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by The Athletic
The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os, and tackle the ins and outs of roster building. They meticulously follow the details of why we all love this sport and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. You want year-round draft coverage? You'll get that here, too, with draft expert Dane Brugler. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show.
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This week’s mailbag yielded one of the best hypotheticals we have ever received…and a bunch of other very good questions too. Who are the NFL’s best pass blocking RBs? What are some current NFL trends that may seem archaic in the near future? And are defense-first Super Bowl champions here to stay? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer that and more.0:00 Welcome to the show1:51 Finishing piece to a Super Bowl-losing team5:19 Best pass blocking RBs10:57 NFL trends that will seem archaic soon19:17 Creating vs chasing a trend27:59 Position groups with most potential lost to injury30:15 Drafting QBs if all other picks were voided42:32 Are defenses getting smaller?45:34 Historical trend of defense-first champions49:42 Bryce Young’s contract extensionHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For every Will Anderson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there's a Robert Spillane and Parker Washington. In other words, for every superstar who clearly left his mark on a given season, there's a role player who also helped define what the league was, and were it could be going. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight the players who quietly defined the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown:0:00 Welcome to the show3:14 Parker Washington11:36 Byron Murphy II19:00 AJ Barner20:20 Colby Parkinson28:15 Reed Blankenship & Evan Williams34:49 Devon Witherspoon41:45 Robert Spillane46:30 Kamari LassiterHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the first installment of Lingering Questions this offseason, we cheated by asking the same question about four then-rookie quarterbacks. Now, we're kicking this thing off for real. We still have questions about the Cowboys, Commanders, and 49ers. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask - and try to answer - those lingering questions in today's episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown:0:00 Welcome to the show3:08 Cowboys offense23:46 Jayden Daniels & Commanders collapse39:42 49ers young defendersHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the second and final edition of our annual Supporting Casts miniseries, we flip our attention over to the NFC where, frankly, things are a whole lot more loaded. Is it as obvious as it might seem at the top? Who was the breakthrough team from last season? How many different times will Derrik Klassen shock Robert Mays? The guys rank the 16 NFC supporting casts on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.0:00 Welcome to the show3:17 Commanders5:08 Giants9:10 Panthers12:27 Saints18:27 Cardinals23:09 Falcons29:24 Buccaneers34:17 Packers42:37 Seahawks51:06 Lions57:00 Eagles1:01:16 Vikings1:05:50 Cowboys1:09:10 49ers1:15:57 Bears1:19:34 RamsHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
They say if you give an NFL team an inch (drafting Ty Simpson), they'll take a mile (trading the farm for Myles Garrett)...isn't that what they say? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen get to the bottom of just how aggressive is TOO aggressive in today's NFL on this mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. They also discuss the most toxic potential pairings for this upcoming season, how to build an ideal edge room, and much more.Rundown:0:00 Welcome to the show0:47 Going “all in”11:47 Trading stars for premium picks19:01 Switch order of NFL Draft and free agency?28:15 Toxic NFL pairings (via Malort infusions)37:03 Best talent-per-dollar positions49:44 Building an edge room55:49 Tone around Declan Doyle vs Mike LaFleurHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tight end Charlie Kolar caught 10 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns last season. In the offseason, he signed a three-year deal with the Chargers that guaranteed him $17 million and put him inside the top-20 earners at the position based on annual average value. How does a guy who puts up in a season what Brock Bowers does in a good week end up as one of the most important players at the position? Allow him to bring you inside the tight end revolution on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown0:00 Welcome to the show4:55 Why are TEs booming?14:40 Rams impact16:39 Seahawks impact17:28 Bears next evolution?23:03 Value of early downs31:44 Importance of unpredictability39:51 Charlie Kolar interviewHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our Lingering Questions series is back, and we kick it off this year with a doozy. Four rookie quarterbacks had at least 250 dropbacks last season, and at least three of them will start in 2026. So, what really were the rookie seasons for Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into all four on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown0:00 Welcome to the show2:42 Cam Ward21:19 Jaxson Dart37:18 Tyler Shough52:50 Shedeur SandersHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Last season's Seahawks became the latest team to prove that you don't need an elite quarterback to win the Super Bowl. An elite supporting cast can do just as much heavy lifting as a quarterback who appears headed for a gold jacket. So, which teams have the best supporting casts in the league? Which teams have the worst? We'll explore those questions over two episodes, divided between AFC and NFC. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen rank the AFC supporting casts from worst to first.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSenior Producer: Katy DuffySocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @RobertMaysFollow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os, and tackle the ins and outs of roster building. They meticulously follow the details of why we all love this sport and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. You want year-round draft coverage? You'll get that here, too, with draft expert Dane Brugler. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show.
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