Nightcap Hour 1: Unc & Ocho react to Shedeur Sanders Injury + Michael Penix Jr THROWS HANDS at practice

This is an iHeart podcast.

Is your AI built for everyone, or is it built to work with the tools your business relies on?

IBM's AI agents are tailored to your business and can easily integrate with the tools you're already using.

So they can work across your business, not just some parts of it.

Get started with AI Agents at iBM.com.

The AI built for business.

IBM

I'm a kid, so am I gonna surprise you with a poster board I need for the science fair tomorrow?

Probably.

But can you get up to 40% off back to school essentials on Uber Eats?

Definitely.

So order on Uber Eats and get up to 40% off.

Exclusions May Apply.

Check out for availability.

Opening a bottle of Hendrix gin is more than the beginning to an elevated cocktail.

It's about being open to the extraordinary, the unusual.

That spirit lives in every sip of Hendrix, distinctly infused with rose and cucumber for a refreshingly curious flavor.

Whether you're mixing up a crisp cucumber lemonade or an unexpected garden spritz, Hendrix adds a marvelous twist to every summer sip.

To learn more about Hendrix, visit hendrixgin.com/slash US.

Drink responsibly, Hendrix Gin, distilled from grain, 44% alcohol by volume.

Copyright 2025.

Imported by William Granton Sons Inc., New York, New York.

Adobe Acrobat Studio, so brand new.

Show me all the things PDFs can do.

Do your work with ease and speed.

PDF spaces is all you need.

Do hours of research in an instant.

With key insights from an AI assistant.

Pick a template with a click.

Now your prezzo looks super slick.

Close that deal, yeah, you won.

Do that, doing that, did that, done.

Now you can do that, do that, with Acrobat.

Now you can do that, do that with the all-new Acrobat.

It's time to do your best work with the all-new Adobe Acrobat Studio.

The dog days of summer means it's time for the boys of summer to kick into gear.

And the best way to cash in on your baseball IQ is with DraftKings Sportsbook.

Never bet on baseball before?

It's simple.

Pick a guy to go yard, hammer some live odd mid-game, or just ride with your squad and hope for the best.

No spreadsheets, just vibes and dingers.

Here's something special for first timers.

New DraftKing customers bet $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly.

Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.

Use code Shannon.

That's code Shannon for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets instantly.

When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours UFC 319 is blowing back to the windy city for the first time in six years check out the fight card and get in on all the action at draft kings sportsbook the official sports betting partner of UFC and if you're new to draft kings check this out new customers who bet five dollars will get two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly don't miss out on all the action of UFC 319 download the draft kings sportsbook app now use code shannon that's code shannon for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings.

The crown is yours.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap.

Excuse me, I am your favorite unc, Shannon Sharp, my partner and co-host, Liberty City's own, bingles ring of fame honoree, Madden Adjuster, the Pro Bowler, the all-pro.

He's Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson.

Please make sure y'all hit that subscribe button.

Please make sure you hit the like button.

And guys, do us a favor, go subscribe to the Nightcap podcast feed wherever you get your podcast from.

We'd like to thank each and every one of you for your support and your continued support because thanks to you, Nightcap has been able to get to heights we could have only dreamed of, and especially in a short period of time.

So thank you for your support again.

My Kanyak Laportier has a new drop, and this one is very personal to me.

I've created a limited edition release to honor my brother Sterling for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It's not just a bottle, it's a tribute, it's a celebration of a legacy.

And once they're gone, they're gone.

So please grab yours while supplies last.

The Hall of Fame edition is officially live.

Just head over to Laportier.com to grab yours while you still can.

Don't miss a chance to own a piece of history in a very, very special moment.

Please go follow my media company page on all of its platforms, Shay Shay Media and my clothing company, 84, with 84 being spelled out.

That link is pinned in in the chat.

We have a very special guest joining us this evening, Pro Bowler from the Cleveland Browns, tight end, David Njoku.

He's joining us shortly.

But first, Ocho, news of the day.

Shadura Sanders could miss Saturday's preseason game with an oblique injury.

Shadur suffered the oblique injury during the throwing drill early in the Browns' joint practice against the Eagles.

Ocho, how concerned are you about Shadur rise to be QB1 if he doesn't play on Saturday?

i'm not concerned at all i'm not concerned at all for one he's not going to be quarterback one we know joe flacco is going to be the starting quarterback week one against the bengals when they do play so i'm really not worried about that mom i really don't have any concern because now come saturday when they do play if i'm not mistaken dillian gabriel and i'm not sure if kenny pickett is playing now they get an opportunity to show you know what they can do we've seen the small sample sides of shadur sanders with the ones up with the ones for a short period of time the twos the threes and the fours so we know what he can do.

We saw how he played with the lights are on, with the pressure's on, and the bloods are flying for real.

We haven't seen what Kenny Pickett could do as a Browns player.

We haven't seen what Dylan Dylan Gabriel can do.

So

they deserve their opportunity to play when the lights are on and the game is somewhat meaningful as far as buying for a position on that team.

As far as Shadura goes, he showed what he can do.

So him being injured, being able to take the time off and be ready for week three, whichever preseason game game that is, I'm all fine with that.

So, you think he's shown enough?

For me, I don't see how they keep four quarterbacks.

Somebody's going to have to get released.

It's really that simple.

You're not keeping four quarterbacks because the positions are too valuable, and none of these guys play special teams.

Right.

So, with that being said, maybe Dylan Gabriel can hold, maybe Kenny Pickett can hold.

I don't think Joe Flacco has ever held, at least not while he was in the league.

I'm sure at some point in time, maybe in college, he held or something like that.

But it just,

i don't know if he's done enough right uh you know people say well he's done enough he's shown what he can do yeah well that's not what the depth chart said the depth chart said he was still q before

yeah listen i honestly i i think politics plays a part in it but obviously once his opportunity when the opportunity presented itself for him to play when kenny picket and dylan gabriel were hurt he right he rose to the occasion he rose to the occasion and looked extremely sharp had some great plays you know outside the pocket, in the pocket.

You know, he was calm.

He was poised.

And I'm sure anyone with common sense, a GM, a scout, can see the way he played and know this is a quarterback that deserves not just a chance to be on the team, but a chance to start, a chance to compete for the starting position.

