September 13, 2024 • 39 mins
Dan reacts to Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa's concussion in last night's game. Former NFL DB Devin McCourty talkas about the Dolphins chances if Tua is out for a significant amount of time. And NFL insider Mike Florio discusses what Deshaun Watson's future looks like in Cleveland.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We start with the Bills rolling the Dolphins. Now I'll
get to Tua and his injury in a moment. I
just want to focus on the game. This is a
sports show, the game itself. When Tua was healthy, the
Dolphins were getting rolled by Buffalo, and I know they'd
had their moments where they could have scored a touchdown
maybe to make it a ten point game. And then
(00:22):
all of a sudden, they take out Tyreek Hill and
Jalen Waddell with eight minutes to go. Skyler Thompson comes
in and Buffalo goes there. And I said, this was
a must win, must ish win for the Dolphins perception wise,
win this game even with a healthy Tua. He threw
a pick six, he had another interception that wasn't his fault,
(00:44):
but did not look good. Tyreek Hill got shut down.
I mean, if I'm Buffalo, Josh Allen didn't have a
great game, but he didn't need to. James Cook was great,
and they were able to dominate Miami Dolphins. So if
you said Josh Allen is going to throw for less
than one hundred and fifty yards and he's gonna rush
(01:07):
for less than fifty yards and be like in they won, Yes,
and that was before you had the injury to to it.
James Cook had three touchdowns there to it, throws three
interceptions and then he suffers the concussion in the third quarter.
Here was the call on that play with to a
tongue of I looa to.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Out of the shotgun back to throw, looking pressure's gonna
run with it at the five eight yard behind him
it puts his head down and gets bounced down at
the sixth and he looks.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Big Joe, oh boy.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Then he had to run.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
He wasn't sure, so instead of sliding once he got there,
he picked up a couple extra yards. It's a great effort.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
But well this is uh, this is not good.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
No, it's not.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Solo is up walking slowly off the field.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
However, you knew it right away, but if you look
at the play, he lowers his head and he runs
into Damar Hamlin of all people, and Tua initiates the
contact there. But it's not a helmet to helmet and
then you know it's one of those situations where you go,
what's he thinking? But players they react, it's instinctive. Should
(02:17):
he be out there running lowering his head. No, he
survived all last year, no concussions twenty twenty two. We
know what happened there. Now. If I go back to
the twenty twenty two NFL season, that was Week three,
Sunday one o'clock game when he was injured against the
Buffalo Bills. Clearly he had a concussion, clearly, but they
(02:41):
said that it was his back. The official injury if
you go back and look at that, it says that
he suffered a back injury. The injury report was never
listed as a concussion. Okay, Four days later against the
Bengals Thursday night concussion and it's a nationally televised game,
(03:03):
and then inactive for Week five and six. Then he's cleared,
and then a day before the Week six game, but
he was held out of that game as well. The
day after the Week sixteen loss to the Packers, that's
Christmas Day, National TV once again goes into the concussion protocol.
(03:24):
He had symptoms there. Two days later, Tua it's confirmed
had a concussion and he was ruled out of Week
seventeen and eventually Week eighteen. So that's two concussions. He
wasn't clear to return to practice since entering the concussion
protocol for the Dolphins in the wild card playoff matchup.
He was held out of that as well, and that
(03:45):
was the dolphins last game of the year. Now you say, okay,
that's three concussions. To me, it's four concussions. And I
know this gets tricky. Even last night, and the first
thing I thought of when I saw two a walk
off the field. As strange as this is going to sound,
but this is what I thought. Heinz Ward told me
(04:07):
when the Steelers played the Ravens, he went across the
field and he got his bell rung. He knew that
he was concussed. He gets to his feet and he
started limping. He said he thought that if he could limp,
maybe they would not rule him out with a concussion.
When Two is coming off the field, he starts limping,
(04:28):
and I'm wondering if in that moment he's thinking how
do I stay in the game. They didn't even take
him to the blue tent. They took him to the
locker room. And that's when I realized that this was
going to be serious again. I know that he took
jiu jitsu. He was learning how to fall, and as
I've said before, you can learn how to fall but
(04:49):
that doesn't mean the person tackling you is going to
help you with you learning how to fall. And last
year went well. But also if you look at the
Dolphins offense, it's predicated on to a not being back
seven yards. It's quick. That's why you got two of
the fastest receivers in football. If you're going to go
eighty yards with a touchdown pass from Tua, chances are
(05:10):
he threw it fifteen yards and then you took it
sixty five. It's very It's a timing aspect there, and
they were not on the same page last night. You know,
Kirk Kurbstreet was saying that. Herbie said, you know something's
wrong here. They were not in synchronicity and it's all
about timing there. And now you have Skyler Thompson the
(05:31):
backup quarterback. That's not the style that he plays. And
you know, I did think about that as well. Where
I'm going, Okay, you know you have somebody who has
at least had a couple of concussions. Yes you did,
giving that big contract. Everybody's holding their breath. But if
something happens like this could be to his last game
(05:53):
this year, and it could put an end to the
Dolphins trying to be a playoff team this year. I mean,
that's the harsh reality of this. And then we're going
to talk to Mike Florio next hour about salary cap
ramifications and look, I'm trying to be as sensitive as possible,
but my job is still to look at this through
the lens of sports, the team salary cap, quarterbacks who
(06:17):
could be available. Yes, do I like to meet his
family at the super Bowl in Miami? Yes? Always been
friendly to us. I hope the best for him. I'm
not here to say he should retire. But here's the
tricky part with this. If he is medically cleared and
(06:39):
he decides he doesn't want to play, there's a chance
that all that guaranteed money will not be guaranteed. So
imagine if you're the doctor who's going to either clear
him or not clear him, if he decides you don't what.
I want to have a long life here and I'm
not going to play. Or if he is cleared, then
(06:59):
you are more susceptible to concussions after you've had a concussion.
But this is what we've talked about even when he
got the big contract. Like I'm like I wouldn't have
given him the contract because of this. It would make
me nervous. And I know he played so well last
year and the last person who should be lowering his
(07:23):
head and taking on contact he initiated contact is Toua
and that's why do the best you can. But you
can't really protect a player from himself. Instinctively, he's trying
to get a first down there, and it was sad
because you want to see these players be great. He
is a great story. You know, the injury suffered in college.
(07:48):
You know, the Dolphins took a big chance on him,
they passed on other quarterbacks. Then you get Mike McDaniel
coming in. He brings in his offense. They're explosive, they're exciting,
Tyreek Hill, Jalen Wadnell, B Jay, They're ready to go,
and then this happens and it's sad. It really was.
It was sad to watch it last night. Here is
(08:09):
Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins head coach, on Tuba's injury.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I think it's important to approach each and every situation
to the you know, much like approach every injury with it,
which is basically, all right, we're gonna handle this particular
situation with this particular player. You know, every situation is
(08:36):
unique to its own, So you know, I think I
think there's for me. I I'm not worried about anything
that's out of my hands in terms of I'm just
worried about the human being. And you know he'll he'll
drive the drive the ship when we get the appropriate information.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
But it's day by day health.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He's clearly shook. You can hear he's struggling to find
the words. What do you say? How do you spin
this in a positive way? But you know, the Dolphins
are going to have to have football decisions to make,
and here we are, it's week two. Tua, with a
help of family friends, a doctor is going to have
(09:24):
to have a decision to make football wise as well
his future. And I know there are a lot of
people on social media said he should retire. I said
that before, but you know I'm not the one out there.
He's the one who probably thinks, you know, I can
still make this work. It's all it takes is one play,
(09:45):
one moment, And it didn't seem like it was going
to be something that led to this. He initiated the contact,
he lowered his helmet. He didn't connect with Damar Hamlin's helmet.
He initiated this went to the and I mean he
ran into Demorro Hamlin's shoulder, his bicep, and as soon
(10:07):
as he lowered his head, I go, oh, like I
didn't think he would be concussed, but I'm like, what
he shouldn't be lowering his head And then he's down,
and then his teammates knew exactly what was going on,
and then they surrounded him. So the cameras or people
in the audience in the stadium wouldn't know what's going on.
