speaker 4: for it. But I'm more of the I'm more of
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: the thing of like I don't like treading water, so
• 12:57
  Speaker 4: either tear it down or chips.
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: All in it. You know. Yeah, that's true.
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: And I was thinking about that as well too. What
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  Speaker 1: does this tell us about the Steelers the fact that
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: speaking of TJ. Watt, he's sitting out and if they
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: wanted to, they could trade him for a first round pick.
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: And a lot more going into next year's draft, But
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  Speaker 1: they haven't tells you that they still must think that
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: this team can do something if they just find something
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  Speaker 1: at quarterback, right, Like, that's at least how I'm interpreting it.
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  Speaker 2: Now.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe they think that they can go ahead.
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  Speaker 3: I think the.
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: Steelers are also kind of like the Saints, though not
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: nearly as delusional.
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  Speaker 3: The Saints are so delusional.
• 13:53
  Speaker 4: The Saints are like even after Breeze was gone, they
• 13:59
  Speaker 4: running out some really crappy rosters and like ruining their
• 14:05
  Speaker 4: future salary cap for all that, But like, at least
• 14:11
  Speaker 4: we have, you know, one of the best defensive players
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  Speaker 4: in the whole league, potentially a fringe Hall of Famer.
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  Speaker 3: A defensive tackle. And we've had enough skill at.
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  Speaker 4: Different positions over the years, like especially wide receiver, so
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  Speaker 4: that you know, you could say, and we have a
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  Speaker 4: head coach has been there. It's been it's been a
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  Speaker 4: long time, but he's been there before and well respected.
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  Speaker 4: So I don't mean it to say, like where are
• 14:49
  Speaker 4: you coming from?
• 14:50
  Speaker 3: You know, they got tools.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: So yeah, so I'm at the very it's going to
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: be an entertaining year, right. Oh yeah, if you look
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: at the Steelers' schedule. They're playing the NFC North, So
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: you've got not only is Aaron Rodgers playing the Packers,
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: but you've got him playing all those old divisional foes
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: that just love him.
• 15:17
  Speaker 3: Oh but he loves he loves playing the Bears.
• 15:21
  Speaker 4: Oh yeah, oh yeah, So just put already putting in.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: The win column.
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: If if they don't win any other games this year,
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: that's not But looking at the schedule and I'll pull
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: it up real quick, so you've got, uh, they open
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: against the Jets in Week one. I'm kind of surprised
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: that that's not a primetime game, although yeah, I mean
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: they did schedule it before the signing was official, so
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: still interesting. That'll be the Marque one o'clock matchup. But
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: then you got DK Metcalf against the Seahawks as well. Patriots,
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  Speaker 1: there's when we start the NFC North.
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  Speaker 2: They still play the Bills. No Chiefs this year.
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  Speaker 1: But but yeah, it's gonna be assuming he stays healthy,
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: it's gonna be a really entertaining schedule. I think I
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: just hope that the drama stays off of or he
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: stays away from the drama, so to speak. But I mean, look,
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: we're here, we we kind of knew it was gonna happen.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: I think both you and I thought that it eventually
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: would be the case. But but here we are. So
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: no more Kirk Cousins talk, no more Mason Rudolph talk.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: It's uh, it's Aaron Rodgers time in Pittsburgh now.
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: Yeah, And you know, I think Mason would be pretty
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: deluded to think that like they.
• 17:01
  Speaker 4: Were going to put like he can't be mad about it.
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: So I think that like he'll he'll have his head
• 17:11
  Speaker 4: and you know, Aaron Rodgers, like did have the injury,
• 17:14
  Speaker 4: Like what if he's not? What if you know, he's got.
• 17:17
  Speaker 3: Spot a couple of games and he's a capable backup.
• 17:20
  Speaker 4: I mean, did I want him running the whole entire season?
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: Like is that a full of faith bet that I
• 17:28
  Speaker 3: wanted to know?
• 17:30
  Speaker 4: But Mason Rudolph could win a couple of games, as
• 17:33
  Speaker 4: he showed at the end of the season.
• 17:35
  Speaker 3: So uh or was it two years ago?
• 17:38
  Speaker 2: So yeah?
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: Now Mason Rudolph has has proven that he's a capable backup.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: He's won some games before. Like you said, I think
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: if he hasn't cemented himself as a starter by now,
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: he probably won't remember he had that almost entire year
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: when Roethlisberger's elbow got hurt, so he had almost a
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: full year of starting, and then you know the smattering
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: of games here and there. But the thing I think
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: you would keep in mind with Mason Rudolph two is
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: I think that Pittsburgh is a good spot for him.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: Like you said, he may still have one more opportunity,
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: like you said, if Rogers gets hurt, or maybe the
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: Steelers up front with him and said, hey, we think
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: he's gonna sign with us, but we're not sure. So
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: if he does, he's going to be the guy. But
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: if not, it will be you at least for one year.
