The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Some training camp storylines matter. Some are just fodder to get us to the regular season. How do you figure out which is which? By listening to this episode of The Athletic Football Show with Robert Mays and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Media.Host: Robert MaysWith: Gregg RosenthalExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Mitchell on X: @MitchSchwartz71Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Predicting the league's best offenses is child's play. The top defenses, though? That's a completely different ballgame. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen attempt to do just that, laying out their predictions for the league's top-10 defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also dive into the latest on Brandon Aiyuk.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Description: A team's two or three best players aren't the only ones who determine how its season goes. Sometimes, a new guy comes in and changes what a unit can do and how it feels. Put another way, he changes the unit's DNA. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight their 2024 DNA changers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wait a minute. Are the Chargers and Patriots really going to be that bad? Should the Falcons really be runaway favorites in the NFC South? Are the Jets really Super Bowl contenders? Robert Mays and Mitchell Schwartz bust some myths on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Mitchell SchwartzExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Mitchell on X: @MitchSchwartz71Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OK, we'll give you one right off the top. The 49ers are our top offense heading into the 2024 season. But which nine teams will join them in the top 10? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen offer up their predictions for this year's top-10 offenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Matt on X: @mattschneidmanTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We at The Athletic Football Show are turning the page in more ways than one on this episode. Not only are we now firmly pointed toward the start of the 2024 NFL season, we are welcoming our new co-host. Derrik Klassen joins The Athletic Football Show as a permanent member of the cast, so it's only fitting that we focus on quarterbacks on this episode. The guys discuss the Tua Tagovailoa extension, welcome The Athletic Packers beat reporter Matt Schneidman to break down Jordan Love's, and break down what success looks like for this season's second-year quarterbacks—C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, Bryce Young and Will Levis.Host: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenWith: Matt SchneidmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Matt on X: @mattschneidmanTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Whether it's good-to-great, average-to-good, great-to-superstar, or some other combination thereof, plenty of players make leaps every NFL season. PFF's Trevor Sikkema joins Robert Mays to highlight the players they think can make the leap on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also round up some of the big news coming from the first few days of training camp.Host: Robert MaysWith: Trevor SikkemaExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Trevor on X: @TampaBayTre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Come the end of the season, you can't hold Robert Mays and Fox Sports' David Helman to the takes they offer up on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Don't you dare even try. After all, they're just half-baked takes.Host: Robert MaysWith: David HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow David on X: @davidhelman_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Days before the Rams opened training camp for the 2024 season, head coach Sean McVay opened the doors of his home to Robert Mays and The Athletic Football Show. The two discussed what it was like to coach Aaron Donald, what Matthew Stafford allows the Rams to do, and how Puka Nacua emerged last year. They also dove into McVay's personal growth the last few years, the process for improving as a play caller, and what it means to be a great coach. Get ready for training camp with Mays and McVay on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Sean McVayExecutive Producer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmays Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Training camp is upon us. What are the biggest questions we have as we usher in the 2024 NFL season? Robert Mays and Mike Golic Jr. from the DraftKings Network ask theirs on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Mike Golic Jr.Executive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Mike on X: @mikegolicjr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We know the coming NFL season will deliver plenty of surprises of both the good and bad varieties. Which teams might be better than we expect? Which could fall on the other side of that coin? FTN Fantasy's Aaron Schatz, the Godfather of DVOA, joins Robert Mays to dig into those questions on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Plus, Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel stop by to discuss their new podcast at The Athletic, Scoop City.Host: Robert MaysWith: Aaron Schatz, Dianna Russini and Chase DanielExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Aaron on X: @ASchatzNFLFollow Dianna on X: @DMRussiniFollow Chase on X: @ChaseDaniel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Players like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have the league in the palm of their hand. We know that. Identifying the wild card players who can swing their team's outcome, and thus that of the league as a whole, is a bit trickier. Bill Barnwell of ESPN joins Robert Mays to try and find those players on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Bill BarnwellExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Bill on X: @billbarnwell Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reception Perception’s Matt Harmon joins Robert Mays to break down which of the league’s receivers are primed for breakouts and where we should be looking for the league’s next elite group of pass catchers. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays sits down with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin to discuss how many teams can really win the Super Bowl this season. They talk about the no brainers, the teams with the best paths, who could make a jump and those that might get stuck on the outside looking in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fantasy football season is almost here! Robert Mays sits down with Ben Gretch from Stealing Signals to get you ready to crush your league with ten rules to remember heading into the 2024 season.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare newsletter joins Robert Mays to take stock of the league's offensive lines and debate which units might be better than people give them credit for.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ESPN’s Mike Clay joins Robert Mays to sort out which quarterbacks in the NFC have the best supporting casts around them and who benefits the most from personnel, coaching and play-calling.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the final episode of this series, Seth Galina of Pro Football Focus joins Robert Mays to take a long, hard look at the NFC South and what the 2023 season did and didn’t tell us about the division. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which AFC quarterbacks have the best supporting casts around them? Damien Harris joins Robert Mays to rank them 1 to 16 and explore who’s got the best play-callers, line play, pass catchers and runners to back them up.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the difference between J.J. Redick and Jeff Saturday? Mike and Randy compare the former players turned coaches and consider how coaching differs in the NBA compared to the NFL. Randy pays tribute to the late Willie Mays, his childhood idol, and compares meeting the Say Hey Kid to meeting Muhammad Ali. The guys also discuss the Brandon Aiyuk situation with the 49ers and more on this final episode of the Football GM Podcast until training camps begin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What lingering questions about the NFC West remain from the 2023 season? Shawn Syed of SumerSports joins Robert Mays to talk about the Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks and 49ers.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The QB market continues to make headlines with Trevor Lawrence’s new deal. Robert Mays is joined by Brad Spielberger, Director of Football Administration at Grand Central Sports Management, to break down these massive contracts. They dive into the deals and what we can really learn from them. They also talk about no trade clauses, upcoming contracts for Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love and much more.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays sits down with Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to talk about what he’s building in Atlanta and about taking the league by surprise at the 2024 draft. Then Dan Orlovsky joins the show to talk about what contract talks with Dak Prescott and Trevor Lawrence could mean across the league.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We made it to another week of the Football GM - Mike and Randy kick off their discussion with Trevor Lawrence's extension and why did the Jacksonville Jaguars decide to extend him now? Then the guys shift their conversation to the Atlanta Falcons and how they forfeited their fifth-round pick. After that, we discuss another non-NFL topic from an NFL perspective. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Derrik Klassen comes back to the show to ponder the questions we all still have about the AFC West after the 2023 season.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Guardian’s Ollie Connolly joins Robert Mays to contemplate lingering questions about the AFC East left unanswered by the 2023 season. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays and The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue duke it out in a draft of the top 10 head coaches in the NFL. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Randy begin their discussion on the transition for coaches coming from the college level to the pro level. The guys look at an example of this with UConn's men head basketball coach Dan Hurley and the Los Angeles Lakers interest in him. Then we shift our discussion to players who miss OTA's and whether it really matters. And then lastly, we end our discussion with the GM Notebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays is joined by former RB Damien Harris to discuss the state of running backs in the NFL. They dive deep into the position before examining the end of the Bill Belichick era in New England. Damien talks about his days with the Patriots and playing with Tom Brady, what he believes happened with Mac Jones and much more.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays continues our “Buying or Selling” series with Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated as they examine how teams in transition fared this offseason. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of the Football GM Mike and Randy discuss the wide receiver market and how it never ceases to amaze them. Then the guys take a look at evolving QB situations around the league. After that we look at how the NFL calendar could change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays continues our series about lingering questions from the 2023 season, taking a hard look at the AFC North with The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane talks with Robert Mays about the state of his franchise, his priorities for the team’s transition and what the front office has been trying to achieve in an eventful offseason. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Randy go division by division and discuss the recent moves and additions each team has made. And then we wrap things up with the GM Notebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our series on lingering questions about the 2023 season continues as Robert Mays and Dan Pizzuta of The 33rd Team dig deep into the AFC South. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘Buying or Selling’ series rolls on as Robert Mays explores how the “middle class” of the league fared this offseason, with Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of the Football GM, Mike and Randy start their discussion with Super Bowl odds. The guys take a look at some of the top predictions and break down why these teams may have the best odds at winning. From there, we share our thoughts on Netflix's upcoming documentary on Jerry Jones. Then we shift to a discussion on Tom Brady's new role in the media. And lastly, we wrap things up with a couple of news items surrounding the NFL. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ‘Buying or Selling’ series continues and this episode is all about the contenders. Robert Mays and former NFL offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz evaluate the offseasons for the top 8 teams. Then, Titans head coach Brian Callahan joins the show to talk about his new role in Tennessee, Will Levis, coaching with his dad and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bob Sturm joins Robert Mays to continue the Lingering Questions from 2023 series with a deep dive about the NFC East and what the answers might mean for the Cowboys, Commanders, Eagles and Giants.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Derrik Klassen and Diante Lee join Robert Mays again - this time to draft the non-quarterback players they would want leading a franchise over the next three seasons.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike and Randy are back with more thoughts on the 2024 NFL draft class. The guys take a look at some surprising and interesting players from this year's draft class. Then we wrap things up with the GM Notebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should we buy or sell what the playoff hopefuls did this offseason? Robert Mays and 670 The Score’s Danny Parkins debate the moves of 8 teams and whether or not they are buying or selling stock in them this year.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays begins our series about lingering questions from the 2023 season by taking a long, hard look at the NFC North with ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The quarterback draft is back! The rules are simple, which QB (and their contract) would you want leading your franchise over the next three seasons? Diante Lee and Derrik Klassen join Robert Mays to draft this year’s top 15. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Nate Tice’s final episode of The Athletic Football Show, he joins Robert Mays to talk about the biggest questions we still have following the 2024 NFL Draft. What can we expect from the Seahawks? How good can the Colts be? What will happen with the looming QB extensions? They dig into all of that and more. Plus, they look back on their time together on the show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What did NFL teams tell us about themselves following the draft? Robert Mays is joined by ESPN’s Field Yates to break down the messages we’ve learned from roster building this offseason.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic Football Show wraps up its stint in Detroit with an in-depth look at day three of the 2024 NFL Draft. Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler highlight the notable moments of the final four rounds of the draft, including runs at running back and tight end, why teams made the trades they did on day three, and some of their favorite picks. The guys also consider the draft as a whole, discussing their favorite overall hauls, plans that made them scratch their heads, and more.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceFollow Dane on Twitter: @dpbruglerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day two of the 2024 NFL Draft came complete with all the trades we thought we might be getting on day one. It also saw a complete absence of quarterbacks, a few positional runs, and even one school run. Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Watch the day two livestreamFollow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceFollow Dane on Twitter: @dpbruglerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. The 2024 NFL Draft got off to a predictable start. That, of course, did not last. Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler recap the first round on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Which was the best pick? Which was the most surprising? What should we be watching for on day two? The guys answer all those questions, and a whole lot more.Watch the first round livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oksLVc7HXw0Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceFollow Dane on Twitter: @dpbruglerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the last episode of The Athletic Football Show before the 2024 NFL Draft, and that can only mean one thing...it's time to highlight the things we can't wait to learn the next few days. Which team will trade up for a quarterback? Who inside the top 10 has the most intriguing decision to make? What might end up as the most interesting landing spot? Robert Mays, Nate Tice and Dane Brugler discuss the questions they're excited to get answers to during the draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Read the 2024 Edition of The Beast, By Dane BruglerFollow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceFollow Dane on Twitter: @dpbruglerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.