So now,

with that being said, nobody, nobody on the other 31 teams, watch Shador Sanders play that night and say, you know what, he deserves to be quarterback number four.

Nobody, nobody at all.

So now, if they believe so much in Kenny Pickett and Dylan Gabriel to be quarterback two and three, now they have the opportunity Saturday to prove why they should be.

I don't know if Pickett has practiced yet.

Stefanski said, I think it was yesterday or day before, that he was still dealing with some tightness.

So they want to be careful.

They want to be cautious with it.

I don't know how much

Gabriel has played, has practiced since his injury, but look,

they got Snoop Huntley on the roster, and they brought him in last week once these other two, they realized that

Gabriel had gotten nicked and Pickett had been out for an extended period of time.

With all that being said, this is kind of my worst fear because we talked about it last week and I said, I sure hope he can consolidate it.

I hope that he can put back-to-back games together, Ocho.

And now it's like...

He played really, really well in one game, and now he's nicked, and it looked like he's going to miss the second game and then the third game.

You know, like, obviously, Flacco is probably not going to play, but I could have seen an envisioned scenario that they probably would have released Flacco.

No, no.

And with the other guys.

No, absolutely not.

You know, that's not going to happen.

That's not going to happen.

With your experience in the NFL, as long as you've not only played, but been covering the NFL, you know, they're not going to start with the Young Bucks.

They're not going to start.

You're not trying to win, Ojo.

Huh?

You're not trying to win.

You say you're not trying to win?

They're not.

Oh, talk to me.

Enlighten me.

So you're trying to win.

You go get Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Those are your choices.

And you take Dylan Gabriel and then you take Shadur Sanders in the seventh round, a fifth round?

Well, hold on.

What other option did they have?

They had no other options.

So there were no other quarterbacks available other than Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

Well, what quarterbacks were available that can actually put the Browns over the hump right now and compete in

AFC North?

Was Justin Fields available?

I think he was already going to New York, huh?

He was already going to New York.

He wasn't going before free agency started.

Okay,

give me a second.

You know, okay, you knew James, you wasn't going to bring, okay, you had it, you wasn't going to bring Jameis back.

Okay.

Right.

So you know that you don't wait till free agency start.

You're starting this.

You're looking at free agency, not only others, but your own free agents.

And you're getting an idea.

You're trying to put this puzzle together.

Who we would be interested in, who might be interested in us, who are we going to try to re-sign?

Who are we okay with them moving on?

Right.

So for me,

when you got an 18, 18-year vet, A guy that really hadn't shown you that he could, I mean, he'd been at two stops, Ojo.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

A guy that has shown you when Deshaun Watson got hurt, he came in and went on a five-six game winning streak for them until the bottom fell out.

So he showed up.

So you know what you're getting with Joe Flacco, right?

So you know the bottom is going to fall out, right?

I mean, at some point, and that's where your number two comes in play.

That's where the thing comes.

And once your number two comes in play, you stick with him, and that's who you ride with for the foreseeable future.

But there are things that even though Joe Flacco is playing well, he turns the ball over a lot.

Yeah.

He turns the ball over a lot, picks and fumbles.

Yes, sir.

And that's what bites him.

Pickett,

I was never sold on Kenny Pickett.

Right.

Pittsburgh wasn't sold on Kenny Pickett.

Didn't he go to, he went to Philly last year.

Where was he last year?

Philly?

He was in Philly.

I think it was the backup.

Maybe third string.

I'm not sure.

Or who was the second?

He might have been.

Well, McKee is the second now.

Okay.

So Kenny might have been the second string quarterback.

Yeah, yeah he went in when hurts went out um but mckee uh obviously they felt very comfortable keeping mckee um and he looked he looked well in in the duty and and in the role that he came in on sunday uh last week he looked really really well it's just hard for me to see a scenario ocho

is that they keep four quarterbacks and two rookies now you run the risk if like if you release one of the rookies somebody else sign them now

probably they're only going to sign

if you sign them to your active roster.

Because I mean, why would you want to go and try to learn a new system when you spent OTAs, you spent mini camps, you spent training camp learning this system?

Why go somewhere else, start behind

unless they're going to put you on the active roster?

Now, if they're going to put you in the 53-man active roster, well, I totally understand because there's a substantial difference in pay.

But unless they're willing to do that, it doesn't make much sense for me for you to go to one practice squad to the other practice squad.

Or if they release you, now it's, you know, you get to, I guess you get to

decide,

well, we really would like to sign you back.

Do you go back with

a system that you're familiar with, Ocho?

Or do you move on and try to learn a new system and say, well, I think over there

might be better situated for me.

Or I might be better suited to be in that situation over there as opposed to currently here.

What's your take?

What do you think about that?

I can see how it plays out, huh?

I'm telling you, I can see it.

I can see it.

Listen, I'm not in the Browns organization.

I'm not there in the locker room.

I'm not there on the practice field.

But from what I know about the game,

from the outside looking in and just being around the game in general, I know exactly how it's going to play out based on what Shador

did in the first preseason game to be able to come out and do that with a limited amount of snaps that he was able to play, Joe Flacco was back, and they brought him back simply because he knows the offense, he knows the system, and we know what we get from him if he's in there.

At some point, things are going to go disarray.

The bottom is going to fall out at some point.

Who's going to be our number two quarterback that's going to be able to step up

and take things on from that point for the foreseeable future for our franchise?

Jalen Hurst gave Shadur Sanders a ride on the golf golf cart after Sanders injured his oblique during practice.

He spoke on his conversation with Shadur, saying, he came to me and wanted to talk.

I'm always there of giving my perspective on what I see and how I've gone about things.

I'm supporting him from where I am and wish him nothing but the best.

And I get it.

I mean, you know,

You know, Jalen, I mean, the maturity that he displays, you would think the guy's been in the league 10, 12 years.

That's right.

And he's only been in the league, what, about six years himself.

But the way he goes about his business, the way he handles his business, the way he, he,

his perspective on a lot of things.

Right.

He doesn't get too high.

He doesn't get too low.

He's very even keel.

Guys rally around him.

He comes off as very authentic.

I believe he's very authentic.

I heard Lane Johnson talking about him.

He's the same day one as he is right now.

