Best of The Herd

MASSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Colin reacts to Aaron Rodgers announcing his desire to play for the New York Jets next season. Super Bowl champion Michael Robinson joins the show in studio to discuss the Rodgers news and if the Jets are a Super Bowl contender with the 4-time MVP

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of Herd podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every weekday from twelve to
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is the Best of the Herd with Colin Cowhern on
Fox Sports Radio. Oh it is Wednesday. We're still waiting

(00:28):
or are we? Live in Los Angeles? Wet, damp, still raining,
in cloudy and cold Los Angeles. It's the Herd wherever
you may be and however you may be listening. Thanks
for megging us part of your day to start today,
All sorts of movement, all sorts of anticipation. Jason McIntyre
is joining me, the house Jets fan who's going crazy

(00:51):
on this stuff. So I've got some information today, can't wait? Wait?
Are you talking about NCAA tournament information or Aaron Rodgers
stuff on the phone this morning, on the phone last night.
Went to dinner with somebody last night who's connected. So
you're ready to go fired up? Okay, So I'm told

(01:12):
the framework and the compensation for Aaron to the Jets
is done. Everybody knows what the compensation is going to be.
Mostly it's all kind of done. The question becomes, what
are they waiting for that? I don't know. Aaron Rodgers,
I was told last night, has told people that list

(01:33):
is nonsense. He did not give them a list that
said like a lot of things that are ambiguous with
Aaron Rodgers. The Jets signed Alan Lazard to a contract
that is clearly one of the asks by Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets would not have signed Alan Lazard if not
for Aaron Rodgers pursuit. They wouldn't have hired Nathaniel Hackett

(01:54):
without the Aaron Rodgers pursuit. So Aaron can downplay it
and say the list is suspect and I don't buy it.
In the media doesn't know anything, but Alan Lazard is
a Jet for one reason, and hack it's a Jet
for another reason. I do not know what is holding
is up. My guess total guests would be there's like
a David Bakdiri piece, his best friend on the team,

(02:15):
left tackle backtr is getting old, may retire, you know,
maybe he wants them to go over there. I do
not believe Odell Beckham is a deal breaker. That's what
I've been told that Odell Beckham's not a deal breaker.
So let's just pretend. Let's pretend Aaron Rodgers is now
a Jet. Let's pretend it. I don't think we're gonna

(02:36):
find out by today. I don't and I do not
know what's holding it up. But ideally it would look
like Brady to Tampa or Stafford of the Rams first year,
get it going, win a super Bowl. Everybody loves it.
What we don't want it to be is Russell Wilson
to Denver. But when you start lining up the errand

(02:58):
to the Jets, the similarities are overwhelmingly Russell to Denver.
I'll give you five. Number one. Russell Wilson and Aaron
Rodgers are polarizing. They're not your classic unifier. I mean,
Russell Wilson's getting dragged by every former Seahawk. To his credit,
he never fires back, but Russell gets fired on. Aaron

(03:20):
is not your classic unifier. Wasn't that close to a
multitude of teammates. First thing they have in common, Stafford
Brady much more than unifiers. Number two. If you look
at the offense for the Broncos and the Jets. It's similar.
Offensive line is weakness of the roster. They've got some
really good young receivers, but none really proven. Number three.

(03:44):
The defense for the Bronchos and the Jets is the strength.
Both have an amazing young corner, Patrick Sartan for the
Broncos when Russell Wilson got there, and sas Gardner for
the Jets. Number four, you have a young, unproven coach.
Both Hackett came from stable winning Green Bay and Robert

(04:04):
Sala from stable winning San Francisco. Have we overvalued Sala
and Hackett because of the great organization they came from.
Both unproven, one's already whiffed, the other one has a
losing record. And number five. Whereas Stafford and Brady went
to the much softer NFC, Russell went to the AFC,

(04:29):
bruh a lot harder over here, Aaron's going to the AFC,
and both with Russell and Aaron to the Jets. There's
a superstar quarterback in the division just moving into his
prime as Russell and Aaron move out of the prime.
Here's another one. Brady and Stafford inherited great offensive coaches.

(04:54):
Mcvay's brilliant got golf to a Super Bowl and highly
paid Bruce Aaron worked with Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, big Ben,
two time NFL co to of the Year. Russell went
to a newbie who we overvalued because he came from
the winning Packers. Aaron's going to Robert Salva. Has he

(05:14):
been overvalued because he comes from the winning Niners? Here's
something else. The Rams stand Cronky and the Bucks ownership
hands off. Not so for the Jets. Woody Johnson wanted
to beat with Aaron. It's not the way I worked
with the Rams. McVeagh did all the work with less snee.

(05:37):
The GM on Matt Stafford, Stan Cronky was stayed away
from it. He let those guys work the room. So
if you're looking at the last three quarterbacks star quarterbacks,
to move Brady to the Bucks, Stafford of the Rams
and Russell to the Broncos, this lines up across the
board feeling much more like Russell to the Bronco unproven coach,

(06:02):
defense with an elite corner o line to weakness, talented
receivers but young and unproven. AFC Conference is brutal and
both Russell joining a division, the AFC West with a
star quarterback and Aaron joining a division the AFC East
with a star quarterback. No bears over here, just some

(06:28):
food for thought. I'm hearing the framework and the compensation
they got figured out. I have no idea what's holding
it up. But Alan Lazard is absolutely a move to
appeal to Aaron Rodgers. All right, so this is interesting.
Ezekiel Elliott Zeke is done in Dallas. According to sources

(06:50):
this morning, the Cowboys are set the part ways they should.
He's toast. It'll be a one year, eleven point eight
million dead cap hit. But he signed that big contract
and he was never the same pre contract. He was
a two time rushing champ, a bunch of attempts, arguably
the best back in the league after the contract if

(07:11):
you take his the accumulation of a couple of years
after the contract, sixty seven yards per game and no burst.
Tony Pollard has been the most explosive running back for
the Cowboys for two years. Why doesn't he get more carries?
Because the Cowboys have been trying to justify the contract.