But when you see whether hands and arms are stiff,
(10:30):
I mean, it's scary. That is scary, and everybody you
know we're trying to perfect the helmet. The helmet doesn't
protect the brain. It protects the skull. It doesn't protect
the brain. But to a I don't know what the
timeline would be with anything, and I don't even want
(10:50):
to speculate with that. I just want to deal with
what is the football aspect of this. We all went
to it to be healthy. We hope that he gets
to play again. But my job is also to look
at what the bottom line is here. What do the
Dolphins do. Now, do they bring back Ryan Tannehill? Can
you get somebody who plays a similar style to Tua
(11:11):
because that's what the offense is built around. To Skyler Thompson,
they didn't look like they had confidence in him to
run that offense. Even when they get down inside the five,
they were running the football. They weren't going to let
him pass. I don't know. If you reach out to
the Rams Jimmy Garoppolo has been suspended to you say hey,
(11:33):
you know, we'll give you whatever I mean. You guys
are ready to go now. This team is ready to go. Now.
You got the Jets, you got the Bills. You know,
the Patriots might be a little more competitive. But prior
to the trade deadline, can you go out there and
get somebody in sound at your season? Is Tua going
to be able to come back? Do the Dolphins want
(11:54):
him to come back? Does he want to come back?
So there's a lot of things in play here other
than and it is a concussion, and it's a nationally
televised game. I can't over emphasize that enough. When we
see it. If this is a one o'clock game, it
resonates differently with people you're watching it, and everybody has,
(12:14):
you know, some kind of opinion on this, former players
saying he should retire. Let's get the medical diagnosis. Now
you get your bell rung. This isn't his third concussion
or fourth concussion. Chances are he's had numerous concussions. It
used to be when I was growing up, my brothers
(12:36):
would play football and they would get their bell rung.
That's like, oh, got your bell rung. Yeah, we'll get
back out there. But they were suffering concussions. We just
kind of softened it a little bit. You got your
bell rung. Okay, who would we have? Troy Polamalu, I said,
(12:58):
how many concussions he goes? I'll tell you when I'm
done playing football, But he said, I think he got
his bell rung over a hundred times. Just do the
math with this, and if your Tua, his family, those
around him, it's a lot of money. But you want
to live. You want to live a life, because do
(13:20):
you know what happens. I don't know how many people
are checking on Jack Lambert today the way he played
for the Steelers, or Mike Singletary the way he played.
Like these players play, they give everything and then they
go and then we move on from them, like Bob
Sanders the way he played for the Colts. See, that's
(13:41):
what would worry me, because we just kind of chew
you up, spit you out. Another guy comes in and
we move on, and then all of a sudden, we
see Earl Campbell in a wheelchair and we go, look
at Earl Campbell. But when he was playing, we loved it.
Love you Blue, all right. Devin Mccording former defensive back.
(14:02):
He works for Football Night in America. He'll join us
coming up next. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
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search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Hey Gang, list is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a
mental wealth podcast, and every week we will have on
leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael phelf,
David Spade, got Fiemmi, and also those who can help
us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to
someone like Ed Milett or John Gordon. We've all been
(14:38):
through some sort of adversity to get to the top.
We've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay
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Speaker 1 (14:54):
He's Devin Mccording, former defenship back won three Super Bowls
with the Patriots, now works for Football Night Erica. I'll
get to Tua's injury in a moment, Devin, but let's
look at the game itself. Let's say Tua was healthy
and they lost this game. What would we be saying
about the Miami Dolphins and their approach to the Buffalo
Bills last night?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
We would be saying the same thing we've been saying
over the last few years. They just can't get over
to hump with Buffalo. I think Buffalo's defensive scheme and
how they play against Miami's high powered offensive. Let's keep
two safeties deep, let's keep everything in front of us.
Let's force you to drive the field on a ten
to twelve play drive has been the formula, and I
think they've executed it, probably better than any team in
(15:36):
the NFL. They play him twice a year, so the familiar,
the speed doesn't surprise them, and they play to that.
And then I think, obviously the X factor is always
Josh Allen. I think I think he's one of the
best in the game, you know, top two, top three
in the game. And when he can play a style
of game for Buffalo that is just whatever they need
to win, whether it's him running last week as Arizona
(15:58):
this week, you know, only one touchdown out a lot
of yards, but controlling the game. I think it's just
hard on Miami against Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, and I think it'll get lost on how impressive
this was with Buffalo because they played great. James Cook
three touchdowns if you would have said that I got
those numbers out of Josh Allen, and they work convincingly
on the road. I mean, it's a really big signature
win for Buffalo. I didn't understand with eight and a
half minutes to go, two is out and they take
(16:28):
out Tyreek Kill and Jalen Waddell. Now I know they're
down twenty one, but I don't know. If Mike McDaniel
said we're not going to win this game, let's not
get anybody hurt.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
I think that's a feeling I think especially I think
coaches and players whoever it is, I think when you're
on the sideline in the middle of the game, you
get kind of a feeling and I think obviously when
you watch two will go down, I think you start
to read your guys of like how it's impacting them.
What are they going to do taking the field next?
Are they going to be a little too cautious? So
I think that's a thing for a coach, especially you're down.
(17:02):
It's kind of at that point in the game, you know,
even though there's eight minutes left, I think you get
the feeling of like, hey, we just need to kind
of get out of dodge. We playing on a Thursday night,
We'll get a few extra days, we'll regroup, and then
we'll go from there. I think Mike Daniel probably got
that feeling and was like, hey, let's just end this
night and get on to the next week.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
What did you see on the tuo of play?
Speaker 5 (17:23):
I mean that's the you know, listening to Josh Allen
come on and say that, like, that's the danger of
our sport, you know. I think you know, when you
play this sport and you decide to do that, you
know there's risk you're taking. And as much as we
watch this, it's kind of a routine play. It wasn't
one of those things. When I first saw it, I
thought Jamar Hamlin's knee hit two because I've seen concussions
(17:46):
happen that way. But just kind of his forearm hit
him in a place that you know, they kind of
sometimes called the sweet spot or whatever, and instantly you
can see the concussion. So but really a bang bang
play and a play that which is crazy in our sports.
You can over and over again and see it and
nothing happens. And then that one time a guy gets
a concussion, like to win, always tough to watch. And
(18:08):
you know, I think with Joshua, you're praying for him
and trying to make a decision, praying for him and
his family, but really unfortunate to see last night.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Can you put yourself in his shoes? You're twenty five
years of age, You think you're invincible, you just got paid.
This is the third, maybe the fourth concussion that he suffered.
Can you have the wherewithal to go? You know what,
Let me think bigger picture here instead of my football career.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Yeah, I think that's where you count off on your
family members. I think it's it's one of those really
tough conversations that you know, I don't think can happen
right now in the moment. I think it's you know,
as the days go on, or maybe a week goes
on and you're still out and you're thinking of having
a conversation and talking about what life looks like after football.
You know, I think it's easier for me to say
(18:57):
that now after playing thirteen years and being retired, of
knowing that there's still good life at the end of football.
But when you're in the middle of it, I think
about myself when I was twenty five, or when I
got my first concussion, I think I was twenty seven
years old, and the doubts that come on your mind
of going back on the field, all of those thoughts
that come in. I can't imagine now you talking about
(19:17):
three four maybe diagnosed.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
So what if your mom said to you, I don't
want you playing football anymore.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
But I think we would go back and forth of
me saying no, I still want to play. And I
think that's what it is. It's not one conversation. It's
a back and forth of you trying to balance people
in your life that are looking out for you. But
you also, like you said, you feel like you're invincible.
This is a game you love to play. It's hard
for someone to take it away from you where you
feel like you can still play.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
If you're Mike McDaniel, you're the Dolphins. You built this
offense around two of these are quick reads. Get the
ball to your fastest guys and let them make plays.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Here.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Can you get a quarterback who can replicate that kind
of style that Tua? If we're looking at a bigger
picture here the rest of the season, can you find
somebody like that?
Speaker 5 (20:09):
You hope? I will say from my time being in
New England, when we played them at Tua wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
We usually beat them.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
When Tula was there, they gave us a tough time,
and I think I don't think I ever beat to
towards the end of my career, So I would say
it's gonna be really hard for them. They haven't been
able to do that yet. And they've tried to do
that Teddy Bridgewater or Mike White, They've had guys in
there as backups. It just hasn't worked out. They haven't
been able to run that office the way Tua can.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Sunday Night Football, you have the showdown between the Bears
and the Texans. That'll be on Football Night in America
and coverage starts at seven Eastern on Football Night in America,
the most watched weekly studio show for eighteen consecutive years.