He's just gotten more efficient and better at what he's doing, but he's still the same guy.

Nothing about him has changed or deviated from when he walked into this locker room as the second round draft pick.

And that's what you could appreciate.

Circumstances has not changed this young man.

Super Bowl MVP, this, that, the talk.

Philly is a very tough place, a very tough town to play in.

But

he doesn't let that bother him.

Everybody can't play in places like Philly.

It'll crush a lot of people, but he's built for it.

He has very thick skin.

He has very small ears.

So he doesn't hear the noise.

And stuff that people would normally say or that would be impactful to a player, it bounces off him.

So that's what makes him really, really good at what he does.

Because the same thing with Eli.

Is that they try to beat him up in New York?

He's like, I don't even hear the A.

Eli like

Damn, Eli, you alive?

Yeah, I'm alive.

I just don't hear y'all bullying.

What y'all saying is dead to me.

I'm alive and well.

It's just what you're saying is dead to me.

Yeah.

But I like the fact it's like, look, all I can do is offer my perspective from where I am.

I'm the starting quarterback of Philly.

I hear what you guys hear.

I got an opportunity to hear his perspective because he's actually in it.

And I'm saying, you know, and maybe he shared well, I was in a situation when I got here, they had just given a guy one of the second richest contracts in NFL history.

But I was undeterred.

I was like, I'm going to take care of what Jalen can take care of.

I can't concern myself with what they just paid him.

I can't concern myself that he was on the way to winning the MVP before he got hurt week 13, week 14.

That don't have anything to do with me.

Let me control what I can control.

Let me do what I can do.

And then the chips will fall where they're made.

But, but when I get my opportunity.

Is your AI built for everyone?

Or is it built to work with your business's data?

IBM helps you integrate and govern unstructured data wherever it lives.

So your business can have more accurate AI

instead of just more of it.

Get your data ready for AI at IBM.com.

The AI Built for Business.

IBM.

If you're a lineman in charge of keeping the lights on, Granger understands that you go to great lengths and sometimes heights to ensure the power is always flowing, which is why you can count on Granger for professional-grade products and next day delivery so you have everything you need to get the job done.

Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by.

Granger for the ones who get it done.

This Labor Day at Lowe's, kick off fall with savings.

Get up to 40% off.

Select major appliances.

Plus, get an additional 20% off when you buy four or more.

Valid through 9-10.

Selection varies by location.

While supplies last.

More terms and restrictions apply.

See Lowe's.com slash rebates for details.

Lowe's, we help.

You save.

Visit your nearby Lowe's on East Arquez Avenue in Sunnyvale.

Hey, it's Gronk.

Growing up in a small town, community is everything.

There's nothing like the support, pride, and the way people show up on Friday nights.

It just sticks with you.

And now a chance to give back?

No way I'm passing that up.

That's why last year I teamed up with T-Mobile and helped launch Friday Night 5G Lights.

Over 1,700 high schools competed and 300 took home over $4 million in prizes.

Well, Friday Night 5G Lights is back, baby, and we're taking it to a whole new level.

This year, 450 high schools will win $5,000 and 25 finalists will score $25,000.

And one lucky school will score a game-changing home field upgrade powered by T-Mobile, a tailgate party, a weight room makeover provided by Gronk Fitness, and a VIP trip to the SEC championship game.

You've got to be in it to win it.

So get your school to apply by September 12th.

Head to Fridaynight5G Lights.com and make some noise.

Let's light up those Friday nights.

That's exactly where I was going with it.

Now, obviously, Jalen's opportunity didn't come until they were already in season.

Well, hell,

preseason matters most because right now

you're trying to earn a roster spot.

They got fourth on the depth chart, not give you the adequate reps that you need, especially with the ones or the twos.

Two players get hurt.

The opportunity presented itself.

When the opportunity presented itself, how did he look?

How did he look?

Oh, he looked good.

He looked really well.

He looked good.

He looked very good.

He looked really well.

He looked really well in command of the offense and commanded the players.

He looked like a leader.

Looked like he's been doing it for five or six years.

Yes, he looked very poised.

So again, now it's a quarterback competition.

His oblique is hurt.

Next man up.

Now it's Dylan Gabriel's turn.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, if Kenny Pickett's not playing, Joe Flack was not playing the second game.

game now dylan gabriel gets to play most of the goddamn game until stoop huntley comes in in the fourth quarter similar to what they did last friday

true true now now now

we will see

we will see because kenny pickett not getting snaps now but we still know what we got from kenny pickett when he was in philly we know what we got from kenny pickett when he was in pittsburgh right it's hard it's hard to evaluate him when he was in pittsburgh in philly because he didn't really get a whole lot of playing time he was a backup but we did see a large sample size of him when he was in Pittsburgh.

Okay, and listen, no disrespect to him.

And in a three-year span, is all of a sudden now going to be the year that something has changed miraculously?

Well, it seems that Cleveland thought so, because that's why they assigned him in free agency.

Well, you know,

quarterbacks are going to always get opportunities, Duncan.

You know that.

True.

They're going to always get opportunities over and over and over and over.

Either as a two, as a three, or sometimes a four.

Not very many teams carry a fourth quarterback, but it will always always get an opportunity.

Yeah, I just damn, man.

I mean, seems like he can't catch a break.

I mean,

I mean, do you know how many quarterback

Tim Couch, Detmer, Wynn, Peterson, Holcomb, Garcia,

McCown, Dilfer, Fry, Anderson, Dorsey, Quinn,

Menzel, Hoyert, I mean,

Whedon, Wallace,

Hogan, Taylor, Mayfield, Keith,

it goes, it continues on and on and on and on.

So, I mean, how they can just be so proud about, well, this individual looked a certain way in preseason, but we still want to keep him fourth on the depth chart.

I mean, anyone that even looks the par, you should be biting at the bit about them at that position that you haven't been able to find success at and who knows how long.

Yeah.

And I know.

Well, it's been an extended period of time since they found a starting quarterback.

Yeah.

I mean, people are going to say, oh, it's the preseason.

It doesn't mean anything.

No, it means something because before a wedding, you have a dress rehearsal, don't you?

Right.

Yeah, you have a dress rehearsal.

Whatever the dress rehearsal.