(07:32):
For the record, this is why you don't give Austin
Eckler a big deal. It's why the Cowboys of franchise
Tony Pollard. It's why the Giants franchise se Quon Barkley.
So there's a lot to learn here. Do not give
running backs second big contracts. But more than that, more
than that, the lesson to be learned here, and I'm

(07:52):
not sure Dallas can fix it. Don't try to justify
your pick. Don't try to justify your contract. The Kansas
City Chiefs Clyde Edwards Hilaire, first round running back, picked him,
and they liked him this year. They're like, yeah, we
got a seventh round guy we think is better, more dynamic,
will play him. Kansas City didn't care. They were not

(08:15):
trying to justify a first round running back pick. The
minute they found a seventh round guy with more of
a burst, more dependable, more pop, they played him because
Kansas City's about winning. The Cowboys aren't. They're about Jerry
Jones winning if it validates what amuse he is, what
an insider football acumen. It's what Jimmy Johnson complained about

(08:36):
for years. First couple of years when Jerry owned the Cowboys,
he was in the business ops department. Jimmy told me
multiple times he never saw him the first year they
didn't see him for the first year and a half.
Jerry was building the business, and then Jerry's like, Okay,
I built the business. I want to have some fun too.
I want to sit in the warm room and I
want to talk to reporters after games. And Jerry loves
to be thought of as a football guy. What he

(08:59):
is is a brilliant businessman, a maverick, an outsider who's
now an insider. He's earned every penny of that, the reputation,
the money. Jerry deserves credit. What he's not as a
football genius. It drove Parcels off, Jimmy Johnson off, and
for all we know, they're gonna regret the Kellen Moore move.
I think they will in the end. The Chiefs moved

(09:22):
off a first round running back to a seventh rounder.
Didn't have any ego, didn't have any ego. It's like
the seventh round kid. He's cheap, he works hard, he's dynamic,
he picks up first downs. We'll go with him. The
minute they gave Zeke the contract, they had to justify it.
Jerry had to justify the contract. Tony Pollards had more
pop and been more dynamic for two years. Why is

(09:44):
Zeke getting more carries? You watch the games. I watched
the Game's Pollard's the home run hitter. Why are they
trying to justify Zeke? He's a short yardage back, that's
all he is. He's like a pitcher's got too many innings.
He can go five innings, can't go seven. Forget a
complete game. Not gonna win that much. So as you
try to justify your contracts and justify your picks and

(10:06):
hold on to people, there's the lesson learned. Don't justify
a coaching hire smart teams move off him quick. Don't
justify draft picks. Guy doesn't work. I'll give the Jets credit.
They're done with Zach Wilson. Now I'll give him credit.
They're like, hey, didn't work. The GM's got to suck
it up. I think I think Joe Douglas a very

(10:26):
good general manager. He whipped in a quarterback. It's hard.
Belichick can't get the wide receiver position right, and he
may have just lucked into Brady. So, I mean, Kansas
City didn't have the ego of Dallas. Kansas City's winning
and Dallas keeps disappointing. But this is the right move.
It should have been the right move a couple of
years ago. They keep feeding him the football for the

(10:49):
last two years, and anybody that goes to a Cowboy
game or watches them knows Pollard's the guy for the
last two years. Give them the ball. To their credit,
they're gonna franchise tagging, which is what you to do
with Austin Eckler, who I love Pollard, Love se Quon Barkley,
love your franchise tag him. They make their money early,
they make some money late, but lessened learned pre contracts.

(11:14):
He was a monster post contract, sixty seven yards a game.
Yet he is the highest I believe cap hit for
a running back in the National Football League. All right,
a lot of stuff going on the Aaron Rodgers stuff. Again,
have no idea what's holding it up. My guests would
be Aaron's trying to kind of he's he's kind of

(11:34):
given them parameters. One of them was Alan Lazard. One
of them may have been David Baktiar. That's a total guest,
but Lazard's already in house, Baktr's near retirement. My guess,
is there one more deal they want to make. Aaron
has told friends, though the list that came outs nonsense.
It's make believe. Aaron's in a space now where he

(11:57):
wants you to believe that. Adam Schefter, Ian Rappaport, Anna Russini,
the media, nobody knows anything. Our government doesn't know anything.
Only I know anything and my sources and my guys,
which is a very small camp. But I don't think
all these lists just happen out of thin air. I
do think Aaron said, gimme al Lazard and the Jets

(12:17):
just signed him. And the Jets would not have signed
all Lazard. If Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to go to
the Jets or at least be a target, they wouldn't
have signed it. They have Corey Davis why, and they
got two good young receivers they could draft another. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays and
non Easter not a Empacific on Fox Sports Radio FS
one and the iHeartRadio app. Tom Paula Sero is a

(12:39):
very good reporter. Packard Packers Jets continue to negotiate on
a Rogers trade, not agreed yet final on final terms.
Green Bay's not looking for multiple first round picks, so
there is something holding it up. I'll throw a theory
at you. Now this is out there, but I'll throw
a theory at you. You know, I have said I

(13:01):
wouldn't leave if I'm Aaron Rodgers, I wouldn't. Green Bay's
a better, more functional. I've also predicted Aaron fifty nine
is staying with Green Bay. Aaron knows the Packers were
not going to resign Mercedes Lewis or Alan Lazard, and
he knows his friend Nathaniel Hackett was unemployable after the

(13:23):
tire fire in Denver. Aaron just got Hackett a coordinator job,
Lazard a contract with the Jets, and maybe Mercedes Lewis
and Aaron will stay in green Bay. This was all
to get his guy as contracts because green Bay said, Aaron,
we're not going to sign Lazard. We can't. And so

(13:45):
Aaron said, all right, but I like Alan Lazard. I'm
a gam a contract. Remember Lazard complained on Instagram. I
think it was recently about the Packers not getting a deal.
So Aaron took care of Lazard, got him a deal
with the Jets. They'll move off. Corey Davis is gonna
get Mercedes Lewis a deal, and got Hackett unhirable after

(14:06):
that utter disaster. He got him another coordinator deal in
New York, and then Aaron announces today or tomorrow, I'm
staying with Green Bay? Is it nuts? So they continue
to negotiate. I don't have great aeron sources. I have
three different packer players I've talked to since the Super Bowl,