Talking to Devin mccordy, former Patriot champion and an analyst
for Football Night in America, I wonder if this is
(20:53):
too much too soon for the Bears to be in primetime.
You know, even the Texans, most of their game games
where at one o'clock. Last year the Bears one o'clock.
That difference as a player of playing a game in
prime time as opposed to a one o'clock game is what.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
The timing of it? What do you do? Your routine
changes dramatically, Especially, like you said, these are younger football team,
so when you have a whole season of mainly one
o'clock games, you don't even know what that other schedule
looks like. So I think that's the bigger adjustment. And
then I think it's just calming down and realizing, hey,
it's just another football game. You got to go play it, and.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
You got to enjoyed.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
I always felt, you know, being in New England, I
came into all of the primetime games and you got
to enjoyed being the only game on. Yes, you don't
want to overhype it, but I think you got to
see it as a privilege. And you know, I think
for young guys like Jalen Johnson, who missed the top
one hundred last year and was vocal about it, these
Sunday night games of what gets everybody's attention. You want
to go play your best ball. So I'm looking forward
(21:54):
to seeing both of these teams Sunday night and who
rises to the occasion and plays their best.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What does the common mistake rookie quarterbacks make.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Oh, it's not fully understanding and knowing what you're seeing.
You know, you break down the film last week of
Caleb Williams. He wasn't you know, he wasn't off by
a lot and just missing thrills. I think Tennessee did
a really good job of switching up different looks. Sometimes
it was with pressure, sometimes it was just four man rushers.
They just kept spending the dial what we call it
(22:24):
of coverages and rushes so that he never could get comfortable.
And I think rookie sometimes you think, hey, I've seen this,
I know it, and then it switches on you. You just
got to have a beginner's mindset every single play, not
just every game. Because it's these defensive coaches. They can
do a lot of different things to you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
But who did you dial into where you almost felt
bad for the rookie because they weren't what they thought
they were seeing. They weren't seeing. With the Patriots defense,
did you have one of the any did you ever
feel sorry for a rookie quarterback?
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Well, we had we had him playing against the Jets.
We had Sam Darnold, and we had Zach Wilson. I
always felt bad those young guys. I live in New
Jersey from New York originally. Well, you're in that area.
They're gonna screwtinize everything, and we would give them a
lot of different looks and pressures that it was tough
to deal for as a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
What was your Super Bowl Troit over.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Detroit? I was thinking Detroit over Baltimore is what I
picked early in the season.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Okay, yeah, you know. It's weird though. We do have
certain teams where we don't care what they do during
the regular season. It's the Cowboys. I don't care, the Ravens,
I don't care, even the Chiefs, I don't care it's yeah,
once you get to the post same thing with the Patriots,
with you guys be like, it doesn't matter. Once they
(23:44):
get in, then we find out who they are, and
we find out who the Ravens and Cowboys are in
a negative way, and we find out who the Chiefs
are in a positive way. They're just certain teams where
I don't know if there's another team that you go, yeah,
let me see what they do in the postseason.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
Yeah, I mean I think those teams, I will say.
I would say Cincinnati's kind of creeping into that where,
you know, I think a lot of people feel like
because they beat you know, Kansas City that one year,
that they're like this dominant team and you know, every
everybody's been saying it this week. They always start slow,
as if like it's a given they're gonna get going.
(24:21):
So I think people see them. I don't see Cincinnati
like that, but I think I think Buffalo is in
the same thing. Last year, they didn't play that well
during the regular season, then they somehow come back and
take the AFC East. Then it was like, all right,
what are you gonna do? Now You're gonna bea Kansas City?
So and I think the Jets will be like that
this year. And I'm the last team I'll put in
there as a forty nine ers. We know you can
(24:42):
get there, we know, but everybody the only thing they
care about the forty nine ers. I think now is
Ken you win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
What's it like to tackle Josh Allen?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
It's Kenny for one. Ken you tackle them? Is he
gonna jump over you? Is gonna run over you? I mean,
the guys tough and and I hate what people say
he has to learn how to protect himself more or
do this. Yeah, he's got to be smart as a quarterback.
But when he gets into the secondary and there's guys
like when I was out there, i was one hundred
and ninety pounds that he's running full speed. You either
(25:13):
jump over him, Josh, or you run over him. And
it's fun to watch a lot more fun to watch
than it was to play against him and try to
get him down.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Great to talk to you, have fun on Sunday night.
Thank you, Devin, appreciate a good talk to you.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
There.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Mike Florio
Pro Football Talk Live co host NBC Football Night in America.
Son of Mine Mike's second book in the Father of
Mine series, now available at Amazon for four dollars ninety
(25:49):
nine cents. Mike kind enough to join us. Let me
let me start with the Dolphins with touist situation. Let
me ask you about the possibility of can you bring
somebody in to replicate the offense if two is not
able to play for a little while, you.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Know it's not going to be easy to do Dan.
That's one of the things that gets overlooked because they
make it look so easy, the little subtle flip, the no,
look this, the misdirection.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
There was a play.
Speaker 7 (26:20):
Last night, like is this some kind of shell game?
How did waddle end up with the ball? I had
to spin it back and watch it again, and even
then it's like the ball go. So you need somebody
who can do that, or or you need to completely
overhaul the offense and build it up for someone who
has a different skill set. So it's not going to
(26:41):
be easy for them to move forward without tour for
however long, it's going to be one game, no games,
four games, rest of the season. Who knows, But it's
going to take some work because we saw the drop
off last night when Skylar Thompson came in.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Yeah, they run a different offense, and this offense was
built around to get rid of the ball quickly, not
back seven yards where he can take more hits. And
then you look at the play that he gets hurt on,
like the last person in the NFL who should be
lowering his head is to it, and I know he's
going for the first down. Everybody wants to be a hero.
(27:13):
You want to play, you want to be aggressive, you
don't want to be treated differently. But now he's down,
Now he's out. Can the NFL step in at any
point with all of these concussions with a player.
Speaker 7 (27:27):
Well, I don't know how directly the league can step
in and supersede medical judgment. I could see some winks
and nods, some conversations that never happens, some knowing glances
for maybe doctor Alan Sills, the head of the NFL's
medical office, to doctors. But even then, at the end
of the day, what are doctors comfortable doing. We haven't
(27:48):
seen many NFL players who are told by doctors you
cannot continue. We will not put our name at the
bottom of this piece of paper authorizing you to play,
even though you want to play. I think the closest
was Javid Best, remember him, the running back from cal
who had a significant concussion.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Injury history at the college level.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
Came to the NFL, had a fairly innocuous head hit
the ground while he was falling down October of twenty eleven.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Never played again, and we never got a clear answer there.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
But that may have been a case of sorry, that's it,
this is one too many.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
You're not getting clear to play again.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
That's the only way that Tua would be out, and
it could set up a fight.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
If the NFL says you're never allowed to play again,
he can go find a doctor that says he's fine.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
And at what.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
Point does the player have the ability to supersede the
NFL's judgment that he's had one concussion too many.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And once again, we're trying to be sensitive. Obviously we
want to he to be able to play, but this
is about the football aspect of this. If Tua can't
play anymore, what are the financial implications for the Dolphins it?
Speaker 7 (29:01):
And this is a critical question, Dan and I think
at was glossed over last night by folks who were
throwing out the idea he should just retire.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
There's two different questions here.
Speaker 7 (29:10):
One is he never cleared to play again even if
he wants to play. Two is he cleared to play
but chooses not to play. If he's never cleared again,
he gets over the next three four years, one hundred
and sixty seven million dollars from the Dolphins because that
money is guaranteed for injury. So if the door is
(29:31):
slammed from a medical standpoint by doctors on his ability
to play, he gets every penny of it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
If he's cleared.
Speaker 7 (29:38):
But he says, you know what, I'm just I'm done.
I know I'm cleared, but I'm retiring. That one's sixty seven.