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: Plus. The guy is well loved.
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: In Pittsburgh too, particularly with how he conducted himself with
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: the Kenny Pickett drama too, how he just came in
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: and was a good guy, played well, and really.
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: Got the team around him.
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: So if this is his last hurrah, then I'm glad
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: that it's with us too. But it's if you're gonna
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: win now, it probably has to be Aaron Rodgers and
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: not Mason Rudolph, I'm sorry to say for sure. So
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: the other big news that we touched on a few
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: times is TJ. Watt is holding out. He's looking for
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: a new deal. Miles Garrett has gotten his new contract,
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: I think, Micah parsons. I don't know if he's getting
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: gotten it yet or if he's about to, but obviously TJ.
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: Watt wants the deal. He's sitting out from what I recall,
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: the last time he went into contract negotiations, he actually
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: overrode his agents and just signed a deal when they
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: told him he could get a better deal. So if
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: I'm not misremembering that, there could be part of him
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: that just thinks he's owed that now.
• 19:39
  Speaker 2: And on one hand, I.
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: Agree this the defense is a night and day difference
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: when he's not on the field. On the other hand,
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: I think that now that they've gotten Aaron Rodgers solidified,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: they could probably have more of those discussions with him
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: in good faith. But again and talking about doing things
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: outside the Steeler norms. They don't normally negotiate contracts like this,
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: so I think they'll make an exception for t J. Watt.
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: But kind of interested to hear your thoughts on that situation.
• 20:18
  Speaker 4: My You know, I understand everyone once get paid their
• 20:26
  Speaker 4: market value, but I'm actually a real surprised like TJ's
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: gonna be, you know, holding out, holding in whatever it is. Again, Look,
• 20:39
  Speaker 4: I got it when he had his last contract. He
• 20:42
  Speaker 4: was well firmly in his prime and deserve to be
• 20:48
  Speaker 4: played paid as the highest player paid player of the league.
• 20:52
  Speaker 3: I have to say, though, after this contract, like.
• 20:58
  Speaker 4: I'm I'm as if I'm Steelers, I'm hesitant to pay
• 21:02
  Speaker 4: him to be the highest paid player that in you know,
• 21:07
  Speaker 4: the defense side of the ball, because his availability, not
• 21:11
  Speaker 4: because his ability. And I think that he could continue
• 21:16
  Speaker 4: to play at a high level for three or four years,
• 21:20
  Speaker 4: you know what I would assume to be the duration
• 21:23
  Speaker 4: of the contract extension. But he's missed a lot of
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: games and to give that much guaranteed money would be
• 21:33
  Speaker 4: a big gamble for the franchise.
• 21:35
  Speaker 3: And if if you're later in your.
• 21:40
  Speaker 4: Career, so he's thirty one years old, like and you
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: just signed Aaron Rodgers, like I feel like playing hardball
• 21:53
  Speaker 4: when like the franchise has been you know, I think
• 21:57
  Speaker 4: the franchise really has been trying to do good by them,
• 22:01
  Speaker 4: and like all the same points we were talking about
• 22:04
  Speaker 4: Aaron Rodgers, though, Russell Wilson, the justin Field's the inability
• 22:11
  Speaker 4: to just give up, laid down and rebuild like they
• 22:15
  Speaker 4: just don't. That's not in their DNA. It's because they're
• 22:18
  Speaker 4: trying to win for guys like TJ.
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: Watt. So I think it's to me, it's a bad
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: look on TJ. Watt.
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: Okay, I'm I mean, I see where you're coming from.
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: I don't know that I necessarily agree with it though.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: On I do, though, want to point out that the
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Steelers have the highest paid defense in the league and
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: now their star player is asking for more money. And
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: we've talked about it a lot too. What good did
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: having the highest paid defense do for us? Well, particularly
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: the last five games of the year last year, but
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: during these last several years where we've been struggling to
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: find our footing and get past that first round of
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: the playoffs, we've.
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: Talked a lot about the offense.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Being pretty piss poor, and let's be honest, it was.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: It was very piss poor at times. But there were
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: other times where we've sat here and talked about games
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: and we're like, man, today, the offense did what they
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: were supposed to do, but the defense could not get
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: off the field like was it last year where they
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: opened not this past season but the year before where
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: they opened against the forty nine ers and in at home,
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: and the forty nine ers just walked all over that defense,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: and it's like, guys get off the field.
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: Anyway.