(14:27):
And you know, Aaron can be a little bit manipulative.
He has that right. Tom Brady, by the way, had
certain things he wanted. Lebron James has certain things he wanted.
Peyton Manning went to Denver. There were certain things he wanted.
So let's not pick on Aaron like he's the only
guy that wants things. I thought the list was a
little absurd. OBJ wants twenty million a year. That's a

(14:47):
big ask for a receiver that's talented but broken a lot.
Green Bay is not looking for multiple first round pick
so it does not appear to be a pick thing.
It's not a pick thing. So there is something holding
it up. Is it could be small Aaron trying to

(15:09):
get Mercedes Lewis, Adele or Cobb or something. I think
Cobb's gonna stay in Green Bay one more year with
Aaron now we're being my guess, but I'm just throwing
a theory out there is that Aaron has never really
intended to leave. Aaron knows the NFC's week, the division's weaker.
He loves where he's at. He likes his offensive proven coach,
he likes his quarterback coach. He's got a better online

(15:31):
in green Bay. Aaron knows all that he's not a dummy.
Man keeps saying, why would you leave? I said this yesterday?
Why would you leave? Green Bay is like one of
the five six functional organizations in the league, Pittsburgh green Bay,
like they do it right. Why would you leave? Well,
the challenge, I don't know. Don't try to get happier
than happy at the challenge. Aaron's a year or two

(15:53):
from quitting retiring, so he's doing all of that. Now.
You could say, man, that's burning or bridge. What is
he care? Not Like Robert Salin, Woody Johnson and Aaron
are tight, but Aaron floats all this stuff out there.
It gets lazarda deal, Mercedes, a deal, hack an unemployable
coordinator job, and then at the last second he's like,

(16:14):
I can't agree and they bring him back. Am I nuts?
In general? You're nuts, but this is actually quite good.
I do like this colin, especially because then the Jets
would not end up with Rogers. Is there a chance
that maybe the Jets are seeking a two year commitment
from him? And he's a guy I don't know. I'm
thirty nine, I don't know where I'm gonna be next.
Very can't commit to two. I know in Green Bay

(16:35):
one and I can be done because I don't have
great sources on Aaron Rodgers. I was told last night
that the basic framework of it is in place. Now
here it's saying it's not. They've They've yet to agree
to trade terms, so there's something holding it up. I mean,
they're not miles apart. There are probably those stipulations Aaron

(16:57):
is asked for and he wants. At this point, we're
all guessing, but I do think it's fascinating. Ask yourself,
would you leave a well run company to a chaotic
company in a tougher work environment. Aaron doesn't need New York,
he doesn't give her. He's never in New York. Aaron's
a golf guy, a West Coast guy, a Midwest guy.

(17:18):
You're not a Northeast guy. Doesn't care about that Aaron
doesn't need to get more famous. I mean, I've always
felt you with standing Green Bay buy an inch fifty
one forty nine. But I think I'm might what I
after talking to people last night, I'm probably wrong. Won't
be the first time. It does sound like they got
a lot of this thing's gotten inertia, it's got momentum,
it's almost done. Let me ask why, if you are

(17:38):
the Jets, would you be seeking to add a thirty
nine year old quarterback for one because you're desperate. You're Cleveland,
You're a desperate pot is locked up to Shaun Watson.
They have no quarterback questions for the next five years. Okay,
the Jets. Essentially you get Rogers, you go all in
and as you open with this, ain't Stafford in the
NFC or Brady in the NFC, And then you're gonna
be back to the drawing board in ten months from now, Guys,

(18:01):
show the thing. I said this this morning. I'll do
more of it later, but this morning I said, if
Aaron Rodgers does go to the Jets, I don't have
any confirmation of it. If he did, it was funny.
I went down and looked at the standings, what I
would predict this morning playoff teams. I would have the
Chief Spingles, Jags, Bills winning their division, the Charger, Steelers,

(18:24):
Broncos as wildcard teams, and the Dolphins and the Jets
beating up on each other, splitting and just knocking each
other around two. I won't last the whole season. Aaron
first year will be bumpy, so I don't forget the
super Bowl. I do not see the Jets as a
playoff team with Aaron in year one. That's probably as
I said yesterday, if you go to Aaron's first year

(18:45):
with Lafleur and Hackett, it wasn't a great year. His
first year as a starter wasn't a great year. I
don't think it's going to be this wildly. It's a
defensive coaching lean, a defensive coaching culture. This is not offense.
He's had McCarthy offense, he's had the flour offense. He's
had better offensive coaches. Now it's a defensive culture. Can

(19:06):
we pull that back on the screen. So my only
two pushbacks are Number One, we talk all the time,
there's gonna be seven new playoff teams. How many do
you have different? Okay, Okay, the AFC just two stealers
and Broncos that's it. Well so well, well, well I
have four new ones in the NFC. Okay, fair enough.
So I think the AFC, because you have transformational quarterbacks,

(19:26):
is much easier to protect the NFC. Who's the best
quarterback total crapshoot. So the other thing is in your scenarioho,
this is an absolute worst case scenario for the Jets.
You missed the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers ain't coming back after
they missed the playoffs one year, the coach is getting fired,
the GM is getting fired, and you're starting a new
without a top draft pick because if you're finishing ninth

(19:47):
in the AFC, you're probably drafting what twelfth, fifteenth. That
is absolute worst case scenario for the Jets. Yeah, I'm
not saying I'm right. I'm just saying I think Pittsburgh's
got a lot of momentum and like a good point,
I don't think Jets realize how loaded the AFC is.
Like there's a good chance the Jets missed the playoffs
with Rogers, Mac Jones gets a real offensive coordinator. Two

(20:08):
is back. They were dynamic last year, and I think
the AFC East Buffalo is just better, and I think
the other three teams will be good and they'll just
beat up on each other. I think the Patriots, Jets,
and Dolphins all have things. They're great at defense, a
legendary coach, dynamic offense. They'll just beat up on each other.
Be sure to catch live editions of the Herd week
dayson noun Easter nine am Pacific. I wish I had

(20:31):
better sourcing on Aaron Rodgers. I have talked to three
packers since the Super Bowl. None are super tight with Aaron.
All like him, but you know, Aaron's his own guy
with a small social circle, so they're not terribly tight
with him. They're all like us, kind of wondering what
he's gonna do. None of them know what he's gonna do.
And that's what's really interesting. Three packers I've talked to,

(20:53):
None know what he's gonna do. And by the way,
two of the three are on offense. They got no idea.
But I did say that let's because something's holding this
thing up. Tom Pella Sero, very good reporter, Ian Rappaport,
good reporter, Adam Schefter, good reporter, are all reporting the

(21:17):
Jets and the Packers are negotiating, all reporting the terms
aren't finished yet. So those are three high end reporters.
They're all saying the same thing. They're in negotiations, but
they can't quite reach a deal. Why not? Is it?
It's not first round draft picks according to Palasaro, So
it doesn't feel like it's a draft pick thing. Is it?