Whether it was the twos or the ones.

But they wouldn't have said that.

Let me ask you a question.

If he went out there, if Shadur goes out there and throws three picks and fumble the ball, would they have said it doesn't mean anything?

Or they would say, see, that's why they took him in the fifth round.

Exactly.

You see, he plays well, it doesn't mean anything.

He doesn't play well, it means everything.

We see how this goes.

We already know what was being written.

Right.

We already know.

So he played well.

That don't mean anything.

He doesn't play well.

It's everything.

I think for a rookie quarterback, it means a lot because it's his first time getting NFL action.

This is the first time that he's going to go against people that's out there trying to, unless you're the number one, unless you're a high draft pick, but you know, Shadura is out there competing against guys too.

They don't want that.

Look,

in about two weeks,

30 guys per team, about a thousand guys, Ocho.

Got to go.

Their dreams, their football dreams will come to an end.

Yes, sir.

What they, a lot of these men have been dreaming for this moment, their entire lives.

And now

they're gonna have to do something else maybe it's coaching maybe they put that degree maybe they're a teacher maybe they're financial maybe they're their personal training whatever the case may be they go out into the real job world a nine to five and they're look i don't i'm not saying there's anything wrong with a nine to five no because i know y'all y'all can y'all try to y'all y'all take everything and try to run with it What I will say is this, for about a thousand plus men, their dreams of playing in the NFL will come to an end and then what is your backup plan what is plan b

because plan a

failed let me let me take that back plan a wasn't the success so now you either gonna have to try to like okay hopefully somebody picks me up on the practice squad and i try this thing again

or

i'm like you know what

Probably you listen to what the guys, what maybe you listen to what the GM say.

Right.

Says, you know, hey, son, we think you got talent, but we just got, we kind of just stacked at that position where you are.

And, you know, we think you can play in this league, but just right now,

we just think it's better that, you know, we give you an opportunity to go someplace else.

That's the reality of it, Ocho.

That is the reality of professional sports.

Sometimes your dreams, what you dreamed, and maybe it was your dream to play

from junior high, a JV to varsity, and then you go to high school and say, Man, if I can please play college, and then you say, Man, if I can just get an opportunity to play in the NFL, maybe that was your dream was to get into a training, go to OTAs and mini camps and training camps, play in the preseason, and that was it.

Maybe that was it, right?

But

some,

you know, like I said, it might not happen this year.

You might have to have a delayed success where it doesn't happen this year, but it happens next year.

And it might be two or three times, don't you know you a

but I think, you know, you know.

Give yourself an opportunity to say, you know what, I'm going to keep training.

Maybe somebody calls me back, put me on the practice squad, and I might be going into a situation where I don't know the plays, but I'd definitely be going into a situation where I'm in shape, as in shape as I can possibly be, given that I will not have played football in a week, two weeks, maybe even a month.

That's what you can hope for.

But

that's the reality of professional football.

Now, obviously, it's not that many

basketball players.

I mean, what?

You look at 30 teams and then 15 players per roster.

So you're looking at 450.

They're going to cut double that.

Because you think about, oh, Joe, you got 80.

You got 80 on the roster.

right now, and they got you got to get down to 53.

You get to get down to 53,

and you got to bring you get back, you get six, but you get by you get by 20.

You can put by 20 on the practice squad.

20, I think so.

How many, how many practice squad players get they got?

I think it's a high number.

This is a high teams, Ocho.

15 to 20.

So, oh, that changed then.

Oh, yeah, it didn't change.

Yeah,

I didn't know that.

I had no idea.

I had no idea.

Okay, okay, okay.

16.

16.

okay

so you get 16

international player you can have 17 well if if he's an international player it can be 17 so

uh dope that's dope yeah so so with that being said don't you like a lot a lot of these so because at first you had 90 then you get down to you go to cam with 80 yeah

uh and now you that's 27.

So you're releasing

640, 700, yes, with 30 times, 30 times 20.

So think about how many players you're actually releasing.

Right.

Hey, but

man,

you know the definition of malpractice?

Yeah, I know what the malpractice is.

Yeah, absolutely.

Those that are in positions of power that make the calls at that organization,

I think everybody needs to be fired if they don't get it right this time.

They do because enough is enough

35 different quarterback positions

and you've yet to find success in having one for a decade

you haven't had the luck of the green i do give them an a for effort they keep trying

but come on now

i mean ojo if somebody would have told you Given what you know, a 26-year-old Deshaun Watson in his absolute apex prime, if somebody would have told you that it wasn't going to work, you wouldn't have believed him.

He had just led the league in passing.

Yeah.

Just led the league in passing.

Now, obviously, there are other circumstances, but, and then he gets injured.

What was it?

He turns ACL, then he messes up his shoulder.

Well, he messed up his shoulder, I think, first.

And then it's, oh, no, no, it's Achilles.

It was his Achilles.

And then he re-injures that.

So

that's, I think, that's where because they thought they had the quarterback for the next decade.

Yes.

I thought they had their quarterback for the next decade.

Same, same.

Nobody would, if you go back and look at Deshaun Watson when they made this, there's no Deshaun Watson is not out of your top 10.

As a matter of fact, a lot of people probably had him in their top five.

So, and we had never seen a quarterback this young in his prime that's non-injured,

be available.

Never.

They never come available.

Not in their prime.

Even Brady became available, but he wasn't in his prime.

Now, he still played well, but Brady was not going to be available in year six.

Peyton Manning was not going to be available in year six.

Aaron Rodgers,

Brett Favre, Joe Montana, they're not available in year six.

Deshaun Watson was available in year six in his absolute prime.

So they thought I give them the utmost credit because they traded an awful lot to get him.

And that's what you have.

What would a team trade to get their hands on a Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow or Josh Allen?

You trade an awful lot.

Yes.

You would.

Or Lamar Jackson.

You would.

Absolutely.

So with that being said,

I give them credit.

Now, they gagged on a lot of the other ones, too.

But I can't say that they get, I mean, it looks hindsight because it's a magnificent science because we have the luxury of knowing today what we didn't know yesterday.

Right.

But at the time, it's like, oh, yeah, perfect.

Now, you look at what they turned that into.

You know, they probably got Will Anderson Jr.

and they got

Nico Collins or and some of these other dresses.