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: I say all that to say that I wish that
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: the Steelers, regardless of what happens in this contract situation,
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: spend some money on the offensive side of the ball.
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: I don't think they're going to have a huge splash
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: trade or splash signing. I don't know that any big
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: free agents are available anymore on offense. But at a
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: certain point we got to throw money at the other
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: side of the ball. So I think TJ. Watt probably
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: deserves to be paid. I understand the logic of what
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: you're saying, where they've done things to try to win
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: for him and for other guys like him, when frankly,
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: if they wanted to, they could just trade him and
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: get a king's ransom for it. But at the end
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: of the day, his brother's career kind of ended rather quickly,
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: I think due to injuries. So for the same reasons
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: that you might say the Steelers should be hesitant to
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: pay him, I think that's why he should be going
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: out and trying to get the bag because you don't
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: know how quickly it's going to end.
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: So could I provide a rebuttal?
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: Sure?
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: I mean, what am I gonna say?
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: No? Yeah? He good? Okay.
• 25:11
  Speaker 4: So Cameron Hayward, I know he is about a contract
• 25:19
  Speaker 4: in duration older than t J Watt, but last year
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: he signed the extension that essentially put him at the
• 25:27
  Speaker 4: very end of top twenty money at defensive tackle. Yeah,
• 25:32
  Speaker 4: there is no one in this whole entire world that
• 25:36
  Speaker 4: watches football that would say that Cameron Hayward is not
• 25:40
  Speaker 4: worth top ten money based on his true value because
• 25:46
  Speaker 4: even though he's older, he is very capable. I'm not sure.
• 25:52
  Speaker 4: I believe he might have been in All Pro at
• 25:54
  Speaker 4: least a Pro bowler last year. So he's one of
• 25:59
  Speaker 4: the best in the game. But he left money on
• 26:01
  Speaker 4: the table. You know, he left money on the table
• 26:03
  Speaker 4: because he wants to win.
• 26:05
  Speaker 2: Maybe he left it on the table for TJ.
• 26:09
  Speaker 3: It could have been Okay, here's why.
• 26:14
  Speaker 4: Okay, I've never been in the position. I can't make
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: that call, but like you know, when you've made so,
• 26:23
  Speaker 4: he had like.
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: One hundred and twenty eight.
• 26:26
  Speaker 4: Hundred and thirty two million dollar contract on the last one.
• 26:31
  Speaker 4: I forget how much he made on the previous ones.
• 26:34
  Speaker 4: So let's say his career earnings are already a two
• 26:37
  Speaker 4: hundred million, and now you're gonna go out and try
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: to get another one hundred and sixty million when you
• 26:46
  Speaker 4: could get another one hundred and twenty million. I know
• 26:51
  Speaker 4: this sounds great to say this, but like, what is
• 26:54
  Speaker 4: forty million dollars.
• 26:58
  Speaker 3: When like I'll tell you.
• 27:01
  Speaker 4: What TJ or jj watt jj watt would.
• 27:04
  Speaker 3: Trade forty million dollars for a Super Bowl?
• 27:09
  Speaker 4: Like wow, I'm not saying that that could happen, but
• 27:12
  Speaker 4: like those guys like when you make Like when you
• 27:17
  Speaker 4: think about it, it's like, what is two hundred and
• 27:19
  Speaker 4: sixty million dollars that you have in your bank account
• 27:23
  Speaker 4: when you when you didn't win and you.
• 27:26
  Speaker 3: Have three hundred million?
• 27:28
  Speaker 4: Okay, great, you can hire more landscapers to prune your garden.
• 27:35
  Speaker 4: You can you can build a sicker pool. I don't know,
• 27:40
  Speaker 4: you can do whatever.
• 27:41
  Speaker 3: Like who cares?
• 27:43
  Speaker 4: I don't get it, Like when you're a quarter billionaire,
• 27:47
  Speaker 4: who gives a crap about money?
• 27:50
  Speaker 3: That's my viewpoint because we're down.
• 27:53
  Speaker 4: Here, you and me, we're we're fighting for that million,
• 27:57
  Speaker 4: you know, and we we still have a pretty good life.
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: So all right, So here's here's where I'll draw the
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: line a little bit. Here he is entering in the
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: last year of his contract, so he is due for
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: an extension. Anyway, I am okay with him missing this
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: part of the off season. Once we get into Le'Veon
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: bell territory, that's where I draw the line, and I'm
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: with you, like, okay, this crossed the line. This is
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: not good. On a personal note, the part of the
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: current NFL, not just like with this situation, but all
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: the NFL contracts that kind of is a pet peeve
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: of mine. Is anytime one player gets some sort of
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: new contract or new extension, and immediately after that, all
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: the other quarterbacks and a lot of it's a lot
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: of times the media spinning and probably the people's agents too,
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: but all the Let's say that Josh Allen gets a
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: brand new contract extension that makes him the highest paid player.