(21:41):
One more buddy going to the Jets from the packer?
Could be? I don't know it is. Pelasaro reports they
haven't agreed to terms, so there's something between the two
teams who both want a deal done. The Jets want
to deal done obviously, and Green Bay read between the
lines sounds like they're ready to move on as well. So,

(22:03):
I mean, there was a report two weeks ago that
a long time Packer reporter said they're disgusted by how
they've been treated by Aaron Okay. So, and that was
a guy that covered the Packers for thirty years for
the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. So something's holding them up. I
don't know what it is. We'll monitor if we get anything.
I want to throw this out though I said the
AFC is different in the NFC. I would not leave

(22:25):
Green Bay if I was Aaron Rodgers, I would not.
It's a very stable franchise in the NFC is different.
If you asked me today to predict the AFC playoff teams,
if Aaron went to the Jets, I would not have
the Jets as a playoff team. I think New England
the Jets in Miami are gonna beat each other up.
I think the four superstar quarterbacks in that division in
that conference will win their division again. Burrow Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence,

(22:49):
Josh Allen, Justin Herbert I think gets in because now
he's got a great coordinator. Kenny Pickett's got something, and
I trust Mike Tomlin and that culture as Pickett in
Rooves and Sean Payton and Russell Wilson I think will
elevate the entire franchise. I think the Dolphins, Jets, and
Patriots will all be very strong. None good enough to

(23:10):
sneak in. And by the way, here's an example of
the difference between conferences. You're only as good as the
quarterbacks you face, right, So here's who Aaron Rodgers faced
this year this past year at quarterback, Justin Fields and
old Brady Bailey. Zappi with a defensive coordinator, Zach Wilson,

(23:30):
Taylor Heineke, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield. Okay, there's some good ones.
Josh Allen once is a pretty good one. Jalen Hurts
is obviously really talented too, has got some talent. Here's
who we would face as a Jet next season at quarterback, Oh,
Josh Allen twice, Mac Jones twice, with an offensive coordinator

(23:51):
Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert. Another year of improvement for Jalen Hurts,
Russell Wilson, was Sean Payton, super Bowl quarterback, Garoppolo, and
Deshaun Watson r. It's a different neighborhood. It's it's a
totally different ball game. So not I mean, he faced
DAC last year, he'll face DAC this year. Hurts last year,

(24:12):
Hurts this year. Although I think Jalen is getting better.
You know, every year we've seen Jalen Hurts, he's made
another leap. So I think you'd get a better Jalen
Hurts this year than last year. But it's it's, uh,
you know, this idea that he's gonna go to the
Jets and they're just gonna take over Bill Belichick and
I don't know, I don't know Belichick, Mike McDaniel, Josh Allen,

(24:34):
Bill's roster. That Jet thing is no and we don't
have they don't have a great ownership group. It's still
most of the offensive players or kids, I mean, the
Jets best offensive players, Bryce Hall, they like, they like Breees,
all the two receivers, they're kids. They've got kid offensive
line even they're great. Uh, they like one or two

(24:56):
of their offensive linemen. They're pretty young. So I think
it's a it's a tough ass to ask Aaron to
walk in and win the division, get to the playoffs.
That division's a handful. Every team's got something great McDaniels,
and that offensive speed is great, elite. Belichick, defensive brain,
defense elite, Josh Allen elite. Every team's got something that's elite.

(25:18):
You got to get through that stuff. AFC is a
different ballgame entirely. Hey, I'm Doug Gottlie. The podcast is
called all Ball. We usually talk all basketball all the time,
but it's more about the stories about what made these
people love their sport and all the interesting interactions along
the way. We talked to coaches, we talked to players.

(25:39):
We tell you stories you download it, you listen to it.
I think you like it. Listen to All Ball with
Doug Gottlieb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or ever
you get your podcast. All right, So Aaron Rodgers just
told pack McAfee this is what we kind of predicted
last hour. Quote. Today is not a decision day. In fact,

(26:00):
that's already happened. We're days past that. So this is
what I was told last night. Is that the framework,
the agreement stuff, there's a lot of it done. There's
something holding it up that I have zero sourcing on.
I've talked to three Packers players too, havem offensive. They
don't know, so nobody knows. So Aaron saying, it's not

(26:22):
a decision day, that's already happened. So what Aaron, So
let's put connect the dots. Mark Murphy said, will do
what Aaron wants. He talked in past tense, as if
Aaron had already told him. Moved me. The Jets have
brought in Hackett and Alan Lazard. It looks like they've
made moves to initiate the eron trade. Tom Pellicero acknowledges

(26:48):
they're negotiating. They haven't finalized terms So what Aaron is
saying is he's already made a decision. In fact, it says,
quote today isn't a decision day, that's already happened. Where
days past that? Days being Friday or Thursday. That's what's
been reported by Boomerasiason and Trey Wingo that that it

(27:10):
was agreed upon last week, faded complete over that parts over.
He's made a decision, right there you go. Do look
at you? You are beside yourself. I'm not. I'm a
little more h Maybe I need a darkness retreat after this.