That's gone massive financial ramification. So on one hand, it's not
the time to talk about money, But on the other hand,
it is because this is one of the major variables.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
You know, he chose to keep going a couple.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
Of years ago after two or actually three concussions in.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
The twenty twenty two season.
Speaker 7 (30:04):
Without that much money riding on it.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Now it's there, it's gone.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
If you if you're cleared by doctors to play and
you retire, that money is gone.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah, I mean the pressure to clear him or not
to clear him, and then what TUA decides to do.
I mean, this is a difficult I mean, this is
really by want him back out there, Yes, but even
then I wouldn't have signed him up long term, talked
about it in the moment. I just you run this risk.
(30:37):
And even though they have an offense that's geared towards
him getting it out quickly, here he does lowering his
head into Tomorrow hamp I mean I thought he hit
his knee or maybe tomorrow Hamlin's helmet, and then I realized,
you know, you're just more susceptible to concussions. And that's
I can't imagine what that independent doctor is going to
(30:59):
you know, and then what happens after that.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
And let's remember this, Dan, it's independent of the team.
The doctor isn't independent of the broader NFL shield. This
isn't some doctor that you find who has no connection
whatsoever to the National Football League. So at some level,
for the same reason that there were pressures subtly or
(31:23):
otherwise put to bear on doctors when it wasn't independent,
this concern that you've articulated what does the league want here?
And will there be a way to send that message.
We don't want them to be cleared, or we do
want them to clear it.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Who knows. But this isn't being cynical, it's being realistic.
Speaker 7 (31:40):
That person's on the NFL's payroll, and that's why they
have independent doctors in the first place, because they know
the doctors on the team's payroll will be influenced by
what the team wants. The doctors on the league's payroll
will be influenced by what that doctor believes the league wants.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
He's Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk Live co host NBC
Football Night in America. Deshaun wants status. Now, how would
you describe sort of where he is Cleveland Browns are.
Speaker 7 (32:07):
Well, there's one key question. We don't know the answer too,
and I think the fact that I can't get the
answer gives me the answer. And it's very simple. Did
Deshaun Watson disclose to the Browns in signing his twenty
twenty two contract. This claim that was made this week
(32:28):
because there's language in there under paragraph forty two that
exempts anything that was communicated to the Browns in writing
by way of claims, if this is a new claim
that wasn't disclosed, and if he's suspended, the Browns can
avoid his remaining guarantees and release him. And it's ninety
two million dollars total for twenty twenty five and twenty
(32:49):
twenty six. This is their get out of jail free card.
And I said Monday, before we even knew the lawsuit
was coming, you got to wonder if the Browns just
wish something would fall from the sky and he'd get
suspended and they could tear up those guarantees. And I
hope plenty of Browns fans are hoping that's what happens.
And this is where we have this weird, awkward convergence
of real life issues, allegations of sexual assault and football
(33:12):
issues where man, we're really.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Stuck with a bad contract. Is there a way out
of it?
Speaker 7 (33:17):
There's a way these dominoes fall down that will allow
the Browns probably after this season, the way it would
work out from a timeline standpoint, if it all falls
their way, if this is what.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
They want, they can avoid the ninety two million dollars
and move on.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Okay, but you're a lawyer here, The timing of this
A Monday, after a bad performance, it becomes public, like,
I don't know how long this has been in the
works here, and was somebody fed information to then reveal
information to then all of a sudden to have a
ground swell and now we have a story.
Speaker 7 (33:50):
The lawsuit alleges there was an effort to settle the
case before it was filed. I think there would be
a discrepancy between the two camps as to how earnest
and effort and real an effort was made to try
to settle the case. But you know, Dan, anybody that
understands the potential contractual ramifications realizes, hey, there's a lot
(34:10):
of extra settlement value if this is something that would
ignite a chain of events that would cost Deshaun Watson
ninety two million dollars on top of whatever this lawsuit
could cost by way of a verdict in court. So
there's a lot of leverage here. And even though the
case has been filed, the plaintiff has a lot of
(34:33):
leverage because and again this all feels unseemly, but this
is how the legal system works. If Deshaun Watson goes
to this individual now through their lawyers and offers a
significant amount of money, and part of that agreement would
include the person saying I'm not going to cooperate with
the NFL. The NFL has no power to compel cooperation.
(34:54):
That possibility of the ninety two million dollars going away
gets short circuited before it ever gets started. So you
got to ask yourself, and this is a business transaction.
Set us, set aside the facts, set aside the history.
From a business standpoint, if you can slam the door
on losing ninety two million dollars, how much are you
(35:14):
willing to pay to slam that door as a straight
simple business proposition. So I don't know the number, but
there's a number out there that makes it worth it
to Deshaun Watson and his lawyers to save the ninety
two million.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Before I let you go. I don't know if it's
a large enough sample size for you, but we did
see the running back come front and center in Week one.
Even last night, both teams had good running attacks. Passing
touchdowns are down. Are you ready to make that declaration
(35:51):
that maybe the style of football is changing right in
front of us.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
Not yet, because we're still in this world where teams
don't have as much time as they used to in
the offseason. They don't have as much time as they
used to in the preseason, and the early weeks of
the regular season are kind of an extension of the preseason.
One of the points Sims makes, and I think this
is valid, watch the teams that use their starters on
(36:18):
offense in the preseason and watch the teams that don't,
and the teams that do tend to be more prepared.
Look at the Chiefs, there wasn't any issue about whether
or not they can get the ball up and down
the field last Thursday night.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
So that correlation.
Speaker 7 (36:32):
Are you getting your guys ready, are you taking full
advantage of the preseason reps?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
And how ready will your passing game be?
Speaker 7 (36:39):
Otherwise it's going to take a little while to get
the timing down and do all the things the NFL
wants to see happen.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
More points, more excitement, more ratings, more money.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
We notice that there's a Michael F. Florio who does
fantasy football, and we were kind of surprised, like there's
Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan. Uh So, I don't know,
is there a trademark on Mike Florio? Here is there
any kind of legal pen you know, something pending.
Speaker 7 (37:10):
I've had people call me and say, hey, congratulations on
your son's job at NFL Network. It's like, first of all,
if you know anything about my relationship with the league,
no one related to me by blood er marriage wouldever
be employed by NFL Network. And secondly, that guy should
change his name. Just like PFT comment there's only one PFT.
(37:31):
Although I've allowed PFT commenter, we have a loose understanding.
I will not send a cease and assist letter. I
have no such understanding with Michael F. Florio, who should
go by his middle name or change his last name.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
That is my official position on that.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
See, I thought it was somebody just calling you Michael F.
And Florio, which you've been.
Speaker 7 (37:49):
That's how I'm known at three forty five Park Avenue.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Have you ever supposed to me? Tell me?
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Have you ever had the commissioner on.
Speaker 7 (37:58):
Oh on PFT Live, Yeah, yars ago when they have
something they want to push, like they're talking points during
the lockout, the commissioner is very.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Available and we don't even get that.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Mike, wait till the next lockout, Wait till the next
works Now, then you.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Will no no, we're not having him on.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
No. Well, I mean, look, he is a master at
saying something while saying nothing. It's great press conferences, tough question,
word salad, move on to the next question. And I'm
not being critical. That's exactly what you need in that job.
You need somebody who will stand up there on behalf
of the owners, because that's one of the reasons they
(38:36):
pay so much money.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
The owners can go hide behind the curtain. He stands
up there, he takes the arrows.
Speaker 7 (38:41):
And he's like Superman deflecting those arrows or whatever superhero.
I don't know, there's a superhero that deflex arrows. Maybe
it's Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
You have a better chance of getting Aaron Rodgers on
than I do about that show.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
He'd have to take a lot of Iahwaska Dan before
you come on.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Would you be willing to take ayahuasca if it meant
Aaron Rodgers would come on the show?
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Yes, sign me up for that.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Fair enough. Have a great weekend, Thank you, Mike, Thanks
sa Pal
We start with the Bills rolling the Dolphins. Now I'll
get to Tua and his injury in a moment. I
just want to focus on the game. This is a
sports show, the game itself. When Tua was healthy, the
Dolphins were getting rolled by Buffalo, and I know they'd
had their moments where they could have scored a touchdown
maybe to make it a ten point game. And then
(00:22):
all of a sudden, they take out Tyreek Hill and
Jalen Waddell with eight minutes to go. Skyler Thompson comes
in and Buffalo goes there. And I said, this was
a must win, must ish win for the Dolphins perception wise,
win this game even with a healthy Tua. He threw
a pick six, he had another interception that wasn't his fault,
(00:44):
but did not look good. Tyreek Hill got shut down.