You're like,

well, it worked out well.

Yeah,

absolutely.

But

absolutely.

I just, something,

something is, I just can't put my hand on it.

I wish, I wish

that Shadua was healthy and was playing in this game because it would crystallize things a lot for me, Ojo.

It really would.

Well, honestly, things are going to crystallize themselves regardless, huh?

Even if he doesn't play in this game, him not playing in this game, obviously, could be a blessing.

You got three injured quarterbacks.

So, how does it crystallize?

You got three injured quarterbacks.

One has an oblique and two got hamstrings so how does it crystallize dylan gabriel's playing this weekend

dylan gabriel is getting this opportunity to play how long

you know hamstrings you know how they are

okay how about this okay

if shadour looked that way in the first preseason game right yes and dillon gabriel plays this week and doesn't look as good as Shadur did.

Well, Shadur did play against the same caliber talent that Dylan Gabriel.

I'm just preparing you for what they're going to say, Ocho.

You see, you already know what they're going to say too.

You can't deny.

You can't deny what's for you.

No matter how much they try to stall the process on what's to be, it's going to be regardless.

Yes, I agree.

It's going to be regardless.

Agreed.

They can play the political game all they want.

They can play merry-go-round with the quarterback situation all they want.

Hadn't come out and say, This is not the quarterback I wanted.

But Andrew Berry, when all is said and done, will look like Einstein.

He can look like Einstein.

He just is.

It is.

You can't.

You can't deny it.

I don't disagree with you.

I don't.

I don't.

But it's just hard to compete in that division when you got two of the best quarterbacks.

Two of the top four quarterbacks reside in that division.

Yeah.

Now you put them in any

when you say, okay, give me your top five quarterbacks.

It's going to be Mahomes, Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson.

Those are the four.

Two of the four that I mentioned reside in the AFC North.

So if you want to win that division, And you want to be competitive year in and year out, you're going to have to find a way to beat those two quarterbacks.

Yeah,

and and listen, hopefully, and they're going to be there for the extent.

None of those quarterbacks are 30, so you got to deal with them for the next five to ten.

And you also have another, and I don't want to discredit him.

I know he hadn't looked good the past two years, but you don't have ain't no slouch down there in Pittsburgh either, right?

They're not saying you're not gonna have to deal with him for another five to ten, but you're right, yeah, but you're right.

So

I just just don't.

I don't know, Joe.

Listen, I'm excited to see how it turns out.

I know football is back in 22 days, if I'm not mistaken.

I think I got my numbers right.

And I want to see who's going to be quarterback number one for the Cleveland Browns.

I want to see.

I know how it's going to play out.

I know Joe Flackham is going to be the starter.

He's the veteran.

He's the veteran.

We know what he's done when he was at the helm.

He went on a five-six game run.

It was phenomenal.

Look crazy.

I also saw what Shadur did when he got his opportunity, despite being low on the depth chart.

Now we get to see what Dillian Gabriel can do this Saturday.

I don't even know who they're playing.

Who are they playing?

Philly?

Yes.

Okay.

Chad, we know we're supposed to have David and Joku.

We

he's kind of falling asleep.

Really?

And so once we can get him awake,

we'll definitely, we'll definitely

bring him on with you guys.

They had practice day, huh?

Yes.

Oh, yeah.

He definitely.

And we know what time it is.

It's 10.30 on the East Coast training camp.

Now, it's different.

I mean, because we stayed up till 1, 2, 3 in the morning.

But these guys, you know, they get their sleep.

and I understand that.

But I promise you, if we can get them awake,

we'll get him on here for you guys.

Is your AI built for everyone,

or is it built to work with your business's data?

IBM helps you integrate and govern unstructured data wherever it lives

so your business can have more accurate AI

instead of just more of it.

Get your data ready for AI at IBM.com.

The AI Built for Business.

IBM.

If you're a lineman in charge of keeping the lights on, Granger understands that you go to great lengths and sometimes heights to ensure the power is always flowing, which is why you can count on Granger for professional grade products and next day delivery.

So you have everything you need to get the job done.

Call 1-800GRANGER, clickgranger.com, or just stop by.

Granger for the ones who get it done.

This Labor Day at Lowe's, kick off fall with savings.

Get up to 40% off.

Select major appliances.

Plus, get an additional 20% off when you buy four or more.

Valid through 9-10.

Selection varies by location.

While supplies last, more terms and restrictions apply.

See Lowe's.com slash rebates for details.

Lowe's, we help you save.

Visit your nearby Lowe's on East Starquez Avenue in Sunnyvale.

Hey, it's Gronk.

Growing up in a small town, community is everything.

There's nothing like the support, pride, and the way people show up on Friday nights.

It just sticks with you.

And now a chance to give back?

No way I'm passing that up.

That's why last year I teamed up with T-Mobile and helped launch Friday night 5G lights.

Over 1,700 high high schools competed and 300 took home over 4 million dollars in prizes.

Well, Friday Night 5G Lights is back, baby, and we're taking it to a whole new level.

This year, 450 high schools will win 5,000 bucks and 25 finalists will score 25,000 bucks.

And one lucky school will score a game-changing home field upgrade powered by T-Mobile, a tailgate party, a weight room makeover provided by Gronk Fitness, and a VIP trip to the SEC championship game.

You've got to be in it to win it.

So get your school to apply by September 12th.

Head to FridayNight5GLights.com and make some noise.

Let's light up those Friday nights.

Raheem Moore seems to be pleased with Kirk Cousins' play.

Those surpassed by Michael Pennix Jr.

on the depth chart, Raheem says.

He's been really good.

You're talking about going through the progressions and actually throwing the ball wherever you need to throw it.

Obviously, he has the ability to come out of the pocket a little bit better than this time last year, coming off a significant injury.

That's dramatically improved, like it improved throughout the season.

But I really love where he's at from a communication standpoint with Michael Penix Jr.

and from its coaches.

Ocho, yeah,

is there a quarterback controversy brewing?

Where?

In Atlanta?

Absolute.

Come on there.

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not.

Listen, I'm not there to see, but I do see all the plays being made that are posted on social media, on Instagram, on Twitter.

Every time I look up at Drake London making a play, well, hell, the same quarterback's throwing the ball every time I see something.

