WEBVTT - The Insiders Podcast: Aaron Rodgers skips Jets minicamp 0:00:06.920 --> 0:00:12.160 Welcome Inside with the Insiders alongside Ian Rappaport and Mike Garafalo. 0:00:12.200 --> 0:00:16.520 I am Tom Pelisero Jam Packed edition once again of 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:19.919 this show. Cardinals general manager Monty Austen for going to 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:22.480 join us on the show. Hus Marvin Harrison Junior and 0:00:22.560 --> 0:00:25.840 Kyler Murray looking together. What really happened on the clock 0:00:26.160 --> 0:00:28.280 at number four? We'll get into all that with Monty. 0:00:28.560 --> 0:00:31.320 Bucky Brooks is going to join us as well, take 0:00:31.400 --> 0:00:35.080 us through some of the quarterback competitions and drama in 0:00:35.120 --> 0:00:36.440 the NFL. 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:38.360 And what do you know, We've got a little of that. 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.000 Quarterback drama in New York, though it has nothing to 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:44.279 do with a contract for the second straight day. The 0:00:44.320 --> 0:00:47.320 talk of the town, that guy who was not there, 0:00:47.560 --> 0:00:50.080 Aaron Rodgers the New York Post thrilled to have some 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.200 backcoage wordplay on a at a time when Ian's metz 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:57.000 are too irrelevant to kick around. Robert Sola second straight 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.480 day for him as well, have an answer a lot 0:00:59.480 --> 0:00:59.960 of questions. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:02.720 It's about the one guy who's not in uniform. 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:06.200 There was a lot of craziness that came off of Aaron's. 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:08.160 App sus yesterday as expected. Did you have any contact 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:08.479 with him. 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:11.640 I talked to him after between yesterday today. 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.480 No I happened, Robert. 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:17.240 You said that you spoke You were aware that Aaron 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:19.319 was not going to be here before yesterday? 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:20.000 Is that correct? 0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:22.199 And Tyrod said he. 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:23.480 Had only found out that morning. 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:25.520 Is there any reason that wh wasn't communicated to him 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:26.680 before or No. 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:30.800 It's a one on one conversation. It's not something that 0:01:30.840 --> 0:01:31.839 the team needed to know about. 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:35.000 Think you're getting some blowback from media people about the 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:38.480 use of the word unexcused, and because you were okay 0:01:38.560 --> 0:01:40.560 with him not being here if they did use the 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.399 word unexcused, I'm wondering maybe if you could clarify why. 0:01:43.280 --> 0:01:44.000 You use that word. 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:47.840 And also did you tell Rod Darren though he was 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:50.480 going to be termed unexcused and he reacted to that. 0:01:50.720 --> 0:01:56.320 No, you're fine, talked about it yesterday, but Aaron, Aaron 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:59.400 and I are on the exact same page. There's no 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:03.560 issue between Aaron or his teammates for that matter. So, 0:02:03.720 --> 0:02:06.600 like I said, we addressed it yesterday. It's more of 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.920 an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside. 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:11.960 And that's about it. 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:15.600 We said it yesterday when this began with the surprise announcement. 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.760 Aaron Rodgers not there in Florin Park for the start 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:21.359 of the only mandatory session of the off season. It's 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:25.160 two practices in June. It's probably going to have absolutely 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.400 no burying on how the Jets the offense Aaron Rodgers 0:02:28.440 --> 0:02:30.600 look when we get into September. 0:02:30.880 --> 0:02:33.160 But this is the story, the factor. 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.080 For the second straight day, You've got Jets players and 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:39.960 coaches having to go up and try to explain for 0:02:40.200 --> 0:02:43.360 Aaron Rodgers why he had a very important event that 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:47.200 apparently was more important than showing up for the last 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:50.480 session of the offseason. Ian, you weren't here yesterday. He 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:52.079 didn't get a chance to weigh in on this. Tell 0:02:52.120 --> 0:02:52.680 me what you. 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:55.720 Make of what has taking place right now in New York. 0:02:57.320 --> 0:03:00.919 Well, first of all, that Robert style interview basically seemed 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:03.840 to be like a postgame interview from like November. 0:03:03.919 --> 0:03:04.959 It was firing squad. 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:08.600 It was solid, clearly perturbed, same questions over and over again. 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:10.280 Yes, we went over this yesterday. 