I mean, if I'm Buffalo, Josh Allen didn't have a
great game, but he didn't need to. James Cook was great,
and they were able to dominate Miami Dolphins. So if
you said Josh Allen is going to throw for less
than one hundred and fifty yards and he's gonna rush
(01:07):
for less than fifty yards and be like in they won, Yes,
and that was before you had the injury to to it.
James Cook had three touchdowns there to it, throws three
interceptions and then he suffers the concussion in the third quarter.
Here was the call on that play with to a
tongue of I looa to.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Out of the shotgun back to throw, looking pressure's gonna
run with it at the five eight yard behind him
it puts his head down and gets bounced down at
the sixth and he looks.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Big Joe, oh boy.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Then he had to run.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
He wasn't sure, so instead of sliding once he got there,
he picked up a couple extra yards. It's a great effort.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
But well this is uh, this is not good.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
No, it's not.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Solo is up walking slowly off the field.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
However, you knew it right away, but if you look
at the play, he lowers his head and he runs
into Damar Hamlin of all people, and Tua initiates the
contact there. But it's not a helmet to helmet and
then you know it's one of those situations where you go,
what's he thinking? But players they react, it's instinctive. Should
(02:17):
he be out there running lowering his head. No, he
survived all last year, no concussions twenty twenty two. We
know what happened there. Now. If I go back to
the twenty twenty two NFL season, that was Week three,
Sunday one o'clock game when he was injured against the
Buffalo Bills. Clearly he had a concussion, clearly, but they
(02:41):
said that it was his back. The official injury if
you go back and look at that, it says that
he suffered a back injury. The injury report was never
listed as a concussion. Okay, Four days later against the
Bengals Thursday night concussion and it's a nationally televised game,
(03:03):
and then inactive for Week five and six. Then he's cleared,
and then a day before the Week six game, but
he was held out of that game as well. The
day after the Week sixteen loss to the Packers, that's
Christmas Day, National TV once again goes into the concussion protocol.
(03:24):
He had symptoms there. Two days later, Tua it's confirmed
had a concussion and he was ruled out of Week
seventeen and eventually Week eighteen. So that's two concussions. He
wasn't clear to return to practice since entering the concussion
protocol for the Dolphins in the wild card playoff matchup.
He was held out of that as well, and that
(03:45):
was the dolphins last game of the year. Now you say, okay,
that's three concussions. To me, it's four concussions. And I
know this gets tricky. Even last night, and the first
thing I thought of when I saw two a walk
off the field. As strange as this is going to sound,
but this is what I thought. Heinz Ward told me
(04:07):
when the Steelers played the Ravens, he went across the
field and he got his bell rung. He knew that
he was concussed. He gets to his feet and he
started limping. He said he thought that if he could limp,
maybe they would not rule him out with a concussion.
When Two is coming off the field, he starts limping,
(04:28):
and I'm wondering if in that moment he's thinking how
do I stay in the game. They didn't even take
him to the blue tent. They took him to the
locker room. And that's when I realized that this was
going to be serious again. I know that he took
jiu jitsu. He was learning how to fall, and as
I've said before, you can learn how to fall but
(04:49):
that doesn't mean the person tackling you is going to
help you with you learning how to fall. And last
year went well. But also if you look at the
Dolphins offense, it's predicated on to a not being back
seven yards. It's quick. That's why you got two of
the fastest receivers in football. If you're going to go
eighty yards with a touchdown pass from Tua, chances are
(05:10):
he threw it fifteen yards and then you took it
sixty five. It's very It's a timing aspect there, and
they were not on the same page last night. You know,
Kirk Kurbstreet was saying that. Herbie said, you know something's
wrong here. They were not in synchronicity and it's all
about timing there. And now you have Skyler Thompson the
(05:31):
backup quarterback. That's not the style that he plays. And
you know, I did think about that as well. Where
I'm going, Okay, you know you have somebody who has
at least had a couple of concussions. Yes you did,
giving that big contract. Everybody's holding their breath. But if
something happens like this could be to his last game
(05:53):
this year, and it could put an end to the
Dolphins trying to be a playoff team this year. I mean,
that's the harsh reality of this. And then we're going
to talk to Mike Florio next hour about salary cap
ramifications and look, I'm trying to be as sensitive as possible,
but my job is still to look at this through
the lens of sports, the team salary cap, quarterbacks who
(06:17):
could be available. Yes, do I like to meet his
family at the super Bowl in Miami? Yes? Always been
friendly to us. I hope the best for him. I'm
not here to say he should retire. But here's the
tricky part with this. If he is medically cleared and
(06:39):
he decides he doesn't want to play, there's a chance
that all that guaranteed money will not be guaranteed. So
imagine if you're the doctor who's going to either clear
him or not clear him, if he decides you don't what.
I want to have a long life here and I'm
not going to play. Or if he is cleared, then
(06:59):
you are more susceptible to concussions after you've had a concussion.
But this is what we've talked about even when he
got the big contract. Like I'm like I wouldn't have
given him the contract because of this. It would make
me nervous. And I know he played so well last
year and the last person who should be lowering his
(07:23):
head and taking on contact he initiated contact is Toua
and that's why do the best you can. But you
can't really protect a player from himself. Instinctively, he's trying
to get a first down there, and it was sad
because you want to see these players be great. He
is a great story. You know, the injury suffered in college.
(07:48):
You know, the Dolphins took a big chance on him,
they passed on other quarterbacks. Then you get Mike McDaniel
coming in. He brings in his offense. They're explosive, they're exciting,
Tyreek Hill, Jalen Wadnell, B Jay, They're ready to go,
and then this happens and it's sad. It really was.
It was sad to watch it last night. Here is
(08:09):
Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins head coach, on Tuba's injury.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
I think it's important to approach each and every situation
to the you know, much like approach every injury with it,
which is basically, all right, we're gonna handle this particular
situation with this particular player. You know, every situation is
(08:36):
unique to its own, So you know, I think I
think there's for me. I I'm not worried about anything
that's out of my hands in terms of I'm just
worried about the human being. And you know he'll he'll
drive the drive the ship when we get the appropriate information.
Speaker 5 (08:58):
But it's day by day health.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
He's clearly shook. You can hear he's struggling to find
the words. What do you say? How do you spin
this in a positive way? But you know, the Dolphins
are going to have to have football decisions to make,
and here we are, it's week two. Tua, with a
help of family friends, a doctor is going to have
(09:24):
to have a decision to make football wise as well
his future. And I know there are a lot of
people on social media said he should retire. I said
that before, but you know I'm not the one out there.
He's the one who probably thinks, you know, I can
still make this work. It's all it takes is one play,
(09:45):
one moment, And it didn't seem like it was going
to be something that led to this. He initiated the contact,
he lowered his helmet. He didn't connect with Damar Hamlin's helmet.
He initiated this went to the and I mean he
ran into Demorro Hamlin's shoulder, his bicep, and as soon
(10:07):
as he lowered his head, I go, oh, like I
didn't think he would be concussed, but I'm like, what
he shouldn't be lowering his head And then he's down,
and then his teammates knew exactly what was going on,
and then they surrounded him. So the cameras or people
in the audience in the stadium wouldn't know what's going on.
But when you see whether hands and arms are stiff,
(10:30):
I mean, it's scary. That is scary, and everybody you
know we're trying to perfect the helmet. The helmet doesn't
protect the brain. It protects the skull. It doesn't protect
the brain. But to a I don't know what the
timeline would be with anything, and I don't even want
(10:50):
to speculate with that. I just want to deal with
what is the football aspect of this. We all went
to it to be healthy. We hope that he gets
to play again. But my job is also to look
at what the bottom line is here. What do the
Dolphins do. Now, do they bring back Ryan Tannehill? Can
you get somebody who plays a similar style to Tua
(11:11):
because that's what the offense is built around. To Skyler Thompson,
they didn't look like they had confidence in him to
run that offense. Even when they get down inside the five,
they were running the football. They weren't going to let
him pass. I don't know. If you reach out to
the Rams Jimmy Garoppolo has been suspended to you say hey,
(11:33):
you know, we'll give you whatever I mean. You guys
are ready to go now. This team is ready to go. Now.