When training camp first started, all the plays I see Kyle Pitts and they're talking to the media about the connection between you, between Pennix and Kyle Pitts has been different.

You know, this season, yeah, he's my security blanket.

We want to make an effort to get him the ball.

So now, this is just a second week of training camp.

How is this even a story?

I have no idea, but we know who quarterback number one is.

We know what he is.

It's not an issue.

It's not an issue at all.

He's shown what he can do.

When he got in last year, his opportunity is now.

There is no issues at that position.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, obviously, he's coming off an achilles injury so obviously he should uh he's a year removed from that the injury now

cousins has never been fleet of foot nobody's ever going to confuse him with lamar jackson or josh allen or justin fields one of these mobile quarterbacks no

uh uh russ in his prime nobody's gonna confuse him with one of those um

but

to have a little bit more bit more a little bit more mobility than what he had last year because he was already ojo damn slow now you coming off an Achilles injury.

Where you going?

Right, nowhere.

I wouldn't pay, I wouldn't play anything but uh cover of five 22 man under you ain't going nowhere.

Where you going?

Where is he going?

Right, nowhere.

Yeah, we know what he can do.

Oh, he can throw it now.

You give him time, he'll pick your part.

Pick you apart like a surgeon.

Oh, yeah, he'll pick your part now.

You lay, he's surgical with that ball now.

Yes, yes, yeah, you get no, you get no denying from me, yeah.

But uh,

yeah, they can't, they can't, they can't go backwards.

Once you, once you, once you go up, move on till you get young gun, they stick

it.

We ride it out.

You got to say all the positive things.

Oh, he's good.

And hopefully, hey, hope.

That's another.

Cleveland could have traded for cousins.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But

see,

see, if, oh, Joe, they dropped it bad, man.

I can't, I can't, I can't find it.

If you look hard, though, you can find.

Hey, man, no jobs out here.

Hold on.

What type of job are you looking for?

Right.

See, you heard what you just said?

What kind of job are you looking for?

Just because they could have traded for him doesn't mean he would have accepted said trade.

You know, you know that.

I think he has no trade.

Yeah, you know, their conversation.

Exactly.

He has no trade.

Their conversation would have come to quarterbacks in nfl

and choosing where they want to go

but i think for an opportunity

skill position players they don't have a choice they go they're traded to quarterbacks i'm gonna ask you this ojo for a chance to start or be a backup

that's a good question

that that's a good question now depending on who you are well hell if you're on the goddamn trade block i mean you you ain't really got no power to say whether you want to start or not because if you if you you are who you thought you were,

you wouldn't be getting traded in the first place.

So I definitely think that's a situation.

Look, like you said, you know what Cousins is.

Yeah.

You protect him.

He can pick you apart.

He's not going to make a whole lot of plays off script.

He's not looking to get outside the pocket, the tackle box.

He's looking to be in that phone booth.

He's not going to be hard to find.

He's going to probably be about nine, 10 yards deep and probably in a seven-yard in a seven-yard window.

That's where he's going to be.

Yeah.

He doesn't have the strongest arm, but

he's very accurate because he has great anticipatory skills.

Very good.

He's maximized his ability in the NFL.

If somebody would have told you, seen him in college and watched him, like, okay, maybe a back career back up.

But he's parlayed that

into

tremendous success.

But

I think this is Raheem trying to build him up.

So, hey, man, this car

run like it did when I first bought it, Ocho.

Yeah.

I know it's 30 years old.

Right.

But it got low mileage on it.

As a matter of fact, I ain't even drive it, but a couple of times all last year.

Knowing, knowing that as soon as you get it around the corner,

you're going to have to call the told.

You're going to have to call a flat bay to come get you.

That's why I ain't been driving it, right?

So, uh, that's a good one.

Michael Pennix Jr.

is involved in a practice fight, Ocho, versus the Titan.

After

he passed to wide receiver Ray Ray McLeod III, Pennix exchanged heated words with several Titans defenders.

The trash talking quickly escalated into a physical altercation, prompting players from both sides to rush to field.

Pennix ended up in the center of the scrum and appeared to be slammed to the turf.

Ocho, as a teammate, do you salute Pennix for showing he isn't scared to defend himself or do you tell him bro you a quarterback sit your ass down no

you you tell him that's what do you want man pinneck got that dog in him i like that no you don't chat don't listen to ocho man i ain't trying to hear all that i want a quarterback that's just just as ficious as everybody joe burrow throws a punch and breaks his hand you cool with that they say got into altercation they say nobody throwing no punches he was slammed to the turf Did you hear that part?

Let me repeat that.

Pennix ended up at the center of the scrum and appeared to be slammed to the turf.

Did you hear that part?

I don't think he wasn't slammed.

You know, when things are written, like when things are written, when things are written, they're going to exaggerate.

They're going to make it sound like it was so bad.

Wasn't it on what didn't, what they show?

Yeah, please show me.

And I guarantee you.

No, we're not going to show nothing.

We're absolutely not going to show it.

Ash, ask, send it to me, ask.

I guarantee you they didn't pick him up and slam him to the turf.

I guarantee you that didn't happen.

For one, even if you're an opponent and you're in a joint practice, there's not one defensive player.

the joint practice against the Titans, right?

Yes.

There's not one player on the defensive, I mean, on the defensive side for the Titans that was slam Pennington Jr., whether mad or not.

They just not.

I disagree.

So let me ask you a question.

In the Jets, in the Geno Smith situation, what happened?

Was that a defensive player that punched the quarterback?

Yes or no?

Wait, and then Geno Smith.

Wait, what happened?

What happened?

When he was in New York.

But go back and Google.

I'll let you Google it.

We don't need to rehash that.

So this notion that people will contain themselves when they get upset is just not true, Ocho.

You know that and I know that, especially because

I don't know Penny's Jr.

He on Atlanta.

I went to Titans, but you're also looking at him.

He's not Lamar.

He's not one of these other.

He's not one of these top-like quarterbacks.

They don't hold him in high regard like that.

Even if they don't hold him in high regard because he's not the top five quarterbacks in the NFL, defensive players, the ones, I'm sure it's ones on ones, they still respect him and not going to try and hurt the quarterback in a joint practice by slamming them.