0:03:10.480 --> 0:03:14.760 It seemed like a postgame press conference, and nobody on 0:03:14.840 --> 0:03:17.200 a losing one. By the way, nobody seems to want 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:18.839 to be part of that. Let me go through first 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:21.959 of all, what this is not. It's not nothing. It's 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:25.120 nothing that's going to make the team actually distracted. Like 0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.359 it's not like players were going to study their playbook 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.000 and now because they're worried about Aaron Rodgers, they're not. 0:03:30.600 --> 0:03:32.680 It's nothing that really affects football. 0:03:32.760 --> 0:03:35.880 But what it is is a perception issue. It is 0:03:35.920 --> 0:03:38.720 a lightning Rodt. Look, we're all talking about it because 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:41.280 it's June and there's not a ton else to talk about. 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:43.400 Real football news doesn't really come in June. 0:03:43.440 --> 0:03:45.280 So the fact that we were able to talk about this, 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:47.880 it's great for us, but it's not going to be 0:03:47.920 --> 0:03:50.480 great for Aaron Rodgers. And especially if things don't get 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.000 off to the kind of swimming start that everyone hopes, 0:03:53.240 --> 0:03:56.000 it's going to be just another thing for fans and 0:03:56.040 --> 0:03:58.640 critics to latch onto and say, how dedicated is he 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:00.520 to football? How badly does he want to really get 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:04.800 distractions out? What about minicamp? It's just another thing. And 0:04:04.840 --> 0:04:07.960 the fact that the post could very truthfully put on 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.720 the back page here's what Rogers said, and here's what 0:04:10.760 --> 0:04:13.160 he did, and have all of it be accurate and fair, 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:17.000 that at the least is a perception problem for Aaron Rodgers. 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:19.160 I don't know. 0:04:19.480 --> 0:04:21.440 I mean, does it become a distraction, does it become 0:04:21.480 --> 0:04:24.080 a story because we ask about it, right, or does 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:26.280 it become a distraction and a story or an issue 0:04:26.320 --> 0:04:29.360 inside the building because it's an issue inside the building, 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:30.839 which I don't sense that it is. 0:04:30.880 --> 0:04:32.800 Well, you think the players are talking about. 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.280 It, players are being asked about it. 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:37.479 I don't know that players are talking about it like 0:04:37.560 --> 0:04:38.920 as if like where's our quarterback? 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:40.640 This is a problem. I don't get. I don't get 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:41.159 that sense. 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:44.200 I don't And so we sit here and say like, oh, 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:48.000 it's an issue. It's like a distraction, it's inconsistency, it's 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:48.760 all these things. 0:04:49.240 --> 0:04:49.800 The only thing that. 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:51.719 Really matters is if an issue there And as I 0:04:51.720 --> 0:04:55.480 said yesterday, it's only an issue right now in my mind. 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:58.640 If it's an issue for Rogers that he was basically 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:02.520 put on blast and that Salah used the word unexcused. 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:05.640 What you heard that he was asked about, Yeah, I 0:05:05.920 --> 0:05:06.800 don't know. 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:09.880 And I saw the notion that maybe, you know, the 0:05:09.960 --> 0:05:12.440 Jets should have let us know that this was coming. 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.000 Here's the only problem with that. Yeah, the day that 0:05:16.120 --> 0:05:19.400 they do that, it's a story. And then the first 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:22.479 day of Mini Caamp, there's more cameras, there's more reports 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:24.200 because everybody knows he's not going to be there, so 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:26.120 they're there to do the story if him not be 0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:29.920 So that's a two day story, well one day plus 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:33.400 the start of camp mini camp instead of the start 0:05:33.400 --> 0:05:35.240 of minicamp, which I guess it's technically now a two 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:36.719 day story because we're still talking about it. 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:39.720 Well, the other piece of this is the fact that 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:44.400 Aaron Rodgers set this up to become an issue. Back 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.920 in January, we're listening to guy played four snaps. As 0:05:46.960 --> 0:05:50.560 we all know, the Jets stumbled, they made multiple quarterback changes. 0:05:50.600 --> 0:05:52.800 They actually won some games early on, but then end 0:05:52.880 --> 0:05:54.479 up finishing seven to ten. 0:05:54.560 --> 0:05:55.960 Rogers comes out, he. 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:58.760 Lays down the law right after the regular season ends, 0:05:58.839 --> 0:05:59.960 and he says. 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:03.480 This, if you want to be a winning organization, man 0:06:03.560 --> 0:06:07.040 to put some position to win championships and be competitive, 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.279 everything that you do matters, and that has nothing to 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:13.520 do with winning needs to get out of the building. 