You got the Jets, you got the Bills. You know,
the Patriots might be a little more competitive. But prior
to the trade deadline, can you go out there and
get somebody in sound at your season? Is Tua going
to be able to come back? Do the Dolphins want
(11:54):
him to come back? Does he want to come back?
So there's a lot of things in play here other
than and it is a concussion, and it's a nationally
televised game. I can't over emphasize that enough. When we
see it. If this is a one o'clock game, it
resonates differently with people you're watching it, and everybody has,
(12:14):
you know, some kind of opinion on this, former players
saying he should retire. Let's get the medical diagnosis. Now
you get your bell rung. This isn't his third concussion
or fourth concussion. Chances are he's had numerous concussions. It
used to be when I was growing up, my brothers
(12:36):
would play football and they would get their bell rung.
That's like, oh, got your bell rung. Yeah, we'll get
back out there. But they were suffering concussions. We just
kind of softened it a little bit. You got your
bell rung. Okay, who would we have? Troy Polamalu, I said,
(12:58):
how many concussions he goes? I'll tell you when I'm
done playing football, But he said, I think he got
his bell rung over a hundred times. Just do the
math with this, and if your Tua, his family, those
around him, it's a lot of money. But you want
to live. You want to live a life, because do
(13:20):
you know what happens. I don't know how many people
are checking on Jack Lambert today the way he played
for the Steelers, or Mike Singletary the way he played.
Like these players play, they give everything and then they
go and then we move on from them, like Bob
Sanders the way he played for the Colts. See, that's
(13:41):
what would worry me, because we just kind of chew
you up, spit you out. Another guy comes in and
we move on, and then all of a sudden, we
see Earl Campbell in a wheelchair and we go, look
at Earl Campbell. But when he was playing, we loved it.
Love you Blue, all right. Devin Mccording former defensive back.
(14:02):
He works for Football Night in America. He'll join us
coming up next. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports
talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows
at Foxsports Radio dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app
search FSR to listen live.
Speaker 6 (14:17):
Hey Gang, list is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a
mental wealth podcast, and every week we will have on
leaders from sports entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael phelf,
David Spade, got Fiemmi, and also those who can help
us in between the ears, anyone from a therapist to
someone like Ed Milett or John Gordon. We've all been
(14:38):
through some sort of adversity to get to the top.
We've all used different tools. Listen to Unbreakable with Jay
Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
He's Devin Mccording, former defenship back won three Super Bowls
with the Patriots, now works for Football Night Erica. I'll
get to Tua's injury in a moment, Devin, but let's
look at the game itself. Let's say Tua was healthy
and they lost this game. What would we be saying
about the Miami Dolphins and their approach to the Buffalo
Bills last night?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
We would be saying the same thing we've been saying
over the last few years. They just can't get over
to hump with Buffalo. I think Buffalo's defensive scheme and
how they play against Miami's high powered offensive. Let's keep
two safeties deep, let's keep everything in front of us.
Let's force you to drive the field on a ten
to twelve play drive has been the formula, and I
think they've executed it, probably better than any team in
(15:36):
the NFL. They play him twice a year, so the familiar,
the speed doesn't surprise them, and they play to that.
And then I think, obviously the X factor is always
Josh Allen. I think I think he's one of the
best in the game, you know, top two, top three
in the game. And when he can play a style
of game for Buffalo that is just whatever they need
to win, whether it's him running last week as Arizona
(15:58):
this week, you know, only one touchdown out a lot
of yards, but controlling the game. I think it's just
hard on Miami against Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (16:05):
Yeah, and I think it'll get lost on how impressive
this was with Buffalo because they played great. James Cook
three touchdowns if you would have said that I got
those numbers out of Josh Allen, and they work convincingly
on the road. I mean, it's a really big signature
win for Buffalo. I didn't understand with eight and a
half minutes to go, two is out and they take
(16:28):
out Tyreek Kill and Jalen Waddell. Now I know they're
down twenty one, but I don't know. If Mike McDaniel
said we're not going to win this game, let's not
get anybody hurt.
Speaker 5 (16:39):
I think that's a feeling I think especially I think
coaches and players whoever it is, I think when you're
on the sideline in the middle of the game, you
get kind of a feeling and I think obviously when
you watch two will go down, I think you start
to read your guys of like how it's impacting them.
What are they going to do taking the field next?
Are they going to be a little too cautious? So
I think that's a thing for a coach, especially you're down.
(17:02):
It's kind of at that point in the game, you know,
even though there's eight minutes left, I think you get
the feeling of like, hey, we just need to kind
of get out of dodge. We playing on a Thursday night,
We'll get a few extra days, we'll regroup, and then
we'll go from there. I think Mike Daniel probably got
that feeling and was like, hey, let's just end this
night and get on to the next week.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
What did you see on the tuo of play?
Speaker 5 (17:23):
I mean that's the you know, listening to Josh Allen
come on and say that, like, that's the danger of
our sport, you know. I think you know, when you
play this sport and you decide to do that, you
know there's risk you're taking. And as much as we
watch this, it's kind of a routine play. It wasn't
one of those things. When I first saw it, I
thought Jamar Hamlin's knee hit two because I've seen concussions
(17:46):
happen that way. But just kind of his forearm hit
him in a place that you know, they kind of
sometimes called the sweet spot or whatever, and instantly you
can see the concussion. So but really a bang bang
play and a play that which is crazy in our sports.
You can over and over again and see it and
nothing happens. And then that one time a guy gets
a concussion, like to win, always tough to watch. And
(18:08):
you know, I think with Joshua, you're praying for him
and trying to make a decision, praying for him and
his family, but really unfortunate to see last night.
Speaker 1 (18:16):
Can you put yourself in his shoes? You're twenty five
years of age, You think you're invincible, you just got paid.
This is the third, maybe the fourth concussion that he suffered.
Can you have the wherewithal to go? You know what,
Let me think bigger picture here instead of my football career.
Speaker 5 (18:36):
Yeah, I think that's where you count off on your
family members. I think it's it's one of those really
tough conversations that you know, I don't think can happen
right now in the moment. I think it's you know,
as the days go on, or maybe a week goes
on and you're still out and you're thinking of having
a conversation and talking about what life looks like after football.
You know, I think it's easier for me to say
(18:57):
that now after playing thirteen years and being retired, of
knowing that there's still good life at the end of football.
But when you're in the middle of it, I think
about myself when I was twenty five, or when I
got my first concussion, I think I was twenty seven
years old, and the doubts that come on your mind
of going back on the field, all of those thoughts
that come in. I can't imagine now you talking about
(19:17):
three four maybe diagnosed.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
So what if your mom said to you, I don't
want you playing football anymore.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
But I think we would go back and forth of
me saying no, I still want to play. And I
think that's what it is. It's not one conversation. It's
a back and forth of you trying to balance people
in your life that are looking out for you. But
you also, like you said, you feel like you're invincible.
This is a game you love to play. It's hard
for someone to take it away from you where you
feel like you can still play.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
If you're Mike McDaniel, you're the Dolphins. You built this
offense around two of these are quick reads. Get the
ball to your fastest guys and let them make plays.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
Here.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Can you get a quarterback who can replicate that kind
of style that Tua? If we're looking at a bigger
picture here the rest of the season, can you find
somebody like that?
Speaker 5 (20:09):
You hope? I will say from my time being in
New England, when we played them at Tua wasn't there.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
We usually beat them.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
When Tula was there, they gave us a tough time,
and I think I don't think I ever beat to
towards the end of my career, So I would say
it's gonna be really hard for them. They haven't been
able to do that yet. And they've tried to do
that Teddy Bridgewater or Mike White, They've had guys in
there as backups. It just hasn't worked out. They haven't
been able to run that office the way Tua can.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Sunday Night Football, you have the showdown between the Bears
and the Texans. That'll be on Football Night in America
and coverage starts at seven Eastern on Football Night in America,
the most watched weekly studio show for eighteen consecutive years.