They just not,

even if they're mad.

Michael Penny Jr.

speaks on the fight.

So he threw a deep ball to Ray Ray McLeod and celebrated.

I'm from Tampa.

I'm from Dade City.

We're all about playing.

We're all about competing at a high level.

But when disrespect comes in, it's like all right this ain't football no more

they had a lot of words on practice so i gave them some word yeah because they uh the tennessee titan players were talking trash yesterday i saw the clips yesterday um with the tennessee titan players talking trash and boom offensively pennix and ray ray offensively collectively as a group they must have they must have got in there you know what today they just a little

friendly trash oh you you know you know how them joint practice

i've never seen no quarterbacks get into it the quarterbacks moves away they don't do no talking yeah because it's too risky

too risky i got you i got you i got you but

your quarterback carson would have done something like that yeah yeah carson feisty boy carson feisty and

i'm just y'all i mean maybe i just played a different era hold on the era i played in quarterbacks didn't get involved in stuff like that it's too risky you know you know you know who would do it

12 the greatest quarterback of all time would be right in your face yeah but

yeah i mean he he

ah

yeah yeah i'm i mean i saw i saw with my own eyes

but i i understand what you're saying but i'm not even there i'm not even at the joint practice but

did y'all have they didn't have i don't know if they had them like that back then when you was playing joint practice

we had him with the saints uh me and mike remember mike mckenzie yeah well me and Mike McKenzie had, oh, we had a ball out there, boy.

It was, yeah, it was somebody else we had joint practice with.

We had a lot of fights, a lot of fights, and it never come, it's never fist.

It's always just grabbing, and then everybody, it's just like one big scrum.

It's funny.

And then we go right back to practicing.

Yeah.

Normally the quarterback might have had somebody said something, and then he tells the offensive alignment, or he tells us, and we deal it.

But the last thing you want is a quarterback ending the shoulder,

um

injuring a thumb or hand punching something right or getting or getting punched right

yeah i i definitely

we wouldn't it wouldn't get to that

and you know you know what's funny especially when it comes to the beat writers and and those that are watching they will exaggerate what happened and what's being said and make it seem like it was, oh, it was so awful.

So I take some of the things that they say.

You take it with a grain of salt?

Yeah, with a grain of salt on because they you know i there's no push i look i look i look at the captions i look at some of the captions for some of the plays that are being made i'm like was that even necessary to even say it or word it that way just to get people to click in

like come on now

yeah i look look i ain't got no problem with no quarterback protecting but when it comes to like being in the scrum nah you let the office you let your office

you get out the way scrum you get out the way because hey because when people get hey, they punching, they punching whatever they ain't got the same color they got on, they punch it.

Oh, yeah.

Remember the one,

damn, the Rams.

The Rams and the Bengals had

the joint practice and Aaron Donald got into it.

Yeah.

Took the dude with helmet off.

Yeah.

Man.

And you see a bunch of that going on.

Yeah, hold on.

Matter of fact.

If I'm not mistaken, for all the teams that are having a joint practice, it's been a fight on Twitter and social media on Instagrams

at every joint practice.

It's always a little bit irritable.

Somebody get the best of you.

You ain't finna get the best of me.

Right.

I see Calvin Ridley out there going off.

Oh, my goodness.

Did you see the goddamn clips of Amon Ross St.

Brown against the Dolphins?

Wait, what's that?

It ain't looking good for y'all, Locho.

Oh, my goodness.

Jesus.

so yeah and that that that'd be my only thing um

picky choose look i ain't got no problem talking i'm gonna do my talking from over here yeah

um

and yeah i'm gonna keep talking yeah we're gonna bomb y'all ass again

especially you because you do you the worst one you doing the most talking and you the worst one

as a matter of fact

I'm not gonna show you you're gonna make it until the next weekend.

Oh,

but most of the time, you know.

You you know why?

I'm gonna make sure.

Yeah, hey, that's that's my kind of carrying on right there.

That's all I'm doing, Ocho.

That's my kind of carrying on right there.

That's all I'm doing.

Yeah, well, at the end of the day, listen, we here to get better, we here to compete.

Hey,

trash talking is just a part of the game.

Hey, bro, you got your CDL, Liza?

You need them.

Oh, that's a good one.

I'm the last one you want to get,

especially in like a joint practice.

Yeah.

Like everybody can hear everything.

The fans can actually hear what I'm saying.

Yeah.

And then it's just something about, it is just so easy to get open in practice.

I don't know what it is.

It's different.

Maybe, maybe, maybe I'm invisible.

I don't know what it was.

Maybe I was just like,

I'm tired of you just talking.

You get on my nerves.

Right, right, right.

So let me put a stop to this.

Well, it's only one way to put a stop to it, and that's in between the green grass and the white lines.

That's it.

That's it.

I'm cooking.

I'm cooking.

So

just be careful, Penix.

Rookie Shamar Stewart hits Joe Burrow at practice leading to the brawl.

Another scope.

Check out the video.

Yeah,

I saw that.

Look like he ran a oh, ran a stunt.

They ran a

start,

TT stunt.

He got off balance.

He leaked.

Oh, he's off balance.

Oh, man.

You can't hit the quarterback.

Yeah, he's a bad guy.

Your teammate?

No, you can't hit the quarterback.

You hit the quarterback.

Oh, they're going to get you.

If anything, most of the time as a rookie, as he gets better, better he understands just the going by

he couldn't because he was off balance yeah yeah

because you see he got too far overextended oh joe yeah and he was going down and then if he pulls up son why'd you stop well coach i was off balance and what hit the quarterback i think coaches coaches understand especially in that scenario especially going against the ones look he's right he's off balance right there yeah see no and joe is already playing so joe can't even he can't even react to it

and and that's the work that's the worst because joe is playing it Yeah.

But

I know he got, I know they gave him a 50 or 100 headaches.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Now, if you, hey, if you want to start a ball in practice,

hit the quarterback.

Now we talk about the quarterback.

Yes.

Yeah.

Hit the quarterback.

All you got to do is just run on by.

Matter of fact, duck.