(27:30):
So let's parse the quote for a second. This isn't
me deciding and announcing to the world what's going on
that's already happened. This is clearing things up. Okay, so
the Jets, why wouldn't you announce it and then clear
it up at the introduction of past conference or whatever?
What are you clearing up now? Well, so let's go
back to the quote the decision has been rendered. Do

(27:53):
you believe that is he's leaving Green Bay? Do you
believe that I believe this is a man who watched
Lebron's decision a decade ago when Lebron captivated the world
Lebron's now considered the goat by many in the NBA.
I watched I believe Aaron Rodgers watched Tom Brady make
a decision to leave New England go to Tampa when
a Super Bowl be the goat, and I think Aaron
Rodgers wants attention. I think this is him thinking, I'm

(28:15):
on Tom Brady's level, I'm as big as Lebron, I
need attention, pay attention to me. And he's got all
of us watching waiting for his decision. This is his moment.
He went into that darkness retreat and came out thinking
it's all about me. I'm Aaron Rodgers. Respect me, Green Bay.
Don't you disrespect me? Cowherd, don't you disrespect me? And
all we've done for what day is today Wednesday? All

(28:37):
we've done for three days is talk about Aaron Rodgers.
I'll read the quote again for a radio and TV audience.
This isn't a decision day. This isn't me deciding and
announcing to the world what's going on. That's already happened. Okay,
stop right, stop right there. So he's made a decision.
If he was coming back to Green Bay, why would
the Jets go sign Alan Lazard. That's not they got

(28:59):
Corey David. Why would you do that. So he's made
a decision. The Jets brought in Hackett and Lazard is signed.
So if he's telling you I've made a decision, it
does sound like the decision is the Jets. Tom Pellicero,
remember Tom Pellicero just reported an hour ago, Jets packers

(29:21):
still talking. Well, they wouldn't be talking if he decided
to stay with Green Bay. Do you think they know
the Jets and packers? Do you think they know what
he's doing? Yes, so Pellicero said, Jets packers are negotiating
at this minute. Well, Aaron just said, decision been made. Well,
if the decision to stay with Green Bay, they wouldn't

(29:42):
be negotiating. It's over. So he is clearly faded. Complete
boomeris Scias and the decision was made last week. Aaron's
going to the Jets, he's telling you, so say, I'm
going to the Jets. What are you doing? Here's something else,
There's something else. Aaron said. He went into his darkness
retreat thinking he was ninety percent retired. When he came out,

(30:07):
something changed. Well, first of all, he had light that
changed second of all, he was no longer in a bunker,
but Aaron was going to retire, came out and decided
to be a jet. Maybe when he was in the bunker,
there was such silence that a jet flew over and
it was the only thing he heard for days, and

(30:27):
it was a sign, and he said, I want to
play for the jet. Is this worse and more annoying
than Brett Farfe? I think it's fun. I'm dying. This
is fun. It's it's content. That's great, that's true. It's
also lame on some level. There's a lot of people
who are like, dude, just make a decision. Well, why
is an indecisive their life? I mean, a decision has
been made. Well, what's a decision? I'm not telling you.

(30:49):
What is that? Fifth grade? Come on, dude, grow up.
This is embarrassing for Aaron Rodgers. Yeah, and I'm going
to do a darkness retreat. And I came out and
I know my decision. I'm not telling you though, like, oh,
come on, it's goofy okay. So these are the things
we know. Read the quote one more time, so it
said Aaron said, today's not a decision day. It's already happened.
So that tells me he's it. He has decided on

(31:12):
the Jets because Tom Pella Sero is reported Jets packers
still talking. Well, if he decided on the Packers, there's
no reason they'd still be negotiating. He also said he
was going to retire. Came out something changed, He said
after darkness it was clear to him that although the
packers were saying the right things publicly, they were ready

(31:33):
to move on that we kind of that's been fairly obvious.
So all right, so really, wait one more from an
NFL network guy, James Palmer. Rogers said he heard there
had been a shift from the packers and that some
shopping went on. What does that mean grocery shopping, closed shopping,

(31:58):
free agent shopping. I don't know, Matt, throw my hands
up at this clown. I'm really upset, Colin disappointing. I
think you know what. You love this. You're loving every video,
every second of it. Well, this is a classic situation.
I don't give a rip if I'm right. Fans want
to be right. I couldn't. I couldn't care less. I
would I would stay in Green Bay if I was

(32:19):
Aaron Aaron is saying the franchise. His vibe is they're
ready to move on. So he was ninety percent retired,
went to the retreat, came out and said, I'm gonna
prove it to you. I'm gonna go to the Jets. Okay,
So here's another one here. We just said this. Aaron
Rodgers just a minute ago said quote, his intention is

(32:40):
to play for the Jets. He's not holding anything up.
So that means the trade comp is what they're haggling over.
So there you go. Aaron wants to play for the Jets. No, no, no, not.
He decided his intention was to play for the Jets. Well,
to be, my intention was not to go to a

(33:02):
bar after I get off work tomorrow. Okay, the intentions change.
He's just playing games with everybody right now. My intention
was to play for the Jets on Friday. Well it's
now Wednesday. What's going on? God? I love this. This
is now according to Aaron about the compensation, So we

(33:24):
know everything now. It's retiring or the Jets. He's agreed,
I want to play for the Jets. That's his intention.
He's not holding it up. It's just GM's going back
and forth. We also know it's not first round picks.
We know that's not the issue. They've agreed to that
or they're not part of it. So this is all.
It just comes down to a couple of guys in

(33:45):
suits on the phone figuring out terms. So it looks
like Boomerisias and Trey Wingo were on it. Mostly on it.
That stuff. It's the stuff had been agreed upon. Now
it's just guys in suits figuring out terms. There you go,
there's your answer. Okay, wonderful, not that complicated. Cool. I

(34:08):
still don't think they're a playoff team. I think they'll
battle to the last week with the Dolphins, and the
AFC is much easier to predict because you have transformative
quarterback talent. So the best quarterback, especially when they're a
star quarterback, usually win a division right use unless there's
a coaching disaster or the NFC's up for grabs. So
the idea of it sounds like from what Aaron saying

(34:32):
is he would have come back, but he got a
real negative vibe. Aaron's vibe. Guy, he got a very
negative vibe from the Packers who are publicly saying the
right stuff, but privately they're done with him. And that's
one thing I got right. I've been saying this for years.
Rip the band aid off, move on. I mean, seriously,

(34:52):
if if I got two second round picks, I'm done.
Let's go. And the Jets signed now on Lazard. We
didn't want to sign them anyway to draft Jordan Addison
with one of our picks. Let me quickly ask you
do the Jets now hearing this that his intention is
to play for us, they've got all the power. No, okay, Nick, Kay, okay.
Here's another one. Roger said, the Packers are quote digging