• 29:02
  Speaker 2: In the quarterback then it's.
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: All of a sudden, well, where's Patrick Mahomes' contract extension,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: Where's Lamar Jackson's new contract? And it's almost like they
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: get into a pissing war with each other to see
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: who can have the highest contract by like zero point
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: five million. Anyway, that's a pet peeve of mine.
• 29:20
  Speaker 2: I don't think TJ.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Watt is holding out just because Miles Garrett got a
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: new deal. And if you look at the way Miles
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: Garrett conducted himself to get his new deal, totally different
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: than what TJ.
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: Watt's doing.
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: TJ Watch just said, Hey, I'm not coming until we talk,
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: until we have a new deal. Garrett tried to demand
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: a trade, took out an ad in the paper, said
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: the team is not focused on winning, and he wants
• 29:43
  Speaker 1: to win a super Bowl, and then magically they gave
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: him a lot more money and everything was fantastic in
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: Cleveland again. So look, I understand where you're coming from.
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: I just I'm not at the point in the season
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: where I'm gonna knock the guy for it, Nor do
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: I think he's necessarily conducted himself poorly in a public
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: situation either.
• 30:06
  Speaker 4: So yeah, that's also what has Patrick Mahomes done, what
• 30:14
  Speaker 4: has te or Tom Brady done.
• 30:16
  Speaker 3: They left money on the table. They could easily.
• 30:21
  Speaker 4: Been the highest like paid player in the league. They
• 30:25
  Speaker 4: could always restructure their deals. They never did because they
• 30:30
  Speaker 4: wanted to give the team the rest of the money.
• 30:34
  Speaker 3: And guess what they won? Super Bowls? Buddy, they won.
• 30:42
  Speaker 4: Between those two quarterbacks, they have won like half of
• 30:45
  Speaker 4: them over the last fifteen years. So I I I
• 30:52
  Speaker 4: don't know I'd follow that bluep printed if I were them. True,
• 30:56
  Speaker 4: but in as much as defensive ends get, it's as
• 31:00
  Speaker 4: much as a quarterback.
• 31:02
  Speaker 3: Well yeah, but if he's gonna if he really wants.
• 31:06
  Speaker 4: To get paid top money, I mean, he's gonna get
• 31:08
  Speaker 4: over forty million dollars, which that's what Dak Prescott gets
• 31:13
  Speaker 4: on an annual basis.
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: Well, we don't need to go down the Dak Prescott
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: rabbit hole.
• 31:20
  Speaker 3: But just I'm just throwing it out.
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: There, right, I just and my rebuttal to you, Actually
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: it might have been.
• 31:28
  Speaker 4: His last contract. I think he actually got it well
• 31:31
  Speaker 4: a huge deal last year.
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: But well, my rebuttal is that if if the Steelers
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: are going to tennis, I know, if the Steelers are
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: going to get their next quarterback in the next draft
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: in the first round, that means they don't have to
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: give him a massive quarterback contract until twenty thirty one,
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: So they don't have to worry about paying a quarterback
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: for the time being. And for now they can give TJ.
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: Watt the money. Then by that time we won't have
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: to worry about TJ anyway once that contracts up.
• 32:05
  Speaker 3: True.
• 32:05
  Speaker 1: But counterpoint, look at the best teams.
• 32:12
  Speaker 4: In the league right now, they got really good wide
• 32:16
  Speaker 4: receiver twos.
• 32:18
  Speaker 3: I mean.
• 32:20
  Speaker 4: We barely got a wide receiver one.
• 32:26
  Speaker 3: I don't mean that like so derogatory.
• 32:28
  Speaker 4: Is just like that calf got paid top five wide
• 32:32
  Speaker 4: receiver money.
• 32:33
  Speaker 3: He's not a top five quarterback or a wide receiver
• 32:35
  Speaker 3: in the league. I'm sorry he's not, but you know,
• 32:41
  Speaker 3: I just you should think about it because.
• 32:46
  Speaker 4: It's like it's still you can provide them flexibility. We
• 32:50
  Speaker 4: could find a way to like trade again, go all in,
• 32:55
  Speaker 4: like if this is the year, then it's like if
• 32:58
  Speaker 4: there's like we just had Gabe Davis come through, right,
• 33:02
  Speaker 4: I'm not saying he's like a game changer, but you know,
• 33:06
  Speaker 4: we can get some wide receivers to round it out.
• 33:09
  Speaker 3: We could throw a late round draft pick.