Duck and run on by so he can continue with the throw so his hand doesn't hit your helmet.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah they don't want to go to the side yeah boy he thought boy you don't want that you don't want you don't want the problems ted carrot said after practice that shamar running into joe burrow on a pass rush sparked a response from the old line come on man that's all our hopes and dreams right here but we've got to be better too that's on us yeah

oh they don't you're not oh the quarterback oh yeah you can't you can't hit that guy hey i like what carrot said practice

or practice with your your guys.

Right.

It's going to every time you touch the quarterback, it's going to happen.

But

I like what the lineman said.

That's on us.

Listen, if it's a stunt, you already know.

If they passing it off, they pass it off.

Right.

Next man.

Because if that's a game situation, hell, burrows.

See, the thing is, you know what, Ocho,

it's a lot easier when you can study it and know that's a possibility.

Right.

See, when you go in against your own guy,

they set you up perfect.

You're like, oh, man, oh, I got, hey, he whipped.

And next thing you know, that guy is up on you before you know it.

So if you're not careful, if you do too much like this here, them shoulders turn.

It's a wrap.

So you got to stay as square as you possibly can.

Shove that guy onto the tackle.

And

once you see him disappear, somebody got to be coming.

Somebody coming.

Hey, guy cross your face.

Oh, you think he just goes, somebody coming around?

They got to, because he disappearing, he's leaving a gap.

Yeah.

He's not going to leave a gap vacated.

But he'll, like I said, he'll rookie.

Bro,

this ain't college.

If you hit the quarterback, everything, hunky-dory, they tear your ass up.

Hey, they're going to get you.

Yeah, it won't ever.

I don't know how they did it

at your school, Locho.

But in the NFL, if you hit the quarterback,

they'll get you.

Listen, it's going to be a fight every time.

Yeah.

We'll fight every time.

But obviously, obviously, whoever is position coach probably talked to him.

I'm sure Zach Taylor talked to him.

He probably apologized to Joe after the fact.

And he just knows better now.

If you come clean on a stunt or a move or whatever it may be, just run by the quarterback.

Yep.

Just run by him.

You know,

we know it would be a sack.

We know it would be a sack.

Coach davis at savannah state somebody hit the quarterback he that can you play quarterback son can you play quarterback no sir well then why the f did you hit it

oh man that's funny how you play defensive line but all of a sudden you was a quarterback i mean i i guess you could have transitioned normally that uh quarterbacks transition on the offensive side maybe to a corner right they don't really transition to d lineman on y'all absolutely not cowboys owner jerry jones uh has irked his fan base after admitting his team is a soap opera 365 days a year jones made the comments during a red carpet interview before the premiere of netflix america's team the gambler and his cowboys documentary the cowboys are soap opera 365 days a year when it gets slow i stir it up And so it's wonderful to have great athletes, to have great players, but there is something more there.

There's sizzle, there's emotion and if you will there's controversy that controversy is good stuff in terms of keeping and having people's attention

well we've been saying that for the longest huh we've been he ain't say nothing about winning where wait where you got winning in that at George he's not focused I thought winning what I thought winning is something you did 365 he's not focused on that he's not

He's not focused on that.

The most profitable franchise, not worried about all the sports.

And all the sports.

We worried about lining in pockets.

That's it.

And the product is going to sell himself.

The fact that he doesn't even have to say anything, because the product going to sell itself, the fact that he does say something, it makes it even worse.

Yep.

The Dallas Cowboys is no different than Blue Magic.

They're no different than Blue Magic.

You saw American Gangster, those in the chat, you know what I'm talking about.

Blue Magic sells itself.

You don't have to take the product and cut it up, do any talking, do anything extra.

It's the Dallas Cowboys.

Ocho, if I told you, name me,

if I'm gonna, I'm gonna remove the top five.

Yeah, I'm gonna say, you know, I'm gonna remove the top 10.

Name 10 through 20 of the richest people in the world.

You couldn't.

You see, if Jerry didn't say anything, nobody would know who he is.

Yeah.

And he wants you to know who he is.

It's not good enough that he owns the most, the most valuable, the most lucrative, the most profitable franchise in sports.

That's not enough.

Yeah, he wants to be the face

like Patrick Mahomes is the face of the Chiefs.

Joe Burrow is the face, Lamar is the face.

Jerry doesn't want that.

Jerry wants to be the face.

Listen,

the product sells itself.

The fact that he just adds to it,

it just heightens everything.

But

Jerry Jones is Nicki Barnes, man.

He don't care.

Kevin and Rachel and Peanut M's and an eight-hour road trip.

And Rachel's new favorite audiobook, The Cerulean Empress, Scoundrel's Inferno.

And Florian, the reckless yet charming scoundrel from said audiobook.

And his pecs glistened in the moonlight.

And Kevin, feeling weird because of all the talk about PEX, and Rachel handing him peanut M ⁇ Ms to keep him quiet.

Uh, Kevin, I can't hear.

Yellow, we're keeping it PG-13.

M ⁇ Ms, it's more fun together.

Honestly, honestly, honestly, no one wants to think about HIV, but there are things that everyone can do to help prevent it.

Things like PrEP.

PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, and it means routinely taking prescription medicine before you're exposed to HIV to help reduce your chances of getting it.

PrEP can be about 99% effective when taken as prescribed.

It doesn't protect against other STIs, though, so be sure to use condoms and other healthy sex practices.

Ask a healthcare provider about all your prevention options and visit findoutaboutprep.com to learn more.

Sponsored by Gilead.

Top Reasons Your Career Wants You to Move to Ohio.

So many amazing growth opportunities, high-paying jobs in technology, advanced manufacturing, engineering, life sciences, and more.

You'll soar to new heights, just like the Wright brothers, John Glenn, even Neil Armstrong.

Their careers all took off in Ohio and yours can too.

A job that can take you further and a place you can't wait to come home to.

Have it all in the heart of it all.

Launch your search at callohiohome.com.

Every day has a to-do list, but adding Enjoy Belveda to yours can help you knock out the rest of it.

Belveda breakfast biscuits are a tasty and convenient breakfast option when paired with low-fat yogurt and fruit that provides steady energy all morning.

While Belveeta Energy Snack Bites give you the perfect mid-morning refuel, best part, they both taste great.

So, make the most out of your morning with a bite of Belveeta.

Pick up a pack of Belveeta at your local store today.

This is an iHeart Podcast.