(35:14):
there heels in with trade talks. So this comes down
so we know this. Aaron's ready to go. It's compensation
and the packers are digging their heels in because the
Packers don't want to be embarrassed and give up too little.
If I was the packers received, what do you think it?
I think what's fair is two seconds. No, absolutely, now
take it or leave it? You you just like you

(35:36):
deal with this guy, You deal with this diva. Yeah, fine,
we're not giving them to you. Okay, enjoy Zach Wilson,
have fun with the Jordan love battle and Aaron Rodgers
he doesn't want to come back. He just said his
intention isn't play for the Jets, and then he retires
in the cap, hits like, who cares? Jordan was free? Well,
I care get him out of the building. Jets, don't give,
don't hold first. Aaron is saying, we got all the

(35:59):
answers here. The Packers are digging their heels in and
they want more than the Jets are offering. The Jets
are saying, we just signed Allen Lazard. We have limitations here.
So I think what's fair is two seconds. You're not
you're getting more than a third, So so what they're
probably Jalen Ramsey, a quarterback in his prime, got a third.

(36:21):
He's a corner. Aaron Rodgers a thirty nine year old
washed quarterback. Now he's a diva going on darkness retreats.
He's not washed. Oh, he just had his worst season
in a decade. He rushed for ninety eight yards last season.
He's immobile. He's like Russell Wilson, Oh, come on this. Yeah,
Russell's not washed and Aaron's not washed. They're they're both

(36:42):
very good players, very very good player. At least the
Jets have Nathaniel Hacket his OC to get Rodgers rod
Here's what the packers are saying. We're digging our heels
in because once you're gone, we want to make sure
because I think what the packers want is a first
round pick. Now, Tom Pella Sero says, it's not about
a first round pick, it's probably eating the contract. Right, So,

(37:05):
how much of the percentage of what Aaron is owed
are the Jets gonna pay. We'll give you fifteen mill
that we'll take. That's you're play fifteen mill and you
gotta swallow you know, twenty five, whatever the numbers are.
That's you're probably right, that's probably what it is. How
much of Aaron's contract will you eat? Because the Jets
aren't paying anybody. Yeah, we don't know if he's gonna
be here Nick for two years. Why would you pay
a bunch of money for a one year rental for

(37:26):
a guy who's a little space. That's what the Jets
are saying, and the packers are saying, that's a you problem.
You're desperate. We're not. We got Jordan Love in the building.
Oh yeah, I think the packers have a lot of spot.
Packers are like, we got a guy in the building.
We like, you have Zach Wilson. People don't forget playing.
They don't gonna like him. And you're in New York.
The media is gonna crush you. Was the Giants with

(37:46):
day Ball and Darren Waller and Daniel Jones and sae
Quon Barkley make the playoffs again, and you're over there
a tire fire on the interstate. We'll go after Matt
Ryan or Ryan Tannehill will show you we want. This
is so much fun. One more Herd. The Herd streams
twenty four hours a day, seven days a week within
the iHeartRadio app. Search Herd to listen live or on

(38:10):
demand whenever you like. Michael Robinson played in the NFL
for nearly a decade, a nine or in a Seahawk,
a Pro Bowler, Big ten, CO Offensive Player of the Year.
All was an interesting take, NFL network analyst, Well, you're
watching all this card banging into each other, and let
me ask you this, how do you think Because I've

(38:32):
talked to three Packer players since the Super Bowl, and
the two offensive guys say, we got no idea what
Aaron's doing. We got no idea. So Aaron keeps tends
to keep people kind of in the dark a little bit.
If you were a Packer player today, what are you thinking.
If I'm a current Packer player and you're going to
be coming back, you're not Alan was alread going to

(38:53):
the Jets. You're a current Packer player. What's your takeaway now? Relief?
It has to be I don't have to deal with
this anymore. It's gone. And I think the real I
think one of the bigger stories that not a lot
of people are talking about it just the willingness of
Green Beta just say go ahead on man, go ahead,
leave get out. I think they're tired of being especially

(39:15):
over the last few years, of always having to answer
these questions. And I said a few years ago on
our you know, at NFL network, like, what does Aaron want? Really?
He is the franchise guy. They come to him sometimes
with franchise moves. Yeah, they have to move on from
older players, but every team in the National Football League

(39:37):
does that. And to me, I think it's criminal that
Aaron Rodgers and myself we have the same amount of
Super Bowls. For him to be that good, I mean, honestly,
for him to be that good and supposed to be
a force multiplier and to be compared with the guys
and the greats, like the Tom Brady's, the Joe Montanas.
Because let's be honest, that's what we're talking about Aaron
Rodgers up against. We're not talking about him up against

(39:59):
just the reg little average quarterback that runs through the
national football We're talking about greatness. He said it. He's
even talked about how long he's been great in the
National Football So you have to compare him to the
other greats in one championship with fifteen sixteen years. That's
not good in my opinion. Yeah, you know it's um

(40:19):
I look at it from the Packers standpoint and they're like, Okay,
you ask us to sign guys, we don't really want
to Randall Cobbin, you don't really commit, and now we're
not getting the payoff at the end of the year
because Lebron James will ask for stuff. Brady'll ask for stuff,
but I get the payoff. Pay Manning. You'll ask for stuff. Star.
I don't care if you're a soccer star. They ask
for stuff. I'm willing to give new I'm as Jimmy

(40:40):
Johnson said, I treat Troy it in one way and
the other. Rush of the roster the other yep, but
you're not getting a big payoff I didn't get. In
fairness to Green Bay, they have compromised a lot of
what they would do normally, and they feel like in
the last couple of years we're not getting the payoff
in the weaker NFC. We can get this with Jordan
Law Agreed. Agreed. I mean the Packers are probably saying

(41:05):
the same thing I've been saying. One championship out of
all of this, and we still have to deal with
the questions at the end of every season. We still
have to deal with the issues of if we're signing
his homeboys back or not. And look, and I know
people who follow me, they you know, I've been critical
around Rodgers over the last few years because he's just
too good to have one championship in my opinion, and