• 33:15
  Speaker 4: For like somebody that like Rogers would extremely like but
• 33:18
  Speaker 4: might have a bigger contract.
• 33:21
  Speaker 3: I think like Davante Adams. Right, Oh boy, I'm just.
• 33:26
  Speaker 4: Saying, like is that more exciting, Like you know he
• 33:31
  Speaker 4: gives up ten million dollars, but we get our wide
• 33:34
  Speaker 4: receiver room now has Davante Adams in it, and we
• 33:38
  Speaker 4: had to give up a fifth rounder.
• 33:39
  Speaker 3: I'm just throwing a hypothetical out there.
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: So the problem is though that they might be able
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: to have those conversations with TJ.
• 33:46
  Speaker 2: Watt.
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: But I don't think they're having discussions with TJ Watt
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: right now. I think they're having discussions with TJ. Watt's agent, don't.
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: I don't know who his agent is.
• 33:55
  Speaker 3: But well, agents want to get paid more.
• 33:59
  Speaker 4: They're player to get paid more because hire the contract.
• 34:03
  Speaker 3: Hire their pay on this.
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: So that's my point.
• 34:05
  Speaker 1: Yes, and it's their job as an agent to get
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: the highest contract possible.
• 34:11
  Speaker 4: So what the player always has the ability to say,
• 34:15
  Speaker 4: I don't need that much money.
• 34:17
  Speaker 3: I'm totally cool with this.
• 34:21
  Speaker 2: I get it. I just don't think those are the
• 34:23
  Speaker 2: conversations they're having.
• 34:25
  Speaker 3: Shh.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: It's gonna be funny when he signs the extension like tomorrow,
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: after we've had all this and he gets paid more,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: but it's still friendly and there's no drama whatsoever.
• 34:42
  Speaker 3: Yeah, but it's it's more fun to talk about like that.
• 34:44
  Speaker 2: I know so.
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: Well.
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: Was there anything else you wanted to say about the
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: contract situation. I did not expect us to talk about
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: that longer than Aaron Rodgers, but here we are there.
• 34:58
  Speaker 4: I go, mhm, No, I mean other than that, it,
• 35:07
  Speaker 4: I mean, is there anything that you've heard many camps
• 35:11
  Speaker 4: are coming up?
• 35:12
  Speaker 3: You Are you excited about any of the rookies that
• 35:15
  Speaker 3: we got? Not?
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: Really, I don't mean to say that. No, I mean
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: we talked about it when we did our NFL Draft recap.
• 35:27
  Speaker 3: This.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: I kind of view this as like a meat and
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: potatoes draft, Like we didn't take a quarterback in the
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: first or in the first round, so there wasn't like
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: anybody who I think is going to come in and
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: like set the world on fire. But I do think
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: these were all like positions and things we needed to address.
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: So I think that Derek Harmon, the first round pick,
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: will probably uh, I mean, I know, such a hot
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: take the first round pick, is going to have the
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: most playing time, but obviously I think he's gonna have
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: the biggest impact. And I do think that Caleb Johnson
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: out of Iowa, the running back they took in the
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: third round, is going to see a lot of playing
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: time just because as much as I love Jalen Warren,
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: I don't know that he's going to be the featured
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: every down back. Even if the Steelers tried to make
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: him the every down back, I don't think that would
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: work out well. So I think we'd see Caleb Johnson
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: in you know, third down situations or short situations, whether
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: it's the goal line or anywhere else on the field.
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: So those are the two guys that I'm looking forward
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: to seeing the most. And honestly, I don't know if
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: you feel the same way as I do, but with
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: the offense, it just kind of feels like at different
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: times they've had a lot of pieces there. I mean, again,
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: not a strong wide receiver corps, but you do have DK.
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: Last year we had George Pickens. We saw flashes from
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: him quite a bit. We also saw flashes of him
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: fighting the other team and all kinds of other crazy
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: stuff too. But you know, you've got Jalen Warren and
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: Naji Harris. You've got these two objectively great tight ends,
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: and you're just kind of like, when are we going
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: to put it all together? So you kind of hope
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: that when you have someone like Caleb Johnson there with
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers. You're just hoping that something's gonna come together.
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: We're gonna see a competent offense here. So to answer
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: your question about the rookies, if Caleb Johnson can compliment,
• 37:27
  Speaker 1: not almost said Nagy can compliment Jalen Williams, I think
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: that'll be that'll be good for the offense. So I'm
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: excited for him.
• 37:39
  Speaker 3: I did see an interesting article.
• 37:43
  Speaker 4: This person provide a lot insight and I agreed with it.