0:06:13.800 --> 0:06:16.239 So that'll be the focus moving forward. 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:19.640 All right, let's welcome in our Bucky Brooks. Bucky, you 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:21.919 played in the league, you worked on the scouting sides, 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:25.200 you've been in front offices. You've seen this from different perspectives. 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:28.599 What I can't get over is this Aaron Rodgers stands 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:30.800 there says we've got to get the distractions out of 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:33.960 the building. Even if you set aside everything over the 0:06:34.080 --> 0:06:38.120 last five months with Aaron Rodgers and political aspirations and 0:06:38.160 --> 0:06:42.680 everything else, this is the very literal definition of a 0:06:42.800 --> 0:06:46.360 distraction mini camp. And you mean this celebration, we're fired 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:48.400 up about the young guys, we're right a role we're 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:50.840 peeking before we get this break before training camp. And 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.120 instead the questions that they're facing and Robert saul Is, 0:06:54.160 --> 0:06:56.159 as Mike put it, looks like he just lost. The 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:58.960 football game is all about the guy who's not on 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:01.640 the field. In your mind, from your perspective, how much 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:03.719 does or does this not matter right now? 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:07.159 Look, it matters now because we're in the middle of 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:10.280 like with June and there's nothing going on. It doesn't 0:07:10.280 --> 0:07:12.480 matter in the bigger scheme of things. At the end 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.440 of the day, the Jets are going to be judged 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:17.000 on the way that Aaron Rodgers plays. And so even 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:19.640 though this is a minor distraction, it's a minor hiccup. 0:07:19.840 --> 0:07:22.240 Aaron Rodgers has to know that if I play well, 0:07:22.320 --> 0:07:25.160 all of this will be forgotten, and so he just 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:27.800 has to continue to understand that I got to play 0:07:27.920 --> 0:07:31.280 like a four time MVP. If I play at an 0:07:31.360 --> 0:07:34.120 MVP level, the Jets are going to win and all 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:37.160 of this will be forgiven. But if I don't play well, 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:39.080 this will be thrown back in my face and it 0:07:39.120 --> 0:07:41.760 will be one of the many distractions that in New 0:07:41.840 --> 0:07:44.760 York jests have faced since he arrives, and so it 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:47.360 just puts more pressure on him to play at a 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:48.040 high level. 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:50.520 But right now it's probably bigger than it. 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:52.480 Needs to be, just because we don't have any real 0:07:52.520 --> 0:07:53.480 football to talk about. 0:07:53.840 --> 0:07:55.080 We do have mini camps. 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.520 Though this week, Bucket, we we've got players on the 0:07:57.560 --> 0:07:59.520 field practical only a couple more days this and that 0:07:59.600 --> 0:08:01.800 we've got we had that little break in there. 0:08:01.640 --> 0:08:04.080 Before we're seeing anybody out there again. But you know 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:05.800 who was on the field today, Lamar. 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:08.840 Jackson and Zay Flowers looking like they did during Lamar's 0:08:08.960 --> 0:08:12.280 MVP season. Hook it up right here to South Florida, 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.560 guys who I'm sure are going to be doing this 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:17.920 during that break before training camp. Though we're to Lamar 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:21.040 doesn't sound like everybody is necessarily on board with that plan. 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:25.000 Have you talked at all a look with the receivers 0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:27.560 A tight ends about getting together for an offseason, either 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:29.760 for a summer break from a session, means that's something 0:08:29.760 --> 0:08:30.480 that you would like to do. 0:08:30.760 --> 0:08:31.880 I would love to do that. 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.679 You know, some guys don't want to leave a state. 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.400 They're gonna have to come to South Florida. They're gonna 0:08:37.400 --> 0:08:39.120 have to do it. We got to We're trying to 0:08:39.120 --> 0:08:41.679 get to that super Bowl, man, and for us to 0:08:41.720 --> 0:08:42.880 do that, we gotta ground. 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:43.920 We gotta be a chemisy. 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:48.199 We can start going down the list of who lives where, 0:08:48.240 --> 0:08:50.040 who might have grown up or gone to college a 0:08:50.040 --> 0:08:53.080 certain place, who might not want to take a longer 0:08:53.160 --> 0:08:55.560 flight to get down there to South Florida. 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:56.600 As we bring back in. 0:08:56.760 --> 0:08:59.440 Our Mike garfula, I'm not I guys he here, Mike 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:02.439 in that LaVar is calling anybody out with. 