Talking to Devin mccordy, former Patriot champion and an analyst
for Football Night in America, I wonder if this is
(20:53):
too much too soon for the Bears to be in primetime.
You know, even the Texans, most of their game games
where at one o'clock. Last year the Bears one o'clock.
That difference as a player of playing a game in
prime time as opposed to a one o'clock game is what.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
The timing of it? What do you do? Your routine
changes dramatically, Especially, like you said, these are younger football team,
so when you have a whole season of mainly one
o'clock games, you don't even know what that other schedule
looks like. So I think that's the bigger adjustment. And
then I think it's just calming down and realizing, hey,
it's just another football game. You got to go play it, and.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
You got to enjoyed.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
I always felt, you know, being in New England, I
came into all of the primetime games and you got
to enjoyed being the only game on. Yes, you don't
want to overhype it, but I think you got to
see it as a privilege. And you know, I think
for young guys like Jalen Johnson, who missed the top
one hundred last year and was vocal about it, these
Sunday night games of what gets everybody's attention. You want
to go play your best ball. So I'm looking forward
(21:54):
to seeing both of these teams Sunday night and who
rises to the occasion and plays their best.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
What does the common mistake rookie quarterbacks make.
Speaker 5 (22:03):
Oh, it's not fully understanding and knowing what you're seeing.
You know, you break down the film last week of
Caleb Williams. He wasn't you know, he wasn't off by
a lot and just missing thrills. I think Tennessee did
a really good job of switching up different looks. Sometimes
it was with pressure, sometimes it was just four man rushers.
They just kept spending the dial what we call it
(22:24):
of coverages and rushes so that he never could get comfortable.
And I think rookie sometimes you think, hey, I've seen this,
I know it, and then it switches on you. You just
got to have a beginner's mindset every single play, not
just every game. Because it's these defensive coaches. They can
do a lot of different things to you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
But who did you dial into where you almost felt
bad for the rookie because they weren't what they thought
they were seeing. They weren't seeing. With the Patriots defense,
did you have one of the any did you ever
feel sorry for a rookie quarterback?
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Well, we had we had him playing against the Jets.
We had Sam Darnold, and we had Zach Wilson. I
always felt bad those young guys. I live in New
Jersey from New York originally. Well, you're in that area.
They're gonna screwtinize everything, and we would give them a
lot of different looks and pressures that it was tough
to deal for as a quarterback.
Speaker 1 (23:14):
What was your Super Bowl Troit over.
Speaker 7 (23:17):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Detroit? I was thinking Detroit over Baltimore is what I
picked early in the season.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Okay, yeah, you know. It's weird though. We do have
certain teams where we don't care what they do during
the regular season. It's the Cowboys. I don't care, the Ravens,
I don't care, even the Chiefs, I don't care it's yeah,
once you get to the post same thing with the Patriots,
with you guys be like, it doesn't matter. Once they
(23:44):
get in, then we find out who they are, and
we find out who the Ravens and Cowboys are in
a negative way, and we find out who the Chiefs
are in a positive way. They're just certain teams where
I don't know if there's another team that you go, yeah,
let me see what they do in the postseason.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
Yeah, I mean I think those teams, I will say.
I would say Cincinnati's kind of creeping into that where,
you know, I think a lot of people feel like
because they beat you know, Kansas City that one year,
that they're like this dominant team and you know, every
everybody's been saying it this week. They always start slow,
as if like it's a given they're gonna get going.
(24:21):
So I think people see them. I don't see Cincinnati
like that, but I think I think Buffalo is in
the same thing. Last year, they didn't play that well
during the regular season, then they somehow come back and
take the AFC East. Then it was like, all right,
what are you gonna do? Now You're gonna bea Kansas City?
So and I think the Jets will be like that
this year. And I'm the last team I'll put in
there as a forty nine ers. We know you can
(24:42):
get there, we know, but everybody the only thing they
care about the forty nine ers. I think now is
Ken you win the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
What's it like to tackle Josh Allen?
Speaker 5 (24:52):
It's Kenny for one. Ken you tackle them? Is he
gonna jump over you? Is gonna run over you? I mean,
the guys tough and and I hate what people say
he has to learn how to protect himself more or
do this. Yeah, he's got to be smart as a quarterback.
But when he gets into the secondary and there's guys
like when I was out there, i was one hundred
and ninety pounds that he's running full speed. You either
(25:13):
jump over him, Josh, or you run over him. And
it's fun to watch a lot more fun to watch
than it was to play against him and try to
get him down.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Great to talk to you, have fun on Sunday night.
Thank you, Devin, appreciate a good talk to you.
Speaker 5 (25:26):
There.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Mike Florio
Pro Football Talk Live co host NBC Football Night in America.
Son of Mine Mike's second book in the Father of
Mine series, now available at Amazon for four dollars ninety
(25:49):
nine cents. Mike kind enough to join us. Let me
let me start with the Dolphins with touist situation. Let
me ask you about the possibility of can you bring
somebody in to replicate the offense if two is not
able to play for a little while, you.
Speaker 7 (26:06):
Know it's not going to be easy to do Dan.
That's one of the things that gets overlooked because they
make it look so easy, the little subtle flip, the no,
look this, the misdirection.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
There was a play.
Speaker 7 (26:20):
Last night, like is this some kind of shell game?
How did waddle end up with the ball? I had
to spin it back and watch it again, and even
then it's like the ball go. So you need somebody
who can do that, or or you need to completely
overhaul the offense and build it up for someone who
has a different skill set. So it's not going to
(26:41):
be easy for them to move forward without tour for
however long, it's going to be one game, no games,
four games, rest of the season. Who knows, But it's
going to take some work because we saw the drop
off last night when Skylar Thompson came in.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
Yeah, they run a different offense, and this offense was
built around to get rid of the ball quickly, not
back seven yards where he can take more hits. And
then you look at the play that he gets hurt on,
like the last person in the NFL who should be
lowering his head is to it, and I know he's
going for the first down. Everybody wants to be a hero.
(27:13):
You want to play, you want to be aggressive, you
don't want to be treated differently. But now he's down,
Now he's out. Can the NFL step in at any
point with all of these concussions with a player.
Speaker 7 (27:27):
Well, I don't know how directly the league can step
in and supersede medical judgment. I could see some winks
and nods, some conversations that never happens, some knowing glances
for maybe doctor Alan Sills, the head of the NFL's
medical office, to doctors. But even then, at the end
of the day, what are doctors comfortable doing. We haven't
(27:48):
seen many NFL players who are told by doctors you
cannot continue. We will not put our name at the
bottom of this piece of paper authorizing you to play,
even though you want to play. I think the closest
was Javid Best, remember him, the running back from cal
who had a significant concussion.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Injury history at the college level.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
Came to the NFL, had a fairly innocuous head hit
the ground while he was falling down October of twenty eleven.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Never played again, and we never got a clear answer there.
Speaker 7 (28:20):
But that may have been a case of sorry, that's it,
this is one too many.
Speaker 3 (28:24):
You're not getting clear to play again.
Speaker 7 (28:25):
That's the only way that Tua would be out, and
it could set up a fight.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Dan.
Speaker 7 (28:29):
If the NFL says you're never allowed to play again,
he can go find a doctor that says he's fine.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
And at what.
Speaker 7 (28:37):
Point does the player have the ability to supersede the
NFL's judgment that he's had one concussion too many.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And once again, we're trying to be sensitive. Obviously we
want to he to be able to play, but this
is about the football aspect of this. If Tua can't
play anymore, what are the financial implications for the Dolphins it?
Speaker 7 (29:01):
And this is a critical question, Dan and I think
at was glossed over last night by folks who were
throwing out the idea he should just retire.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
There's two different questions here.
Speaker 7 (29:10):
One is he never cleared to play again even if
he wants to play. Two is he cleared to play
but chooses not to play. If he's never cleared again,
he gets over the next three four years, one hundred
and sixty seven million dollars from the Dolphins because that
money is guaranteed for injury. So if the door is
(29:31):
slammed from a medical standpoint by doctors on his ability
to play, he gets every penny of it.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
If he's cleared.
Speaker 7 (29:38):
But he says, you know what, I'm just I'm done.
I know I'm cleared, but I'm retiring. That one's sixty seven.