• 37:47
  Speaker 4: Something that Arthur Schmid did bring to the offense that
• 37:51
  Speaker 4: was lacking under Canada was he at a higher rate
• 37:55
  Speaker 4: of play action, which is Aaron Rodgers bread and butter.
• 38:01
  Speaker 4: But he was poor on motion before the snap, which
• 38:08
  Speaker 4: is one of the things that some of the higher, more.
• 38:11
  Speaker 3: Explosive offenses do.
• 38:15
  Speaker 4: So I do think again, like going back to the
• 38:18
  Speaker 4: Aaron Rodgers thing, Aaron Rodgers is a very smart guy
• 38:23
  Speaker 4: and he might be able to kind of help that
• 38:26
  Speaker 4: offense in a way that's more intangible and.
• 38:32
  Speaker 3: Get the most out of it.
• 38:33
  Speaker 4: Because I do think Arthur Smith was a step in
• 38:35
  Speaker 4: the right direction, so I am encouraged.
• 38:38
  Speaker 3: By that too.
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: I mean, you and me would have been steps in
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: the right direction.
• 38:44
  Speaker 2: But even even if they hired us, and we just.
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: Told whoever the quarterback was, even if it was still Kenny, like, hey,
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: you do whatever you want, Like, it could not have
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: been any worse.
• 38:56
  Speaker 3: Right.
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: One thing I think was intro last year was that
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: one of the rumors was that Arthur Smith wouldn't let
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: the quarterbacks audible with the line of scrimmage. And part
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: of me believes it, but part of me at the
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: same time is like, really, Russell Wilson is gonna stand
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: up there and be like, oh no, the coach that
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: I can't call on audible anyway, I don't think if
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: that was true. I just can't imagine Aaron Rodgers being like, Okay, coach,
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: you got it. I feel like if he gets up
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: there and sees something he doesn't like hill audible. So
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: that's something that I'm looking to pretty early on. Actually,
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: I'd like to see what kind of changes get made
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: at the line, because I think that'll be telling too,
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: Like who was really who can you place the blame
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: at on offensively, at least for the Steelers skit at
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: the end of the year last year.
• 39:58
  Speaker 4: Yeah, it's probably to your point about the audibles. It's
• 40:03
  Speaker 4: probably a little bit of truth in booth like it's
• 40:05
  Speaker 4: probably not as drastic, but probably was like in certain situations,
• 40:11
  Speaker 4: stick to my play calls and stuff.
• 40:13
  Speaker 3: And but no, I honestly like Aaron ras smart enough
• 40:22
  Speaker 3: and as long.
• 40:23
  Speaker 4: As Arthur Smith smart enough, like uh, we had.
• 40:29
  Speaker 3: It can go one of two ways, right.
• 40:30
  Speaker 4: It could be the Bruce Arians let them do it baby,
• 40:34
  Speaker 4: he wants he wants to throw it at the one
• 40:36
  Speaker 4: yard line, fine, maybe see something that we don't see,
• 40:42
  Speaker 4: or could go down the Todd Haley route and they
• 40:47
  Speaker 4: the offense looks better in a way. But then there's
• 40:52
  Speaker 4: definitely some friction in quarterback cakes that guy.
• 40:56
  Speaker 3: So I don't know. We'll see, right, all right.
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: Well, one fun topic we talked about, and I'll see
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: if I can articulate it well, was.
• 41:08
  Speaker 2: This past two off seasons, we've seen the Steelers.
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: Make a lot of trades, do a lot of free
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: agent signings, and last year we had Russell Wilson as
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: the quarterback.
• 41:17
  Speaker 2: This year we've got Aaron Rodgers.
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: And I don't know about you or any of our
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: listeners out there, Eric, but I would have never thought
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: in a million years that either of those two guys
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: would have ever suited up for the Steelers combination of
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: just a combination of the normal Steelers way, which is,
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: you know, we don't really do signings like this, We
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: build through the draft and we'll occasionally make a trade,
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: and also a combination of I just never thought that
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: those two guys would ever come to Pittsburgh, So kind
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: of a fun topic that I thought to discuss would
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: be a two parter. The first part is are there
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: other players from the past that we have viewed the
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: same as Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson that we never
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: thought would come to the Steelers, but maybe there was
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: a realistic chance at some point that they could have come,
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: And would you have wanted them to come? And by
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: the flip token, are there any players that you would
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: have said Nope, absolutely not, I do not want that
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: person on my team. I don't care what.
• 42:22
  Speaker 2: The circumstances are. So I'll let you take the lead
• 42:27
  Speaker 2: first on this. Are there any players that.
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: Maybe had a situation similar to you know, Russell Wilson
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: or Aaron Rodgers that you just never expected to come
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: to Pittsburgh. But now that we you know, have this
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: these two years of Russ and Rogers where you're like, oh,
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: maybe that would have worked out.