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:03.160 That particular thing. 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:06.559 But maybe a little public pressure because you know Lamar 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.760 on the socials, he's gonna be posting everything of those workouts. 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.040 If you're like, hey, you know who's not there. He's 0:09:12.080 --> 0:09:12.360 left the. 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:14.200 Bread crumbs now for us to figure this thing out. 0:09:15.040 --> 0:09:16.000 Yeah, I do. 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.319 Believe that this was half in jest, but I believe 0:09:18.320 --> 0:09:21.200 that it was also half of Lamar being a leader 0:09:21.200 --> 0:09:23.280 and saying we need to get some work in and 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.079 be on the same page. Now, he wasn't there for 0:09:25.600 --> 0:09:27.640 all of the springs, so you could say, Lamar, practice 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:29.640 what you preach, right, you should have been there for 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:33.360 all of the OTAs there. But it is something that 0:09:33.400 --> 0:09:35.760 he's done in the past, wants to do again, and 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:37.920 wants to have the chemistry with his whiteouts, which he 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:41.800 seemed like he did have last year in a new 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:44.319 offense in Todd Munkin's offense. Now you're in year two, 0:09:45.160 --> 0:09:47.440 so I think you're gonna see a little bit even 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:48.520 more comfortability. 0:09:48.559 --> 0:09:50.160 Plus, when you factor. 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:52.120 In the defense, they're gonna have to worry about Derrick 0:09:52.160 --> 0:09:54.199 Henry and a power running game as well. 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:55.760 You think that that should help as well. 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:58.360 But listen, I'm all for Lamar Jackson, whether it's half 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:01.800 in jest or serious or whatever, putting some public pressure 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:03.640 in his guys and saying, hey, yeah, we've got to 0:10:03.679 --> 0:10:05.560 get some work in if we want to get to 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:07.160 that super Bowl. We've done a great job of getting 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:08.480 to the playoffs, but if we want to get to 0:10:08.559 --> 0:10:09.520 that Super Bowl, Bucky. 0:10:09.760 --> 0:10:11.559 We got to grind and you got to grind it 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:12.959 at South Florida heat and humidity. 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:15.760 Look, Mike, you alluded to it. 0:10:15.840 --> 0:10:19.280 I would probably appreciate those cinemas more if he had 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:21.880 been there the entire offseason because then they also could 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.280 have built some chemistry while they were working in the 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:27.520 building in Baltimore. But the pressure really is on Lamar 0:10:27.640 --> 0:10:31.199 Jackson to take his game up another level. He won 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:33.960 an MVP a season ago. This team played well for 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:36.960 the majority of the season, laid an egg in the postseason, 0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:40.040 and as they continue to fall short in the postseason, 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:41.920 more pressure goes to Lamar Jackson. 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.079 Can he get this team to the next level. 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:46.600 So I want to see the two time MVP hit 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.199 the ground running from the start. So whatever they need 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:50.840 to do in training camp to make sure they have 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:54.559 the necessary chemistry and continuity to play well from the start, 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:57.920 it needs to happen because all eyes on Lamar Jackson 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:01.040 and how he gets this offense going very very quickly. 0:11:01.080 --> 0:11:03.520 In twenty twenty four, we'll. 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:05.800 See about that chemistry and continuity. One thing bucket we 0:11:05.800 --> 0:11:09.400 know they have is Derrick Henry, a very unique type 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:12.320 of a player real quick. How do you imagine Derrick 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:15.720 Henry's presence is going to change the dynamic of that 0:11:15.800 --> 0:11:16.520 Ravens offense. 0:11:17.920 --> 0:11:20.079 Well, if this was the old version of the offense, 0:11:20.160 --> 0:11:22.199 I absolutely would love it because we know they will 0:11:22.240 --> 0:11:25.160 be a very physical down here running team Todd Munkett 0:11:25.240 --> 0:11:28.760 utilizes a different strategy, but Derrick Henry still gives them 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:31.640 a viable threat, two time rushing champs, someone who can 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:35.319 close out games. Just the thought of Derrick Henry and 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:38.720 Lamar Jackson doing some power reads, some option stuff will. 0:11:38.559 --> 0:11:41.560 Make defenses falls. This could be a huge addition for 0:11:41.559 --> 0:11:42.559 the Baltimore Ravens. 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:43.920 They just need to make sure they. 