(41:29):
for him to hold both of these organizations hostage like
this to me is just it's a little bit unfair.
But to his point when he does speak, oh it's golden,
I love it. Yeah, no, no, no, it's real. Though.
You're a Jets player this morning, Okay, what are you
thinking with Aaron coming to your franchise? Potentially mostly potentially

(41:50):
I'm excited, I really am. We have a legit guy
who we know can play games and win games off
of his arm, which not a lot of organizations can
say that best guy since Nameth in the organization. But
I have questions. I have questions for Joe Douglas. And
I love Joe Douglas. I think he's a great talent.
Evaluate I got questions for Robert Sala first of all, like,

(42:13):
is this guy gonna be here in the offseason? Is
this the all for one year type of a deal?
Because if I'm a guy who has a longer contract
and I'm on the Jets right now, what is that
saying past this year? And you know, and we had
this conversation a few days ago on our network, like
when did this? When did we get into this mold

(42:33):
of just going all in on one season? And I
get that it happened with the Rams. It's all good,
but look at what the Rams have to do in
the years following that. Look at what it does to
your organization, And to me, I think the decision makers
in every organization have a responsibility to make sure the
team is good, not just one year, but for the
long term. And sometimes you have to make tough decisions

(42:55):
to guarantee that. So the Packers are going to get
some picks for Aaron. My us is at some point
they're gonna draft a quarterback this year because Aaron Jordan's
been in the building so long, they're not going to
give him two years of starting. They're gonna say by Thanksgiving,
guys in the room are gonna be going up down right, like, yeah,
you've been in there. We got a lot of people
will say this though. Colin Um I went to the

(43:17):
Combine a few weeks ago. Yeah, you know, it's a
lot of buzz at the combine. Um talk to some packers,
guys talk to Aaron Jones. We did a broadcast together
and I asked Aaron on camera and off camera, where
it's just us just shooting around, just kicking it. I'm like, Bro,
is the kid ready? He took his glasses down and
he said, Mike, Rob, the kid is ready. So I

(43:37):
have to I have to believe the guys that see
him every single day. I talked to him at the
super Bowl. Yeah he said, he said, I think he's
ready to go now again, he sees him every day. Also,
Aaron Jones, a leader in that locker room. And I
think Aaron Jones is even tired of talking about the
Aaron Rodgers question after every single singye. I think guys,
are I get it? Aaron's a different cat? Did you

(44:00):
ever four years? Niners? Four years? Seahawks people have compared,
and I've I've said before, Russell Wilson and Aaron are dissimilar.
One's very religious conviction. One tends to be a bit
more agnostic and spiritual. But they are similar in that
they're not necessarily a Brady or a Peyton Manning, go
out for beers, jump on my back, I'm taking you

(44:23):
over the hill together. They're both different dudes. And it says,
not a knock on Russell, but you were you were
there for Russell. Russell gives off a vibe that apparently
a lot of Seahawks didn't like. Aaron gives off a
vibe that many people don't like when a quarterbacks like that.

(44:44):
Not a classic unifier, just not that's just he's not
going to go out and hang out with you. Is
it different? Is it? Is? It? Is it harder? What's
it like? Because you played with Russ? It is different?
And again, what I'm gonna say is not necessarily erected
specifically at Russell, but I will say the quarterback position,
it's part public relations man. You have to be able

(45:06):
to get along with every single group and group of
people in the locker room. And when you do have
a when you do have quarterbacks who aren't the unifiers
that can get that, can get that, you can have
some issues. So you got to play well. And when
I think about Russell Wilson, that to me, that was
the issue last year. He didn't play well. So whatever

(45:28):
his relationships and whatever the issues that are going on
in the locker room, they don't get solved. And I
think that's Sean Payton's biggest challenge with handling Russell Wilson
this year. Russell can still throw the football. I do
think he needs to take off a little bit more
and he can still run. For whatever reason last year
he decided not to take couldn't figure it out right.
I do think he can take off more. But at

(45:50):
the end of the day, Sean Payton needs to figure
out how Russell can affect the relationships in the locker room.
And that's just from what I hear about what's going
on in that locker room and I think if he
can do that, I think the Devil Broncos will be fine. So,
as a former player, do you have sympathy for Lamar
Jackson's inability to get a deal done or are you

(46:10):
a dude hire an agent, can't hire your mom? Where
do you land on that? Because I've said before he
wins seventy five percent of his starts in the AFC,
I'm not letting him go. I'm also not going to
guarantee all of it. I'm not gonna let the Cleveland
Browns dictate terms in the NFL. You're desperate, were not.
Baltimore is a real organization like a Seattle or a
San Francisco. They're not desperate. Vikings were with Kirk Cousins.

(46:33):
They got no rings. Cleveland is always desperate. So I'm
not gonna let anybody dictate terms for me. But I'm
not letting him go. Do you have sympathy for him though,
or are you more critical in terms of you don't
have an agent. You gotta have an agent. When you're
a superstar athlete, talk show host, politician, you gotta have
an agent, especially when you're when you're at the level

(46:55):
Lamar is the elite of the elite. Now, I'm not
one of those guys that just says everybody has to
have an agent and all those things, because I've seen
guys negotiate their deals and they've gotten the money that
they've wont yes, and some of its slotted. But at
the end of the day, when you're dealing with these
type of numbers, these type of quarterback numbers, I do
think you need to have somebody skilled at the art

(47:15):
of negotiation. Now, I do think there's a happy meeting
in this. And what I don't know, and I don't
know if anybody really knows, but Lamar in his camp
what exactly he wants. I know it's always referred to
the Deshaun Watson contract. Two hundred and thirty three million,
Get me a dollar over that, whatever you want to
call it. But to me, I mean, Deshaun Watson's what

(47:37):
forty six million per year? To me, the happy median
is you do the years like he's a running back
three years, but the money is like he's a quarterback
three years, one hundred and fifty million, guarantee the whole thing, right,
and in two years you revisit this whole thing all
over again and then you give Lamar a chance to
be with a real passing game coordination. Now the Ravens,
there's reports from the ravenside that they did offer him