• 42:46
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean Aaron Donald comes to mind because he's
• 42:53
  Speaker 3: a pit grad. And then like you know, they won
• 42:58
  Speaker 3: the Super Bowl.
• 42:59
  Speaker 4: But then like towards the end of his career, he
• 43:04
  Speaker 4: always kind of seemed to waiver on retirement, like he
• 43:07
  Speaker 4: wasn't fully there. But maybe like if in the right circumstance, yeah,
• 43:13
  Speaker 4: you would have done it. So of course I would
• 43:17
  Speaker 4: have loved to man, we would have drafted him twenty.
• 43:21
  Speaker 3: I think came on twenty fourteen.
• 43:24
  Speaker 4: If we would have drafted him rookie contract during the
• 43:29
  Speaker 4: Killer Bees years, Oh my god, that team would have
• 43:34
  Speaker 4: won at least one Super Bowl.
• 43:36
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I believe it. So yeah, I mean he's the.
• 43:42
  Speaker 4: Guy that that's the one I think would have been.
• 43:47
  Speaker 4: Could you imagine him and cam haign were just reaking
• 43:52
  Speaker 4: avc you know, another pick grant On that too would
• 43:58
  Speaker 4: have been brievous. I think he would have been interesting
• 44:03
  Speaker 4: around the same time, a little bit later into his
• 44:07
  Speaker 4: career than Donald, though obviously.
• 44:10
  Speaker 3: He kind of bounced around with a few teams around
• 44:13
  Speaker 3: that era.
• 44:13
  Speaker 4: But we really needed some cornerback help man mid twenty tens.
• 44:21
  Speaker 4: Don't look that was hot garbage. I mean, Cortes Allen
• 44:30
  Speaker 4: Sequez Golston, we had over the hill, Ike Taylor, Artie
• 44:41
  Speaker 4: burns Man. We had some rough patches there. So yeah,
• 44:47
  Speaker 4: those were the two that came to mind.
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: All Right, I'm gonna do one that's kind of well
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: similar in the sense he went to the same college
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: as Aaron Donald. I was thinking of Larry Fitzgerald actually,
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: so his situation in this hypothetical would have been a
• 45:12
  Speaker 1: lot closer to like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers. It
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: would have been definitely at the tail end of his career,
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: passed his time. I'm thinking twenty nineteen twenty twenty for
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: one or one or both of those years. But the
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: reason I was thinking of him was obviously it's got
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh connection. He probably wouldn't have left Arizona for
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: any other team. I think it was pretty and he
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: still may not have ever come to the Steelers.
• 45:44
  Speaker 2: But again, this is a hypothetical.
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: But I'm looking at twenty nineteen twenty twenty. Those were
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: twenty nineteen was the year that Big Ben got hurt.
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: That was supposed to be, you know, the first year
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: without Antonio Brown, so we were supposed to see, like,
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: who was really responsible for all that success, and we
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: didn't really get to see it, so to speak, because
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: of the injury. But I'm looking at twenty twenty and
• 46:18
  Speaker 1: if we remember in the COVID year, that was the
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: year the Steelers started, was it eleven in l and
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: then ended the year that was still sixteen games? So
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: one and was it one and four?
• 46:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah? That gets you.
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: That gets you to sixteen.
• 46:35
  Speaker 2: It's too late to do math.
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: But anyway, the reason I say Larry Fitzgerald is because
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: that would have been his last hurrah. I don't know
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: how effective he would have been, but maybe playing for
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh on a team that for almost three quarters of
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: the year was undefeated and was hot, albeit with some
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: major flaws, it might have been interesting to see what
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: they could have done and maybe, just maybe they would
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: have beaten the Browns in that stupid playoff game that
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: they which I still maintain is the worst loss in
• 47:11
  Speaker 1: franchise history. But anyway, that's why I say Larry Fitzgerald.
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: Might have been interesting to see him come home to
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: Pittsburgh to see what that Steelers team could have done,
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: which was probably the last gasp of a I don't
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: want to say great, but a good Steelers team.
• 47:34
  Speaker 3: Yeah for sure.
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: All right, players that I do not did not ever
• 47:40
  Speaker 1: want to come to Pittsburgh.
• 47:42
  Speaker 3: Let me see it.
• 47:42
  Speaker 2: I mean there's a lot really.
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, do you have any that you would
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: never want to see?
• 47:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah? Perfect?
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: Oh yeah, he was a great.
• 48:01
  Speaker 4: I don't even think his talent really outshine. Just how
• 48:08
  Speaker 4: unstable and how.