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.360 Do a good job of managing the load so Dereck 0:11:46.400 --> 0:11:48.600 Henry can be at his best during the last half 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:50.960 of the season, because if he's healthy and available, he 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:53.440 and Lamar Jackson could give upon his problems as a 0:11:53.480 --> 0:11:54.880 two headed monster in the backfield. 0:11:56.280 --> 0:11:59.040 AFC North Top to bottom one of the most fascinating 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:01.240 divisions in for not just because they got the raining 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:05.000 NFL MVP, because we've got a lot going on right 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:08.680 now in Pittsford. Mike Tomlin just signed his contract extension 0:12:08.880 --> 0:12:11.240 and they brought in two new quarterbacks, including. 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:13.360 That guy Russell Wilson. Shocking. 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:15.760 We've got a great looking photo of russ out there 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:19.600 on the practice field. He's competing with another guy, Justin Fields, 0:12:19.600 --> 0:12:22.280 who was acquired a course back in March in a 0:12:22.400 --> 0:12:25.079 trade from Chicago. And it's take to say Justin Fields 0:12:25.120 --> 0:12:27.040 has noticed a little bit of a difference. 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:30.280 Is there a new energy that you get being in 0:12:30.280 --> 0:12:33.720 a different organization, going through mini camp in a different 0:12:33.720 --> 0:12:34.600 way for the first time. 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.240 I think, so, you know, just being around a new team, 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:40.560 uh uh, an organization. 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.439 That's you know, just just with this culture. 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:45.720 You know, me being in two different places now, you 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:48.120 just I realize that, you know, you don't get this 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:51.880 cultures everywhere. I think Chicago, I think they are, you know, 0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:54.400 kind of changing the narrative now. But I mean this 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:57.160 has just been the culture here for so many years 0:12:57.160 --> 0:12:58.880 to where I mean, you can see it. It's just 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:01.080 the way that you know, attack each the other day, 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:05.240 and I'm coach, he stays honest about it. So I 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:10.720 think I'm just having that and then reiterating fact each 0:13:10.720 --> 0:13:12.480 and every day that keeps guysing the toes. 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:19.439 On Guys Day day, we'll set aside these subtexts right 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:21.760 there of what Justin Fields had to say about Chicago 0:13:21.760 --> 0:13:24.199 that they're starting to figure some things. I can see 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:25.840 the wheels turning his head like I don't want to 0:13:25.840 --> 0:13:28.080 crush him really hard right now, because it seems like 0:13:28.240 --> 0:13:31.280 everybody's pretty excited about the Bears at this point. But 0:13:31.360 --> 0:13:33.680 ian in Chicago, we know Mike Tomlin has said over 0:13:33.720 --> 0:13:36.800 and over Russell Wilson's in the pole position. Arthur Smith 0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:39.880 reiterated it that Russell Wilson is still in the pole 0:13:40.000 --> 0:13:42.880 position as this thing moves forward. What will you be 0:13:42.960 --> 0:13:45.680 looking for to determine exactly how the Steelers are going 0:13:45.679 --> 0:13:48.559 to use potentially both these quarterbacks come September. 0:13:49.800 --> 0:13:51.200 Well, first of all, I'm going to go to kind 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:54.680 of what Russell Wilson said recently, talked about feeling rejuvenated, 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:56.880 feeling like he found the fountain of youth, which is 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:57.679 a very good thing. 0:13:57.720 --> 0:13:58.720 The last couple of years. 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.120 We're no doubt all, and I think he's in a 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:04.720 much better situation this year on the field, with the 0:14:04.760 --> 0:14:07.079 supporting cast around him, with Arthur Smith, who should be 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.120 a very very good offensive coordinator, just as he was 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:11.880 before he got the Falcons job. 0:14:12.080 --> 0:14:14.760 So feeling rejuvenated is a good thing, but feeling like. 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:17.760 He's young again, that to me is one where I 0:14:17.800 --> 0:14:19.160 really do wonder what he means. 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:20.760 Because, of course, Russell Wilson. 0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.520 Was a quarterback who ran around, who scrambled, who scrambled 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:25.920 to throw, who was really loose to who never got hit, 0:14:26.200 --> 0:14:28.720 seam never got hit hard, was kind of able to 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:31.480 move as he wanted. He is certainly much older now, 0:14:31.520 --> 0:14:33.240 he is at a different stage in his career, and 0:14:33.280 --> 0:14:35.120 I hope he doesn't mean we are going to see 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.440 the run around Russ that we saw for the first 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:38.720 let's say decade. 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:40.280 That to me would be the only thing. 