(48:02):
close to what you're saying, but a one thirty five guaranteed.
So to me, that says that that's your deal. That's
it's closer to my deal. I would offer the same
thing and then give him some incentive to that he's
gonna get his one fifty. You want to show the player,
you want to give him his money, right, you know,
But at the end of the day, the player has
to understand that there is a risk here. Okay, there's

(48:23):
a risk with paying him. And I'm not in the
camp of hating or Lamar Jackson or anything like. I
think Lamar Jackson one of the premier quarterbacks in the
National Football League. I just think there's a happy media
and you have to deal with the circumstances you're dealing
with right now. I understand you think you're better than
Deshaun Watson. All good, But if your team that has
the ability to pay you right now, doesn't you gotta
do some negotiating. You know, it's interesting, but Cowboys are

(48:45):
going to move off Ezekiel Elliott. Not all positions have
the same trajectory. The Chargers probably not going to resign.
Austin Eckler, love him, had him on the show, but
he's a running back. Tony Pollard got a franchise, Sae
Kwon Barkley. It is funny in your world because you're
a You did a lot of stuff last of man, block, tackle,

(49:05):
all that special teams. When when when players play certain
more physical positions, Deebo Samuel said, Bro, if I'm taking
these hits, then I get a longer deal. How does
that play among pro athletes? Running backs in the locker room? Note,
they're never going to be paid like a receiver. They
take the beating. They've got a block. More is there? Ebert?

(49:29):
Do you think there's a resentment by zeke qu Eckler?
Did you ever have a little resentment like Bro, I'm
picking up the blitz? Yeah, I mean yeah, you get
a little pissed off, just a little bit. You know
what I'm saying, I'll play fullback. You could count on
probably one handed teams that even carry fullbacks right now.
And I've been a proponent of saying I think the

(49:49):
running back position needs its own CBA, I think they
need to collectively bargain it different for that position. Again,
no contract should be more than three years. They should
always have a hands to come back to the table.
And you know, will there be at first overall running
back pick ever, again, just because of the nature of
the position, I don't know. I still think that we

(50:12):
have generational backs coming up through our amateur ranks through
the NC double A. But at the end of the day,
if we can get a separate kind of working device
for the running backs, because again we get the ball
seven yards behind the field college all eleven defenders are
assaulting the line of scrimmage, that's the only position like that. Yeah,
I want to circle back to Aaron Rodgers. Whatever it

(50:36):
takes to get right mentally, I'm for it. Meditation, ayahuasca,
do what you gotta do. You meditate, man. I go
home every day every well almost every day today, I'll
be a day. I go home upstairs, curtains closed, lights off,
light music for an hour every day and I just

(50:57):
I just restart my brain every day. My guy, man, Yeah,
I do the same thing. Okay, so the dark room
by myself, all right, and no ayahuasca, maybe someday. So
how do you think, Aaron, Because a locker room has
a lot of different personalities, but there's also similarities. Um,
all of you went to college, right, Um, all of

(51:18):
you have been coached hard. That's the football all you take.
All you've been hurt. There's basketball is different. You can
be from Lithuania. I'm from Asia, I'm from I went
to college. I went to G league football. There's a
lot of similarities. We all went to college. It's all domestic.
And then here comes Eron. He's a borderline hippie. It's
Ayahuasca retreats. How how do you think in the football

(51:44):
world he's viewed when you talk to other players, how's
he viewed? Odd? Different? Unique? Unique, It is probably the
best word for it. Um, And they think of the
thing about football, the thing about locker rooms. Guys really
could care less what you do in your own time.
Guys could really care less what you do once you

(52:06):
leave this building. As long as you're the best version
of yourself when you get in this building, as long
as you're the best version of yourself when you step
in that huddle. So I can depend on you to
do my job to get the bag to score the
touchdown and stop the other team, whatever the case may be,
so that we can win championships. That's it. Now, when

(52:27):
what you're doing outside of this building starts still my
bag and me trying to win championships and things like that,
that's when we have a problem. That's when we got
to have a conversation. But yeah, to ask you a question, Yeah,
guys may say, oh, he's a little weird, but can
he still throw the football? Yeah? Well all right with me. Man,
he may you know, do whatever, go to the black

(52:48):
meditation room or whatever the case may be. But can
he still win games? Can he make the audibles at
the line of scrimmage? Yes? Come on, less. How many
great friends boys you'd roll with outside of football, go
to a club, go out, dinner, travel, Vegas, weekend, Bahamas?
How many guys Niners Seahawks on average? On average? Like
when I play it on, now, when you played, when

(53:10):
I played anybody in the locker room? Yeah, I think
I'm a former quarterback man, So the minute I go
into a locker room, I'm just like the quarter of verbal. Yeah,
I'm verbal. It was going on, guys, I'm Mike, Rob
was going on. What y'all like to do. Was going on. Okay,
so I hang out with everybody, man, And actually I
like the fact when I'm not when I'm hanging out
with people that don't always look like me, so I
can learn something, teach me something. And so yeah, man,

(53:32):
teammates a great hang what everybody? Oh, I like that.
But but but but Kyler Murray's not like that. Well again,
some of are this generational quarterbacks. Some of them are
a little bit different in if you, if you could,
if you are a little bit different and you being different,
get you the money and get you paid, why would
you ever change? I'm just saying that. Could you mention

(53:54):
Kyler Murray? You know? Yeah? I mean he's I've said,
We've always understood the international soccer star MESSI Ronaldo a
lot of baggage and we're like, that's good. We've always
given NBA stars come with a little baggage there, We're good.
I think we have to come to terms with international

(54:14):
sports royalty is soccer stars. American sports royalty has been
NBA superstars because they made shoe money and sports money.
We got to come to terms with if you look
at finances and cultural impact quarterbacks have become Messi and
Lebron and with that comes I'm gonna do, I'm gonna
do right, all gonna be I'm not gonna drink a

(54:38):
beer in the season, Well, I ain't gonna be it.
That's true too. And the people that are making decisions
are a little bit younger, they're they're they're more okay
with it. I mean, society is changing college, so at
the end of the day, we're just becoming cool with everything.
I mean, you get you saying people that talk about
Aaron Rodgers use the term mushrooms yea quassa so much now.
I mean, we wouldn't have done that. We wouldn't have

(54:59):
done that twenty years a go.