The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

By The AthleticSports Football

Ranking
19th
on Football
Favorites
500
Followers
Typical duration
64 min
per episode
If it hooks
51%
finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL episodes

June 19 Everything you need to know about Brendan Sorsby & the NFL Supplemental Draft
The various sagas roiling college football typically fall outside our purview here on The Athletic Football Show, but nothing about the Brendan Sorsby saga is typical. Sorsby was one of the biggest prizes in the transfer portal this offseason. Instead of potentially leading Texas Tech back to the playoff this year, he'll make the NFL Supplemental Draft an actual event for the first time in seemingly forever. Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Dane Brugler detail what type of prospect Sorsby is, the value he'll have in the supplemental draft, and which teams might be interested in him on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Dave Helman and Dane Brugler
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_
Follow Dane on X: @DPBrugler

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.
47 min
June 18 Walking in the shoes of a non-playcalling offensive coordinator with Bengals OC Dan Pitcher
The success of coaches like Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay has created a group of coaches that, at one time in the recent past, were quite rare...non-playcalling offensive coordinators. Fully half the league will have offensive coordinators who don't call plays on gameday this season. So, what exactly do they do? Bengals OC Dan Pitcher, who works under head coach and playcaller Zac Taylor, takes us through it all on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown:
0:00 Welcome to the show
2:10 Background reporting on OCs
29:22 Dan Pitcher joins

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 14 min
June 17 The under-26 non-QB player draft
The NFL, as always, is in good hands going forward with all the young talent across the league. Just how good? Well, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman help lay that out by selecting the 24 best players that are 25 years old or younger, not including QBs, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown: 0:00 Welcome to the show
1:35 We’re so back
5:50 Stacking the under-25 QBs
6:05 Jayden Daniels vs Caleb Williams
9:03 Will Anderson Jr
10:27 Anderson a top-5 NFL player?
11:13 Puka Nacua
16:00 Byron Murphy II
20:03 Jaxon Smith-Njigba
22:27 Kyle Hamilton
25:26 Jared Verse
29:40 Joe Alt
31:27 Derek Stingley Jr
34:06 Darnell Wright
37:23 Abdul Carter
40:20 Brock Bowers
43:57 Drake London
46:44 Bijan Robinson
48:00 Robert has mind control powers
49:28 Jahmyr Gibbs
52:36 Jalen Carter
56:45 Quinyon Mitchell
58:27 Tyler Smith
1:00:30 Christian Gonzalez
1:00:45 “Why do you hate Christian Gonzalez?”
1:02:07 Malik Nabers
1:04:44 Carson Schwesinger
1:07:25 Devon Witherspoon
1:08:31 Colston Loveland (who is surprised?)
1:10:51 Armand Membou
1:12:55 Jeremiyah Love
1:14:15 George Pickens
1:16:38 Travis Hunter

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays
Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

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 hr 23 min
June 15 Can you actually find success chasing a trend in today’s NFL?
This week’s mailbag yielded one of the best hypotheticals we have ever received…and a bunch of other very good questions too. Who are the NFL’s best pass blocking RBs? What are some current NFL trends that may seem archaic in the near future? And are defense-first Super Bowl champions here to stay? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer that and more.

0:00 Welcome to the show
1:51 Finishing piece to a Super Bowl-losing team
5:19 Best pass blocking RBs
10:57 NFL trends that will seem archaic soon
19:17 Creating vs chasing a trend
27:59 Position groups with most potential lost to injury
30:15 Drafting QBs if all other picks were voided
42:32 Are defenses getting smaller?
45:34 Historical trend of defense-first champions
49:42 Bryce Young’s contract extension

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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.
57 min
June 11 Nine players who quietly defined the 2025 season
For every Will Anderson Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there's a Robert Spillane and Parker Washington. In other words, for every superstar who clearly left his mark on a given season, there's a role player who also helped define what the league was, and were it could be going. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen highlight the players who quietly defined the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown:
0:00 Welcome to the show
3:14 Parker Washington
11:36 Byron Murphy II
19:00 AJ Barner
20:20 Colby Parkinson
28:15 Reed Blankenship & Evan Williams
34:49 Devon Witherspoon
41:45 Robert Spillane
46:30 Kamari Lassiter

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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.
51 min
June 10 Was Jayden Daniels' injury really behind the Commanders 2025 collapse? That, and more lingering questions
In the first installment of Lingering Questions this offseason, we cheated by asking the same question about four then-rookie quarterbacks. Now, we're kicking this thing off for real. We still have questions about the Cowboys, Commanders, and 49ers. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen ask - and try to answer - those lingering questions in today's episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown:
0:00 Welcome to the show
3:08 Cowboys offense
23:46 Jayden Daniels & Commanders collapse
39:42 49ers young defenders

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 4 min
June 09 Which NFC team has the best supporting cast around its quarterback?
In the second and final edition of our annual Supporting Casts miniseries, we flip our attention over to the NFC where, frankly, things are a whole lot more loaded. Is it as obvious as it might seem at the top? Who was the breakthrough team from last season? How many different times will Derrik Klassen shock Robert Mays? The guys rank the 16 NFC supporting casts on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

0:00 Welcome to the show
3:17 Commanders
5:08 Giants
9:10 Panthers
12:27 Saints
18:27 Cardinals
23:09 Falcons
29:24 Buccaneers
34:17 Packers
42:37 Seahawks
51:06 Lions
57:00 Eagles
1:01:16 Vikings
1:05:50 Cowboys
1:09:10 49ers
1:15:57 Bears
1:19:34 Rams

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 26 min
June 08 How "all in" is too far all in?
They say if you give an NFL team an inch (drafting Ty Simpson), they'll take a mile (trading the farm for Myles Garrett)...isn't that what they say? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen get to the bottom of just how aggressive is TOO aggressive in today's NFL on this mailbag episode of The Athletic Football Show. They also discuss the most toxic potential pairings for this upcoming season, how to build an ideal edge room, and much more.

Rundown:
0:00 Welcome to the show
0:47 Going “all in”
11:47 Trading stars for premium picks
19:01 Switch order of NFL Draft and free agency?
28:15 Toxic NFL pairings (via Malort infusions)
37:03 Best talent-per-dollar positions
49:44 Building an edge room
55:49 Tone around Declan Doyle vs Mike LaFleur

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 1 min
June 05 Inside the TE revolution — from someone living it
Tight end Charlie Kolar caught 10 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns last season. In the offseason, he signed a three-year deal with the Chargers that guaranteed him $17 million and put him inside the top-20 earners at the position based on annual average value. How does a guy who puts up in a season what Brock Bowers does in a good week end up as one of the most important players at the position? Allow him to bring you inside the tight end revolution on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown
0:00 Welcome to the show
4:55 Why are TEs booming?
14:40 Rams impact
16:39 Seahawks impact
17:28 Bears next evolution?
23:03 Value of early downs
31:44 Importance of unpredictability
39:51 Charlie Kolar interview

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Host: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 21 min
June 04 Which second-year QB showed the most promise entering 2026?
Our Lingering Questions series is back, and we kick it off this year with a doozy. Four rookie quarterbacks had at least 250 dropbacks last season, and at least three of them will start in 2026. So, what really were the rookie seasons for Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough and Shedeur Sanders? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into all four on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)
0:00 Welcome to the show
2:42 Cam Ward
21:19 Jaxson Dart
37:18 Tyler Shough
52:50 Shedeur Sanders

Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social
Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social
Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

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 hr 1 min

About The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

From the publisher's feed

The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os,…