0:14:40.320 --> 0:14:42.840 I would say, Let's just see how this unfolds and 0:14:42.880 --> 0:14:45.760 what version we get of Russell Wilson. I would also say, 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:49.360 obviously he is in pole position, but Justin Fields is 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:53.200 very confident and very very serious, and you know, if 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:55.000 there's a small bit of opening, he is going to 0:14:55.080 --> 0:14:56.000 do everything. 0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.440 He possibly can to jump through that. 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:01.320 These preseason games, even if we sort of think Russ 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:03.760 is going to be starting Week one, these preseason games 0:15:03.760 --> 0:15:06.080 are going to be really really interesting, especially as it 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:07.320 relates to Justin Fields. 0:15:08.040 --> 0:15:10.280 Yeah, Mike Tomon likes to use these preseason games to 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:12.880 kind of get a feel for the regular season and 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:15.600 a feel for the atmosphere that these guys. 0:15:15.440 --> 0:15:16.040 Are going to face. 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:18.520 So you know he'll be using those games to evaluate 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:20.760 how these guys, both of them respond to it, how 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:23.720 they perform. And justin Field is certainly capable of making 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:25.440 wold plays, So if he makes a few of those 0:15:25.480 --> 0:15:28.880 in those preseason games, it'll give us some conversation topics 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.240 here on the insiders to have here. 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:33.920 But in Russell Wilson's case, feeling revived. 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:36.200 I just every time I look at this, and when 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:40.440 you have conversations with people in Pittsburgh and around Pittsburgh 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:43.480 and around the team, you get the sense that there's 0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:45.680 a lot of positivity, and maybe he didn't have that 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.400 the last couple of years. So when you feel the revived, 0:15:49.000 --> 0:15:50.520 this is the guy early in his career and Pete 0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:52.480 Carroll and he vibed in a lot of ways, and 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:55.120 Carol loved to preach to positivity. I think he's feeling 0:15:55.280 --> 0:15:58.640 that more than anything right now. So that's that feeling 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:00.560 of love and a feeling of a preciation and the 0:16:00.600 --> 0:16:03.800 feeling of being lifted up. So I can't imagine a 0:16:03.840 --> 0:16:07.080 better scenario for Russell Wilson, at least from that standpoint 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.880 than what he is experiencing right now in Pittsburgh. 0:16:11.160 --> 0:16:13.680 I'm going through the schedule of twenty one live preseason 0:16:13.680 --> 0:16:19.240 games on NFL Network. August ninth, Texans at Steelers, August seventeenth, 0:16:19.360 --> 0:16:23.600 Bills at Steelers, and August twenty fourth, Steelers at Lines. 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:25.720 What do you know? You're going to see every. 0:16:25.600 --> 0:16:28.120 Single snap the Russell Wilson Justin Field's take in the 0:16:28.160 --> 0:16:31.840 preseason right here on this channel. You're also about to 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:35.800 see this. The Steelers hosted their inaugural steel Hers event, 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:39.400 presented by upmc McGee Women's Hospital as part of their 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.840 Women of Steel platform, which unites women who share passion 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:46.000 for the Black and Gold. The event includes on field 0:16:46.080 --> 0:16:48.480 drills with players like Calvin Austin, a Q and A 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:52.640 with Troy and Theodora Paulamalou, locker room tours, and a 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:54.640 whole lot more. Looks like a ton of fun there 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:58.840 inside the Steelers stadium coming up after this, So much 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:01.840 more to go on this episode of The Insiders. 0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:03.360 Let's talk about the Packers. 0:17:03.400 --> 0:17:05.399 Jordan Love, one of the hottest quarterbacks in all the 0:17:05.440 --> 0:17:09.240 football down the stretch that last season. Can he build 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.439 on it in his second full year as the starter? 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:14.080 Are Staceydale's Bucky Brooks help us break it down? Right 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:28.879 after this on The Insiders, how about some dance moves 0:17:28.880 --> 0:17:32.120 from the quad father himself. That's aj Dillon out there 0:17:32.160 --> 0:17:33.920 at the mandatory medi camp today. 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:34.880 He's got a couple of new. 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:39.159 Running mates, Josh Jacobs and third round pick Marshawn Lloyd. 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.960 A very interesting young team in Green Bay that finished 0:17:43.040 --> 0:17:46.080 last season very much on the rise. I still got 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.120 the same running mates that I do so often right 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:50.639 here on this show. Tom Pilisaro back with Bucky Brooks, 0:17:50.880 --> 0:17:53.879 So welcome in our friend Stacy Dale's as well. Stacy, 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:56.200