
Defensive players set to make a leap in 2025
5 June - 1 hourWhenever a player makes a leap—whether that's bad to average, average to good, good to great, or great to elite—it can change his team. Just think of guys like Zack Baun and Derek Stingley last season. Who might make a leap this year akin to what those two did in 2024? Derrik Klassen and Diante Lee from The Ringer highlight their top defensive breakout players on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
Rundown
Daiyan Henley
Edgerrin Cooper
Nate Wiggins
Laiatu Latu
Kobie Turner
Brian Branch
Will Anderson
Cooper DeJean
Honorable mention
Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen
With: Diante Lee
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Producer: Michael Beller
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Lingering questions, episode 3: The Chiefs' lack of explosiveness, Baker Mayfield's late-20s breakout, and the 49ers' relative slide on offense
We're into June, and we've still got Lingering Questions about the 2024 season that will inform how the coming season goes. On this edition, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask, and attempt to answer, the following...Are explosives ever coming back to the Chiefs offense? Is Baker Mayfield's late-20s breakout for real? How much of the Niners' relative slide on offense was about more than injuries? Rundown 2:52 Are explosives ever coming back to the Chiefs offense? 23:08 Is Baker Mayfield's late-20s breakout for real? 42:06 How much of the Niners' relative slide on offense was about more than injuries? Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hour 1 min
12 June Finished

League-altering moves, GMing an expansion team, the end of bad quarterbacks, and more from the TAFS mailbag
The mailbag shifts to Wednesday this week, but it's still chock full of great questions from all of you out there. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen consider each of the following: What are the most consequential league-altering moves of the last 10 years? Which failed head coach was hurt most by his quarterback situation? Could we soon be in a world without bad quarterbacks? Find out the guys answers to those questions, and many more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Beller on Bluesky: @mbeller.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hour 9 mins
11 June Finished

Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers, Jaire Alexander released, and more from OTAs
The league's most faux-uncertain quarterback question finally got its long-expected answer last week when Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers officially agreed to terms on a one-year contract. That's where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen begin their roundup of all the news that dropped during OTAs on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss Frank Ragnow's retirement, the Packers' release of Jaire Alexander, Anthony Richardson's shoulder injury, Mike Macdonald's incredulity, and a whole lot more. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 4:33 Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers 15:13 Packers release Jaire Alexander 23:34 Jalen Ramsey trade still hanging out there 26:54 Frank Ragnow retires 36:54 Terry McLaurin's frustrated with his contract status 39:44 Anthony Richardson sidelined for minicamp with shoulder injury 45:51 Bryce Huff traded to 49ers 49:34 Nick Chubb signs with Texans 51:06 Rashod Bateman signs extension with Ravens 54:17 Jonnu Smith trade chatter 55:39 Saints OL shakeup 58:30 Ricky Pearsall and Joey Bosa out until training camp with injuries Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hour 2 mins
10 June Finished

Fantasy winners and losers from the 2025 NFL offseason
June is here, and with June comes all things summer. Sunshine, trips to the pool, cookouts...and fantasy football. That's right, fantasy football season is upon us, and we're celebrating that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Michael Beller sits in once again for the vacationing Robert Mays, and he's joined by Jake Ciely, The Athletic's senior fantasy writer, to dig into the biggest moves of the offseason from a fantasy perspective. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller and Jake Ciely Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Beller on Bluesky: @mbeller.bsky.social Follow Jake on Bluesky: @allinkid.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Follow Jake on X: @allinkid Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59 mins
4 June Finished

Monday Mailbag: Frankenstein's NFL team owner, the Colts' path at quarterback, Jonathan Gannon's Cardinals, and more
How does one determine what is or isn't a successful move in free agency? Which teams could surprise us this year by ending up with top-10 play callers on both sides of the ball? How should we feel about the Jonathan Gannon era in Arizona thus far? Those are just three of the questions Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen get into on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Plus, the guys answer an email of the year candidate weighing the pros and cons of potential fictitious owners. Hosts: Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen With: Michael Beller Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Beller on Bluesky: @mbeller.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
56 mins
2 June Finished