That's gone massive financial ramification. So on one hand, it's not
the time to talk about money, But on the other hand,
it is because this is one of the major variables.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
You know, he chose to keep going a couple.
Speaker 7 (29:59):
Of years ago after two or actually three concussions in.
Speaker 3 (30:03):
The twenty twenty two season.
Speaker 7 (30:04):
Without that much money riding on it.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Now it's there, it's gone.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
If you if you're cleared by doctors to play and
you retire, that money is gone.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Yeah, I mean the pressure to clear him or not
to clear him, and then what TUA decides to do.
I mean, this is a difficult I mean, this is
really by want him back out there, Yes, but even
then I wouldn't have signed him up long term, talked
about it in the moment. I just you run this risk.
(30:37):
And even though they have an offense that's geared towards
him getting it out quickly, here he does lowering his
head into Tomorrow hamp I mean I thought he hit
his knee or maybe tomorrow Hamlin's helmet, and then I realized,
you know, you're just more susceptible to concussions. And that's
I can't imagine what that independent doctor is going to
(30:59):
you know, and then what happens after that.
Speaker 7 (31:02):
And let's remember this, Dan, it's independent of the team.
The doctor isn't independent of the broader NFL shield. This
isn't some doctor that you find who has no connection
whatsoever to the National Football League. So at some level,
for the same reason that there were pressures subtly or
(31:23):
otherwise put to bear on doctors when it wasn't independent,
this concern that you've articulated what does the league want here?
And will there be a way to send that message.
We don't want them to be cleared, or we do
want them to clear it.
Speaker 3 (31:37):
Who knows. But this isn't being cynical, it's being realistic.
Speaker 7 (31:40):
That person's on the NFL's payroll, and that's why they
have independent doctors in the first place, because they know
the doctors on the team's payroll will be influenced by
what the team wants. The doctors on the league's payroll
will be influenced by what that doctor believes the league wants.
Speaker 1 (31:53):
He's Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk Live co host NBC
Football Night in America. Deshaun wants status. Now, how would
you describe sort of where he is Cleveland Browns are.
Speaker 7 (32:07):
Well, there's one key question. We don't know the answer too,
and I think the fact that I can't get the
answer gives me the answer. And it's very simple. Did
Deshaun Watson disclose to the Browns in signing his twenty
twenty two contract. This claim that was made this week
(32:28):
because there's language in there under paragraph forty two that
exempts anything that was communicated to the Browns in writing
by way of claims, if this is a new claim
that wasn't disclosed, and if he's suspended, the Browns can
avoid his remaining guarantees and release him. And it's ninety
two million dollars total for twenty twenty five and twenty
(32:49):
twenty six. This is their get out of jail free card.
And I said Monday, before we even knew the lawsuit
was coming, you got to wonder if the Browns just
wish something would fall from the sky and he'd get
suspended and they could tear up those guarantees. And I
hope plenty of Browns fans are hoping that's what happens.
And this is where we have this weird, awkward convergence
of real life issues, allegations of sexual assault and football
(33:12):
issues where man, we're really.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
Stuck with a bad contract. Is there a way out
of it?
Speaker 7 (33:17):
There's a way these dominoes fall down that will allow
the Browns probably after this season, the way it would
work out from a timeline standpoint, if it all falls
their way, if this is what.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
They want, they can avoid the ninety two million dollars
and move on.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Okay, but you're a lawyer here, The timing of this
A Monday, after a bad performance, it becomes public, like,
I don't know how long this has been in the
works here, and was somebody fed information to then reveal
information to then all of a sudden to have a
ground swell and now we have a story.
Speaker 7 (33:50):
The lawsuit alleges there was an effort to settle the
case before it was filed. I think there would be
a discrepancy between the two camps as to how earnest
and effort and real an effort was made to try
to settle the case. But you know, Dan, anybody that
understands the potential contractual ramifications realizes, hey, there's a lot
(34:10):
of extra settlement value if this is something that would
ignite a chain of events that would cost Deshaun Watson
ninety two million dollars on top of whatever this lawsuit
could cost by way of a verdict in court. So
there's a lot of leverage here. And even though the
case has been filed, the plaintiff has a lot of
(34:33):
leverage because and again this all feels unseemly, but this
is how the legal system works. If Deshaun Watson goes
to this individual now through their lawyers and offers a
significant amount of money, and part of that agreement would
include the person saying I'm not going to cooperate with
the NFL. The NFL has no power to compel cooperation.
(34:54):
That possibility of the ninety two million dollars going away
gets short circuited before it ever gets started. So you
got to ask yourself, and this is a business transaction.
Set us, set aside the facts, set aside the history.
From a business standpoint, if you can slam the door
on losing ninety two million dollars, how much are you
(35:14):
willing to pay to slam that door as a straight
simple business proposition. So I don't know the number, but
there's a number out there that makes it worth it
to Deshaun Watson and his lawyers to save the ninety
two million.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Before I let you go. I don't know if it's
a large enough sample size for you, but we did
see the running back come front and center in Week one.
Even last night, both teams had good running attacks. Passing
touchdowns are down. Are you ready to make that declaration
(35:51):
that maybe the style of football is changing right in
front of us.
Speaker 7 (35:56):
Not yet, because we're still in this world where teams
don't have as much time as they used to in
the offseason. They don't have as much time as they
used to in the preseason, and the early weeks of
the regular season are kind of an extension of the preseason.
One of the points Sims makes, and I think this
is valid, watch the teams that use their starters on
(36:18):
offense in the preseason and watch the teams that don't,
and the teams that do tend to be more prepared.
Look at the Chiefs, there wasn't any issue about whether
or not they can get the ball up and down
the field last Thursday night.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
So that correlation.
Speaker 7 (36:32):
Are you getting your guys ready, are you taking full
advantage of the preseason reps?
Speaker 3 (36:37):
And how ready will your passing game be?
Speaker 7 (36:39):
Otherwise it's going to take a little while to get
the timing down and do all the things the NFL
wants to see happen.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
More points, more excitement, more ratings, more money.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
We notice that there's a Michael F. Florio who does
fantasy football, and we were kind of surprised, like there's
Michael B. Jordan and Michael Jordan. Uh So, I don't know,
is there a trademark on Mike Florio? Here is there
any kind of legal pen you know, something pending.
Speaker 7 (37:10):
I've had people call me and say, hey, congratulations on
your son's job at NFL Network. It's like, first of all,
if you know anything about my relationship with the league,
no one related to me by blood er marriage wouldever
be employed by NFL Network. And secondly, that guy should
change his name. Just like PFT comment there's only one PFT.
(37:31):
Although I've allowed PFT commenter, we have a loose understanding.
I will not send a cease and assist letter. I
have no such understanding with Michael F. Florio, who should
go by his middle name or change his last name.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
That is my official position on that.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
See, I thought it was somebody just calling you Michael F.
And Florio, which you've been.
Speaker 7 (37:49):
That's how I'm known at three forty five Park Avenue.
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Have you ever supposed to me? Tell me?
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Have you ever had the commissioner on.
Speaker 7 (37:58):
Oh on PFT Live, Yeah, yars ago when they have
something they want to push, like they're talking points during
the lockout, the commissioner is very.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Available and we don't even get that.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Mike, wait till the next lockout, Wait till the next
works Now, then you.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Will no no, we're not having him on.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
No. Well, I mean, look, he is a master at
saying something while saying nothing. It's great press conferences, tough question,
word salad, move on to the next question. And I'm
not being critical. That's exactly what you need in that job.
You need somebody who will stand up there on behalf
of the owners, because that's one of the reasons they
(38:36):
pay so much money.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
The owners can go hide behind the curtain. He stands
up there, he takes the arrows.
Speaker 7 (38:41):
And he's like Superman deflecting those arrows or whatever superhero.
I don't know, there's a superhero that deflex arrows. Maybe
it's Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
You have a better chance of getting Aaron Rodgers on
than I do about that show.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
He'd have to take a lot of Iahwaska Dan before
you come on.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Would you be willing to take ayahuasca if it meant
Aaron Rodgers would come on the show?
Speaker 3 (39:05):
Yes, sign me up for that.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
Fair enough. Have a great weekend, Thank you, Mike, Thanks
sa Pal
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