• 48:11
  Speaker 5: Stupid he could be, Like like that that game right,
• 48:19
  Speaker 5: like where he knocked out ab and you know we
• 48:24
  Speaker 5: ended up getting the win when you know Ben's arm
• 48:29
  Speaker 5: was not even functioning, Like we couldn't even Ben could
• 48:34
  Speaker 5: throw the ball ten feet or ten yards down the.
• 48:36
  Speaker 4: Field and like, right, yet they like he made that
• 48:40
  Speaker 4: stupid play.
• 48:41
  Speaker 3: I just he was stupid dirty.
• 48:46
  Speaker 4: But like people would always like compare him to like
• 48:50
  Speaker 4: the Steelers no quote unquote dirtiness. But like there's a
• 48:55
  Speaker 4: difference of like heinz Ward doing a crack block crackdown
• 48:58
  Speaker 4: black that.
• 48:59
  Speaker 3: Like that was legal, right, Like.
• 49:05
  Speaker 4: You know, breaking Keith River's jaw might be intense, but
• 49:09
  Speaker 4: like heines Ward's not gonna apologize for hard hits and
• 49:15
  Speaker 4: hidden head to head was not illegal at that time,
• 49:22
  Speaker 4: and so but like Bervic was a headhunter, where I
• 49:26
  Speaker 4: think Heines Ward would just like he would try to
• 49:30
  Speaker 4: make strong blocks and he tried knock the lights out
• 49:33
  Speaker 4: of you, but not to the point of like.
• 49:37
  Speaker 3: He didn't have to torpedo his head at you to
• 49:40
  Speaker 3: do it. So like I just that guy.
• 49:45
  Speaker 4: Just I couldn't stand so because I thought of other players.
• 49:50
  Speaker 4: But like there's guys that are like Ray Lewis or
• 49:56
  Speaker 4: Tom Brady. It's like, hell, you tell me you don't
• 49:59
  Speaker 4: want them on the team down, They're like arguably the
• 50:07
  Speaker 4: best at their position to ever do it.
• 50:09
  Speaker 3: Like, you know, I didn't like playing against him, but right.
• 50:17
  Speaker 4: I would sure have been excited as they put on
• 50:20
  Speaker 4: a Steelers uniform.
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I normally try to have a different
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: answer than you, just for the sake of variety, but
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: I'm racking my head, and I that's literally the perfect answer.
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: I I've never seen someone impact a game as much
• 50:43
  Speaker 1: as he did in that playoff game that you mentioned
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: both positively and negatively. Felt it felt like when we
• 50:51
  Speaker 1: were watching that game in Martinez, that he single handedly
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: sealed the game for the Bengals three different times and
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: then turned it right back to the Steelers another four times.
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: Very odd, very surreal, And that was I feel like
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: that's probably the weirdest NFL game that we've ever seen.
• 51:11
  Speaker 3: Oh yeah, and we watched it together.
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that was a fun night.
• 51:21
  Speaker 3: It was.
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: Don't know of any other places where other patrons will
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: walk around a bar giving you of their homemade jello shots.
• 51:29
  Speaker 2: But I won't complain.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: We made it through the night. But I just mean
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: the Martinez aside. The game itself, like with everything you mentioned,
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: and all the other drama too, was just odd.
• 51:42
  Speaker 2: But no, back to Perfect.
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that guy, I he he kind of reminds me
• 51:48
  Speaker 1: a little bit of Draymond Green.
• 51:50
  Speaker 3: But I guess.
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: Yeah, And that's why I didn't want to And I
• 51:58
  Speaker 1: don't think Draymond. I don't think Draymond. How do I
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: want to say this. I'm just gonna leave it. I'm
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: gonna just agree with you is Draymond is good. Draymond
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: brings more value. I'm just talking about the vocal stuff
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: and the antics. But that's the closest comparison I can
• 52:18
  Speaker 1: think of. But but yeah, Perfect just I don't get it, man.
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: It just it's something about those guys who have all
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: the talent in the world but just can't keep their
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: head on straight. I don't know, yeah, or, in Perfect's case,
• 52:37
  Speaker 1: knock other people's heads off. So all right, Well on
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: that happy note, was there anything else you wanted to
• 52:45
  Speaker 1: touch on before we sign off for the month.
• 52:49
  Speaker 3: Yes, good show.
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: All right, we got way more content than I thought
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: we would, but that's what happens when you get the
• 52:55
  Speaker 1: two of us together to talk about contract negotiations. Right
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: for the for the world famous accountants, Eric vammin Shotten,
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: I am Nick Detulio. And this has been another episode
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: of the GameHouse dot COM's Steelers Country Weekly